If you will remain standing, take your Bibles and go to the book of 1 Corinthians, please. 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, and I'll be reading verses 2 through 16. This is the word of the Lord. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ. The head of every wife is her husband. And the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels. In the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman. For as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, It is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory. For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. This is God's word. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for this day and for the gift of your scripture and the gathering of your people. And now, Father, we ask that you stamp, with your own seal of approval and blessing, on the reading and the preaching of your infallible Word. Amen. Please be seated. The Bible is the Word of God. And for the overwhelming amount of information that it contains within, the meaning of that information is clear. But when a person teaches or preaches from the Bible, sooner or later they will encounter an impediment in either analyzing the content or in teaching it. The obstacle will be one of two kinds of difficulties. The first is where a passage is difficult to understand in its meaning. This will be a challenge to the mind, to the intellect. Secondly, The second kind of difficulty will be when the passage is hard to accept. This manifests itself as a challenge of the will, for it requires our response in obedience. The passage before us this morning represents both of these challenges at the same time. A challenge of the mind and of the will. So how do we tackle such an issue? And I say we because I want all of you this morning to be involved in the issues that are presented to us today. So how do we tackle such an issue? Well, it must be done carefully and in prayer and with no small amount of dependence upon the leadership of the Holy Spirit. And so it is this morning. And I hope that in doing so, the Lord will make his message clear and plain to our understanding and that he will give us the grace and the patience with each other as we work through what the Apostle is saying to us in our time. In 2008, GRBC was four years old and we were meeting on Sundays at Northeast Christian Academy on Hamblin Road. We were considering moving to another facility here in Kingwood Right down the street, actually, here on North Park on Glade Valley. Well, one day Cindy and I decided that we were going to visit the building, the building we were considering, one Sunday to see how it was currently being used. And there was a church that was meeting there and they were in the process of moving, but still holding services there. We were greeted at the door and We decided, looked around, decided to take seats in the back as would be expected. And we noticed on a small table by the door of entrance there were a number of things that looked like cloth napkins in different shapes and colors. I think Cindy had an idea what they were, but I didn't have a clue. But as soon as we sat down, there the napkins were again, except now they were on the tops of the heads of most of the women present. It was my first and only experience in the United States with what Paul discusses in our passage this morning. Now, Brad and Kimberly and Tim Yates and I had gone to Latvia in 2005 to visit some Baptist churches there. Many of the Latvian Baptists, most of them wore head coverings, but they were more than the small head coverings that you might see here in this country, they were longer, more like veils. And in Riga, Latvia, they didn't look nearly as strange as they did in Kingwood. Anyway, that's the extent of my experience with head coverings. So let's move on to our passage, because the passage today takes up the issue of head coverings. Yet it's really not about head coverings. but something far more significant. The first part of the passage says this, verses 2 and 3, Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I deliver them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Now, given the context of this book, which is largely about straightening out problems in the Corinthian church, verse two is surprisingly positive. Paul begins with a note of praise, commending the Corinthians for the fact that they had remembered what he had taught them when the church was first established. They had a few problems with the way they treated each other. But it seems as though, for the most part, their doctrine was solid. By the way, the Greek word for traditions here appears in other translations as ordinances, precepts or teachings. So the reason Paul was commending the Corinthian church was that they listened and they absorbed the truth that he was teaching them. No, they weren't perfect and no congregation is. But they were more right than they were wrong. And so Paul praises them for staying true to his instruction. But now in verse three, Paul tells them there is, however, a place in their doctrine that needs some reworking. He says, But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. This is the key verse in our passage this morning. If we can understand and process what is being said here, everything else this morning falls into place. Yes, verse three is the key verse that explains the rest of what we're going to talk about, and so we'll spend more time here than in other parts. And there is one key word that we must correctly translate in context, and that word is head. H-E-A-D. The word for