REPEATING HISTORY: LET THE VEIL DOWN

Key verse: 

10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 

This verse is the backdrop for all we are talking about.

We are going to talk about several veils in our lives that potentially cover – or block us from Doing all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10-11

 

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

 

Paul is saying that despite all the provisions God made for the children of Israel, that they still rebelled. 

 

And even in this day, The Old Testament should inspire us.  The old covenant anticipates the new covenant.

Augustine said:   “The new is in the old contained.  The old is in the new explained.”

 

9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

 

Let your past teach your present.

Don’t put a veil over your past.

Learn from it instead.

 

Look to your past to remind you of what to do and also what NOT to do.

Paul is telling the Corinthians most emphatically, don’t fall in to the same traps as your ancestors did!  

Rather, learn from them!  And let them be a reminder that none of us are unshakeable or invincible.  We are all subject to temptation and failure. 

 

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 

 

Guard YOUR Heart!!!   – Proverbs 4:23

 

I have found in my own life that the moments I am most susceptible to temptation is :

a.  After a great victory

B.  When I am tired and weary

C.  When I am under a lot of stress.

 

But there is good news!

 

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; (Satan uses the same old tricks over and over again, but they are just disguised in different and shiny new ways.)

but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Memorize this verse,  let it be a constant reminder to you that you can, under the power of the Holy Spirit, overcome temptation.  And what you can do once, you can do again.  And if you can do it for a day, you can do it for another day.  And on and on each day until you have grown strong enough in the Lord to  where that particular thing is no longer the temptation that it once was.

 

Change the channel

Walk away

turn off the computer

Clean out your computer 

set the bottle down

Better yet, throw the bottle away

Go get some exercise or get up and do something different

Get on your knees and pray 

Call an accountability partner

Call your spouse

Do whatever you need to do to run from that temptation.

 

“You can’t stop birds from flying around your head, but you CAN stop them from making a nest in your hair.  “

 

Temptation is always knocking.  But it is your fault if you answer and let it in. 

Don’t open the door!  

 

Turn away from it!

Run from it!

The point of Paul saying all this about the Israelites  was that he was warning the Christians of Corinth that they were headed for the same kind of judgement by God if they didn’t repent.  

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 

The children of Israel fell to idolatry – the worship of a false God. 

What is idolatry? 

Charles Swindoll – “An Idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place on the throne of our lives.”

Idolatry then, would be the worship of, or the claiming of allegiance to, that particular object. 

In the days of the Corinthians, it was often times a Greek God, or a statue, or figurine that represented those Gods. 

In our day, an idol can be anything from a false God, to money, to things, to even other people. 

When we worship idols, Christ may still be in our lives, but His lordship over our lives has been replaced by someone or some other thing. 

The Corinthians believed that  there were many gods (polytheistic)

The also believed there were demons everywhere – even in the food. 

So they would offer or sacrifice the meat to their gods in order to neutralize the demons in the food. 

At the same time, Corinthian Christians believed they could go to pagan festivals and “witness”, but they were getting swept up into this whole worship of idols at the same time.  . 

So they began to revel in the same sin as the pagans. Their worship was getting all out of whack. And it was naturally causing confusion in their own souls, which, in turn, led to confusion among the whole body.  

Then they would show up to worship services, sing and praise and worship and partake in the Lord’s supper on Sunday, while at the same time living like a pagan Monday-Saturday.   

They would cling to Christ during public worship and in times of need, but ignore Christ in every other situation and on every other day.

Sound familiar?   This is prevalent in the church body today, isn’t it?

But please never forget, and this is what Paul is telling the Corinthians….

We are all liable to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. 

If you are His child, God will bring conviction into your life to make a correction.  If that doesn’t work, He will use other means.  But as his children, we cannot go on sinning without some sort of reaping of what we have sewn. 

That’s why it is so important that we repent of our sin! 

Let the veil down on your sin.  Repent. And enjoy the life-giving forgiveness or God. 

15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread  (loaf – singular). which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one breadand one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

The Lord’s supper would often be accompanied by a meal – an agape feast.  At the end of the meal, they would take communion together. 

18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

Paul was reminding them that just because you are free, doesn’t give you license to abuse your freedom. What had begun as a celebration of their freedom, had ended up in them living dangerously on the edge of falling off the cliff in a spiritual free fall into the dark depths of sin. 

But, as is the case when most people fall, they didn’t get to that edge immediately…it was a slow, step by step, little by little lowering of the guard that eventually led them there.  

Most affairs don’t just happen suddenly.  It usually begins with a flirtatious look, then a sweet little text, then an innocent meeting…and on and on.

Addictions start with just one pill, on sip, or one glance….and slowly but surely, the desire deepens into a need. 

23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…especially in light of how it affects other believers around you.  Consider who you are with.  Consider the convictions of those around you.  Consider their past, their story.    

When we abuse our liberties, we place a veil over an open and free relationship and run the risk of offending them.

