One memory from my teenage years is very fresh, even though it was 50 years ago. I was
about 16 or 17 years old, and I mouthed off to my mom in a very disrespectful way. I was
angry and rude to her. I still remember that day clearly, all these years later, for one
significant reason. Though my dad rarely got angry, I vividly remember he did then. I
crossed a line by dishonoring my mom, and with righteous anger my dad was quite clear
with me. He told me that I was never to speak to my mom that way.
In my stubborn pride, I didn’t like what he told me. But I realized I shouldn’t tangle with
my dad like that when it came to mom.
My dad did not know Jesus at that time (not until 3 years later). And I suspect he had
rarely read the Bible before that time. And it’s likely he had never before read the passage
in 1 Corinthians 11 we will read this morning. But somehow and to some degree he what
it meant to be the authority in his family. To correct his disrespectful son, and to protect
and honor his wife.
What is remarkable to me is the contrast between my dad and his dad. My dad’s dad was
a horrible example of being a good head of the family, for he was a violent drunk who
sometimes beat his own wife, my dad’s mom. Somehow, by God’s grace my Dad went
the opposite way. Over many decades of marriage, he treated my mom like a queen.
And an obnoxious teenager named Brad was not going to mess with that. To use a term
from our passage this morning, my dad was striving to be a good “head” of his family.
That story relates to our passage today, 1 Corinthians 11. This passage is a difficult one to
understand. Difficult to answer, “What does it mean? And what do I do with it?”
Five weeks ago when I taught on Chapter 7 on marriage, I said that that chapter may be
the most difficult for me to understand.
This morning, I am submitting a revision to that declaration. Our passage today is more
difficult for me than Chapter 7.
And honestly, as a teacher of the Word, I find much easier passages to study and teach on.
1% of my mind says, “Let’s skip this section and go to an easier one.” But 99% of my
mind and heart says, all of the words in this letter called 1st Corinthians and in the entire
Bible are sent by God from heaven down to earth for us to know, understand, believe, and
obey. So the Corinthians needed to hear it. We need to hear it. So without hesitation, I
want to teach this passage this morning.
GENDER DISTINCTIONS (11:2-16)
Now let’s read the whole passage, then we’ll go back and talk about it.
1 Corinthians 11:2–16
There is a lot here. So let’s go back a section at a time to talk about it.
1 of 811:2-6 CORRECTION IN WORSHIP
First, let me give you a headline. In short, Paul is teaching us about proper and honorable
distinctions between men and women, specifically in the area of headship and submission,
and specifically when the church is gathered together, and men and women are praying
and prophesying.
So we could label this section, “Correction to inappropriate worship practices.” (We’ll
discuss what “prophesying” is when we get to Chapter 14.)
In reality, all of chapters 11 through 14 could be labeled as “Correction in Worship”.
Let’s look more closely at our passage.
Vs. 2
In this letter, positive things to this church are few and far between. But in vs. 2, Paul
praises them because they remember him and are holding on to the many important
teachings he gave them when he lived in Corinth for 18 months (in Acts 18).
Vs. 3-6
But then vs. 3 begins with “BUT…”. Something is wrong.
He begins teaching the Corinthians about biblical order in both the Godhead and in
marriage.
Let’s go in order of headship. God the Father is the head of Jesus the Son. The word
“head” is key in this passage. This means the Father has authority over the Son, and the
Son submits to the Father. This is not new theology at all. In fact, we find it dozens of
places in the NT. And even references to it in OT prophecies.
For example, in the Gospel of John, Jesus himself talks about this numerous times.
He said,
John 5:22,26-27 CSB The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment
to the Son…For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the
Son to have life in himself. And he has granted him the right to pass judgment,
because he is the Son of Man.
John 3:16 points to this, too: that God so loved the world that he GAVE his Son…to bring
eternal life to us.
The Father gave.
We see this also in Matthew 28 in what we call, “The Great Commission.”
Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
God the Father has authority to judge, and he has passed on that authority to Jesus, the
Son. Jesus does not work independently from the Father’s will. He submits to the Father.
He loves to please his heavenly Father.
