The Beauty of God’s Order of Headship
Headship is such a beautiful part of God’s order.
It is an order of authority.
I Corinthians 11:3
“But I would have you know, that the head (authority) of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is man
and the head of Christ is God.”
God--Christ--Man--Woman
An order of headship does not mean that one has more value, intelligence, beauty, ability, worth than the other.
It simply means that God designed us with different roles, functions, authority, and order.
From the beginning of creation, God created
man and woman with different functions,
roles, and responsibilities.
Even creation itself has order.
I Cor. 11:2 Paul praises the Corinthian believers for remembering him and for keeping the ordinances that had been given to them.
I Cor. 11:4, 7 “But every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, dishonored his head.
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head,
forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.”
When do men pray and prophesy , is this only for in public worship, and what does covered mean?
I Thess. 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
I Tim. 2:8 “But I would therefore that men pray everywhere…”
Eph. 6:18 “Praying always…”
What is prophesying and does it only include
foretelling the future?
It includes foretelling the future but it also declaring God’s Truth and speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Rom. 12:6 “Prophesy according to the portion of faith.”
I Cor. 14:39 “Covet to prophesy…”
I Peter 3:15 “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you…”
If a man prays or prophesies with his head covered, he dishonors his head, who is Christ.
The Jews worshipped with their heads covered, copying Moses.
Now God is instructing them through Paul to pray and prophesy with their heads uncovered. The uncovered head was a distinguishing mark of a follower of Christ. For them to continue to cover their heads would have been an act of rebellion.
Covered is veiled, something hanging down over.
Man was created in the image of God.
He was created to be a leader, a provider, and protector
for those under his authority.
Whenever a man fails to do these,
he violates God’s order of headship.
Man should think of nature and creation. God created him to hold authority. He is not to be in rebellion or a non-conformist to Scipture, not even over a simple matter as the length of his hair.
I Cor. 11:14 “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”
Woman is the glory of man.
She has a place of her own in God’s creation, but her place is not man’s. Her place is by the side of man, highly exalted as his queen. She reigns in majesty by the side of man as his glory.
She is not to rebel against authority
or bring embarrassment and dishonor to him.
She is to cover her head by wearing the veil that symbolizes her honor of God’s order of authority.
I Cor. 11:5,6, 15 “But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonored her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. Judge in yourselves: is it comely (proper) that a woman pray unto God uncovered?”
It is just as shameful for a woman to shave her head as it is for her to refuse to cover her head. It’s also interesting that
Scripture uses both shorn and shaven.
Shorn is as with a shearing instrument
and shaven is as with a razor.
Is her hair her covering?
The Greek words are distinctly different.
I Cor. 11:15 “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.”
In I Cor. 11:4-7, 13 it is katakalupto,
which is covered down over; veiled.
In I Cor. 11:15 it is peribolaion, which is covered (thrown, wrapped) around; meaning the hair.
William Ramsey: “In Oriental lands the veil is the power and dignity of the woman. With the veil on her head she can go anywhere in security and profound respect. Without the veil the woman is a thing of nought, whom anyone may insult.”
I Cor. 11:10 “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”
Power is authority, right, strength.
It makes a difference to the angels if a woman’s head is covered.
The angels recognize authority
because there is an order of authority in heaven.
A man who keeps his head uncovered yet fails to step up and take the lead in his home is acting inconsistently
If a woman covers her head but does not respect and submit to the authority of man, she is living inconsistently.
Submission is to willingly place oneself under
the direction of another.
When is submission not submission?
When it is forced. When it is unwilling.
What does the Bible call a lack of submission?
Rebellion--something that is as bad as witchcraft (I Samuel 15:23), because by its very nature it is taking
the enemy’s side against God.
How does a lack of submission manifest itself in one’s life?
The more obvious ways are open disobedience to authority, defiance, and “having an attitude”. But it doesn’t stop there; any disobedience is rebellion. And often disobedience is camouflaged. Some say “Yes, Lord” but still go their own way; others say “I am obeying” even when they aren’t; and some say “It’s not for me”.
There are some things about the uncovered head of man and the covered head of woman that we don’t clearly understand. We can only conclude that God knew it would be that way-- indeed, planned it that way. And, we also conclude that God expects us to lovingly and joyfully obey anyway--
for that is what submission really is.
Man and woman depend on each other for existence, by God’s design. Whether man comes from woman or woman comes from man; both are of God and both have their place and function, calling and purpose. They need each other in many ways, complimenting each other. They coexist in harmony and peace when they joyfully submit to God’s established order in love.
I Cor. 11:16 “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no other practice, neither the churches of God.” NIV
God’s instructions do not need to make sense to us in order for us to be obligated to obey them.
I am challenged once again to live my life consistently
in God’ s order of headship/ authority.
When Christian men in the home and the church take their place as leaders in submission to God, and when women take their place in submission to men, God’s kingdom will prosper.
If either one rebels, God’s kingdom will suffer.
