1 Corinthians – Part one

I Corinthians deals with practical issues in more detail than Paul’s other letters. This is evident in a brief review of the first seven chapters.

Chapters 1 and 2

The issue is ecclesial cliques. Paul quickly sets the tone of the direct approach to be taken throughout the epistle. His admonition is, “you must stop disputing among yourselves particularly over which brother is your favorite. You belong to Christ. There is no glory or wisdom in the flesh.”

He does not compromise the principle but he does give them room to gracefully correct the situation. He does so by not naming the particular brethren vying for leadership and uses his own name and others to illustrate the point. The heart of his counsel is that they should look at the cross and there see the one they should exalt and follow.

Chapter 3

Here he compares the believer to the dwelling place of God, “you are the temple” he says. As the glory shone from the temple, the glory of a godly character should emanate from the believer. The figure is a powerful one and forcefully drives home the point. “You are a temple;” a place prepared for God to dwell, where others may learn of Him and “see” Him. Such a place must be kept orderly and holy in a fit condition to be used for worship.

Chapter 5

Paul deals with the real matter of principle and pragmatism. The prin­ciples involved were concern, love, forgiveness and holiness. When a brother openly violated the last principle by having his father’s wife, the ecclesia evidently decided not to sharply censure him but to win him over with compassion and love. Was that a right application of principle? “No!” said the apostle.

When a child does wrong, a parent does not show real love by ignoring the problem or glossing over it. Real love requires strong action that the child may be saved. This is the course Paul insists on: “deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Chapter 6

The practical counsel here is, “Don’t air your problems outside.” It is not necessary to go before the judge of the Gentile courts to decide matters or to condemn a brother for being drunk or disorderly. How unthinkable that we should take a brother to court. If the problem can be handled within the framework of the ecclesia, handle it. If not, God will take care of all unrighteousness in due time. Those who go to law against another do wrong. No one is without sin. Furthermore, we are a body, we must not be at war with each other. And if we can’t make decisions now, how will we be able to rule the world?

Chapter 7

While not all potential questions or cases involving marriage, divorce and remarriage are handled in this chapter, most of them are. Here Paul gives good, sound practical advice based upon prin­ciples. For example: “To the unmarried and widows I say, it is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn” (7:8,9).

Paul deals with situations, presents practical solutions or presents logical statements based upon godly principles. In effect he says, “If you heed this advice, accept it for what it is and where it comes from. If you do, you will not only develop a spiritual mind, but you will also grow to be men and women fit to be part of God’s kingdom in Christ.”

Man and woman in the ecclesia

The foregoing are summaries with which all will probably agree. We come now to an issue about which questions frequently occur: head coverings for sisters and their silence in the assembly.

In what follows, we are offering suggestions and are not attempting to establish dogma or draw lines of fellowship. However, some comments are in order as for quite some time, brothers, sisters and young people have asked for our opinion on these issues. Following is an attempt to present the basis of conclusions that seem both inescapable and perhaps uncomfortable.

The head coverings

“The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” The Greek word here used for “head” means “the head, the top, superior, chief, principal, one to whom others are subordinate.”

No one questions that Christ is the head of man or that God is the head of Christ; but we frequently question or explain away the fact that the head of the woman is the man. That there is nothing new in contemporary attitudes is demonstrated by Paul’s concentration on this one of the three relationships he has set forth. He argues his case from creation, from nature, from appearance and from inherent characteristics. His conclusion is indisputable, although it has been disputed for centuries.

The man reflects the glory of God; the woman shares this with man. She does not seek to usurp it by uncovering her head and thereby basking in her own glory. We all must learn to serve one another and submit to Christ.

Expositions of I Cor. 11:1-16 frequently limit its comments to ecclesial meetings. We are not convinced such a conclusion is valid. The flow of thought is from chapter 10 where Paul sets out the necessity of considering others in our personal conduct. His primary example is drawn from private, not ecclesial life — attending a feast hosted by a pagan acquaintance. Chapter 11:1 then begins with, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Reference to the ecclesial assembly does not occur until verse 17. There is no reason we can see that proves the preceding verses also apply to ecclesial meetings. Furthermore, 11:5 speaks of sisters praying and prophesying which must refer to conduct in a private setting as they were to keep silence in the assembly (14:34).

The real issue of 1 Cor. 11:1-16 is the covering of the sister’s natural glory with a veil as a sign of a submissive, conquered nature. Whatever glory we have now must be a reflection of Christ in us; our individual glory will be wholly manifested when the veil of the flesh is removed and we shine forth with the fullness of the glory of Christ.

Lord willing, this subject will be pursued further next month; in the meantime, we would appreciate comments on these verses.