1 Cor. 8:9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Here is a three part test to see if what you are doing is ok:

Skip heitzig:

applies to any area of your life. 

24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

11 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Why?   look at 10:33 – Because everything Paul did was to either:

Those 2 things were the entire motive of Paul’s ministry.  And he’s telling the Corinthians to do the same. 

Paul was worthy of imitating!

What a testimony.  Would you be able to say that to those around you?

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

Paul taught the Corinthians in 2 ways….

in practice (vs1)

in principle (vs2)

Their doctrine seems to be intact.  Their issue wasn’t one of doctrine….it was one of morality.

Confusion about what?   

Our roles and our identity.

Paul, wants the Corinthians to learn to  Live comfortably and confidently in their respective roles.

What role?  Their role as male and female. Their roles as husband and wife. Their role under the authority of Christ. Their role in society and in the building of God’s kingdom.   Their role in public worship.

3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Kephale – two meanings, used both ways in this passage.  9 times – it means “head” – physical head – literal  

but it also means “chief or authority” – figurative

Christ is subject to God

Man is subject to Christ

Woman is subject to man

He is speaking of divinely ordained authority. 

He is not talking about superiority or inferiority

He is not speaking about equality or inequality. 

He is not talking about who is smarter than who or more qualified than the other. 

but there is, in both the natural and supernatural realm , both authority and submission.

He mentions the trinity…Jesus is submissive to God the Father, although He is equal to God.

Phil 2

But without authority and submission, there would be no salvation.  Jesus submitted to the will of God the Father.

Jesus said…my Father is greater than me. 

You may have a boss.  You may be smarter than your boss.  He is not better than you.  But he/she is greater than you because of their position of authority.

   You have different roles. 

The President….is not better.  But he is greater.  In a sense that he is in a position of authority

Paul mentions this divine order not in an effort to enforce superiority, but rather to promote harmony and peace. 

This is in no way claiming one gender is better than the other.  Neither is inferior or superior to the other. 

And yet, it is the order that God put in place, and it is consistent with His pattern of establishing order throughout his creation. 

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

There was a movement at that time that men would cover their heads to pray.  It was born out this mindset that Moses covered his face when he met with God.

12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

 

But at this time, for a man to cover his head in public worship would have signified a blurring of the gender roles.

If a man prayed with his head covered, Paul would say You are dishonoring or misrepresenting your head…who is Christ. 

Remove the covering because Christ has freed you.  The veil has been taken away.

 

1 Cor. 11:5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 

 

Women in those days, always wore a head covering when they left their home. The only ones who didn’t were prostitutes. 

There were over 1,000 prostitutes in the temple of Aphrodite alone. 

Married woman wore veils to save their beauty for their husbands.

The idea: I will not be seen uncovered except in the presence of my head…my husband.  To uncover their heads would have sent a very clear message that they were no longer regarding their husbands as the head of the household.  And again, it would have been a blurring of the gender roles. 

Obviously, we live in different times than these, so some of this simply doesn’t apply to our day.  Yet we can still understand exactly what he’s talking about.

 

Illustration: Mrs. Billingsley / Mrs Sullivan

 

But there is another reason Paul is saying all this. 

There was  another Greek God that the people of Corinth worshipped.  Dionysus

The son of Zeus and his daughter Persephone..

the story goes that he dies as a young boy, only to be regenerated in the womb of a mortal princess named Semele….as a girl.

 

So Dionysus, the twice born Greek god, holds the distinction of being the only Greek God to possess a gender identity that does not align with the one originally assigned to his body.

 

The greek myth tells us, He was born a male, then lived as a girl into adulthood, and then as an adult it is said he embraced both genders and took on a bigender identity.  

So he started as a he/him, became a she/her, and then decided he was a they/them. 

To worship Dionysus gave the Corinthian people a wonderful excuse for debauchery and drunkenness because he was rhe god of fertility and wine …all viewed as an act of sacrificial worship to Dionysus.

 

But to worship Dionysus also gave the people an opportunity to experiment and even celebrate a trans lifestyle.  And so often during festivals in honor of Dionysus, men would cross dress as women, women would shave their heads and dress as men, etc.

all kinds of lewd bahavior would take place…much like what you see in these pride parades today. 

 

Archeologists have actually unearthed vases  from Corinth depicting this…women masquerading as men and men masquerading as women. 

 

And many in the Corinth church were mixing a pagan worship of Dionysius with  the Christian worship of Jesus .   They were interpreting Christian truths against their pagan background. 

 

Ancient sources tell us of how the goal of Dionysus was to transform his followers into his own image.  But the distinguishing characteristic of worshipers of Dionysus was that his worshippers challenged the traditional idea of gender identity.

 

So is it any wonder, then as to why Paul would write these things in chapter 11?   He is simply saying, look…

A huge part of your expression of worship is to function within those roles, and in the process of doing so, you won’t end up mixing paganism and the current confusion of your culture with your worship of the one true God. 

