Headship and Submission

"¹ Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
² Now I praise you because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. ³ But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. ⁶ So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.
⁷ A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory. ⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. ⁹ And man was not created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰ This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. ¹² For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.
¹³ Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God."
I Corinthians 11:1-16 

Before we begin, let's first bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father,

Father, we humbly thank You for Your Word for us today. We pray that You would open up our hearts and minds, that we might come to a glorious understanding of Your message. Lord, we just give You thanks for all the godly men and women who are present with us today, both near and the farthest corners of the earth. We just pray that after Your Word for us, that we might maintain the kind of testimony to the world and teach others by the way we act, in the way we look, in our accountability and the responsibility we take to fulfill the role that You’ve assigned to each of us, and in Your grace, knowing that when we do that, You will pour out blessing upon us. Lord, today, we just commit ourselves to You, to that end, for Your glory and the glory of Christ, in whose precious name we pray
amen

Open with me your Bibles to the book of I Corinthians chapter 11, in our ongoing study of I Corinthians. Before we begin, I know that many of you are going to be wrestling with your own self all the way through it, as it has to do with the subordination and equality of women. I'd first like to make something clear, I’m not overly concerned this message be some wonderful homily, filled with many beautiful points. That is not my intent here.

I’m only interested in teaching the truths contained within this section of the Word of God, written in this epistle, and doing it in such a manner, that you understand the importance and the meaning of the section of the Scripture. I hope that all of you can appreciate that,
regardless of how unpopular, how difficult a passage is, I am called to teach all of God's Word, in it's entirety. No teacher of the Word, has been given the authority, the privilege of authorization to just ignore any part of it or somehow deem something in God's Word, to be culturally irrelevant. So, rather than to give you my opinion on any of this, because I'm not called to do that, I am just going to share with you what the Bible says, what God says and let you know that this is not anyone’s opinion; this is God’s authoritative statement on the subject. If some of you take issue with it's message, I recommend, you take it up with the Almighty Himself, as I am nothing more than His messenger.

I am dismayed that the modern church is or at least appears to be, completely ignorant about the revelation of God. By that, I mean, that it doesn’t know the Scripture. Therefore, it tends to want to jump on the bandwagon of every kind of a movement occurring in the world. If there's some kind of movement happening in our society, sooner or later, it’ll slip into the Church. And, we can certainly see evidence that today. The Women’s Liberation or Feminist Movement, is no different. Therefore, within the church, we find a number of Christian feminists, those who would advocate there is only in Christ equality, throwing around specific passages of Scripture, such as Galatians 3:28 or I Peter 3:7, as the basis of their argument.

Today's Message: Headship and Subordination

Now, that's been said, follow along with me in your Bibles as I read to you today's text from  
I Corinthians 11:1-16.

"Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.

Now I praise you because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman,and God is the head of Christ. Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory. For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. And man was not created for woman, but woman for man. This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God."

Now, before we get right into the text, I'd like to point out, that many strongly feel that Paul was nothing more than a male chauvinist. And believe it or not, there are even some so called Christians, who have written a number of books and in essence, say exactly that. Believing, that whenever Paul got on this subject, he, in his background, obviously had some sort of horrible relationship with his mother or had been burned by some woman or something, and so, whenever he comes to this subject, some believe that he stops giving revelation and fires out his personal, angry or bitter opinion. Therefore, they attempt to arbitrarily exchange the revelation of God for the opinion of Paul, so that every time he speaks on this subject, which is rather convenient, if you are attempting to dismiss it, if you want to just somehow get rid of it. Which, we will not be doing here today, we are going to just tackle it head on. The character of the hearer, determines the response of the heart,

In verse 1 through 3, Paul says, "Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ. Now I praise you because you always remember me and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ."

What Paul is saying, is "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." The word "tradition" are translations of the Greek word "paradosis." The word means a statute or regulation. In some translations you'll find the word "ordinances," meaning teachings.

Paul sets forth two traditions, or two ordinances here in I Corinthians chapter eleven. The second one is the tradition or ordinance of the Lord’s supper, which begins at verse seventeen. Now, many, or likely most Christians are quite familiar with the last part of this chapter from hearing it read at communion services. Few, however, are equally familiar with the first ordinance. In fact, some do not realize it exists. As most pastors simply do what they do with many "uncomfortable" passages of Scripture, they skip over it, they ignore it's teaching. However, this is, nonetheless, a subject of considerable importance. It has a great impact on a husband and wives relationship, parent-child relationships and, in fact, bears directly on the ultimate success or failure of these relationships. I'd like to also make clear, the same is true for leadership relationships within the church. The point I'm making here, is you cannot simply just disregard the Word of God, for your comfort or convenience, because there are consequences.