2 of 8This is so beautiful. Within the Trinity, the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit, we see
headship and submission.
So what we see throughout the NT is an order in the Trinity. This says nothing about
essence, nature, or being. The Son is deity, not some lesser God. It’s about authority and
submission.
For anyone of us who is in a position of authority as a head, we should imitate the Father in
how he relates to the Son.
For anyone in a position of submission under a head, we should imitate Jesus as he follows
the Father’s will.
This all makes headship and submission glorious. And heavenly. When we follow this, we
are imitating God. It’s true in the marriage. It’s true in parenting, like my father instructed
me when I was a teenager. It’s true at our jobs, how bosses treat their employees and vice
versa. It’s true in the military, how a captain and a sergeant relate to one another.
Admittedly, some of us have had bad experiences in this area, like my dad who had a
violent drunk as a father.
Or we may be a bit like me as a rebellious teenager who simply didn’t want to be told
what to do by my dad.
Even if initially we don’t like the word headship and submission, they are heavenly words
lived out between the Father and the Son. I love this. This glorious and beautiful word is
my favorite part of the passage. And it is foundational to the meaning of the whole.
Then Paul says more in vs. 3. Jesus Christ is the head of man. We know from the Book of
Ephesians that Jesus is the head of the church.
But here it’s different: Paul says, Jesus is the head of the man. The word “man” is singular
here, so in the context of this passage, I believe Paul is speaking about a husband. Not
plural, that all men are the heads of all women.
Then Paul says, the man (I believe husband) is the head over the woman (similarly, I believe
Paul is speaking of the wife). Ephesians 5 also speak of headship in the marriage.
So like in the Godhead with the Father and the Son, this doesn’t say anything about the
worth or essence or dignity of a man and a woman. This does not say that the husband
better somehow. Rather, this is an issue of order. Of responsibility.
Function and duties and roles may be different, even when worth and essence are the
same, just as we see between the Father and the Son. There is certainly a temptation by
us mere mortals to assume or feel superiority or inferiority, and Paul addresses that in vs.
11-12. But every one of us stands the same before a holy God. No exceptions.
So in vs. 3 Paul downloads an extremely foundational word on authority and submission.
Vs. 4-6
In vs. 4-6 Paul now gets very specific. And this is where some of the questions may begin.
3 of 8In vs. 4 & 5, he says, “Every man who prays and prophesies when the church is gathered
shouldn’t have something covering his head.” For he is dishonoring his authoritative head,
Jesus.
Then in vs. 5, “Every woman who prays and prophesies when the church is gathered
should have something covering her head.” (In those days, it was some kind of veil or
covering.). If she doesn’t, she dishonors her head, i.e., her spiritual authority, her husband.
What I find interesting is that nowhere else in the Bible do we find instruction like this to
men and women about covering or not covering the head.
That doesn’t make it unimportant or irrelevant. It simply means we don’t have anything
else to guide us in this discussion of physically covering the head.
To start off, in a general way in one form or other in the first century, even with Jewish
women, it was a common custom for respectable women to appear veiled or with some
covering on their heads when they were in public. And we still see this today in certain
parts of the world and even in Ames.
There are two basic views that Christians have held with this passage as they have sought
to apply it.
1.2.Either the physical covering on the head is a timeless truth, even for 2026.
Or, the physical covering was a cultural issue that was obvious to the
Corinthians. And we need to find the parallel cultural way today to apply the
timeless principle behind it.
I have respect for both views. And I have personally wrestled for many hours over both
views. Spoiler alert: Here is where I land. I lean towards the second view, that a strong
cultural influence was happening in Corinth in the first century, and that Corinthian women
were unnecessarily bucking the culture and breaking off any authority from their husbands.
They were sending a message to people in the church and in their culture. (I’ll explain this
as we continue through the passage.)
To our culture in 2026 in the Midwest of the United States, a lack of head coverings sends
no message at all to most of us our culture. We have 25 or so nations represented here at
Stonebrook on a typical Sunday morning, so I don’t know what message would be sent in
your culture.