 

Men….dress and act like men are supposed to dress and act.

Women…you do the same. 

God has clearly ordained a well defined role for both genders.

I find it very interesting that the same issue that was causing confusion in the culture of Corinth, is the same issue that is causing so much confusion in the hearts and minds of so many in our society today.  

 

But God is not the author of confusion!! 

 

Satan is!

 

It is heartbreaking to see so much confusion about the most basic of issues. 

If Satan can cause you to doubt something as basic as your own gender, then he can cause confusion in your life in every area possible. 

 

If you are confused about this, I promise that confusion is not coming from God. 

But God can help you!!

 

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

 

Paul is encouraging us to Preserve and celebrate the distinction between men and women.  

God ordained this.  

 

Galatians 3:28 – reminds us that we are equal under God.

  

But we have different roles.  There is a head and a helper.  And we need both!

The term “helper” in scripture is not a term of inferiority, but of equality.   In fact, it even implies that Adam was not capable of accomplishing all God wanted to accomplish through mankind, without Eve.  We need each other!  

 

Anything with two heads is a freak, and anything with no head is dead.

There must be a head – but not two.  Two headed creatures don’t live long. 

And there must be a helper.

 

The problem is, that so many men throughout history, have abused their role as head and treated women horribly. 

Women, in this day were treated horribly. Abuse was incredibly common.  They held a position in society that was just one level above that of a slave. 

 

So there arose  a Womens liberation movement happening in that time, and often women would shave their heads in solidarity to make a statement that they were equal to men. 

So there is all this happening in the culture and it is causing confusion in the place of worship

 

10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Is this a reference to Genesis 6?

Is this a  Reference to Isaiah 6? – The prophet saw the Lord high and lifted up..and His presence filled the temple.

So Paul is saying this can’t be about us….it is all about Him. 

Or is Paul saying that when we worship, angels are present?

 

11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.

12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

We are equal under God.  But our roles are different.

13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor dothe churches of God.

What does that mean?  

It is when we glorify that which should not be glorified and don’t glorify what should be glorified. 

The Bible doesn’t place rules on how you should dress…except that you should be modest so that you are able to bring Glory to God…and not yourself. 

Christian liberty comes with Christian responsibility

God doesn’t compete for His glory.

Does what I am doing glorify God?

Does what I’m wearing Glorify God?

Does my appearance Gorify God?

You are totally free to look and dress however you please, but like all things, Don’t abuse your liberty.

Don’t let your fashion distract the family of God.

Don’t let what you wear hinder someone else’s worship

When you stand in front of that mirror on your way to church, ask yourself, does this honor God?  Would  I go to church wearing this with Jesus by my side?

Where whatever you want!  But don’t be a distraction to the worship of the family of God

the Bible never mentions coats and ties or anything of the sort.  That’s a cultural and time period issue. 

Your “Sunday best” could be multiple different types of clothing. 

Be careful of biblical interpretation with an agenda….based off of your own history or opinion.

Just because it is your personal opinion, does not make it a Biblical moral principle. 

This should not be an issue of legalism – you are not bound to certain kinds of clothing. 

Denim is not the devil’s fabric any more than wool or silk is.

You are free to wear whatever you want!  But we are not free to distract the attention of others and draw them away from the whole purpose of being here….to worship the one and only true living God. 

If we are, then you are not reflecting His glory, you are, instead, competing for it. 

Style is culturally conditioned and changes with the wind.

But style is also personally driven…everyone has there own personal style. 

But how we look on the outside says a lot about who we are on the inside, so use wisdom in how you dress for church, and how you dress in public.

Here’s my suggestion:

Don’t dress sloppy

Don’t dress sensual 

Just dress sensible 

 

If there’s doubt, don’t.   

Remember who you represent!

We Wear His Name!

 

In everything you do, do it for His glory!

 

So you see, this passage is not about Paul minimizing the role of woman and glorifying the role of man.  Rather, he is making a distinction between our roles – with the ultimate purpose being that we all worship and glorify God in everything we do, everything we say, everywhere we go, and with everyone in our midst.  All the while, ignoring the current confusions and practices of our present culture. 

 

And when we all begin to practice this lifesyle of worship, it will make our time here on Sundays the most powerful and encouraging and life changing moment of the entire week.  But it will also bring us together in unity and community  under one cause – to dwell in the presence of the Lord and bask in the wonder of his beauty and grace.  

 

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there isliberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

 

So  Let the veil down and worship Him

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The head of the man – should be uncovered because Christ is his head.  So Paul is using a metaphor reminding us that we must not hide the glory of Christ in our worship

The head of the woman – should be covered because her head is man….and worship is not about man at all.   Ah but when she gets home – in the presence of her husband – the veil comes down.   Jesus refers to himself as the husband to the church body and to the church body as the bride of Christ.  AS part of the bride of Christ, I implore you to let the veil down….and let your praises go up because you are in the presence of the husband to the church – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.