head in Greek is kephale. It has several uses and meanings. First, it can mean a physical head, like the part of the body that houses the brain. Second, it can metaphorically mean a person in authority. And third, and even more metaphorically, It might mean a source or origin, like the head of a river. Now, principles and biblical interpretation instruct us that words must be interpreted within their context. Bible words have meaning, and they must be interpreted in a way that is theologically and practically consistent with the overall teaching of Scripture. This predisposes us to look for unity in meaning and not contradiction when we read the Bible. Let me say that again, because a lot of people miss this. We look for unity in meaning and not contradiction when we read the scriptures. If you see something that's exceptional that no one else has ever seen, you better go back and read it. a lot more closely. If the Bible is God's Word, and it is, then we know, based on the character and nature of God Himself, that Scripture has no mistakes and no contradictions. Therefore, when we read it, we are on a fool's errand if we search the Bible for contradictions. We rightly approach the scriptures for searching for and rightly expecting consistency, clarity and unity. Now, this is where people like the Jesus Seminar and other biblical scholars make huge errors. They tend to find what they are looking for. They seek aspects of scripture that are to them contradictions. because they are predisposed to search for errors and not God's truth. And for us this morning, this concept of maintaining unity is particularly important in verse three. Because, as I have said, it is here that the meaning of the entire passage is to be revealed. And there are plenty of people who want it to say something that it does not say. They look for and desire contradictions so their opinions might appear to have substance. Here in verse 3 we read that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Clearly here the apostle is using the word head in one of its metaphorical meanings, either meaning authority or meaning source or origin. The more commonly accepted meaning has always been, down through the centuries, that of authority. But there are others that ascribe to it the meaning of origin or source. So what is the meaning of head in this case? Well, let's try each one for adequacy and accuracy by replacing the word head with the possibilities. and then first see which one makes sense and then second, which one maintains the doctrinal integrity of the rest of the passage. So let's start with replacing the word head with the word source or origin and see what it means. The source of origin for every man is Christ. The source or origin of a wife is her husband. and the source or origin of Christ is God. The source of every man is Christ. We could say that, couldn't we? It's possible because Christ is both man's creator and savior. The source or origin of a wife is her husband. In the sense of Genesis chapter 2, verses 22 to 27, where a woman is said to be taken from man, that could make some sense too. And then when we have the statement that God is the source of Christ, when he sent the incarnate Son to be the world's Redeemer, this seems to somewhat be at odds with the Trinitarian nature of God. Is there more than one source? or only one. So it seems that when we replace the metaphorical word for head with the word source or origin, it seems to be somewhat inconsistent with the emphasis in the book of Genesis, supported also in the narrative of the fall, that the order of creation suggests a more hierarchical chain of responsibility, that is, God, man, and woman. The much more common interpretation throughout church history has been to view the verse as teaching a relationship of authority and responsibility in the context of headship. This is not to be understood as a matter of inherent superiority, so much as one of differing functions. A similar situation exists with the persons of the Trinity, doesn't it? There is an equality of the three persons within the Trinity, But it is an equality that allows for the role of the son in his work of salvation to be subordinate to that of the father. Paul will make this very point later in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. And so had here in verse 3 is more consistent to a biblical interpretation when it means authority and not source or origin. The concept of authority is more defensible than the idea that Christ was begotten from the source or origin of the Father. This would mean a revival of the Athanasian-Aryan controversy of the fourth century in Alexandria. The heretic Arius claimed that Jesus was created by God, the Father, and Arius went around teaching his famous line, there once was a time when the Son was not. In other words, Jesus was a created being who then had responsibility for the rest of creation. Athanasius himself, a convinced Trinitarian, vigorously countered such teaching by reminding the Arians from scripture in John 1.1 what the truth was. In the beginning was the Word. and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Head here in verse 3 cannot mean source or origin, for Jesus the Son did not come from the source or origin of the Father. He has always existed. And this is further supported by the use of the term head in the famous passage on marriage in Ephesians chapter 5. the portion that we read earlier this morning. There Paul states that the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church, his body, and he himself is its savior. That authority