Advanced Commentary

Texts -- 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 (NET)

Context
11:1 Be imitators of me , just as I also am of Christ .
Women’s Head Coverings
11:2 I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you . 11:3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man , and the man is the head of a woman , and God is the head of Christ . 11:4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered disgraces his head . 11:5 But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head , for it is one and the same thing as having a shaved head . 11:6 For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut off her hair . But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved , she should cover her head . 11:7 For a man should not have his head covered , since he is the image and glory of God . But the woman is the glory of the man . 11:8 For man did not come from woman , but woman from man . 11:9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman , but woman for man . 11:10 For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head , because of the angels . 11:11 In any case , in the Lord woman is not independent of man , nor is man independent of woman . 11:12 For just as woman came from man , so man comes through woman . But all things come from God . 11:13 Judge for yourselves : Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered ? 11:14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair , it is a disgrace for him , 11:15 but if a woman has long hair , it is her glory ? For her hair is given to her for a covering . 11:16 If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice , nor do the churches of God .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

more

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

1 Corinthians 11:17-34; John 15:1-18; A Repentant Heart

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 2:18 Adam's creation was not complete because he lacked a "helper"who corresponded to him. This deficiency led God to pronounce Adam's condition "not good."151God not only evaluated Adam's condition, He also rectified it.152"...
  • "Though the covenant arrangement up to this point clearly specified the need for Israel, the vassal, to appear before her Lord on stated occasions and singled out first Moses and then the priesthood as mediators in this encou...
  • "This section is introduced with the admonition You shall keep my statutes' (v. 19a) and concludes with a similar admonition, You shall keep all my statutes and all my judgments' (v. 37a), and the statement I am the LORD' (19...
  • 4:1-3 As long as Ehud lived he kept Israel faithful to God (v. 1). However after he died, God's people again turned from the Lord. In discipline God allowed the Canaanites in the North to gain strength and dominate the Israel...
  • There were female as well as male prophets in Israel (Exod. 15:20; Judg. 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Neh. 6:14; Luke 2:36) and in the early church (Acts 21:9; 1 Cor. 11:5). However there were far fewer female than male prophets, and ...
  • The emphasis in this section is Simeon's prediction of Jesus' ministry (cf. 1:67-79). He pointed out the universal extent of the salvation that Jesus would bring and the rejection that He would experience.2:22-24 Under Mosaic...
  • Luke's account stresses Jesus' linking of His self-giving with the bread and His giving Himself for the disciples specifically, instead of for the "many"generally (Matt. 24:28; Mark 14:24; cf. Jer. 31:31-34; 32:37-40). Accord...
  • In contrast to the hatred that the religious leaders manifested stands the love that Mary demonstrated toward the One she had come to believe in. Her act of sacrificial devotion is a model for all true disciples. This is the ...
  • Corinth had a long history stretching back into the Bronze Age (before 1200 B.C.).1In Paul's day it was a Roman colony and the capital of the province of Achaia. The population consisted of Roman citizens who had migrated fro...
  • A phrase in 1:2 suggests the theme of this great epistle. That phrase is "the church of God which is at Corinth."Two entities are in view in this phrase and these are the two entities with which the whole epistle deals. They ...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-9A. Salutation 1:1-3B. Thanksgiving 1:4-9II. Conditions reported to Paul 1:10-6:20A. Divisions in the church 1:10-4:211. The manifestation of the problem 1:10-172. The gospel as a contradiction to human wi...
  • The apostle Paul began this epistle as he did his others by identifying himself and a fellow worker known to the readers. Then he identified and described the recipients of the letter and greeted them with a benediction. This...
  • The warm introduction to the epistle (1:1-9) led Paul to give a strong exhortation to unity. In it he expressed his reaction to reports of serious problems in this church that had reached his ears."Because Paul primarily, and...
  • The apostle now combined the threads of his argument, which began at 1:18, and drew a preliminary conclusion. If his readers insisted on taking the natural view of their teachers and continued to form coteries of followers, t...
  • Paul concluded this first major section of the epistle (1:10-4:21) by reasserting his apostolic authority, which had led to his correcting the Corinthians' shameful conduct and carnal theology. He changed the metaphor again a...
  • Paul argued for the man's removal from the church with this analogy. It was primarily for the sake of the church that they should remove him, not for the man's sake.5:6 It was not good for the Corinthians to feel proud of the...
  • The first subject with which he dealt was marriage. He began with some general comments (vv. 1-7) and then dealt with specific situations."The transition from chapter 6 to chapter 7 illustrates the necessity Paul was under of...
  • At this point Paul moved back from specific situations to basic principles his readers needed to keep in mind when thinking about marriage (cf. vv. 1-7). He drew his illustrations in this section from circumcision and slavery...
