a symbol of authority

Good morning sisters and brothers,
This is my least favorite passage in 1 Corinthians. Passages like this made me distrust Paul for a long time and continue to keep many women from connecting with this apostle and with church tradition. The important thing to remember here and elsewhere is that Paul was a product of his time. He grew up in a culture that was convinced that women and men were not equal. The law of Moses didn't allow women to be witnesses in trials, and Greek philosophy understood men to be logical and women to be overly ruled by emotion. Paul's reading of scripture here is suspect as well. Going back to the creation story he says that men are created in God's image, but women are created in man's image. In fact women and men are both made in God's image.

Before we totally discount what Paul has to say here, notice that he does expect women to prophesy. Despite Paul's shortcomings, he knew that God spoke through women as well as men. He was simply trying to figure out how to help the church follow God in a challenging world. Like all of us, he had blind spots and imperfections, but he also has much to teach us.

Blessings as you keep faith today,
Sam

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I handed them on to you. 3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ.


4Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head disgraces his head, 5but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled disgraces her head—it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. 6For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. 7For a man ought not to have his head veiled, since he is the image and reflection of God; but woman is the reflection of man. 8Indeed, man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. 10For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.


11Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man or man independent of woman. 12For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman; but all things come from God. 13Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled? 14Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is degrading to him, 15but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16But if anyone is disposed to be contentious—we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.