READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l Today’s sermon looks at the first 2 of 3 issues in corporate worship – 1) head covering, 2) holy communion, 3) use of spiritual gifts. Use of spiritual gifts will be covered in later sermons.
Head Covering (V2-16)
With newfound freedom in Christ, women were praying and prophesying in the Corinthian church (acceptable practice, Acts 2:18). Divisions arose over whether a woman could do so without covering her head and why only the men’s heads should not be covered in worship settings. Cultural differences in social norms for appropriate dressing have crept into the church. Scholars are divided on all the nuances on head covering but there is general consensus that there were clearly sexual and/or religious implications of appearance serious enough to prompt Paul to address these issues using the Genesis account:
1) Man (humanity) is the image and glory of God. Our role is to bring glory to God.
2) Woman was created from Man (as dependent helper). There is a created order and harmony that Woman is created from Man. Woman complements Man’s role to rule Creation.
3) Equal rights but different roles of Man and Woman. Both are from God and for God’s glory. This affirms the definition of marriage.
4) Order of distinct gender roles and identity matters to God – blurring/breaking this creates disorder.
Woman uncovering head in worship setting goes against this order and is even associated with prostitution in some pagan cultures.
Today we do not cover our heads but maybe other parts of our bodies. We need to judge for ourselves whether it is proper or in what areas we can do better to honour God, e.g. respect for one another, appropriate dressing, speak the truth in love, use of mobile devices, show empathy and courtesy.
Holy Communion (V17-34)
The early church comprised house churches where the more affluent Christians often host gatherings over a meal. Meals are part of worship. Such meals are called love feasts where wine and food are served before they celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The meals served are a mark of Christian unity when people eat and drink together. However, over time the meals became private dining for some who ate and drank so much that nothing much was left for the lower strata in society.
Today we do not eat full meals and no wine is served at Holy Communion. However, do we look out for others who do not have enough to eat?
Paul’s exhortation:
1) Christ’s body was broken to unite the body of Christ (Church). We remember Christ who gave up His life and rights for us whenever we eat and drink.
2) Christians are transformed by Christ’s Holy Love.
Our behaviour and conduct are our witness to everyone.
3) Holy Communion reminds us to show Christ’s Holy Love to others.
Our love and action should bring about unity. We should not pursue our personal right and break church unity. Those who eat and drink in an unworthy manner are guilty of sinning against God even though we come as sinners to receive His grace and mercy. Paul warned that if we are not discerning, practice of selfish love leads to death, not life in God. Bible scholar Gordon Fee opined that Paul is stepping into prophetic role when he links present illness with behaviour of those who do not recognise the body of Christ at Holy Communion (V29,30).
4) All are equal before God regardless of earthly status.
Christ died for all!
Christian conduct in honouring one another toward Christian unity (gender roles in church, society and worship settings) is testimony of Christian love that honours God.
May we live in such a way that Jesus would have no cause to say to anyone “this is my body, broken by you” ( UMH 564).
(Sermon notes by Woo Choi Yin)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Setting the context first – Read 1 Cor 10:23-24 then 1 Cor 10:31-11:1. Reflect on a thought on what the context is (wrt to church community). Then read 1 Cor 11:2-16. In light of the context – what seems to be the problem Paul is trying to address? (hint – v6-7, 13). What do you think led to this problem? (think 1 Cor 10:23)
- (Difficult Q) Paul seemed to use creation “order” as reference in v3,8-9,11-16 to justify his case. What do you think Paul is driving at? (Hint – v13) What are challenging statements made by Paul? Why does it make us uncomfortable? Do you think Paul / Bible is gender bias (or sexist?) or is it an issue specific to culture?
- Head covering was an issue that was serious enough to divide the church, but at the heart of it a balance between honouring God and one another in corporate worship vs individual freedom. What would be modern day issues – where a personal preference isn’t biblical wrong, but not appropriate for corporate worship? (eg: dressing? Behaviour? Conduct?)
- Read 1 Cor 11:17-34. What seemed to be the problem? (v20-22). What seemed to have led to this?
- (Difficult Q) V27-28 – What does eating & drinking the cup of the Lord in an “unworthy manner” look like? Why does Paul say it is drinking judgement upon themselves? What is this judgement? How do we examine ourselves before? Does this make us fearful of the Holy Communion? (v32 may be helpful)
- Jesus was broken for us so that we are whole (united) as one body in Christ. Having private/exclusive/class treatment in corporate worship setting where Holy Communion is celebrated breaks corporate unity. How is “classism” existing in our church today? What do you think Paul would say about our church today about how we conduct our services? What can we do as a church to be uniting to “v22 – those who have nothing” instead of humiliating them?
- A Central theme of 1 Cor 11 – is how we honour God by honouring others in church & corporate worship. Paul is very concerned about a divided church in a multi-religious setting. Paul uses proper order with God, order with one another (male/female) in our personal and public conduct as model examples & witnesses to others how “Real Church” community ought to be (and not to be). What are some personal reflections/convictions/challenges after reading this chapter about how we ought to live & conduct our lives in homes, communities & also church services?