  • This section concludes Paul's entire teaching on marriage in this chapter. However it contains problems related to the meaning of "virgin"as is clear from the three different interpretations in the NASB, the NIV, and the NEB....
  • "He [Paul] develops an airtight case based on a solid theological foundation (8:6). But then comes the alla(however' [v. 7]), and the argument moves in an entirely different direction."At issue is the nature of the community....
  • As with the issue of marriage, however, Paul granted that there are some matters connected with idolatry that are not wrong. He next gave his readers some help in making the tough choices needed in view of the amoral nature o...
  • Paul introduced the first of the two subjects he dealt with in this chapter, the Corinthian women's participation in church worship, with praise. He did not introduce the second subject this way (vv. 17, 22). As with the othe...
  • Paul proceeded with a second supporting argument to correct the Corinthians' perversion regarding women's head coverings.11:7 Men should not cover their heads in Christian worship because they are the glory of God. Whereas Pa...
  • Paul now returned to the main argument (vv. 4-6), but now he appealed to the Corinthians' own judgment and sense of propriety. He raised two more rhetorical questions. The first (v. 13b) expects a negative answer and the seco...
  • Most of the Corinthians had been following Paul's instructions regarding women's head coverings so he commended them (v. 2), but he could not approve their practice at the Lord's Supper. They needed to make some major changes...
  • Paul had been dealing with matters related to worship since 8:1. He had forbidden the Corinthians from participating in temple meals but had allowed eating marketplace meat under certain circumstances (8:1-11:1). Then he deal...
  • 12:4 Although there is only one Holy Spirit He gives many different abilities to different people. Everything in this pericope revolves around these two ideas. "Gifts"(Gr. charismata, from charismeaning "grace") are abilities...
  • The apostle next pointed out the qualities of love that make it so important. He described these in relationship to a person's character that love rules. We see them most clearly in God and in Christ but also in the life of a...
  • The apostle now began to regulate the use of tongues with interpretation, and he urged the use of discernment with prophecy."St Paul has here completed his treatment (xii.--xiv.) of pneumatika. He now gives detailed direction...
  • Paul had formerly acknowledged that women could share a word from the Lord in the church meetings (11:4-16). Now he clarified one point about their participation in this context of prophesying.14:34 The word translated "silen...
  • Paul concluded his answer to the Corinthians' question concerning spiritual gifts (chs. 12-14) and his teaching on tongues (ch. 14) with a strong call to cooperation. He zeroed in on their individualism (v. 36; cf. v. 33) and...
  • Paul turned next to show that the resurrection of Christ makes the resurrection of believers both necessary and inevitable. The consequences of this fact are as glorious as the effects of His not being raised are dismal. Thos...
  • Paul turned from Christ's career to the Christian's experience to argue ad hominemfor the resurrection.377The Corinthians' actions, and his, bordered on absurdity if the dead will not rise. This paragraph is something of a di...
  • Adams, Jay. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1980.Andrews, J. N. "May Women Speak in Meeting?"Review and Herald. January 2, 1879. Reprinted in Advent...
  • Having described the basis of Christian unity Paul next explained the means by which we can preserve it, namely with the gifts that the Spirit gives.4:7 Whereas each believer has received grace (unmerited favor and divine ena...
  • "After centuries of Christian teaching, we scarcely appreciate the revolutionary nature of Paul's views on family life set forth in this passage. Among the Jews of his day, as also among the Romans and the Greeks, women were ...
  • 3:15 In conclusion, Paul urged those who were mature among his readers to recognize that what he had said was true. He also promised that God would enlighten those who think differently about minor matters if their attitude w...
  • "In this paragraph Paul continues his instructions on prayers' begun in verse 1. But now the concern is for proper demeanor on the part of the pray-ers.' But whythese concerns, and why in this way? And why the inordinate amou...
  • A. Woman has personal equality with man as an image-bearer of God (Gen. 1:27-28; 5:1).Allowing for biological distinctives a woman has the same human nature, qualities and abilities as a man. Maleness and femaleness, though d...
  • A. Paul affirms the personal equality of man and woman in the new creation by stating that in Christ there is "neither male nor female"(Gal. 3:28).A woman obtains salvation by faith exactly as a man does (Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Pet. 1...
  • Andrews, J. N. "May Women Speak in Meeting?"Review and Herald. January 2, 1879. Reprinted in Adventist Review165:5 (February 4, 1988):17.Bailey, Mark L. "A Biblical Theology of Paul's Pastoral Epistles."in A Biblical Theology...
  • Evidently a woman claiming to be a prophetess (cf. Luke 2:36; Acts 21:9; 1 Cor. 11:5) had been influencing some in this church to join the local trade guilds without which a tradesman could not work in Thyatira. This meant pa...
  • In the context we note that God addressed well-known verse 20 to Christians."The first thing which a person mustget fixed in his mind when studying the message to the Church in Laodicea is the fact that the Spirit of God is a...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 25. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that...
Back to Commentary Page


created in 0.05 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA