"Because We Are His" - Basic Bible Holiness Series
Part IV : The Doctrine of Headship, Authority and Hair
I Cor 11: 1-16
Some preliminary observations:
| I Cor 1: 2 "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:" |
| II Timothy 3:16 "All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" |
| I Corinthians 7:1 "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me:" |
ONLY AFTER THESE BASIC ISSUES OF INWARD CHRISTIANITY WERE EXPLAINED did Paul begin to deal with symbols of that Christianity.
| Matthew 23:23 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." |
UNDERSTANDING THIS POINT KEEPS A CHURCH FROM BECOMING LEGALISTIC
Legalism:
| Isaiah 55:8-11 "For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it." |
IF GOD’S WORD DEALS SO MUCH WITH A SUBJECT, THEN IT’S IMPORTANT!
LET’S LOOK AT HAIR IN THE O.T.
----Nazarite Vows are not valid in the N.T. but the principle of God using hair as a symbol is credible
| Deu 21: 10 "When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, 11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; 12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife." |
| II Kings 2: 23 "And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." |
| Ezra 9: 2 "For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. 3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. " |
| Isaiah 3: 24 "And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty." |
| Ezek 16: 7 "I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. 8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil." |
| Daniel 4:33 "The same hour was the
thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as
oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like
eagles’ [feathers], and his nails like birds’ [claws]." |
NOW LET’S GO TO THE N.T. TEACHING ON HAIR - I Cor 11
Let’s take a quick analysis of the text:
VS 3: This verse brings us to the subject of HEADSHIP
head = GRK (kephale) = denoted authority.
DON’T MISS THE POINT! the true subject is relationship & authority *** The concept of headship/submission is best described as Relationship & Responsibility NOT Superiority & Inferiority! God did ordain the man to be the head of the home (but in the sense of responsibility, not tyranny.)
| I Peter 3:7 "Likewise, ye husbands,
dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker
vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not
hindered." Ephesians 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Verse :25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. Verse :31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband." |
| Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Verse 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in everything. Verse :33 Nevertheless let everyone of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that see reverence [her] husband." |
MEN :IF YOU LEAD WITHOUT TAKING HER INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU ARE FOOLISH.
>>> BUT IF YOU LET YOUR WIFE RULE THE ROOST, YOU’VE MESSED UP ON THE OTHER
SIDE. I CAN’T STAND A WIMPY MAN! --- & NOBODY CAN STAND A TYRANNICAL MAN. Make
decisions based on Biblical thinking, not emotions!
** The head of Christ is God = this refers to the role of the Messiah (flesh) to the omnipresent Spirit of God. This verse does not teach trinitarianism.**
VS 4 : a man should not pray or minister with his (physical) head covered
because of VS7: this IS A SYMBOL of the submission to his (spiritual) head! "Having
his head covered" = "Echon Kephales Kata" (GR/Italics)
NIV says this means long hair. Martin says: having his hair "hanging down" ***
VS 4 does not use covering as a noun. Nothing in this verse refers to a material
veil...always refers to hair.
THE ONLY COVERING IDENTIFIED IN THE CHAPTER IS HAIR: VS 15
| I Corinthians 11:15 "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for [her] hair is given her for a covering." |
WE CAN GET DEEP....OK?
The word "cover" in Verses 4-7 = "Katakalupto" - it means = "to
veil, wholly cover"
The word cover in VS 15 = "Peribolaion" - it means = "to throw around" - also: "veil or mantle"
Katakalupto is a derivative of the root work "Kata" a preposition meaning = "down from, to cover or hide"
IS THAT DEEP ENOUGH? OK? -- (SMILE) but it’s not that hard! Verses 4-7 teach that
a man’s head is to be uncovered and a women’s head is to be covered. BUT IS DOES
NOT TEACH WHAT THE COVERING IS!
"Katakalupto" in VS 6 is a verb / "Peribolaion" VS 15 is a noun - THEY
CANNOT BE INTERCHANGED
THE HAIR IS THE COVERING... HAIR IS THE SYMBOLIC ISSUE HERE!
VS 5: Again, it is physically possible to pray uncovered, but you symbolically dishonor your husband or father. (symbolically) The passage is describing proper decorum while at public worship. The symbols denote the relationships. (Man to Christ the same as women to man etc...)
VS 6: Women convicted of immorality had their head shaved.
| Jeremiah 7:29 "Cut off thine hair, [O Jerusalem], and cast [it] away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath." |
God metaphorically told women to cut their hair as a (symbol of shame) Remember the two
women in the N.T. who washed Jesus feet with long hair.
Zondervan Bible Dictionary noted that in the N.T., hair was a major distinguishing factor of the sexes.
PAUL WAS ANSWERING the CORINTH CUSTOM => He was not suggesting a break from that custom. In Corinth, to be without a veil would be a shame, therefore, if you’re not wearing one, then you might as well cut your hair also. (because in Corinth it would have the same effect)
VS 15: States that if a woman has her natural, long hair as a covering, she does not need anything else. If she has short, cut hair, she can wear a veil, but it is still a shame.
