The Woman’s Place In The Church
1. 1 Timothy 2:9-15
Verses 9-10 Proper dress
Verses 11-12 To be is silence in the churches
-Women are not to teach the men.
-Women are not to be in any position of authority over men.
Verses 13-15 The reasons for the woman’s position of subjection.
-Adam was given the place of authority and dominion before Eve was made.
-Eve (woman) was deceived and in the transgression.
-Because of her sin she was placed in a position of subjection. (Gen. 3:16)
Verses 34-35 This passage is in the context of prophesying and speaking in tongues.
-Most churches that claim to have these gifts, violate the woman’s place.
Verses 36-38 Paul anticipates that he would be challenged on this point.
-He answers with the true test of spirituality, that is, the ability to know the Lord’s commands.
Verses 1-3 Divine order of headship.
-Headship is not an issue of superiority, but of position and responsibility.
-Christ and God the Father are co-equal, but different in function.
-Christ was willingly subject to the Father to accomplish redemption for His people.
-Yet He is just as much God as the Father is God.
-So likewise is the woman’s role in the church.
-She is equal with the man in essence and in her being.
-But she has a different place function and a different role in the church than man.
Verse 4 A man is not to worship with his head covered.
-Is this speaking of the man’s hair? No, but an artificial covering.
-Man in that day and time didn’t shave their heads, unless for a special vow to God.
Verses 5-6 In the same respect, a woman is to worship with the head covered.
-Her head is not her husband only, but rather the men leadership in general. (verse 5)
-The covering spoken of here is not the hair. Verse 6 makes this plain.
-If this is speaking of the hair, then we could read verse 6 as follows:
“if the woman has no hair for a cover, then let her be shaven.”
-Now that is ridiculous, is it not?
Verses 7-9 The reason man is not to cover his head.
-He was created in the image and glory of God.
-Man is the head of the woman by God’s purpose and design in creation.
-Man was created first, and the woman was made from the man.
-The woman was created for the man to be a help meat (or suitable) for him.
-Again, this is not speaking of importance, but of position and role of authority.
Verse 10 Women to have power on their heads.
-“Power” means a veil and covering, which is a symbol of authority as well as subjection.
-Because of the angels.
-Good angels are meant, who attend the worship services, who also veil themselves before God.
-The good angels no nothing of insubordination, and they expect mankind to do likewise.
Verses 11-12 Equality of the sexes.
Verses 13-15 The argument of nature.
-It is ridiculous to think that Paul is speaking about natural covering of hair to be head covering.
-Rather he is proving the artificial covering by using the example of nature.
Verse 16 No custom of being contentious.
Some
proofs of the artificial head covering:
1. The head covering was practiced in Israel during the Old Testament.
2. The head covering was practiced before the law.
3. The head covering was practiced in all New Testament churches.
4. The head covering was once practiced in all kinds of churches, Baptist and Protestants.
5. The head covering is still practiced in most sound Baptist churches today.
6. All old movie portrayals of church services show the women covered with hats or veils.
7. Most of the older commentators, who know more than us, taught an artificial covering.
8. The artificial head covering is the true teaching of the text according most Bible scholars.
9. The head covering is important or the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have used 16 verses to explain it.
10. Its purpose is to show the divine order of headship in the worship services.
11. No contentions are acceptable to the Lord on this matter. These are simply rebellion!
Some
objections answered.
1. I know women who wear the head covering who are not in subjection to their husbands.
Answer: People who are baptized may not live up to their professions; should we quit baptizing converts because of what others fail to do? Because a command is disobeyed or wrongfully practiced, doesn’t disannul the command or our responsibility to keep it.
2. The hair is meant as the covering.
Answer: This is plainly not the teaching of the passage in 1 Corinthians.
3. This was just Paul’s teaching, whom we know didn’t like women.
Answer: This is a ridiculous statement, for we know that all Scripture is given by divine inspiration.
4. The head covering was only for that day and time, because of their traditions.
Answer: That tradition had been in affect for approximately 2500 to 4000 years before the New Testament was written, why should it change in our times. The fact is, the Word of God is eternal and stands forever. Using this kind of reasoning would lead us to through out the whole Bible, like some have done today. Additionally, we see this “tradition” predominantly followed well into the 20th century.
Conclusion:
-Baptist woman should follow and obey the teachings of the Scriptures; that is the Baptist way.
-That is not only the Baptist way, but that is the Bible believing Christian way!
-Baptist women should not follow after liberal modernistic teachings that are prevailing today.
-Modern society teaches our women to throw out traditional modest dress, and replace it with unisex and seductive dress. But is this pleasing to God?
-Modernism teaches women to dishonor and disobey their husbands. But is this pleasing to God?
-Modernistic women would laugh at the head covering, and what it symbolizes.
-But who are we to please; modern society which hates God and His Word, or should we rather strive to please God to whom we shall all give an account?
May God help each one to live for the Lord and obey Him and not Satan and this perverse ungodly world.