1 Corinthians 11:1-16

The chapter begins as a connection to the last paragraph.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

(v1, ESV)

Unfortunately, I find sometimes we hold others we respect in high regard. However, since we are all human and all sinful, eventually that person lets us down. Since they are in such a high place in our view, it's that much worse when they fall. However, it's not wrong to imitate others. Sometimes other people have qualities that we admire. With that in mind, it's not wrong to look to that person and those qualities and attempt to imitate them. That is of course first if their admirable quality is Godly. More importantly, it's even better if they are imitating Christ. Of course we are all to imitate Christ. However, it's not wrong to have intermediate steps or goals all in the process of imitating Christ.

The rest of this section and paragraph speaks about men and women and how men are the head just as God is the head of Christ. Apparently, men are supposed to uncover their heads when they pray or prophesy (v4). However, women are supposed to have their heads covered when they pray or prophesy (v5). Apparently it was customary for Jewish men to have their heads covered, so this is a bit different from what they're used to. But the reasoning for this is explained in verse 7.

For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.

(v7, ESV)

We men are the image and glory of God. God is the head of Christ and is not subjecting himself to anyone. We men should similarly keep our head uncovered as Paul instructs. Paul continues on to describe how women should keep their head covered. This ties with how the "head of a wife is her husband" (v3, ESV). Apparently, women are supposed to shave their head or cut their head short if they will not cover their head. The explanation Paul gives begins with how a woman with an uncovered head is as if she had a shaved head (v5). If her head's uncovered, she should cut it short, but that's disgraceful, so she should keep it covered (v6). The reasoning for the head covering comes from talking about respects between men and women.

For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

(v8-9, ESV)

This goes back to creation and how the Eve was made as a helper for Adam. In addition, Eve was created from the rib taken from Adam. In the same way that the angels are subject to God, women are supposed to be subject to men or something like that (v10). The logical reasoning for uncovered head follows in verses 14 and 15. Long hair on a woman is her glory. However, as mentioned back in verse 7, "he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man."

I guess in my attempt to explain how I see it as a whole, if women were to uncover their head, they are displaying their glory for all to see. However, they are subject to men, so they shouldn't show of their glory with their head uncovered and "show up" the men in a sense. If they were doing that, they wouldn't be properly submitting respecting the order God made. The order is that man came first, then the woman came as a helper for the man. In the same way, men should realize that they are "the image and glory of God" (v7, ESV)

Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

(v11-12, ESV)

Though women are supposed to submit to men, there is a partnership involved. Taking another step back, "All things are from God" (v12, ESV). Even if the woman is supposed to submit to the man, everything is under God even if the man is the head in that sense.

Anyway, all this reminding me about marriage and the roles we have. But even beyond that, there are signs of these same principles even outside the bounds of marriage. May I continue to live in such a way that I remember and show that I am "the image and glory of God" (v7, ESV).