of Christ was manifested in the love that led him to sacrifice himself for the church on the cross. And that calls forth the submission of his people to him as Lord. This then is declared to be the pattern for a husband's headship, his headship relationship with his wife, the authority of loving responsibility and sacrifice. Now, why do I belabor this point? The importance of a word, the word head in verse three. As I said before, verse 3 is the key to understanding the passage. If we get that wrong, everything else won't make sense. Unless we understand that Paul is saying here and what he means here, then the rest of the passage will be of slight consequence. Verse 3 says, I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Paul could have just as well have written that the authority over every man is Christ, the authority over a wife is her husband, and the authority over Christ is God. Now in verses four through six, here's what it says. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head." In the Greco-Roman culture, men generally wore their hair short. And if they covered their heads, it was done when they worshipped in the pagan temples. They would take their tunic, they would flip it up on their head, and that would be the way they worshipped in pagan temples. Conversely, the hair of women of the Mediterranean world was an object of male lust. And women were expected to cover their hair or to wear it up as an expression of modesty and proper etiquette. Most likely, some of the first century females in Corinth had an emancipated view of flaunting social propriety, and would frequently go outdoors in public without covering over their hair, and some even let their hair hang loosely. Now apparently, some of these women belonged to the Corinthian church, and the correspondence that Paul had received was a complaint about it. For in doing so, they were not only causing a ruckus in public, they were shaming their husbands in the process. Paul was most likely not talking about the length of a woman's hair. He was probably not even concerned about her wearing something on her head, like a hat or a veil. What he was doubtless concerned about was the immodesty that was rampant in Corinth and that it had spread to the church. Men with long hair, women with short hair or long hair that hung down were displaying non-Christian immodesty, disrupting worship, causing strife within the church and unknowingly or knowingly identifying with paganism. Now verses 7-10 say this, For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, nor woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels. Man was created first and reflected his glory as sort of a vice-regent of creation. He was God's representative and the head of the created order. He was responsible. Evidence of that was that when Eve gave in to the temptation of the serpent, God didn't come looking for her, but for Adam. She was under Adam's authority. And while the woman shares the distinction of being created in God's image equally and fully as a human being, nevertheless, in her relationship to man, there is a differentiation. One, she was created from the man. Two, she was created for the man as his suitable helper. And three, she is to display a symbol of her protector and defender. Thus the woman is the glory of man, as the man is the glory of God. Man glorifies God by fulfilling his headship role assigned by the Creator. Woman glorifies man by recognizing him as her head. The reference to the angels most likely denotes, as we see in 1 Corinthians 4, verse 9, It denotes those beings who observe what goes on in the world and who would be opposed to or offended by any challenge to the created order. David Jackman in his commentary on this passage says this, quote, it is arguably the most tragic legacy of the fall that since Eve took the initiative in assuming her husband's role as leader of the partnership, and Adam only too willingly agreed, mankind has connived at the same skewing of the roles in the long history of human rebellion against God's norms on both sides of the gender divide." Is that not the truth in today's world? And then we have 1 Corinthians 11, verses 11 and 12. Nevertheless, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman. For as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman, and all things are from God. Now, having said all that has been said in the Lord, that is, in the Church or in the body of Christ, independence is not the answer. The Christian answer is interdependence. Neither are each one independent or the other. To affirm this, we go back to creation. Woman came from man. But after the first creation, all men have been born. of woman. Neither are independent of the other. Of equal value, both are created in the image of the same God. We have different roles in our relationships. Yet these roles, both in great and minute ways, beautifully complement each other. And all things are from God. This created order ordained by God provides the way that man and woman are to live in relationships with each other. And none of the freedoms of redemption negate the priorities of this created order. For while redemption restores a sound spiritual nature in man, and the image of God in man, and the better patterns of behavior in the church, It proceeds on track to the realization of an Eden restored, of a new heavens and a new earth. And then the last part of our passage, verses 13 to 16, Paul says this. Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a man to pray to God with their head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. Judge for yourselves, he says. What is proper and what is improper? If God cares for the way we present ourselves to him, what else do we do that offends him? Women are to dress modestly and demonstrate proper submission and respect to their husbands. Not as the proverbial doormat, but as a complimentary partner. Men are to demonstrate wholehearted submission to Christ. and to sacrificially love their wives, to show genuine affection toward her and to establish security in their relationship, to be the true head of the family as God intended the husband to be. Same sex, changed sex, androgynous sexuality, all of it is a rebellion. an abomination against the established order since the creation. Gender confusion, rank paganism, belittling the value of human life, promoting the world's values. We should expect the world to be messed up. The focus for us is peace and unity in Christ Church and in our individual families. And despite the condition of the world, we are to show compassion to the lost. We were lost once too. We are to find refuge in the gospel and to teach others how they can be transformed by its power, that we might save some. Jesus tells us, enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction. And those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life. And those who find it are few. So what's the answer? Do women have to cover their heads in public or during worship? The short answer is no. We live in a time and a place in which an uncovered woman is never seen as a rebellious soul. And if she wears her hair down long, it projects no immoral message to the church or society at large. This was the concern of Paul, wasn't it? If women live or worship in other cultures, they should be aware of and sensitive to the local practice. I mentioned Latvia earlier. If a woman went to a church, orthodox or evangelical in Latvia, she might want to wear a head covering in respect for the custom. Since modesty, marital submission and order and decorum in the worship service lie at the very heart of this section of scripture, that is what the church as a whole and we as individuals need to be pursuing. Well, so much for head coverings. Because that is not the issue, is it? It's a more basic issue. It's a harder issue. Head coverings are easy to deal with compared to what we've been talking about. Will you submit to the authority that is in front of you? You men and you women. Men, will you submit to price? Women, will you submit to your husbands? I will not address the answer to these questions in the context of the general public, because that would be too disheartening. If we think about the general public beyond the church, it's hopeless, isn't it? In their own power, they are hopeless. I will confine these final remarks in this area to the church, to the true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because men, we must first submit to Him. We must submit to Him wholly. And not as a part-time partner, but always, in every way, so that we might be the men to whom our wives will willingly submit. If we submit to Christ, Should a wife worry about how a man will provide authority over her? I think not. I have a question for you. What is the correct way, that is God's way, for man and woman to live together? This is a basic question, isn't it? This goes down to the heart of the created order. made in the image of God, responsible for representing him on earth and being in charge to have dominion over the creation itself. You think about it, we ought to be the most environmentally conscious people around, right? Not crazy, not jumping off the deep end, but Christians should be the most economically and Ergonomically and environmentally conscious people there are, because we have dominion over the world, don't we? It's our responsibility, particularly you men. So here's a question, how do we live together? Are you a man or are you a woman? It's an important question, isn't it? Are you a man or are you a woman? It's about as basic as it can get. Has God made you a male or a female? This is the reason verse 3 is so important. Verse 3 says, But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ and the head of a wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God. It's important because it provides us with the answers we need to lead our lives in God's way. And this is much more consequential as a question to be posed, then how I should wear my hair, or do you need a head covering? The Apostle Paul is reminding us of our role, our responsibility, our relationship with one another, our authority, our creation. This is so basic, and yet, is it any wonder that we are so confused? We have taken some of the most foundational institutions of the creation and have declared that we are wiser than God. For example, we have just recently, within our time, we've redefined what marriage is. We have redefined marriage and almost like that overnight. We have decided that we can even change our sex. Dr. John Piper and Dr. Wayne Gridham, two of our more trustworthy voices in the Christian community, have taken it upon themselves in the past few years to provide a clear voice about this issue pertaining to man and woman, male and female, husband and wife. They have helped us, through God's Word, to understand the relationships intended for male and female. And without going into detail, they have helped define terms and provide a biblically based, reasonable explanation and dialogue about what God intended when he made males and females. Just like he says in his word. And these two faithful servants have defined the