Let us continue directly from the previous post in considering covered heads in noting:
Christians always use the excuse that the above mentioned verse is some how [sic] “metaphorical” yet they take Paul’s maxim that men should pray with their heads uncovered very seriously. I assume this is generally followed because removing one’s hat isn’t particularly inconvenient. “Any man who prays or prophecies with his head covered dishonors his head_” (1 Corinthians 11:4 RSV). On the other hand, Paul’s tenet that women must keep their heads covered with a veil during prayer is quite inconvenient and, for this reason, has either been rationalized away or ignored, although it is no less binding than any other moral law in the New Testament: “_but any woman who prays or prophecies with her head unveiled dishonors her head_ For if a woman will not veil herself, then we should cut off her hair: but if it be disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her wear a veil_ Judge for yourself; is it proper for a woman to pray to God with head uncovered?” (1 Corinthians 11:5-13 RSV) The selectivity in which these verses are followed SCREAMS hypocrisy.
C. S. Lewis made a statement to the effect of; a tribal woman in a third world country who spends her life topless, exposing her breasts in public, may be more dignified, more modest, than a Victorian woman who exposes her ankles. The point of the text appears to be that breaking the cultural norms of modesty. Some references may be lost to history and some may refer, historically/culturally, to Old Testament era customs.
Note also that for some odd reason the quoted RSV implies that “if a woman will not veil herself, then we should cut off her hair” but this is not what the original language states. What is being stated is that “if a woman will not veil herself” it is as if her head were shaven.
But what did a woman’s shaven head signify? One example is found in “De Dea Syria” 6 where Lucian of Samosata notes that in devotion to Adonis “They proceed to shave their heads” and that “The women who refuse to be shaved have to submit to the following penalty, viz., to stand for the space of an entire day in readiness to expose their persons for hire. The place of hire is open to none but foreigners, and out of the proceeds of the traffic of these women a sacrifice to Aphrodite is paid” the women could either shave their heads in devotion to Adonis or work as a prostitute for a day in devotion to Aphrodite.
Via a footnote (by Herbert A. Strong and John Garstang) we learn that “A custom of similar character commonly attached itself to the worship of the Great Mother in her various forms_being regarded as an honourable devotion to her service_it was obligatory in Lydia.”
Charlotte’s last serving of beef, entitle, More Commonly Ignored Teachings,” is served along with a tirade of 22 side dishes; let us consider them:
1) “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?” (l Corinthians 11:14). How many freaked out long-haired, bible thumping Jesus freaks do you know?…One can not stop and wonder at the absurdity of this.
One can only stop and wonder at the absurdity of not knowing that in Corinth at that time it was the Gentile Pagan male temple prostitutes who wore their hair long and thus, it was shameful. Is that, in fact, what “nature itself” teaches us? Keep in mind that the greater context is Paul’s other works wherein we note that in Romans 1: 26-27 he references nature with regards to sexuality
Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.
It is also generally understood, biblically, that males should look like males and females like females. A female can wear pantsuits and look like a female.
Charlotte continues thusly,
2) Another tenet clearly prohibits women from being ministers or otherwise speaking in church (“Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak”— 1 Corinthians 14:34). It’s difficult to see how Paul could support the current movement to ordain women_even I, an ATHEIST WOMAN, has managed to get herself legally ordained.
I also am legally ordained because I sent $5 in the mail and got a certificate, what of it? Notice that the Charlotte, the “ATHEIST WOMAN,” does not bother mentioning what organization legally ordained her-I would bet that it was not a Christian church my certificate was not from a Christian church (although I have written about an atheist pastor of a “Christian” “church” here and atheists in the Unitarian Universalist “church” here).But what if a tenet prohibits women ministers? It would only support that already granted charge of hypocrisy. But what of a tenet that clearly prohibits women from speaking in church? This is another misunderstanding premised, I would suppose, on not reading the text for context.
This very, very common misconception is worth spending some time on for the very reason that while it is very, very common it is a misconception nonetheless.
As the book’s title informs us Corinthians was written to a particular people, at a particular time, in a particular place: the Christians of Corinth some 2,000 years ago. When we consider that time and place, historical / cultural context, we find a complex interactions of cultures and myths such as Gnosticism and the worship of various Greek and Roman goddesses. In that case, Paul apparently seeks to prevent the teaching of un-biblical myths and seeks to ensure that women become well informed. That it was not a universal requirement for women to be silent is made all the clearer by the fact that from the Old to the New Testaments we find women who were Prophetesses and Judges:Miriam, Huldah and others (see Exodus 15:20; 2nd Kings 22:14; 2nd Chronicles 34:22; Isaiah 8:3).In fact, Judges 4:4 tells us of “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.”Anna was a prophetess (Luke 2:36) and “Philip the evangelist_had four virgin daughters who prophesied” (Acts 21:7-9).There were women disciples, Acts 9:36 states, “And in Joppa was a certain disciple named Tabitha_this woman was full of good works.”We find Priscilla teaching right along side of her husband Aquila (Acts 18:26). Women were also encouraged (or commanded) to teach the younger women (Titus 2:3-4).
There were women deaconesses “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a deacon [diakonos: deacon, minister, servant] of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also” (Romans 16:1-2).
While Pliny the Younger (Plinius Secundus) was Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor in 112 AD he wrote to Emperor Tarjan in Epistles 10.96, referring to Christians he writes of “two female slaves, who were styled deaconesses.” This demonstrates a continued Christian practice of having women in leadership and teaching roles even if they were not “ministers” in the sense of head pastors.
Based on quite a bit of minutia, it may be that Paul was referencing those with whom he disagrees in a juxtapositional manner. For example in 1st Corinthians 6:12 Paul juxtaposes two positions:
All things are lawful for me,
but all things are not helpful.All things are lawful for me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Such appears to be the case in chapter 14 in the case of those who thought that only women should keep silent. The way this would work within the text is as may be seen by breaking it up into verses:
26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.- – -33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. – – -34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. – – -36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
Paul has been addressing the issue of disorder: each has a psalm, teaching, tongue, revelation, interpretation.
Fine, just be sure to do these things for edification.
If one, anyone-male or female-speaks in a tongue and there is no interpreter, they-male or female-are to keep silent in church.When prophesying, judge each other and take turns “all prophesy one by one” and “let the first keep silent.” Keep in mind that prophecy does not necessarily refer to telling the future, but offering encouragement-“all may be encouraged.”
Why this imposition of order? Because “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Next we find that some people offer a simple solution and say, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak_for it is shameful for women to speak in church.”Oh, really?!? “did the word of God come originally from you?”No, rather I (Paul) “write to you_the commandments of the Lord.”Therefore, keep order like I told you, take turns speaking and being silent “all” of you-both men and women.
Thus, Paul does not seem to be stating that “women keep silent in the churches” but reporting that this was presented as a solution but that it does not work since all-male or female-must worship in order.
In the next segment we will begin to parse between her side dished those related to the New Testament and those which are otherwise fallacious as a group.
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