What in the world did Paul mean when he said the following in 1 Corinthians 11?
“Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 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. 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.”
It’s not easy to exegete, or to preach. But I thought my pastor David Sunday—one of the godliest, most faithful shepherd-pastor-teachers I know—did a very good job yesterday explaining these verses and their contemporary application. It’s an excellent example of shepherding through preaching and teaching.
You can listen to it or download it here.
For a fascinating argument from background research, see Bruce Winter’s Roman Wives, Roman Widows: The Appearance of New Women and the Pauline Communities (Eerdmans, 2003).
For those who use the ESV Study Bible, Frank Thielman’s notes follow Winter’s approach.
