1 Corinthians 10:14-11:34      

Head Coverings

v. 2-6 In the following passage Paul uses the term "head" in two different ways-- 1) headship or authority, and 2) one's physical head. Verse 3 says that God is the authoritative head of Christ, Christ is the authoritative head of man, and man is the authoritative head of woman.

Men must uncover their physical "head" when they pray or prophesy or else they dishonor their authoritative "head"-- Christ/God.

Women must cover their physical "head" when they pray or prophesy or else they dishonor their authoritative "head"-- man/Christ/God.

Before we go on, notice that both men and women are praying and prophesying in a public gathering of the church. Both are treated the same in that they may pray and prophesy (give words of encouragement or correction from God).

If a woman does not cover her head (with a veil or scarf) it is just as though her head were shaved. It is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shaved off (See Deut 21:10-14). Therefore, if she refuses to cover her head when praying in the assembly it is as disgraceful as being bald. But a man should not cover his head.

Let's try to understand this from their cultural perspective. Back then men wore turbans on their heads. The turban often indicated their status in the community. A man of high standing wore his turban proudly. For a woman, her status in the community could be seen in the way she wore her hair. High status women braided their hair, wore jewels in their hair, etc. When believers from all walks of life came together for prayer and worship it was clear which ones were wealthy or of high social status. Paul's command served to equalize them. When the men uncovered their heads by removing their turbans they all looked the same. When the women covered their hair with a veil they all looked the same. The status issue was minimized as both men and women humbled themselves before God in their gathering. Although this passage has sometimes been used to make women subservient to men it actually tells both men and women to voluntarily humble themselves so that God may be exalted.

v. 7-12 Man is the mage and glory of God. That is, man is a reflection of God's glory. The woman reflects the glory of man as he reflects the glory of God. Paul goes back to creation and says that woman came from man (Eve from Adam's rib) and woman was created for man (as his helper). The sign of authority on a woman's head is her hair. However, "In the Lord" (in the church) men and women are not independent of each other. Sure Eve came from Adam but every man who has been born since then has come from a woman, even the Lord Jesus. "But everything comes from God" so neither men nor women cannot boast.

v. 13-16 Paul appeals to common sense, for his readers knew that it was disgraceful for a man to have long hair but long hair was a woman's crowning glory. Her long hair is a covering that gives her honor and dignity. Paul abruptly ends his instruction about head coverings by saying "we have no other practice." Men must uncover their heads and women must cover theirs. Case closed!

The Lord's Supper (Communion)

v. 17-18 Paul is speaking specifically to the Corinthian church in the first century. Their meetings were doing more harm than good. There were divisions among them as we saw in 1:12.

v. 19 He's a little sarcastic here. Of course there are differences among them, says Paul, because they want to claim that some of them have God's approval more than others.

v. 20-22 When they come together for communion they are doing it in a dishonorable way. They don't wait for each other, one gets drunk, another goes hungry because the others eat all the food before he gets there. It's probably the poorer people who arrive late and are left with nothing to eat. That's why he says they "humiliate those who have nothing." Paul cannot praise them for any of this.

v. 23-29 It's obviously communion that Paul is talking about because he reminds them that the Lord took bread and wine at His last supper with the apostles and commanded that this be a proclamation of His death until He returns. It is to be solemn event practiced by the believers together. The Corinthians were not observing it with the dignity and respect it deserved. They were eating and drinking the bread and wine in "an unworthy manner." Therefore, they were sinning not only against each other but they were sinning against the body and blood of Christ. Paul says each one must examine himself before he eats or drinks the bread and wine to see that he truly recognizes it as the body and blood of Christ. This self-examination seems to be quite specific. It's not just looking at yourself to recognize that you are a sinner but looking to Christ's sacrifice and acknowledging that partaking of communion is truly a participation in Christ.

v. 30-32 Since the Corinthians were being so disrespectful about the Lord's Supper Paul warns them that God is disciplining them by causing many of them to be weak and sick and some have even died. God is disciplining them in this way so they will repent and will not ultimately be condemned with the unbelieving world. But if they judged themselves in this matter and disciplined themselves then they would not have to be disciplined by God.

v. 33-34 So they must wait for each other, eat at home before their gathering, and partake of the Lord's Supper with proper respect and reverence.

 --Sandy Blank