I think it is often helpful to understand things in the original culture to know how to apply them today. For instance, circumcision and meat offered to idols were major themes in the New Testament that might seem irrelevant today, but if we understand what they meant to the people at the time and why, they become much more relevant to issues we face now.Josh wrote:One wonders if one can ever accept NT scripture at face value or if it always has to get redefined through a cultural lens.
When I read 1 Cor 11, I have questions like these:Josh wrote:1 Cor. 11 is one of those things that makes sense in its own. It's not hard to understand. So why is it so popular in Christendom to ignore it or come up with complex explanations why you can ignore it?
- Is it saying that "the man is the head of every woman" or "the husband is the head of his wife"? The Greek could mean either, and it makes a big difference in the meaning of the passage.
- Is it talking about women putting their hair up as respectable Roman women did, or covering their heads with a cloth? This is not entirely clear to me either.
- What does "because of the angels" mean in this passage?
- Were both single and married women expected to cover?
- Was this a teaching applied only during a public prayer service, or was it meant to be more broadly applied?
- What was the basic meaning of the head covering to them then?
But I think it's always possible to use the same symbols they did and give them a very different meaning, and that can be a danger too. I was part of a community that taught that all women were under the authority of men and should not question or contradict a man. That played out in all kinds of nasty ways over time. And the head covering was a symbol of that teaching. I've read about a community where some men drugged and raped women - while their community taught that the head covering protected women from rape.
Ideally, I'd like a solid understanding of what Paul was saying and why, with a good answer to at least the questions I asked above. I think that would help me know how to appropriately apply the passage.