1 Corinthians 11:7-16
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God...
Paul specifically mentioned the relationship between man and woman. Although man was first created, the order does not mean importance or status. God created the animals before He created man. Hence, the order does not imply superiority. In addition, some people say that the woman came out of the man, but in fact, man are born from woman. So the question of who we came from does not define importance or status.
When God created man and woman, God's intention is for them to be equal. The woman was formed from the man's rib. A very interesting thing is, God did not make woman from bones in the man's head, which could imply that the woman is above the man. Neither did God make woman from bones in the man's feet, as if the woman was to be stepped on by the man. God used the man's rib to form the woman. The rib is the most intimate place, so when Adam saw Eve, his first reaction was, "This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh." When God created Adam and Eve, the relationship between male and female is very close. There is no order of priority or difference in status, the two are one.
God created man and woman as equal in status, and intended to manifest Himself perfectly through their complementary relationship. Yet the Bible talks about the man being the head. This does not mean that God wanted man to be a tyrant over the woman, but it is specifically referring to the man being the spiritual head. In spiritual things, men need to lead the family to turn to God. The woman can preach, and can also pray. However, in the Bible a woman should have her head covered when she prays or preaches. Having the head covered represents submission to authority. At home, the woman needs to submit to her husband, and in church, the woman needs to submit to church authority. A woman can preach freely and pray freely under the proper authority. God has never restricted a woman. He created man and woman to complement each other in their differences, so that His glory may be best manifested through the relationship between the man and the woman. May the Lord help us to be complete before Him.
Lord, we thank you and pray once again that you will teach us your will with respect to man and woman. Help us to know that we should not treat each other with contempt, but rather complement each other in Christ so that we may bring glory to the Lord's holy name. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!
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