extremes of the male-female relationship in a spectrum that is Inside your little handout in your order of worship. It's a horizontal double ended arrow. And one that goes up, and if you would just take a look at this. They have defined the extremes. Of the male female relationship spectrum. In two terms. the polar opposite terms. Egalitarianism on one extreme and traditionalism and hierarchicalism on the other. I know that that is really three terms, but we can simplify them into the two poles of male-female relationships. First, traditionalism and hierarchicalism. Traditionalism implies the refusal to allow scripture. to challenge traditional patterns of behavior. Sort of a humanistic way to make all decisions without reference to a transcendent godly pattern. Hierarchicalism emphasizes structural authority while giving no suggestion of equality or the beauty of mutual interdependence. On the opposite end of the spectrum is egalitarianism. Egalitarianism is a desire that all people, male and female, are equal and always deserve equal rights and opportunities. This sounds very lovely, but in reality, egalitarianism, like traditionalism, has severe drawbacks. Remember the brilliant idea that the city of Houston had for bisexual restrooms? That was a real winner, wasn't it? That's egalitarianism. that has jumped the tracks. Egalitarianism ignores the realities of the differences between men and women. In the church, egalitarianism has recently manifested itself by females demanding formal positional leadership roles despite the biblical pattern. But God's way will always be the best way. What I'm talking about is a concept that Piper and Grudem have called complementarianism. It's in the middle, as you see there. It doesn't mean things in the middle are always the way to go. But this one is. Complementarianism is the position that man and woman were not made to compete with each other, but to complement each other. Men and women were not made to compete with each other. Many of us need to hear this, don't we? We spend a lot of our time competing with each other. We are not made to compete with each other. But to complete and strengthen and improve each other. And to build on each other's strengths and talents and not to reject them or belittle them. Complementarianism suggests equality in value, and worth. After all, both are made in the image of God. Equality and value and worth, while recognizing the beneficial God-given differences between men and women. Complementarianism is the recognition of the way we were made by God. Alike, but different. And I know this is simplistic, but I'm positive. I'm sure it's true. Women and men want the same things. They also want different things. They both want things like a functional home and a strong relationship and the best for their children. But a man and woman individually want different things, too. Listen to me, men, this is for you. Women want and need affection and love from their husbands. and a sense that they are secure. Women want and need affection and love from their husbands and a sense that they are secure. And women, this is, you know, I've got to balance it out. This is for you. Men generally want one thing and one thing only. And it's not what you think. Listen to me, this is so powerful. If you get this, it will transform your relationship. Men generally want only one thing from their wives. They want respect. If they don't give respect, everything else is down the tubes. Where you find homes in which the wives are affectionately loved by their husbands and are made to feel secure in loving relationship, And where the husbands are respected by their wives, there you will find strong and lasting marriages. This is reflected in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 33. I guess we should all hang this over our bedroom doors. Let each one of you love his wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Paul nailed it. He nailed it, and it's no different today. All right, it's true confession time. I'm here to tell you today that I am a recovering complementarianist. I'm a recovering complementarian. And it's only taken about 44 years and I'm still in process to. I close with verse three in our passage, I can't say it enough. I said that I believe that it was the key to the issue of head coverings or hair length or any other issue between male and females and I stand by it. To the 21st century ear, it sounds really antiquated, really feudalistic, really oppressive, out of touch with reality, hopelessly old-fashioned, call it what you will, yet it is God's plan and his pattern. And over the centuries it has not changed. And guess what? It never will. And here delivered by his powerful messenger Paul, listen to these words. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Let's pray. Our Lord and our God, you have honored us by calling us through the proclamation of your gospel, not by human wisdom or reasoning, but by your power. Bring to our minds that all that we are and will be is tied to the reality and the truth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Help us to run our race that is set before us, that we might be worthy to claim the prize that is imperishable. that we might recognize and respond to the authority you have given us. We ask that you make us more like Jesus, give us the heart of a lion, and mold us and make us into the complementary husbands and wives you intend us to be. And help us all to be prepared for our calling to share the gospel with those we encounter. Be our sword and our shield in the authority of Christ we pray. Amen.