Desperate for Timely Help: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

I'm preaching through 1 Corinthians and as much as I'd rather avoid it, I'm now at 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 talking about head coverings of men and women while praying and prophesying.

Anyone ever heard a good sermon on this and how did the preacher approach it. I don't want it to be a lecture on the dozens of possible meanings/interpretations of all the exegetical and hermeneutical challenges in the passage of which there are numerous. I'd spend 30-40 minutes just explaining them without sharing a single application point.

Here's what I think we can take away from it.

1. Our attitudes and actions in worship (praying and prophesying) should show our submissive attitude towards God our creator and Jesus our Savior regardless of what one thinks it means for men or women to pray and prophesy with their head covered/uncovered.

2. Such practices are contentious and loom as potential stumbling blocks to congregational unity, but never should (based on v. 16))

3. When in doubt, follow the example of a godly, biblical believer that puts Christ first in his or her life (based on v. 1-2)

Am I close? What would you add? Am I adding anything that's clearly not there and if so why?

Thanks for your help.

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Comments

JT (alabama24)

I just read through Wright's Paul For Everyone on this passage. It is worth a look if you have it.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686418#Comment_686418

Thanks. Unfortunately, I don't and not in a position to buy any more books right now.

Sacrifice

This may help:

http://thirdmill.org/magazine/article.asp/link/http:^^thirdmill.org^articles^ric_pratt^NT.Pratt.1Corinthians.11.2-16.html/at/Hair%20and%20Headship

Simon’s Brother

I found this sermon helpful Kevin: http://media.mpc.org.au/resources/2012/20120819.html. Look for links to video of sermon, text of sermon in mobi and ePub format along with study guide on this page: http://mpc.org.au/resources/resources12.html

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686428#Comment_686428

Thanks for the help. the Pratt writing follows what he wrote in his commentary in the Holman NT commentary which I do have and was helpful in shaping my views.

The sermon from "Disciples of Christ" was also helpful. Love the hippy MIT student story.

I've decided I can't cover this in one sermon and will split it into two or three messages. My first is this:

Introduce the questions and then come away with one key idea that we do know.

Submit to God in worship because he deserves it and I will offer applications based on what the text might be saying.

I challenge you to preach this passage. Really pushes your hermeneutical skills beyond what anything else I've ever preached has done. I woke up this morning unsure if I could come up with anything of value to say to my congregation and now I've got two sermons out of it.

Keep the ideas coming in, because I'm really just pushing the boulder down the road till next week when the really challenging stuff has to get dealt with.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686429#Comment_686429

I think it's OK to admit to your congregation that you find a passage challenging. Then they won't think they are freaks for finding some parts of Scripture challenging. If their pastor also does, then it's a comfort to know they are not alone. Pastors who try to present themselves as having it all figured out and never feeling that difficult parts of Scripture are sometimes puzzling to them can make parishioners feel disconnected, or can make them feel unsafe about sharing their real questions within the fellowship of the church. They might feel shame about it, or fear that they will be judged by you or other church members as being doubters if they voice such questions. But it's quite normal and healthy to grapple with challenges like this. See if you can communicate that somehow through your sermons.

Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686446#Comment_686446

I agree that it is okay not to have all answers.

There is a principle behind the teaching and one of those principles is submission to Christ as the Head. Chapters 12-14 will talk about the body of Christ but not before reminding us of the headship of Christ. If Christ is not the head, then the body does not function as it should.

Both men and women can detract from the glory that is due to Christ. We can do that by taking control, using spiritual gifts for our glory instead of the glory of Christ, wishing people to look at us instead of at Christ. Anything that detracts from his glory should be hidden.

Symbols are powerful, but of course never as important as the reality (the principle) behind them.

EastTN

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686446#Comment_686446

I think it's OK to admit to your congregation that you find a passage challenging. Then they won't think they are freaks for finding some parts of Scripture challenging. If their pastor also does, then it's a comfort to know they are not alone. Pastors who try to present themselves as having it all figured out and never feeling that difficult parts of Scripture are sometimes puzzling to them can make parishioners feel disconnected, or can make them feel unsafe about sharing their real questions within the fellowship of the church. They might feel shame about it, or fear that they will be judged by you or other church members as being doubters if they voice such questions. But it's quite normal and healthy to grapple with challenges like this. See if you can communicate that somehow through your sermons.

