The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 374

Vers. 1-16.-Decency in pnblic worship. When we appear before God we should 0~1s,m·c the greatest pruprie~y.. Ei:--ternal_s should not be lost sight of, for they are s1g11ificant. Often they are rnd1cat1ve of mward condition. The apostle had occasion to blame the women of Corinth for laying aside the veil-the mark of mouesty and subjection-in public assemblies. On the ground of the abolition of distinction of sex in Christ, th~y claime_d equality in every respect ,vith men, >lnd the right to appear and act as men did. \Vhtlst women, they would be as men. Equality as believers they had a right to claim, but they forgot their "subjection in point of order, modesty, and seemliness." When women leave their proper sphere, it is never to rise, but to fall. Men-women are failures. In the apostle's argument valuable truths artl enunciated. . I. HE i_->EFIXES MAN'S 1:osrTION. 1. Man is the head of the woman. (Ver. 3.) \Voman 1s subordrnate to man, 1s largely dependent upon him. He is her natural guide defender, supporter. Authority lies with him, not with her. "I suffer not a woma~ to . . . usurp authority over the man . . . for Adam was first formed then Eve" (1 Tim. ii. 12, 13). w·oman is the" weaker vessel " (1 Pet. iii. 7). She is t~ be "in sub- jection" (eh. xiv. 34). This is after the Divine-order, and any subversal of it is sure to lead to injurious results. 2. The head of rnan is Christ. (Ver. 3.) Man is not a monarch; he is subordinate to the God-Man as his Head. Man can only act aright as head of the woman when he recognizes Christ as his Head. The apostle does not mean to intimate that Christ is not the Head of the woman as of the man. He is pointing out the order in the Divine economy, and "by the term 'head 'he expresses the next immediate relation sustained." Man is subordinate to Christ; woman is subordinate, though not in the same sense, to man as well as to Christ. To further illustrate the Divine order, the apostle states that: 3. Tile head of Christ is God. That is, of Christ the God-Man. There is nothiug here which conflicts with the doctrine of the divinity of Christ or of the equality of the Son with the Father. Rather is there here additional evidence of the former, since the distinction between the position of man and woman obtains where there is identity of nature. Christ is here spoken of as he assumerl "the form of a servant." Christ in his mediatorial capacity is lower th:i.n the Father (John xiv. 28). 4. Man is the Image and Glory of God. (Ver. 7.) Man was made in the likeness of God (Gen. i. 26). How great is the dignity of human nature! But how that dignity is lost when God is blotted out of a man! How eagerly should fallen creatures seek recovery, that the blurred image may he restored to its original beauty, and the impaired glory made once more lustrous! Through the Son of man, the ideal Man-declared to be " t.he brightness of his glory and the express image of his person "-this may be effected. '!'he apostle docs not intend to con"ey that woman is not in many respects the image and glory of God, but that man is this "first and directly, woman snbsequently and indirectly." Man represents the authority uf God; he is tile ruler, the head. II. HE DEFINES WOMAN'S POSITION. 1. She is snbject to man as her head. She spran~ from him (ver. 8). She was created for him (ver. 9). Still, there is mutual dependence: "Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man" (ver. 11). "In the Lord "-this is of Divine appointment. And man and woman constitute complete humanity-one supplying what the other lacks; and thus forming in Christ "the Bride," the Church redeemed by his blood. And further, although at 1irst woman sprann from man, now the man is of the woman (vcr. 12). But "all things are of God "-mm7 and woman. Man has a real but qualified supremacy; so qualified as to save "·oman from any humiliation, and to allow her a position of peculiar dignity and beauty. 2. She is the glory of the man. (Ver. 7.) Woman is not directly the glory of God; she cioes not directly represent God as the head of creation-sl-.e rather 111 man's representative, as man is God'~. She is the glor_y of man directly, of Goll indirectly. Man is the sun, woman the moon (Gen. xxxvn. 9). III. HIS C0?-'CLU6IOKS AS TO PllOPllmTY OF DRESS IN PUBLIC WORSHIP. 1. That man shoul,d not have Ids head covered. The covering woi;ld indicate subjection, which, in relation to those joinirw with man in puulic worship, was not man's true condition. There he appeared as "file image and u\ory of God," representing the Divine headship, and to assume the badge of suhjcetion °;vould be to "dishonour his head." This may mean to dishonour bis own head by placing upon it something unsuitable, or to dishonour Christ, the Head of man, who has placed man in his position of honom. Wo ,cH. xr. 1-34.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 370