April 29, 2012 – Corinthians: Being the Church
Men, Women and Worship
I Corinthians 11:2-16 · Pastor Paul Hahn
Sermon Questions for Reflection
- There is one God, eternally existing in three persons – the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory
(Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 6). Scripture presents clearly this equality in value and honor
among the members of the Trinity (I John 5:7; Matthew 28:16-20; Hebrews 1:1-4). And yet, Scripture also
teaches, as in this passage (v.3), the subordination of the Son to the Father’s headship in the economy of
the Trinity, that is, in the way the Trinity carries out its business. Read v.3 aloud. How do both Jesus’
equality of worth with the Father and his submission to the Father’s will within the Trinitarian relationship
speak to the value and submission of men and women in the marriage relationship? Of the value and
submission of Christ and believers in the life of the church?
- Interestingly, the differences between men and women in worship described here in I Corinthians 11 are
not about what men can do that women cannot do, or vice versa. Men and women here are expected to be
doing the same things in worship (praying, prophesying). What do you think about this? If we accept the
restrictions elsewhere in Scripture on women not serving as pastors/elders (I Timothy 2:8-3:7) or speaking
authoritatively (I Corinthians 14:34-35), then what do you think about the idea that women should be able to
do any task in worship that non-ordained men can do in worship?
- Paul assumes that men and women will be doing the same actions in worship, but wearing different hair
while they do it, if they are in fact following the apostolic practices. Why was it important for men, in the
context of first century Corinth, to keep their heads uncovered while worshiping the one true God? For
women to keep their heads covered while praying to Him?
- Why don’t women wear head-coverings at Redeemer? Why don’t we encourage a certain length of hair
for both men and women as they come to worship? How should men keep their heads uncovered in
worship today? How should women keep their heads covered in worship?
- How can women dishonor, distract, or hinder men (their husbands or others) in their worship? How can a
lack of modesty and purity in a woman's appearance be a real problem in worship? How can men dishonor,
distract, or hinder women (their wives or others) in their worship? How can men worship just like the
unbelievers around us do, in ways that discourage and demoralize the women in our lives?
- Remember that worship is heavenly life breaking into earthly life; it is the experience of new heavens and
new earth before the end of time, before we receive our resurrection bodies in a resurrection world, face to
face with our Risen Lord. It seems that gender – maleness and femaleness – and the interaction between
the sexes as joint image bearers of God will be an important part of that new world, since Paul is quite
concerned about it in our worship. God’s creation needs humans to be fully, gloriously and truly human,
which means fully and truly male and female. This, and of course much else besides, is to be glimpsed
in worship. …The marks of difference between the sexes should not be set aside in worship. (NT Wright)
How can our worship be a window of clarity onto these realities of gender – not blurring them, but making
them clearer and bringing them into focus?
Redeemer Church of Knoxville