I agree. It can be tricky, though. Ideally, a preacher would be able to convey that God's word is understandable (so that we can apply it to our lives, and shouldn't just give up), but that we all reach points where we're challenged and have to work to understand, and sometimes we simply come to the limit of our human ability to understand the mysteries of God. There's a way to be honest about our limitations that strengthens faith, rather than undermines it.

Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686456#Comment_686456

Some logos resources I have found:

Headship, Submission and the Bible: Gender Roles in the Home

Head coverings and Women’s Roles in the Church Pricilla Papers Vol. 17, No. 1, Pg 16

Should Women Wear Headcoverings? Kenneth T. Wilson (1991). Bibliotheca Sacra, 148(592), 441.

Headcoverings in the Old Testament Alan D. Ingalls Ingalls, A. D. (2000). Headcoverings in the Old Testament, 4(2), 40.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16: An Interpretation Bruce K. Waltke (1978). Bibliotheca Sacra, 135(537), 45.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686421#Comment_686421

Thanks. Unfortunately, I don't

If you subscribe to this thread, I will send you that portion.

George Somsel

Of course it means women should wear a burka in church. (NOT) [:D]

One thing which never seems to be done is to put passages in the context of the time in which they were written. Women weren't the liberated ones we have today, and certain practices needed to be followed simply to avoid giving offense to the community. That means that they may not be so literally applicable today.

Dave M

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686479#Comment_686479

Quite right, George. Think culture.

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686496#Comment_686496

There is a free resource you might want to look at. It is Know Why You Are Veiled and can be made into a personal book.. It was posted by our Mennonite friend Fred Morgan. It can be found here:

https://community.logos.com/forums/p/38654/338153.aspx#338153

Need I say it is from a Mennonite perspective?

(God bless you as you preach this passage. This is one doctrinal point my wife and I disagree on. [;)] )

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686463#Comment_686463

Thanks. Unfortunately, I don't

If you subscribe to this thread, I will send you that portion.

I see that someone subscribed... but I don't know if it is you. [;)]

Here is the material just in case. (Redacted)

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/686526#Comment_686526

Thanks all.

I did the best I can and I think it was helpful to say to my people, "I don't know."

Share some of the key issues and tried to offer both sides as best I could but said why I think it was what I said.

MY big idea was the we should submit to the Authority of God in worship no matter our station in life and in so doing submit to the community over our own selfish wishes. In the end I offered a few examples of how one might apply it including wearing a hat if you're a lady and not wearing one if you're a man, not disgracing your spouse in public as per the story at the beginning of pratt's Holman NT Commentary entry, and by dressing modestly so as not to tempt the opposite sex to lust, all possible applications depending on your interpretation. Findally I said, "You choose, but don't be contentious for the sake of strife as per v. 16.

I'm going to take another run at it next week to go further in depth, I think. Not sure yet.

Thanks all for your help.

George Somsel

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/687042#Comment_687042

Other than Mennonites and Amish, you don't see women covering their heads in church today. Years ago Catholic women used to put at least a hanky on top of their head (fig leaf ?).

I was just thinking. It's been a long time since I visited a synagogue. There it is the practice for men to wear a skullcap, but I don't recall that women covered their heads. Precisely the opposite of what Paul advocates. Of course, I imagine that the women in Paul's day did cover up.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/687042#Comment_687042

In the end I offered a few examples of how one might apply it including wearing a hat if you're a lady and not wearing one if you're a man, not disgracing your spouse in public as per the story at the beginning of pratt's Holman NT Commentary entry, and by dressing modestly so as not to tempt the opposite sex to lust, all possible applications depending on your interpretation.

Just out of curiosity, do some of the women in your congregation already wear head coverings? A lot of them or only a few? I think one's presentation of this text might differ depending on how one expected to be received. A contemporary congregation in which none of the women wear hats to church might respond quite differently to a sermon application point like yours than a group of Old Order Mennonites would. Not that a pastor should shirk from preaching what he believes is the truth even if faced with a congregation he knows in advance will likely reject it. But I was just wondering.

I wonder whether, in that cold winter worship setting in Tasmania that the Holman commentary story relates, it would have been disrespectful for a man to wear a wool cap to keep his head warm? Sometimes practicalities matter too.

Interestingly, in the Sikh religion, both men and women cover their hair with a turban. And Hasidic Jewish men wear hats all the time, including in the synagogue.

