WOMEN'S ROLE IN THE CHURCH
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
September 12, 2007
mike matijevch
mmatevich@aol.com

Intro:
* Problem of Materialism- last week learned the importance of living by MISSION & BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE & NOT BY LAW (LIVING A LIFE ON PURPOSE)
* Learned that we have to restrain ourselves when it comes to weaker brethren.
* Materialism breeds SELF-CENTEREDNESS!
* In chapter 10 we have liberty, "all things are lawful" but there are times when we have to restrain our liberty.
* As mature Christians we have to limit our liberty to maintain ORDER:
(1) For others (2) to maintain order
* Specifically in chapter 11 order with (male & female)
- Some hard verses here to understand (cultural mostly)
- These passages misunderstood - legalistic uses, explain why Paul a chauvinist…
1 Cor 11:1-2 the parameters of our study
1) Paul is giving his personal testimony who is saying, "I am practicing what I preach".
2) V 2 he is praising them in preparation to take their heads off. (real issues)
"Tradition"= sacrament (by doing will get favor with God) NOT in the bible!
"Ordinance"= a body of traditional teaching that has been passed down.
(12 T in NT what is translated here as "ordinance" is translated as "tradition"
* (Most times traditions not a good reference)
* Some positive 2 Thes. 2:15
* In the NT two ordinances given to the church by Jesus (baptism & Lord's Supper)
* NT Christians don't so things to obtain God's favor; we do things because of God's favor!

* Paul is saying that they have done well in knowing the scriptures, but your life is falling apart
* This passage important the bible because it is in the bible
It deals with issues we must deal with today.
(Western civilization come a long way these past years, but we still favor men over women)

- The role of women has become a battleground in our society during the past decades of our history, and that has filtered into the church of Jesus Christ.
1. The problem with that is, to do that they often have to decide that Paul, Peter, and all the rest of the apostles and New Testament writers to some extent added their own opinions to God's revealed truth.
2. Because of that many modern day women feel that Paul the apostle was the greatest chauvinist that ever walked upon the face of God's earth.
- Just as the role of women has become a battleground in our society over the last 10, 20, 30, 40, even 50 years; the Corinthians, it would seem from the reading of this chapter, faced a somewhat similar situation. Apparently, you remember that this epistle is written in reply to another letter where the Corinthians asked several questions of the apostle Paul, so obviously we have to assume that they had asked questions on the submission of women.
* CP 1 Cor. 7:1 their letter to Paul with questions…
* But we see that the question of the woman's role was also in the mind of the Corinthian believers, they wanted Paul to give them a word: 'What is the teaching revealed to you by God on submission of women?'
* My biggest fear in this assembly, and indeed in those that teach that the head-covering, is that we can go to another extreme where we exalt the symbol over the spiritual reality of the headship and the lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives.

1. Questions To Answer
a. Is it not cultural?
b. Is it not trivial?
c. Should women not then pray and prophesy (verse 3)?
d. Does Galatians 3:8 not set aside such distinctions?
e. Is the hair not the covering?
2. Reasons To Completely Obey
a. The apostolic reason
b. The redemptive reason
c. The creative reason
d. The angelic reason
e. The natural reason
3. Corrections To Consider Today
a. If the symbol is without the submission
b. If the glory of the hat has replaced the glory of the hair
c. If it in any way restricts us from rescuing the lost

The next reason is the redemptive reason, verses 3 to 6, and it could also be maybe better called the governmental reason
* Creation is diverse- (nature) but creation follows principles of ORDER!

You would know that behind every institution and every stable society it's built on two pillars - the PILLAR OF AUTHORITY and the PILLAR OF SUBJECTION to that authority. It is impossible to have a well-functioning community where those two principles are not observed and adhered to.

- Whenever we talk about subjection we're not talking about inferiority
- There are roles, there are responsibilities - and there has to be in any society, any organization, even your own work there is authority and there is subjection to that authority
- It speaks of the earthly Christ in absolute submission and subjection to God

* To the Jew with the head covered, to uncover the head was to testify that Messiah had come, that your head was Messiah - and for a Gentile to testify that Messiah was yours was an abomination!