As Paul sets forth these ordinances of headship and submission in this scripture passage he begins by saying, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ". Beloved, this is a key statement, and is the fountainhead from which all that the Bible says on this subject flows. Following those who follow Christ is the pattern for success for home and church. Commonly, people recoil when they hear someone speak on headship and submission.

Conjured in the minds of the hearers, are the distorted images of dictatorship and extreme blind obedience. Often those opposed to Christianity point to scriptures that teach this and say it promotes a patriarchal hierarchy that gives license for one person or group to dominate another person or group even to the point of abuse. Sadly, there are far too many instances, where this does occur. However, we must be careful that we not refuse an ordinance of God based on the failure of others to properly understand and observe it. Nor should we bow to pressures of an unbelieving world that has never experienced its benefits.

So, Paul is addressing the structure and order of Headship. The structure and order of Headship.
In verse 3, Paul says, "But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ."

In this verse, Paul outlines the order of headship by stating that first of all, God is the head of Christ. Second, Christ is the head of man. Third, man is the head of woman. Another way of writing it is:
God
Christ
Man
Woman

This order of headship is not a denial of equality. Throughout the scriptures we see that Jesus, the Son, is not inferior in person to God, the Father or to the Holy Spirit. The wonderful mystery of the trinity is three persons yet one God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal. The attributes and character of one are the same for all three.

Headship and submission is about redemption, the plan of God to recover a lost race and restore it to, and even surpass, its original glory. God, the Father of Jesus Christ, planned redemption for mankind, even before the time of creation. Jesus was the, "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 5:6. The Father, therefore, was in charge when it came to redemption. Jesus, the Son, willing forfeited his place of equal authority and submitted to the Father. The Book of Philippians describes the extent to which this happened. In Philippians 2:5-11, of Jesus it says;

"Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Beloved, as believers, we can only marvel at the extent of our Lord’s submission and wonder even more when we realize he did all of this for us! What an incredible act of love. Perhaps, at sometime in someday in the future, people are going come to see Paul for who he is, understanding that he is the great emancipator and protector of women as God used him to show that though there is distinction in the roles of men and women, however, there is no distinction in spiritual life. There is no distinction in the essence. There is no distinction in the person; that is to say, that there is no distinction in the worth of the person. There is no distinction in the emotion, or the intellect, or the will, or the mind, or the capacity, or the ability between men and women in terms of what they can accomplish or who they can relate themselves to God. There is only a distinction in the role that they are assigned within the framework of God in society. Women are, in no way, inferior to men in terms of essence, in terms of personality, in terms of thinking, in terms of anything other than the role that they have been assigned. This a commonly misunderstood fact, both by men and women.

Similarly, when it comes to equality, just as the Father and Son are equal so to are men and women equal. Headship and submission is not about equality, it is only about their specific roles, as ordained by God

Our Lord’s submission is an example for us to follow. In the order of headship and submission, as Christ submits to God, so should man submit to Christ and in turn, a wife should submit to her husband. In the husband/wife relationship a man who is not in submission to Christ has no legitimate basis upon which he should exercise authority.

Headship only makes sense and only works when there is nothing broken in the line of authority. It is for certain, there will never be a breakdown in this process between God and Christ. There are, however, constant breakdowns between man and Christ and woman and man. A man who is not in submission to Christ will do one of two things. He will either abuse his role and dominate his wife or he will shrink from his responsibility and leave his wife to carry a great burden. In some instances men are both abusive and irresponsible.

On the other hand, many women refuse to submit to their husbands as Christ submitted to his Father. They become dominant rendering their husbands passive and helpless. Some men are apparently comfortable with this kind of arrangement and therefore, seek out such a relationship.

There is an issue with those who just take what they want out of it and ignore the rest, you would therefore, also have to conclude that Peter threw in his own opinion now and then and had the same problem. You would also need to dispute creation, God made Adam first, and then He made Eve to be a helper for Adam. That’s the way it’s always been. That’s not cultural. Because you choose not to believe certain parts of Scripture, you can’t say, "Well, it’s only because of culture." It's biblical. It's biblical

Further, "Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." The woman is the submissive one by creation and by virtue of her weakness in the fall. That confirms her submissive role. It is the designed it, and it's way God intended it from the very beginning.

Allow me show you several Scriptures to reinforce the concept that we’re going to learn in I Corinthians chapter 11. I Peter chapter 3. As you may recall, I have mentioned it a bit earlier in our lesson; allow me to read it to you. I Peter 3:1, "In the same way" – I'd like to mention here, that is in the same way that we are submissive to Christ; then in verse 7, "Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." This is a two fold ordinance.

And in Ephesians 5:22-26, "Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word."

