1 Corinthians 11:11 KJV
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
We are so prone to extremism that men and women have read this passage and swung to
The extreme of materialism
In this case, the only parts of the chapter that apply are those having to do with hair and coverings. Hats and bonnets and the length of the hair become an obsession. There are spiritual lessons to be learned and I believe the message of the text ought still to be practiced, but the extremist sees only the practice and minimizes at best the lessons.
The extreme of elitism
Here the concept of rank and status are elevated to extremes. The woman becomes little more than a pet or work mule. She is not allowed to express her ideas. She is to keep silence around men. She is the property of her father until she becomes the property of her husband.
I am not denying that the Bible places each sex in a definite role within the marriage. The husband has an office as does the wife. Marriage works very well whenever those roles and offices are understood and kept. Marriage becomes a nightmare whenever they are not. But office and role have nothing to do with stature and worth. I have witnessed some husbands who have taken their roles to unbiblical and abusive extremes. I have seen some women who have crippled themselves by not developing a sense of worth in this world.
Paul recognized this tendency toward extremism and answered it in verse eleven. Neither the man nor the woman is anything without the other. Both are of equal worth and status in the Lord. The man should not tread upon to woman and neither should the woman disparage the man. In Christ, both have equal standing and each office has equal value.
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
We are so prone to extremism that men and women have read this passage and swung to
The extreme of materialism
In this case, the only parts of the chapter that apply are those having to do with hair and coverings. Hats and bonnets and the length of the hair become an obsession. There are spiritual lessons to be learned and I believe the message of the text ought still to be practiced, but the extremist sees only the practice and minimizes at best the lessons.
The extreme of elitism
Here the concept of rank and status are elevated to extremes. The woman becomes little more than a pet or work mule. She is not allowed to express her ideas. She is to keep silence around men. She is the property of her father until she becomes the property of her husband.
I am not denying that the Bible places each sex in a definite role within the marriage. The husband has an office as does the wife. Marriage works very well whenever those roles and offices are understood and kept. Marriage becomes a nightmare whenever they are not. But office and role have nothing to do with stature and worth. I have witnessed some husbands who have taken their roles to unbiblical and abusive extremes. I have seen some women who have crippled themselves by not developing a sense of worth in this world.
Paul recognized this tendency toward extremism and answered it in verse eleven. Neither the man nor the woman is anything without the other. Both are of equal worth and status in the Lord. The man should not tread upon to woman and neither should the woman disparage the man. In Christ, both have equal standing and each office has equal value.
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