There are a lot of hot button topics within Christianity, but one that seems to really get people going is on the topic of role of women within the church.\u00a0 One of the reasons that this particular section of Scripture becomes so difficult to interpret is we must determine is Paul giving instructions to be followed by all churches in all cultures, or is this specific to the church and culture of his day.\u00a0 Depending on which commentator you read or which pastor preaches this particular section of Scripture will determine which way they lean.\u00a0 For my own personal standpoint, I believe when it comes to a head covering in public and specifically in church, Paul was dealing with a particular church in a particular culture.\u00a0 However, there is a larger issue in these verses that I believe needs to be talked about and that is the idea of submission.\u00a0 Again, this is a hot button issue but I don\u2019t believe it needs to be.\u00a0 If we allow the Word of God to speak for itself and interpret itself, then it is pretty straightforward for us.<\/p>\n
There are a series of questions to ask of this text.\u00a0 First, who is to submit?\u00a0 If we look at verse three we can see both men and women are mentioned. \u00a0If we go into another Pauline epistle, the book of Ephesians we see something similar in verse 21, \u201csubmitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.\u201d\u00a0 We can see from both of these verses that both men and women are to be submissive.\u00a0 First, they are to be submissive to God.\u00a0 Then they are to be submissive to each other.\u00a0 Sadly enough too often the idea of submission is just laid at the feet of women and it is in a demeaning way.\u00a0 However, the command is first given to men to be submissive to God.\u00a0 We as men are to set the tone for our marriage and for our family.\u00a0 For a man, as I submit myself to God then it is becomes apparent that I should sacrifice my wants and needs to fulfill my wife\u2019s.\u00a0 As I put my wife first and she sees that I lovingly and sacrificially (Eph. 5:25) do that, many times she is not going to have a problem following my leadership.\u00a0 Secondly, what does it mean to submit?\u00a0 To submit means to willfully and voluntarily place ourselves under the authority of someone else.\u00a0 Remembering that we are to submit to one another, this means that we are choosing to give control of ourselves first to God, and then to our spouse.\u00a0 Finally, why does God give men the role of leadership?\u00a0 This answer goes back to creation in which God created Adam first and then Eve.\u00a0 We must be careful to understand that this doesn\u2019t mean that women are inferior to men.\u00a0 That is not what the Bible teaches, nor is the Bible sexist. \u00a0If we continue in the creation account we see that God specifically gave Adam the instructions concerning the Garden of Eden.\u00a0 With this responsibility also comes accountability.\u00a0 If we are to look in the New Testament we see that even though it was Eve who was deceived by satan, God personally held Adam responsible.<\/p>\n
The truth about submission is that it is not meant to demean or show that one sex is superior to the other.\u00a0 We are all called to submit ourselves to God and then to each other.\u00a0 The clearest way to understand biblical roles of men and women is to say it this way; we are created in the image of God which makes us equal, yet we have separate, distinct roles.\u00a0 I realize that there are many out there who do not like this.\u00a0 However, I would say to them that after everything God created He said, \u201cand it was good.\u201d\u00a0 God set everything in its place, created it just the right way.\u00a0 Therefore, we need to realize that God\u2019s way is the right way even if we don\u2019t understand it or agree with it.\u00a0 When we violate God\u2019s order, we are inviting trouble into our life.\u00a0 It is easier for us to submit ourselves to the fact that what God has done is what is best and what is right.<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are a lot of hot button topics within Christianity, but one that seems to really get people going is on the topic of role of women within the church.\u00a0 One of the reasons that this particular section of Scripture … Read More