So with both of these views, as we continue reading through this passage in more detail,
we will see points that support either view.
At the same time, I want to be very clear. In both views, the basic principle still stands:
Men and women should honor the God-established roles in marriage.
And to be more specific, Paul is speaking of that honor during public worship in the church
when both men and women are praying and prophesying. The instructions here are that
narrow. I’m not saying there is no relevance anywhere else. I’m saying that this is Paul’s
only focus here.
4 of 811:7-12 ARGUMENT FROM CREATION
Now Paul makes an argument about honoring headship by covering he head, and he
makes his case from creation.
Vs. 7-10
Here he speaks of the differences between men and women, and why.
In vs. 7, 8 and 9, what does he mean that man is the image and glory of God, and that
woman is the glory of man? Paul hearkens back to Genesis in the account of Creation, in
how this world came into being.
So let’s go back to Genesis.
Genesis 2:7,20-23 CSB Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from
the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a
living being… but for the man no helper was found corresponding to him. So the
Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one
of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib he
had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man
said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be
called “woman,” for she was taken from man.
First, let me say that when Paul references the original Creation, he essentially is pointing
out how important and true Genesis is. It’s not a myth.
Second, as we read Genesis, the first problem in Creation is revealed, and it is significant:
The man was alone. So the Lord crafted this brand new creation out of the other new
creation: the woman out of the man… and for the man… for a unique, new relationship
we call marriage. A man and a woman. Something holy. Something good. Something
designed by God himself. And the order of creation is very important, as we see in 1
Corinthians.
This issues of what is a man and what is a woman, and what is marriage are in a great state
of confusion in our culture today. And we are confused because eternal truth from God
has been rejected and forgotten. But there is no confusion in the Scriptures, which we
believe are timeless words that God has sent to us from heaven.
So it’s not our job to be harsh and critical of our culture. It’s our job to bring the grace and
truth of God and his gospel to them — the same grace that shined the bright light of Jesus
into our darkened hearts.
Back in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul’s point about proper headship and honoring it is directly
tied to the very first days of Creation, when human history began. The man came first, and
then the woman. It’s glorious. A good God has created them.
So when the Corinthian church gathers, when they pray and prophesy, men and women
should be in a posture that honors that order in creation, that headship.
5 of 8Vs. 11-12
Then in vs. 11-12, because in this conversation about headship and submission we can get
into debates about superiority and inferiority, Paul makes his point very clear. There is no
place for that.
In the Lord, the man and the woman are not independent from the other. One cannot say
to the other, “I don’t need you.”
Why? Because in the Lord, we have to remember that the first woman came from the first
man. But ever since then, all men are born of a woman.
I am neither a statistician nor a biologist nor an obstetrician. But are my suspicions right to
say that every man in this room was born of a woman? J Men, you owe your lives to a
woman. She carried you and gave birth to you.
So in vs. 11 and 12, Paul is saying to men and women, neither one of you is better. Both
of you are interdependent on the other. And both ultimately come from God.
Again in Genesis.
Genesis 1:27 CSB So God created man in his own image; he created him in the
image of God; he created them male and female.
Both male and female are created in the image of God. Both have an intrinsic value
because the image of God has been planted in them. Both have great worth in God’s
sight.
And the Gospel of Christ reveals the same. Men and women alike are lifted out of
darkness into the kingdom of light. And we are lifted high, like Romans 8:15 declares, that
we all have received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of adoption by whom we all now cry to
heaven, “Abba, Father!”
So any differences in roles and responsibilities between men and women does not
diminish our sameness in worth and nature and essence.
Again, it’s like in the Godhead, the Father and the Son have very different positions, one
as the head, one in submission to the head. Yet they are one in essence and nature.
So in summary, Paul says that the differences in the created order should be evident when
you pray and prophecy as the gathered church.
11:13-16 ARGUMENT FROM NATURE
Now Paul explains himself with one more argument., now in vs. 13-16 based on what he
calls, “nature.”
Vs. 13, is it proper for a woman to pray and prophesy with her head uncovered? At a
minimum, in that culture it was not proper.
