7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man. 9 For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman, but all things originate 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 dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God. 1 Corinthians 11: 7-16 LSB
1 Corinthians 11: 7-16
…26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” 27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”… Genesis 1: 26-28
In the description of the creation of man above we also get one of the first and very strong witnesses to the triune nature of God. "Let us make man in Our image", the Our is not left to our imagination, the Maker is identified, "So God created man in His own image."
…5You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor. 6You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet: 7all sheep and oxen, and even the beasts of the field,… Psalm 8: 5-7
V. 7 But the woman is the glory of man - We both belong to man kind, but this again goes back to the created order, and God never does anything without purpose.
MacDonald makes a good point that in Paul's referring to Creation "This should forever lay to rest any idea that his teaching about women’s covering was what was culturally suitable in his day but not applicable to us today. The headship of man and the subjection of woman have been God’s order from the very beginning." (Believer's Bible Commentary) - PA
Zodhiates writes that " the woman is the true recognition of the man. Generally speaking, when we see whom a man has chosen for his wife, we will understand what he is.
MacArthur - though woman is fully in the image of God she is not directly the glory of God. She is directly the glory of man, the indirect outshining of man’s glory of God. Her role in the world is to submit to the direction of man, to whom is given the divine dominion. (Ibid)
Dr Wayne Grudem - When in 1 Corinthians 11:7 Paul says, “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man,” he is not denying that woman was created in the image of God (ED: SEE Ge 1:27). He is simply saying that there are abiding differences between men and women that should be reflected in the way they dress and act in the assembled congregation. One of those differences is that man in relationship to woman has a particular role of representing God or showing what He is like, and woman in that relationship shows the excellence of the man from whom she was created. Yet in both cases Paul goes on to emphasize their interdependence (see 1 Cor 11:11–12). Our equality as persons before God, reflecting the equality of persons in the Trinity, should lead naturally to men and women giving honor to one another. Proverbs 31 is a beautiful picture of the honor given to a godly woman. (read Pr 31:10, 28–30) (Systematic Theology). - PA
V. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man - Again an appeal to God's order in creation, because ever after it is a joint effort, every individual comes from the union of a man's DNA to a Woman's, and everyone is birthed from a woman. Christ is the only deviation from this, in that the Holy Spirit placed Him inside of Mary, bypassing the role of a man. This is why we call Him the second Adam.
…18The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.” 19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.…
…21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh. 22And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him. 23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.”… Genesis 2: 18-23
Vs. 9-10 But woman for the man's sake - We see above in Genesis that she was created as a help mate for Adam. To see it as derogatory is blasphemous since we see One eternal Being, One God, as pertaining to the Trinity, yet 3 persons, same in essence and worth, yet having distinctly different roles. Ultimately the claims against headship are claims against God. The Church has Christ, the First born over all Creation, born after Adam but without a sin nature. He is the Head of the Church. In healthy, Biblical, human relations, this is the order that Paul notes, Christ the Head of every man, man the head of the woman. Because of the angels is an interesting statement here. Paul doesn't go into the why, but if we look at the word it is Messenger, and we always see them as ministering spirits, the Bible describing them as waiting upon the Lord. As Christ is to the Father, seeking "to do the will of Him Who sent Me", so God gives His messengers wings, and Angels are at the ready for every mission. It is a sobering thing to also recall that all angels were created, and they were spiritual being created to glorify and serve God, but a third of them stepped out from this in order to follow another angel, who wanted to be like God, to step outside of his designed role. Eve went after the same creature's proposal, to doubt God and to say that she could be like God. Adam followed her. The elect angels must have been taken back a bit, to see similar play out again on earth.