EDIT (after seeing George's post):

Years ago Catholic women used to put at least a hanky on top of their head

Years ago even Protestant women would wear hats in church, at least for Easter, hence the "Easter bonnet" tradition. Though it might have originally been motivated by Paul's words in 1 Corinthians, in its heyday it was mostly a fashion statement, or a status symbol.

Church ladies and hats: A thing of the past? (Washington Post)

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/687046#Comment_687046

Sikhs purpose of a turban is very different however:

Turban - Gift of the Guru

The turban of a Sikh is a gift given on Baisakhi Day of 1699 by the Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh. After giving Amrit to the Five Beloved Ones, he gave us bana, the distinctive dress that includes the turban. It is helpful to understand the historical context of his action.
During Guru Gobind Singh’s time, the turban, or “dastar,” as it is called in Persian, carried a totally different connotation from that of a hat in Europe. The turban represented respectability and was a sign of nobility. At that time, a Mughal aristocrat or a Hindu Rajput could be distinguished by his turban. The Hindu Rajputs were the only Hindus allowed to wear ornate turbans, carry weapons and have their mustache and beard. Also at this time, only the Rajputs could have Singh (“lion”) or Kaur (“princess”) as their second name. Even the Gurus did not have Singh as part of their name, until the Tenth Guru.
The downtrodden followers of the Sikh faith did not have the means to display aristocratic attire, nor were they allowed to, even if they had the means. (Doing so was usually equivalent to a death sentence.) It was in this context that Guru Gobind Singh decided to turn the tables on the ruling aristocracy by commanding every Sikh to carry a sword, take up the name Singh or Kaur, and have kesh (hair) and turban displayed boldly, without any fear. This effectively made his followers see themselves on a par with the Mughal rulers.
When we are in the presence of the Guru, Guru is giving us the gift of his energy. That energy is sacred and when we retain it, Guru's energy lives in us and that gives us the living experience of Guru. To help retain that energy we cover our heads with a turban.

Turban as Technology

Turbans go way back in history as part of a spiritual practice. The top of your head is the tenth gate or the crown chakra. It is normally covered by hair that acts as antennae to protect the top of the head from sun and exposure, as well as to channel sun and vitamin D energy. Yogis or Sikhs do not cut their hair, they coil or knot it on top of head on their solar center. In men the solar center is on top of the head at the front (anterior fontanel). Women have two solar centers: one is at the center of the crown chakra, the other is on top of the head towards the back (posterior fontanel). For all, coiling or knotting the hair at the solar centers channels one’s radiant energy and helps retain a spiritual focus.
This hair knot is traditionally called the “rishi” knot. In ancient times, a rishi was someone who had the capacity to control the flow of energy and prana in the body. A “maharishi” was someone who could regulate the flow of energy in the body, meditatively and at will. The rishi knot assists in the channeling of energy in meditation (Naam Simran). If one cuts off the hair, there can be no rishi knot. By giving us the rishi knot and the turban the Guru gave us the blessing to have the capacity of a rishi.
The 10th Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh, taught his Sikhs to take the next step: Put a turban on the head covering the coiled, uncut hair. The pressure of the multiple wraps keeps the 26 bones of the skull in place. There are pressure points on the forehead that keep you calm and relaxed. Turbans cover the temples, which protects you from mental or psychic negativity of other people. The pressure of the turban also changes the pattern of blood flow to the brain. (These are all reasons that women should also wear turbans.) When you tie up your hair and wrap the turban around it, all the parts of your skull are pulled together and supported. You feel clarity and readiness for the day and for what may come to you from the Unknown. God is the Unknown. He is mastery as well as mystery. Living with an awareness of your God within you and the God outside of you (God in all) is an attitude. Covering your head is an action with the attitude that there is something greater than you know. Your willingness to stand under that greatness of God is expressed by taking the highest, most visible part of you and declaring it as a place that belongs to the Creator. Covering your head is also a declaration of humility, of your surrender to God.
For many, hair is also sexually attractive. By covering our hair we can keep from stimulating the lower nature of others who are not our spouses. It is up to each of us to maintain our purity and integrity.
Wrapping a turban everyday is our declaration that this head, this mind is dedicated to our Creator. The turban becomes a flag of our consciousness as well as our crown of spiritual royalty. Wearing a turban over uncut hair is a technology of consciousness that can give you the experience of God. This experience is for all Khalsa, men and women both.

