I need some help understanding 1 Corinthians 11, verses 3-16. These verses basically say that man was created for God, and woman was created for (and from) man. And then it goes on to say that man should pray with an uncovered head, while woman should pray with a "veiled" head. It even goes as far as to say that it is better for a woman praying with an unveiled head to shave her head entirely. Why does it say that? You know how little kids always argue that boys are better than girls or girls are better than boys and all of that other childish stuff...well, I never thought that the Bible would go into that kind of thing! But I know it really isn't saying that boys are "better" than girls...so then what is saying?! Anyone want to help me answer this question?
Thanks (:
-Haley
hey haley,
ReplyDeletecontinue reading on past the part that says she should shave her head entirely. it then says that if shaving her head would be disgraceful in her particular society then she should wear a veil over her hair/head.
the bible/Paul isn't arguing that boys are better than girls. If you go back to Genesis 2 it explicitly talks about how woman was made from man-- God made Adam from the dust from the ground, and realized that man was not to be alone and needed a companion, so when Adam was sleeping God took a rib from Adam's side and molded it into a woman for Adam, and Adam says "This at last is bonoe of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of man she was taken."
Thus we were made out of man, but we are also very special creatures as women, in that 1) God molded us specifically from the rib of Adam's side with His own hands; all other things in creation He spoke into being 2) God felt that the world was incomplete until He made woman, and then it was finished; thus we are the completion of the creation of the world. Man needed a companion, and after God created all the creatures of the earth, they were not sufficient. Thus He made Woman to be that worthy companion.
bible.org says: Verses 3-9 base this instruction on a theological hierarchy and on creation. God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the man, the man is the head of the woman. It is important to note that Paul is in no way arguing for the ontological inferiority of the woman to the man, for he roots his convictions in the Godhead. Christ is only functionally subordinate to the Father, not ontologically subordinate.5 The wife, too, is functionally subordinate to the husband, but in no way ontologically inferior (vv 11-12).
http://bible.org/article/what-head-covering-1-cor-112-16-and-does-it-apply-us-today
for the 4 theories about the head coverings, read the link above! i just did