Paul continues to share with the people of Corinth good practice information. The new church was, no doubt, in communication with Paul seeking clarification with respect to continuation of certain practices. I’m not a Bible scholar, so this passage about the distinctions between men and women is a bit troubling to me.
The church was embracing the new Christian tradition that in Christ there is no male or female, and it seems women were finding some liberation in removing their head coverings, as had been the practice. They were asserting a new freedom from a practice that had set them apart, not on equal footing with men. Whereas, men were not to wear a head covering. Think of current day etiquette rules, a man arriving at to a formal dinner will certainly not keep his baseball cap on during dinner. It is a sign of disrespect, is it not?
In context, it was shameful in this time and place for women to have their hair down in public. We have a hard time with this because we have no such expectation in our culture, and to the contrary, women cut their hair, even shave their heads because that is what is “hip” or “stylish”. Oh, how Paul must be reeling!!
With all of this discussion on the distinction of sexes, what is appropriate and not, I think we often get caught up in the details. What do you see as the underlying message here? I read a helpful suggestion from a commentary by Richard B. Hays, and it says, “Men and women live in mutual interdependence. This does not mean that the differences between the sexes are abolished; it does mean however, that they are both radically dependent on God and they are called to live as complementary partners in Christ.”
Are you radically dependent on God?
Re-read the first verse of this Chapter. How does this resonate with you?
Let’s pray. Father, sometimes I struggle with passages in your word and wonder how they can apply to me. Help me to discern your truth in today’s reading and understand if there is something I need to change in my life to be more pleasing to you. As Paul states, I want to be an imitator of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
