1 Corinthians chapter 11

vs 11

How rude of me, not doing verse 11 yesterday.

As it happens, God has made us in such a way that man and woman are co-dependent on each other.

vs 12

Paul's example for this is creation, but I don't think it's his be-all and end all. I think he is using an example to prove a rule, saying that there is a model in the method of creation. But finally, he shows that the ultimate model from creation is that all things come from God. That's man and women. So not only are they co-dependent, they are both completely dependent on God. Again, it's only an example - because humans are dependent on God for everything, not just creation.

vs 13

Here is one of the most interesting verses I've read for a while. Just try reading it (in the context of its passage) and answer the question truthfully. "Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?" After all, Paul has just asked his readership to judge for themselves. Keep doing this for the next few verses.

vs 14

No, not really. From what I've seen, women's hair and men's hair grows at the same length and about the same speed. In fact, men can also grow big long beards! So in pure volume, men could grow more hair.

vs 15

Again, I'm not seeing it. Perhaps my glory-radar is broken, but long hair isn't particularly glorious on a woman to me. I mean it's pretty, but surely that's not what Paul is talking about? Some people find large breasts pretty, should women all get boob jobs too? Ludicrous.

Well, thank you for letting me judge for myself, Paul. It has been an enlightening experience.

Now, if I were living in modern day Saudi Arabia, I might have a different opinion. Or, perhaps, if we did replace the word "hair" with "boobs" then I would heartily agree that if a man has large boobs, he's got a problem (my man boobs are a shame to me), but if a woman has large boobs, they are her glory (again, I don't mean they're pretty, I mean they are an example of her womanliness). I would also agree she should keep them covered when praying in church. But were I to live in a tribal culture, I might not feel this is a big deal. I think I've used the word "boobs" enough now.

Boobs.

vs 16

Ahh, but it seems that Paul wasn't really asking us to judge for ourselves. What he was in fact doing was asking us to come up with the same opinion that he has. He does not want contention, he wants acceptance. And as his final argument, he points out that the churches of God all do this, so if you don't, you'll be a rogue church.

Problem is that, when I look around at the "churches of God" today, I see that the Brethren are one of the few denominations that still has people who do this (and not even all these churches make it mandatory, because they know that if they did they'd lose a bunch more women. I say more because the Brethren are, overall, losing people left right and centre in the west). So now, covering your hair is the mark of a "rogue" church.

Some people might say "But the first century church did it, and we want to be like the first century church, so therefore women must cover their heads". Really? Will you hide in homes and meet at night in fear of the Romans? Will you also take two bricks and castrate your children? You know what? I'll bet that if you say that statement, you won't even have communion around a table with a meal, you bloody hypocrite! This is a stupid argument, so don't waste anyone's time with it. Vent that energy into growing the kingdom of God.

vs 17

Well, speaking of the church and it's meetings, it seems that Paul is full of scorn for Corinth. Do you really want to act like a first century church? Make sure you're not acting like Corinth!

vs 18

We've been here before. Divisions in the church are so much anathema to Paul that he harps on them, again and again and again. But also, they are probably a cause for a lot of the problems that he is hearing about. So he harps on them to stop them from happening, in the hope that this will stop the other problems as well.

vs 19

But not all divisions are wrong. When you have a church with Christians and non-Christians in it, you have to make a division. That doesn't mean dividing them into different pews or anything, it means a state of mind that says that these people are different. If anything, that is more important to churches today, which are openly welcoming to non-Christians. It means that you have to make it clear to people who just walk in that if you're talking about this great relationship you have with Jesus, you have it because you're a Christian, and that this involves making some changes in your life, a change of your status.

vs 20

Paul is saying that whatever they are doing, it's not the Lord's supper.

vs 21

It sounds more like a buffet with limited food and wine, which the people who arrive early snarf down regardless of the fact that there are more people coming. That's just greedy and thoughtless.

vs 22

This is not praiseworthy behaviour, and Paul gives a bucketload of reasons. Firstly, those who come later are usually the ones who have less. Rich people can afford to get to the thing on time, but slaves only get time off when everything is done. Furthermore, the Lord's supper is primarily about fellowship, not about food. That is not to say that eating a meal is wrong, but it is saying that gorging yourself without waiting for everyone else is.