Turban in the Rehit (Code)

Amritdhari Sikhs (those who have been baptized in the Amrit ceremony) are supposed to have their heads covered when in public.
The turban tells others that we are different. By having a distinct appearance, Sikhs become accountable for their actions. Our distinct Sikh appearance not only makes us think more often about our conduct and its reflection upon a wider society, it also makes us reflect upon our own ideals and how they reflect the teachings of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
The turban is there to remind us of our connection to God. It frames us as devotees of God and gives us a way to live in gratitude for this gift of recognition. This responsibility of being recognized is also a way of keeping ourselves from self-destructive habits, such as smoking, drinking, etc.
The thing is, in our religion our identity goes hand in hand with the turban. There is no other religion in the world that wears turban as a daily Badge of Identity. The turban of a Sikh is his or her primary identifying feature. It is a statement of belonging to the Guru, and it is a statement of the inner commitment of the one who wears it. The uncut hair and the turban are a declaration to live in accordance with, and if necessary die in support of, the Teachings of the Sikh Gurus and the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

At what age should boys shift from wearing patkas to wearing full turban (pagri)?

It is a personal decision. Many boys wear patka for sports and begin to wear full pagri for more formal occasions like Gurdwara, full assembly at school, etc.

Should females coil and wrap their hair the same as males?

Yes. The Sikh faith regards gender equality as an important part of its teachings. When Guru Gobind Singh gave us the Rehit Maryada to live by, he gave it to everyone, not just the men. A Sikh girl who does not wear a turban (or at least a chuni), is ”undercover;” she cannot really be identified as Sikh. This is not what Guru Gobind Singh intended. However, because a woman’s hair is coiled on a different part of her head than a man’s, her style of wrapping a turban may look different than a Sikh man’s.

Why do Sikh women wear the chuni over their turban?

Ideally, a woman also wears a chuni over her turban. It takes a lot of consciousness and dedication because it's definitely more trouble. The chuni worn under the chin and across the shoulder protects the grace of the woman. To put it simply, men have a beard to give a protective energy field around the face, women don't. The chuni provides that protection so you don't attract the wrong kind of energy. It means a woman is not sexually available. This is not just a cultural thing, it actually changes the way people – especially men – see and relate to her.

When should girls cover their heads?

Girls should cover their heads at all times. For young girls, a rishi knot cover is often enough, but the practice of tying a turban should be taught early. By the time they become adolescent, it is advised that they always tie a turban as tool to protect their grace and integrity.

Why do many Sikh women women not wear a turban?

Devoted Sikh women of Indian ancestry usually have their heads covered, but many do not tie a turban. Sometimes it’s just a scarf, more often it’s a chuni. It is a personal choice. Each person, male or female must make this decision according to their own understanding of how to live as a Sikh. As I write this in 2012, I am seeing more and more Sikh women who are wearing turbans.

Why don't all Sikhs tie turbans?

In addition to the explanation about Sikh women and turbans (above), many people who are not wearing their turbans (or keeping uncut hair) are doing so because of outside pressures. Society and/or family are affecting them. They have forgotten, or perhaps never understood in the first place, their identity as Sikhs.
People who take their turban off in public when it is not convenient are not relating to the spiritual power of this form. They are mired in a cultural practice, and may have no understanding of the technology of tying a turban, or its place in the Sikh Rehit. A turban worn properly is a crown, and if a Sikh wears it with that consciousness, it is doubtful he/she will be made fun of.
Rather than getting angry, or creating negative energy by judging them, simply bless them and pray that by the Grace of God and Guru some day they will understand who they are.

Why should I wear my turban? Is there some process I can go through to help me understand?

You should wear a turban as part of your identity as a Sikh (see other answers elsewhere under this topic). If you are newly converted to Sikhi, perhaps you can start by practicing wearing your hair up on top of your head and covering your head with a cap, a hat, or a scarf. But still that will not give you the practical identity of a Sikh.

If I don't wear a turban, can I still be a Sikh?

Yes, but you will not have the identity of a Sikh, so how will people know you are Sikh? Wearing a turban takes courage. If you do not want to wear a turban, be very clear in yourself what your reasons for this are: Societal or peer group pressures to conform? Comfort? Uncertain if you want to live as a Sikh? Are you afraid and if so, of what? Answering these questions in yourself is important to knowing your resistance to wearing a turban.
Nevertheless, your relationships to Sikhi and to the Guru are your own, and many people have found spiritual contentment practicing Sikhi without wearing a turban.

What is the purpose of different colored turbans?