Verse 5 = having her head uncovered is the equivalent of being shaven. NO QUESTION WHAT SHAVEN IS ==> IT IS A SHAME. REMEMBER THE O.T. VERSES? God considers a woman that has her head shaved to be a symbol of shame & humiliation... vile, disgrace, dishonor.
HENCE VS 6: (explanation:) If a woman does not have long hair, (covering) then let her remain cut (for now)... But since it’s a shame for a woman to have cut hair, let her be covered. In other words (let her hair grow again!) This is the answer for new converts!
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE FOR THE 90’s CHURCH?
*** If a woman is presently uncovered because she has cut her hair, she should be
permitted fellowship into the church body even in that condition. But since it’s a
shame for her to be in that condition she should stop cutting her hair, and let it grow
back again, as a covering, and for her glory. THIS IS THE SIMPLE N.T. TRUTH FOR THE
90’s CHURCH!
Judgment begins at God’s house... (conversion) This issue is not "how long" her hair is, but that she simply stop cutting it. In I Cor 11, the issue was never if a woman should have long hair. (that was a given) It was if Corinthian women had to wear a 2nd covering
*** Paul expected women to wear veils in Corinth because it was the symbol of modesty. But he did not expect all cultures & times to do so.
VS 7: Man is the image of the glory of God. The woman is the glory of the man. GOD CHOSE THE SYMBOLS!
| Proverbs 12:4 "A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones. (crown is the symbol of majesty)" |
The hair is a symbol, but remember, God is looking for symbols!
VS 8-9: God made men & women different. Hair was a human choice way to conform to that difference and accept our role to God’s preset standard’s & authority.
VS 10: The spirit would looks for symbols of rebellion. Notice: Angels here is the same word translated angels in Revelation chapter 2. Angels was translated "messenger" or "Pastor". *** As Pastor, I am looking for the symbols of commitment & submission to Christ & the ministry when choosing leaders for ministry among the body. I believe this verse applies to both Pastors & the Spiritual world.
---> This would keep inline with the headship/ authority theme, placing the ministry into picture!
NOW LADIES: For those of you that are veterans of these alters, listen up! Trimming your hair is a violation of this scriptural principle! When you trim your hair --- what your telling me is PASTOR, I’M BEHIND YOU 90 %! -----> Also: It makes no sense to practice a level of personal consecration by not cutting your hair, then, cut your daughters hair? --- train up a child in the way he should go!
"But I’m not convicted about that verse"... (after serious consideration?) (well, its still the word) = means I don’t agree
| James 1: 19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." |
LISTEN: THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY FOR IMPARTATION!
To engraft a limb into a tree... You must pierce it! Pull it open and place a branch in it, then wrap it up and let it "weep!" (sap) KNOW WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT? REMEMBER WHAT HAIR SYMBOLIZES? Submission to authority!
VS 11-12: Men & Women are equal before God. (but each with their own roles)
| Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." |
*** BE CAREFUL THAT A LUCIFER SPIRIT DOES NOT GET IN YOU... This Spirit exalts itself over
leadership! God has appointed a set man (pastor) in every church! 1 Cor 11 is so
important because it lays out God’s feelings about authority! It’s no accident
that communion follows:
*** (discerned not the body) If a person does not realize who he is OVER and UNDER in this
issue of authority and headship, then you will miss the annointing that breaks yokes!
| Psalms 133:1 "A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;" |
The annointing always flows down the flow of leadership to the body! WE NEED T0 BE WILLING
TO PAY A PRICE FOR GOD’S POWER IN OUR LIFE! HOLINESS STANDARDS ARE ISSUES OF
CONSECRATION AND POWER WITH GOD!
*** There is an impartation to be obtained for those that will go the second mile! *** When my faith goes beyond just words... when it becomes something that effects my everyday life I am pleasing unto him!
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VS 13-15: Basis of science. Men go bald (inherited) not women (male pattern baldness)
VS 16: Contention is not of God. This verse is the Summation of the whole text. We have no custom of encouraging women to pray with their head uncovered. (Why would Paul spend 15 verses to set a present point, only to throw it all out the window??)
Notice Verse 14 Paul’s bases his teaching on hair on the foundation of nature. That’s why it applies to us. Jewish, Greek & Roman Christians all agreed on this point. (VS 16) (Neither the churches of God) --- There was no argument in the other churches about this issue.
Some objections people raise:
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HISTORY
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--- Long hair was the norm in American culture until the 20’s A woman by the name of Castle (silent movies) bobbed it for shock effect. It became known as the symbol of rebellion of the "roaring 20’s" which was her point.
UNCUT HAIR ON A WOMAN IS PLEASING TO GOD!
SHORT HAIR ON MEN IS PLEASING TO GOD!
When everything is said and done: The question remains, HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO PLEASE GOD?
OUR HAIR IS A SYMBOL OF OUR DEDICATION TO GOD AND OUR SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD! ( This is a basic Biblical doctrine on which we will not swerve )
| I Corinthians 14:37 "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." |
All this we do for love’s sake ---> Because We Are His!
| John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." |
Special Acknowledgment:
Special Thanks to Rev. David Bernard for outstanding research on this subject. Most of the historical and Hebrew / Greek references this series are taken from his fine book entitled: