March 5, 2014
HANDS AND FEET
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
Rebecca Wall
Central Truth
W.J. Toms once said, "Be careful how you live; you may be the only Bible some person ever reads." Our lives need to be so closely aligned with Christ and Scripture that nonbelievers come to know Christ just by watching us.
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 11:1
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Head Coverings
2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife 1 11:3 Greek gun. This term may refer to a woman or a wife, depending on the context is her husband, 2 11:3 Greek anr. This term may refer to a man or a husband, depending on the context and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife 3 11:5 In verses 513, the Greek word gun is translated wife in verses that deal with wearing a veil, a sign of being married in first-century culture who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 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. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 4 11:10 Or messengers, that is, people sent to observe and report 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
Footnotes
[1] 11:3 Greek gun&emacron;. This term may refer to a woman or a wife, depending on the context[2] 11:3 Greek an&emacron;r. This term may refer to a man or a husband, depending on the context
[3] 11:5 In verses 5–13, the Greek word gun&emacron; is translated wife in verses that deal with wearing a veil, a sign of being married in first-century culture
[4] 11:10 Or messengers, that is, people sent to observe and report
Dive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 11:1-16
One of my favorite books is Passion for the Heart of God by John Zumwalt. In his book, he states "As a Christian (which really means 'little Christ'), this becomes a troubling issue. When people see me, they see all they know of Christ. I am the human representative of Christ, much like an ambassador. But more than that, He lives in me, and I am His body -- His hands and His feet."
I am thankful that today we have the very words of God to read, meditate on, and share with others. When Paul was writing this letter to the church of Corinth, they didn't have the Gospels in print to reveal how to follow the life of Christ. Their only understanding of how Christ lived was by watching the lives of trustworthy Christians. Paul spent two years of his life building relationships with the people that he confidently tells to "[b]e imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (verse 1). Paul exemplified Christ to the Corinthians.
Paul was being the ambassador that Christ calls each one of us to be. The idea that God chose me to be an ambassador and human representative of Christ here on earth is extremely humbling and terrifying. However, we are sometimes the only example of Christ some people may ever see. This challenges me to make sure that I am following Christ's example in every aspect of my life. Not just at work or church, but everywhere I go. People are desperate for the hope and life that Christ gives to us so freely. Are we as believers being the hands and feet of Christ and investing in others' lives? Are our lives so aligned with Christ that they are worthy of being followed? Dwell on that thought for a minute.
In the rest of this chapter, Paul continues to identify and address areas of disunity within the church in Corinth, specifically the role of women in the church as well as their attire. I suggest you read Dr. Tom Constable's commentary on 1 Corinthians 11 at soniclight.com because he is much smarter than I am. Enjoy.
Discussion Questions
In 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV 1984) Paul writes, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."
1. Are you sharing the gospel with nonbelievers?
2. Are you sharing your life with nonbelievers and fellow believers?
3. Do you have people in your life who are discipling you on a consistent basis?