And in Colossians 3:18-20, "Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and don’t be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." So, we can scripturally, God, wonderful design, in His plan, has established an order. 

Now, let's take a look at I Timothy chapter 2, and let’s see another Scripture that relates directly to this particular subject. First Timothy chapter 2, verses 11-12, it says this, "A woman should learn in silence with full submission. I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent. And in verse 13 "For Adam was created first, then Eve." Again, women, are connected with subjection. A woman is to be in subjection; a man is to be in authority. There’s that same duality. The man is in authority; the woman is in subjection. And he’s talking here particularly and specifically about the church when it comes together in its assembly, its unified meeting.

That brings us to verses 4 through 16, which many find to be a rather puzzling section of the passage.

"Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved. So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory. For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. And man was not created for woman, but woman for man. This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is not independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, and all things come from God.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God."

This passage is not readily understood and so it is easy to pass over it or to consider that it applies only to the peculiarities of the Corinthian culture of its day. Two things need to be kept in mind and if they are, the meaning of the passage becomes clear. First, there was a cultural context. Second there are profound spiritual principles that are interwoven within the cultural application.

So first, let's look at the cultural setting. It was a custom of the Corinthians that women wear a veil in order to demonstrate that they were married and faithful to their husbands. In contrast, prostitutes did not wear veils as a sign indicating that they were available to any man. Prostitution was common to pagan religious worship and it is estimated that in the City of Corinth there were thousands of temple prostitutes with the proceeds of their practice going to the temple treasuries. Prostitution was a part of the culture and therefore immorality as we know it was perfectly acceptable as legitimate behavior to the Corinthians. Paul, when he brought the gospel to this City and established a church, taught biblical moral purity and required the converts to cease from immorality.

Now, some of the women of the church thought they could take their new found freedom in Christ, freedom that in many cases had freed them from the tyranny of abusive husbands, and stop wearing their veils. There is no indication that they wanted to practice immorality, they just wanted to be free of veils.

The veils represented or were a sign that a woman was in submission to her husband as it pertained to sexual fidelity. However, Paul took the matter much farther and taught a much deeper and spiritual meaning, and called it an ordinance.

Therefore, when he refers to "heads" he was speaking of two types of heads. First, were the literal physical heads of the women and men. The second types of heads were those in authority, Christ as the head of men, and men as the head of their wives.

To be clear, Paul did not teach that wearing veils in and of itself had spiritual significance. Veils only had significance insofar as the culture was concerned. To understand this better consider what Paul taught concerning eating food that had been offered to idols. The non-Christian Corinthians believed in many gods, they worshiped idols, and they believed they should feed the gods by placing food on the idol altars. They also believed that one must not eat food that had been offered to idols of their gods. Once a person became a Christian this whole practice was seen as absurd and ludicrous. So, some proceeded to eat food that had been offered to idols since it was perfectly wholesome.

However, this offended many people, especially new converts who did not yet have a great knowledge. Paul wrote the church and required that the members not eat food offered to idols for fear they would create a stumbling block and cause some to lose their faith. This is what he said:

"So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth —as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"—, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

For the Christian, the issue is expediency not personal rights. The question to be asked is, “What is best for the sake of the gospel?” In the case of veils, Paul said it was best that Christian women wear them in order that onlookers would not think that the church practiced prostitution and were no different in that regard than that which went on in the pagan temples.

At issue in this matter of headship and submission is honor versus dishonor. Consider the following statements from verses 4 and 5:

"Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved."

This is an example of a text with a double meaning. First was the practical necessity for veils in the Corinthian culture. A woman who did not wear a veil dishonored herself to the point where she might as well be shaved. Most women would not want this to happen to them.
The second meaning, the one with spiritual significance, has to do with the need to honor one’s head. In the case of a married woman, her husband was her head and she needed to honor him as such.

I'd like to point out that mutual honor and respect is a very critical key element in husband/wife relationships and in every other headship/submission relationship such as; parents and children, pastors and leaders, employers and employees. Words can be harsh and cruel or gentle and uplifting.

I have seen husbands and wives degrade one another in a manner that is dishonoring and brings great emotional pain. Those with quiet and meek personalities often say nothing in response, they internalize the shame but seldom, if ever, speak to it. Others with more aggressive personalities will sometimes erupt with their own negative words and as a result, an argument or fight ensues. Some husbands and wives live their daily lives in this way. The damage they do to each other is far greater than they recognize. .

In the roles God assigned to husbands and wives, the husband’s head is Christ. A husband honors Christ, his head, by following his example and treating his wife as Christ treats him. In speaking about a wife’s submission to her husband, the Bible does not mean that for a woman to have a relationship with God she must go through her husband. There is only one mediator for all of mankind and that person is Christ. A wife’s submission to her husband is not about the redemption of her soul. It is about the redemption of marriage, to restore it to the beauty it had when God created it in the beginning.

