Paul’s Grace Curriculum: I Cor 11:4-16

Head covering, uncovering, hats and ordinances are examined in detail this time. We establish the context of Paul reproving those who “examine me.” Then we establish the difference between the “New Testament” and “The Gospel.” We then establish the division in the Bible at “the Revelation of the Mystery”, and the importance of knowing the plot of the Bible in order to understand passages like I Cor 11:4-7, and Eph 1:4.

Then we present the bible verses that God included in the Bible to remind men that we are responsible to protect women, who are the weaker vessel, both physically and spiritually according to our passage here tonight in I Cor 11:4-7, and: Gen 3:13, “And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Blaming the serpent? Or just stating the facts? She admits she was beguiled.

Gen 3:16, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” This curse was the loss of pure love in marriage for both the man and the woman, but primarily for the woman, because women sense emotional loss more acutely than men. And after she fell her relationship with her husband would no longer be governed only by love, but also by the making and breaking of rules, over her, over her desire, which is for love.

Lev 15:1, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.” So a man is injured or has a disease that produces a running sore, he’s unclean, and then there are instructions about sanitary procedure, and a seven day period to wait after the sore is healed, and then in verse 14, “…And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD…” And the priest offers one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. But the man didn’t necessarily sin. This ordinance is no doubt to remind everyone that injuries and diseases are the result of sin, hence the sin offering.

But starting in verse 19, the same law addresses women, Lev 15:19, “And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.” And the chapter goes on describing just about anything she touches, or that touches her is made unclean, then after her period stops, she numbers seven more days, and then in verse 29, “And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest…” And the priest offers one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. And the woman didn’t necessarily sin either.

The difference is that with the man’s issue of blood it was a one off, not a regular occurrence. But for the woman this was a monthly routine, and a monthly demand of a sin offering for something which by all appearances is just a natural part of being a woman. And so by this the law we are informed that the manner of a woman’s cycle as manifested after the fall is the result of sin. And God insisted that the law bring that sin to mind, especially to the mind of every woman, every month, unless she was pregnant. Why? So that everyone got a regular reminder of the order of events in the garden. It was the woman who was beguiled by the devil, and women are naturally more vulnerable to crafty deception, and women can easily lead men into sin. God knows everyone’s place, and he’s not going to let anyone forget the ordinances. Turn to I Tim 2:11.

This is reiterated by the Apostle Paul, here in our passage in I Cor tonight, and in 1 Tim 2:11, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

And from the Old Testament: Job 2:9-10, “Then said (Job’s) wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.” Job’s rebuke and his wife’s spiritual weakness are recorded in scripture as a testimony for all to see and learn from.

Isa 3:12, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.” The implication is that rule by women is not good.

Speaking of the defeat of Babylon Jer 51:30b, “their might hath failed; they became as women…”

And from Peter’s kingdom ministry, before the mystery was revealed, according to the New Testament in christ’s blood: 1 Peter 3:7, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” The ordinances of God over man, man over wife go all the way back. And Peter is teaching that the physical and spiritual lives of believing husbands and wives will be blessed when the man protects his wife, body and spirit, knowing she is more vulnerable to the wiles of the devil.  

We then assert that what the scriptures are conveying here is that the head coverings (and uncoverings) are neither long lost customs or hats, but the ordinances, the positions of authority as delivered by Paul: Christ over the man, the man over the woman. The praying and prophesying is any communication in the church, especially from the head of the room so to speak, (or speaking as one with authority): that should be done with the man’s head uncovered, meaning revealing Christ above himself, and with the woman’s head covered, meaning submitted to her husband in Christ. And the angels are mentioned as a reminder of the fallen angels taking advantage of women in the past, as well as the angels watching us now. If that’s an oversimplification, I welcome anyone to help me understand it better.

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