Delilah cutting Samson’s hair as he sleeps beneath a grapevine. When he lost his hair Samson also lost his extraordinary strength and was captured by the Philistines. Read the caption on the tree: FOEMINA DIABOLO TRIBUS ASSIBUS EST/MALA PEIOR
So, you believe the Bible do you?
While I was at a Church in Virginia, a particular woman in our church who was considering divorcing her husband asked my wife and me to counsel with her. We met with her and asked her about her ‘conversion experience’ and that she explain her feelings, thoughts and circumstances surrounding her marriage.
She explained that she was a Christian and that she was not in any physical danger from her husband, but, that she could no longer stand to live with him because of his anti-Christian bias. (I had met this man, and it seemed like his life goals were to aggressively discredit Christianity. His attitude toward religion in general, was vitriolic.)
We explained, to this lady, what the Bible says about divorce. She listened, impatiently. After we had finished, she stated that she didn’t care what the Bible said on the matter, she was divorcing him.
Her marriage ended. But it did not end well for either of them.
Christians and non-believers, alike, wonder why God allows certain ‘bad things’ to happen, but never consider their own role in the circumstances.
Misunderstanding God’s design for Covering for authority, protection, provision is common, and is resisted in most families and Churches. (And then these churches and pastors wonder, “What am I doing wrong that all these bad things happen?”)
I will to give a particularly grievous example of
misunderstanding and resisting the Word of God
which causes suffering
Many, if not most Churches, fail to follow the Bible teaching of Head-ship from which flows God’s covering, authority and provision for His own. This teaching seems counter to the natural minds. Here is the example:
I. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16
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(a) But I want you to understand that
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(b) Christ is the head – of every man, and
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(c) the man is the head – of a woman, and
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(d) God is the head – of Christ.
What is the topic(s) in these verses?
“Head-ship”, from which comes “authority”, “covering” and “provision”: Strong’s concordance reveals that “the head”, carries the meanings
(1) The loss of the head destroys life,
(2) anything supreme, chief, prominent
(2a) of persons, master lord: of a husband in relation to his wife; of Christ: the Lord of the husband and of the Church.
(2c) of things: the corner stone
This establishes the Spiritual Truth about HEAD-SHIP, authority, protection and provision. The things which brings life, that which is supreme, chief and prominent; describes the order of God ordained authority for our existence, for life and for our well being; it is foundational for the Christian.
II. v4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.”
If you put anything “on your head” which becomes “supreme, chief or prominent” outside of Christ, you “disgrace the head”. Again,
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(b) Christ is the head – of every man, and
-
(c) the man is the head – of a woman, and
-
(d) God is the head – of Christ
III. v5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
v6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.
In order to understand this verse and the meaning requires we understand that a “cover” literally means to ‘hide in’, to be settled in, gentle and at peace. In this case it means “to be hidden in Christ; to be hidden in God through Christ”. Without the covering of God, prayer and prophecy is rendered impotent and becomes a reason for mockery, thereby a disgrace to God and His Word.
Secondly we must be reminded that (a) Christ is the head of every man; (b) man is the head of a woman; (c) God is the head of Christ. So, again,, any woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying is operating without the authority of God, outside the protection and the covering of God, which is also a disgrace to the woman, the man, Christ and His Church.
Finally, this woman is compared to a woman who has shaved her head. The practice of shaving a woman’s head, in and around the time of Jesus, was associated with the punishment for adultery. In fact, we find such a connection in the Old Testament.
In an academic article on the subject, Dr. Phillip Payne writes, “The article in ‘the shorn woman’ implies a recognized class of woman, probably the accused adulteress whose disgrace paralleled the symbolism of loose hair, since by it a woman places on herself the accusation of adultery.
IV. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
V. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
VI. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
VII. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. v12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.
This is the established order of Head-ship, Covering for Authority and protection.
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
VIII. 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.” (i.e., But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this; and neither do God’s other churches.)
(Excellent commentary on these verses from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-corinthians-11/ )
CONCLUSION: We suffer from ignorance of God’s Word and from disobedience to God’s Word.
It does not need to be this way.
We can gain understanding of Scriptures and then the wisdom from God which that comes from heaven which is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere, by asking Him and then by applying our understanding of what He has told us.
Scriptures say, in Ephesians 4:3 “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
(Also, a very good article by John Piper on the matter of Christian unity: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-christian-unity )
We, The Church, are to be a force and a witness of Christ in these last days. We can only be and do what God has ordained to do by understanding His Word, gaining the Wisdom from above, and through faithful obedience. PLEASE join and let’s do this together.
Your Friend and Brother
Let’s remain “In His Grip”
Mike Young
STUDY NOTES taken from Strong’s Bible concordance:
1 Corinthians 11:3 Christ <5547> is the head <2776> of every <3956> man <435>,
Head = #2776 κεφαλή kephale kef-al-ay’ from the primary kapto (in the sense of seizing); n f; TDNT- 3:673,136,429; {See TDNT 168 } {See TDNT 382 }
AV-head 76; 76
1) the head, both of men and often of animals. Since the loss of the head destroys life, this word is used in the phrases relating to capital and extreme punishment.
2) metaph. anything supreme, chief, prominent
2a) of persons, master lord: of a husband in relation to his wife
2b) of Christ: the Lord of the husband and of the Church
2c) of things: the corner stone
1 Corinthians 11:3 (cont.) man <435>, and the man <435> is the head <2776> of a woman <1135>
Man – 435 ἀνήρ aner an’-ayr a primary word cf. 444; n m; TDNT-1:360,59; {See TDNT 71 }
AV-man 156, husband 50, sir 6, fellow 1, not tr 2; 215
1) with reference to sex
1a) of a male
1b) of a husband
1c) of a betrothed or future husband
2) with reference to age, and to distinguish an adult man from a boy
3) any male
4) used generically of a group of both men and women
Woman – #1135 γυνή gune goo-nay’ probably from the base of 1096; n f; TDNT-1:776,134; {See TDNT 166 } AV-women 129, wife 92; 221
1) a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow
2) a wife
2a) of a betrothed woman
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