In verses 7-9, he says "A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory. For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man.  And man was not created for woman, but woman for man."

Paul uses angels as an example. In verse 10, "This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." The veil was a sign of being under authority. This sign was more than a mere token without real meaning. Rather, it was to be a reflection of a lifestyle that both husband and wife practiced. Angels practice this lifestyle and they are referred to here for the purpose of setting an example for us. The Bible reveals that there are ranks when it comes to angels. They too must live in harmony with God’s order.

In Ezekiel 28:14, in his original state, the Scripture has this to say about Lucifer.
"You were an anointed guardian cherub, for I had appointed you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones."

Lucifer was a guardian cherub or, as some other translations put it, a "cherub that covers." In other words, he was in a position of headship. Then, one-day pride entered his heart, and it was filled with iniquity. He led a rebellion that brought about his downfall and he became Satan, the devil. Satan is the epitome of failed headship.

Beloved, if angels are to live and function in a headship/submission relationship, it should not be the least bit surprising that God expects the same of us too.

So, as we have noted, there was a practical cultural application for wearing head coverings and at the same time there are spiritual meanings. Concerning the latter, I'd like to encourage you to consider these words from Psalm 36:7-8 "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights."

Covered by the shadow of the wings of God! What a astonishing picture! What a tremendous honor and privilege! Headship is a covering, one that flows from a heart of love, and meets the needs of those it covers.

At first this statement may appear biased, much in the favor of man. Women may take offense to the idea man is the glory of God while woman is merely the glory of man. However, the statement is not one of bias, it is quire the opposite. In fact, if there is any bias it is in favor of women, not man. The following is why.

God, when He created man and woman in His image and likeness, chose mankind to be his delight. He is our Father and we are His children and as any good father knows, there is nothing more pleasing for a father, than seeing his children do well. He rejoices in seeing them succeed, to live good lives, to be joyful and fulfilled and he will do virtually anything, within his power and ability to insure that all of that happens. His children are his delight they are…his glory!

Similarly, nothing pleases our Heavenly Father more than to see us reflect His image and so He pours out His blessings upon us, in order to make this possible. We are His, "glory," the objects of His love and affection.

This is what headship is. It is the bestowing of love, respect, honor, protection, caring and every other good and virtuous thing. This is how Christ relates to the church in his role as head of the church. He loves the church and gave his life for the church. Nothing “lights up our lives” more than receiving the glory he imparts.

Likewise, woman is the glory of man. In the order of headship the glory of Christ is imparted to the man who in turn imparts it to his wife. He must treat his wife in the same way he is treated by Christ. He must love, respect, honor, provide, and go so far as to die to himself in order that he may bless her. This is what Christ, the head of the church, did for us. This is what husbands must do for their wives. A man’s wife is his glory, the recipient of his love and affection.

When a husband treats his wife as his "glory", her countenance will show it. She will be radiant. If a husband is contentious, argumentative, grumpy, disrespectful, cruel or in any other way treats his wife poorly it is a reflection that he is certainly not living in submission to Christ.

It has always been my belief, that if you want to know the character of a man, study the countenance of his wife.

The idea that a woman should remain silent in church is frequently taken out of context and applied in ways the Bible does not intend. For example, some churches prohibit the ordination of women and others go so far to disallow women to speak in church.

However, the Bible does not teach that a persons’ gender is the criteria upon which qualification to speak and minister is determined. Submission to authority is the criterion that qualifies and this applies equally to men and women. A married woman, if she is in submission to her husband, and with her husband’s blessing, is free to minister in the church of God. Conversely, a man who is not in submission to Christ, should not be allowed to speak or have any influence in church.

In Closing.....

As history runs its course and the Second Coming of the Lord draws closer, many changes are taking place in our world. We can certainly see a dramatic change in our society in the last several months. Jesus said this would happen and described many of those changes. One of those changes is found in Matthew 24:10-12,  where Jesus taught:
"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold."

And in II Thessalonians 2:7, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way."

This "mystery of lawlessness" is personified in this verse. We know very well who that person is – none other than our adversary Satan.

He knows very well that if he can keep husbands and wives, parents and children, church leaders, and every other spiritual and temporal relationship that involves authority, from keeping the ordinance of headship and submission, he will be successful. Satanic success is measured by division and brokenness – division in families, broken marriages, broken homes, broken churches, divisions and broken anything he can get his hands on. The broken ordinance of headship and submission is his means to this end. It is the pathway to lawlessness.

Headship is a covering, a protection against the devices of the devil. Yes, the abuses are many and yes, extremes exist. It is however, still God’s way.

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen

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