…23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.” 24For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed.… Genesis 2: 23-25
MacArthur - It is proper for a woman to cover her head as a sign of subordination because of the angels, in order that these most submissive of all creatures will not be offended by non-submissiveness. (Ibid)
J Vernon McGee is honest on Because of the angels- Now here is a reference to angels that I don’t understand. I am of the opinion that we are being observed by God’s created intelligences. We are on a stage in this little world, and all God’s created intelligences are watching us. They are finding out about the love of God, because they know we are not worthy of the love of God. They probably think God would have done well to have gotten rid of us because we are rebellious creatures in His universe. But He didn’t! He loves us! That display of His love is in His grace to save us. The angels probably marvel at His grace and patience with little man.
Gotquestions has a very reasonable thought - Why is that important to angels? The relationship of God with men is something that angels watch and learn from (1 Peter 1:12). Therefore, a woman’s submission to God’s delegated authority over her is an example to angels. The holy angels, who are in perfect and total submission to God, expect that we, as followers of Christ, be the same. - PA
…13Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”? 14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1: 13-14
…3laying the beams of His chambers in the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind. 4He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants. 5He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.… Psalm 104: 3-5
…6And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” 7Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.” 8But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.… Hebrews 1: 6-8
…11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.… 1 Peter 1: 11-13
Vs. 11-12 So also the man has his birth through the woman - We are interdependent beings, not existing without the other. In our relation to God neither is greater spiritually, but one can be considered more mature to the degree that they follow God's command in design.
The fact that and all things originate from God emphasizes His sovereignty and leaves no room for complaint or contention. As MacDonald says "Not only were these relationships created by God, but the purpose of them all is to glorify Him. All of this should make the man humble and the woman content." (Believer's Bible Commentary)
MacArthur - Men and women have different roles but not different importance. Women are equal to men in the world, in the church, and before God. That is God’s wise and gracious harmony and balance—difference in roles but equality in nature, personhood, work, and spirit. He created both for His glorious purposes. (Ibid) - PA
…6just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear. 7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 8Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.… 1 Peter 3: 6-8
…27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.… Galatians 3: 27-29
Vs. 13-14 Does not even nature itself teach you - I've heard people try to place this upon animals, but in the animal kingdom it is the male lions with the great manes, but there it does apply as a distinction, we know for certain it is a male lion if it has a glorious mane. It is the same with Peacocks, and so on, but the application here is distinction itself, that certainly in this culture women had the long hair. So, if a man didn't want to confuse anyone, as to his acceptance of his nature, he wouldn't wear a covering, and since a woman's hair was her natural God given covering, she wouldn't shave it off, and the man wouldn't grow out a covering. There are other interesting things about the difference between a man a woman's hair at the biological level, like the effects of testosterone, but I am rabbit trailing.
NET NOTE - Paul does not mean nature in the sense of “the natural world” or “Mother Nature.” It denotes “the way things are” because of God’s design.
Robertson (ICC) - Even if the internal feeling should not arise, does not even nature by itself show that, while doubtless man, being short-haired, is by Divine order unveiled, woman, being long-haired, is by Divine order veiled? At this period, civilized men, whether Jews, Greeks, or Romans, wore their hair short. - PA
V. 15 Her hair is given to her as a covering - She has a natural God given sign of her womanhood. She doesn't need a hat as some have come to practice, the hair is her crown.
MacArthur - Beautifully dressed hair is a glory to a woman, God’s special gift to show the softness and tenderness of a woman. The Greek word (komē) for long hair can mean both long hair and a neat hairdo....Both nature and general custom reflect God’s universal principle of man’s role of authority and woman’s role of subordination. The unique beauty of a woman is gloriously manifest in the distinctive femininity portrayed by her hair and her attendance to feminine customs. There should be no confusion about male and female identities, because God has made the sexes distinct—physiologically and in roles and relationships. He wants men to be masculine, to be responsibly and lovingly authoritative. He wants women to be feminine, to be responsibly and lovingly submissive. (Ibid) - PA
V. 16 We have no other practice, nor have the churches of God - Paul has not left this as open as the modern liberal church movements would have you believe. If someone wants to step from one role to another it is against God's design, and they are considered contentious.
3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.… 1 Timothy 6: 3-5