Turbans come in every color and pattern but there are three colors most commonly worn: white, deep blue, and saffron orange. White turbans are worn to extend the aura and the person’s projection. Royal blue or navy blue turbans are common among Sikh ministers and gyanis, especially in India. The blue is the color of the warrior and of protection. Saffron orange is the third Sikh color and is commonly worn by Sikhs worldwide. Orange represents wisdom. Black turbans can represent surrender of the ego. Other colors of turbans don’t have a significance associated with them. Sometimes it’s just a case of fashion, of matching a turban to a business suit, for example.

How can we feel comfortable about wearing turbans in public and on the job?

Just do it! In the words of Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan, “It’s not the life you lead, it’s the courage you bring to it.” Being a Sikh means having a distinct identity, and maintaining that identity takes courage. If you are a fully committed Sikh, then you already have everything it takes to boldly wear a turban with a projection of confidence and contentment. Remind yourself that the turban is a spiritual crown that says you cannot be bought or corrupted at any price. Remind yourself that the crown represents royalty, and walk with the knowledge that you are a Lion or Princess of the Guru.
Many people are awed by the statement we make when we walk, wearing full bana, into a room full of non-Sikhs. People will respect you so long as you respect yourself and your faith and the commitment it represents.
Many non-Sikh employers hire members of our community because they are Sikh, because of all we represent. Employers trust or are fascinated by our identity and our projection, rather than put off by it. Let your Sikh identity work for you! By the way, it is against federal law, and many state laws, to discriminate against potential employees because of their religious garb.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/687049#Comment_687049

Sikhs purpose of a turban is very different however:

I guess I don't know enough about Sikhism. I once read some of a Sikh magazine while I was sitting in the waiting room of a print shop that I'd hired to print my Christmas cards. It was run by Sikhs. I found the stories in it fascinating. Their Guru Nanak seemed to have a lot of parallels with Jesus. Anyway, I've always wanted to read more and understand them. I had Sikh neighbors who lived across the street from me when I was living in Sammamish, WA. And there are a lot of Sikhs in Vancouver. There's a big gurdwara here near the airport, and many of the taxi drivers are Sikh.

We should get the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikhs' sacred scriptures) in Logos. And some books about Sikhism. The only extensive treatments of it that I have in my Logos library are a chapter on it in World Religions (Lion Access Guide) and a chapter on it in Introduction to World Religions.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/687046#Comment_687046

Just out of curiosity, do some of the women in your congregation already wear head coverings? A lot of them or only a few?

Not a one until I asked a few of the young ladies to do so as kind of a prop. I gave out some hats to the boys and said at the beginning that some thing this passage is simple. Some people believe that it means one thing. Men shouldn't do this (they then took out the hats an put them on near the front of the congregation) and women should do this (some young ladies near the young men took the hats of the guys heads and put them on). It was a fun way to illustrate the point. Until then I can't remember a single woman ever wearing a hat and none do regularly if they ever have.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/687200#Comment_687200

Just out of curiosity, do some of the women in your congregation already wear head coverings? A lot of them or only a few?

Not a one until I asked a few of the young ladies to do so as kind of a prop. I gave out some hats to the boys and said at the beginning that some thing this passage is simple. Some people believe that it means one thing. Men shouldn't do this (they then took out the hats an put them on near the front of the congregation) and women should do this (some young ladies near the young men took the hats of the guys heads and put them on). It was a fun way to illustrate the point. Until then I can't remember a single woman ever wearing a hat and none do regularly if they ever have.

I wonder if they are going to change their behavior as a result of your sermon.

Your quandary reminds me of the time when I was leading our church service when the sermon text was 1 Tim 2:1-15 (fortunately I didn't have to preach on it! a male in our congregation did, but we're a very egalitarian bunch so even he winced at the responsibility); I took a humorous approach. When I first stood up, before my usual words of welcome to the congregation, I kept my mouth shut and started holding up flashcards that I'd printed out on full sheets of paper, and flipping them over one at a time:

The apostle Paul writes: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission....
...I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” 1 Tim 2:11-12
I am a woman, and women must remain silent in church.
But I am supposed to lead the service this morning.
Therefore, I will have to do it without talking.
Please be patient with the flashcard presentation.
Just kidding! [:)]

They were all amused, and then we launched into a normal service, with me leading the prayers and scripture readings and such. But we did have an interesting sermon and discussion time afterwards. Kudos to the guy who was willing to volunteer to take on that tough passage in our context. Many egalitarian churches will avoid reading those texts or discussing them, because they just don't know what to make of them.