The Role of Women in the Church (part 2): Head Coverings, Headship, and Submission

 Dr. Will Ryan and Pastor Matt continue the series on women in ministry.    

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 

Ephesians 5   

Head in 1 Cor 11:3 

• Christ is the head of man- meaning Jesus is both the creator and the 2nd Adam. He is the source of the man’s life in the familial sense and as creator. 

• Man is the head of the woman- meaning source. Woman came from man. Paul in verse 12 levels the field by saying every man since Adam has come from a woman. 

• Head of Christ is God- The messiah came from God to us (the incarnation). The source of Jesus is in the Godhead. This is not about God creating Jesus or about subordination within the God head (this thought was condemned as a heresy (Arianism) by the early church- Eternal Subordination of the Son [ESS])  

• “Head” is about source (provision/savior) and not authority. It is a metaphor.  

• Paul is concerned about modesty and equality in the church.  

• He doesn’t want their beauty of women to distract from the worship or the honor of God.  

• Paul wants men to act like men but also be separate from the world.  

• Head coverings are cultural, and Paul was using it as an equalizing factor in the church. In our culture what can we do to create equality in the church?