6 of 8Vs. 14-15, doesn’t even nature teach you that for a man to have long hair is a disgrace, but
that if a woman does it is a glory? At this point, we have to ask, “How does nature teach
this?” What is Paul getting at?
This is a point of some debate. If Paul literally means nature as in biology, then we might
be confused. Both men and women have hair. (Although some of us are getting less and
less each passing year.). And biologically men’s and women’s hair grows at the same rate.
So I don’t see that Paul is speaking biologically, that nature teaches us that shorter hair for
men is natural and longer hair for women is natural.
It’s likely, in my opinion, that Paul is speaking of “nature” in the sense of, “What do you
see naturally in Corinth?” If my assumption is correct, then in the Corinthian culture, men
had shorter hair and women had longer.
Vs.16
Now in our last verse, I find this to be the strongest argument that Paul views the physical
covering of the head as a cultural application of a timeless principle.
He says, “If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom.” The word
“custom” is key. The Greek word “sunetheia” here means “a pattern of behavior more or
less fixed by tradition and generally sanctioned by the society.” It means a custom or a
habit.
APPLICATION
This may seem like an unusual passage to some of us. Even foreign to our experience.
And again, there is debate as to whether this covering of heads by women in worship is a
timeless truth or if it needs cultural application. As I stated, I hold to the latter view yet I
respect the former.
But in either case, there is an unchanging principle that we can apply in our lives today.
HERE IS OUR APPLICATION:
Hold on to God’s created order for men and women in ways that
reflect God’s design.
We are to reflect headship and submission in the created order for men and women,
particularly as we pray and prophesy in the church (like here on a Sunday morning).
As we live this out, we are actually imitating the headship and submission we see in the
Godhead, between the Father and the Son. So we are being called to something
heavenly and glorious.
The Gospel of Christ that brings our salvation sets us free from the slavery and darkness
that keeps us from this glory.
So we can live out God’s order in three ways. All “D’s” to help us remember.
7 of 8First, we hold on to God’s created order for men and women in our worship with…
•Distinctiveness
We should ensure in dress, behavior, and respect that men and women look and
act distinctively from one another. Again our culture is very confused about even
the most basic questions of what is a man and what is a woman. We need to have
solid biblical convictions about this. And we need to teach our children.
Men distinctively dressing and behaving like men, and women like women– all in
ways that are culturally appropriate and God-glorifying.
Second, we hold on to God’s created order for men and women in our worship with…
•Dependence
Not independent nor domineering, but inter-dependent. I see constantly in our
culture today that men and women are fighting about who is better, men or
women. Who is smarter. Who is more capable. There is no fight to be had before
God about worth or superiority or inferiority or greatness. Paul makes his point
clear in vs. 11 and 12. Our lives are interdependent. Husbands, you must lead the
way here as you show an inter-dependence by loving and caring for your wife.
Dads, teach your children about this by your words and your example.
So we hold on to God’s created order for men and women in our worship…First with
distinctiveness. Second, with dependence.
And third, with…
•Dignity
Honor, respect, and glory for all.
Again, I think of my dad here from my story earlier. He strongly opposed me in my
disrespect towards my mom. And he consistently treated my mom with dignity.
We are all made in the image of God, so let us follow Romans 12:10
Romans 12:10 (CSB) Take the lead in honoring one another.
So if you really want to be better than someone else, here’s your chance: Honor
others more than you want to fight for your own honor. Show dignity and honor to
others, even more than they deserve. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Begin in your own families. Again, dads/husbands, lead the way. Show love and
honor to your wife. And even show dignity to your children, for they are made in
the image of God.
CONCLUSION
This section is a difficult one to interpret. And to some of us, because of bad experiences
we have had with authority in the past, the implications of headship and submission might
be unpleasant. I sympathize with that. But I want us to remember the glory here. The
respect and honor to be shown in the church and in the family is a picture of the glorious
headship and submission in the Godhead, in the Father and the Son. The beauty of the
Father’s and the Son’s perfect oneness—their relationship, their love, their leadership and
submission is truly breathtaking. Let us rejoice in our God and strive to walk in his likeness.
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