1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Nik Hookey examines what Paul was really saying about women in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.



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Corinth: "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head-it is just as though her head were shaved."

Paul (mocking slightly): "So if a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head!"

Corinth: "A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head." (Oh, and who are those angels? No-one is sure!)

Paul (correcting their theology): "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: is it fitting for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?"

Corinth: "Does not the very nature of things 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 long hair is given to her in place of a head covering."

Paul (getting a bit cross): "If anyone wants to be dangerously divisive about this, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God."

If we read the text in this way, far from it being a passage where Paul is telling the church for all time to keep women in their place, we actually see him rebuking the church in Corinth for mistreating women, and distorting biblical theology to do it!

As a final irony on the long hair issue, it seems fairly certain that Paul himself had long hair when he was in Corinth. How do we know this? In Acts 18.18 we're told that he cut or shaved his hair on leaving Corinth as a result of a vow. The ancient vow about men and haircuts that we know of is the Nazirite vow. Men showed their commitment to the Lord, by not cutting their hair for a period. Just like Samson took in the Old Testament.

Samson, Paul, a disgrace? Maybe not.

*If you want to know more about this way of looking at this passage, Google "Lucy Peppiat Women and worship at Corinth". CR

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