On Head Covering and Gender Roles | LFC Part 22 | 1 Cor 11 | Sam Oyeyinka
Description
Learning From the Corinthians (Part 22) | 1 Cor. 10:14 –33; 11:2–16
In this sermon, Pastor Sam shows how Paul addresses two vital issues in the Corinthian church: fleeing idolatry and honoring God’s order in worship.
Idolatry is the root sin that rivals God for our devotion. In Corinth, eating food sacrificed to idols was more than a meal — it was participation in idol worship. Some believers knew the food meant nothing, but others believed it tied them back to false gods. Out of love, Paul warns: don’t do it. You cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and the table of demons. To rob God of His glory or cause a brother to stumble is to take lightly the very cross of Christ.
Paul then turns to head coverings in worship. For a man to cover his head in their cultural context was seen as dishonor, and for a woman to uncover hers was equally dishonor. While the cultural symbol was hair in the ancient world, the principle reaches deeper: God has woven order into creation. Man and woman are equal before God but distinct in role and design. To ignore these distinctions is to dishonor God’s wisdom.
The heart of it is this: the Christian life is not about fighting for our personal rights, but about laying them down for the sake of others and for the glory of God.