Egalitarians generally minimize the God-designed differences between men and women such that they become virtually interchangeable beyond physical distinctions. While there are many scriptures that resist this egalitarian impulse, 1 Corinthians —16 in particular points to a profound difference between the sexes that defies interchangeability.
Paul supports that argument with at least six reasons:. Below is my phrase diagram of 1 Corinthians — The universal principle is that brothers and sisters in Christ should greet one another affectionately in culturally appropriate ways—whether that is a warm smile with eye contact, a handshake, a fist bump, a hug, a kiss, or a bow.
Priests who were Roman men with a high social status pulled their togas over their heads when they led pagan religious ceremonies by praying or sacrificing. So, Christian men in Corinth must not adopt that syncretistic custom. It symbolized her modesty and chastity and submission to her husband.
A wife who refused to cover her head publicly disgraced her husband. A new kind of rebellious wife was emerging at this time in the Roman world. She rebelled by being sexually promiscuous which in that culture was acceptable for men but not for women , and she might indicate that by removing her veil. But this passage still universally applies in at least three ways:.
Wayne Grudem wisely reasons how to apply this passage:. Paul is concerned about head covering because it is an outward symbol of something else. But the meaning of such a symbol will vary according to how people in a given culture understand it. It would be wrong to require the same symbol today if it carried a completely different meaning. These are not just outward symbols that can vary from culture to culture, but they are the reality itself.
