1 Timothy 2:8-15 and 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Comment:

1 TIMOTHY 2:8-15: I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire, but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet woman will be saved through bearing children [in some translations, “through the birth of the Child”] if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

COMMENT: It is, first of all, impossible to imagine Jesus agreeing with these precepts, since many of his most passionate and outspoken advocates were women. We’re told in the Gospel of John, for instance, that many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus because of the testimony of the woman Jesus addressed at the well. She didn’t keep silent; she taught men. And she’s just one example. So on the surface level, it would seem that this passage expresses one somewhat misogynistic view, and is directed at specific challenges, and probably specific people, in the church at Ephesus.

Certainly, if we use jewels, fine clothes and other outward manifestations to attempt to prove our worth, we are “missing the mark.” Our true worth and value lie in our Oneness with the creative Light and Love of God. In that spiritual truth, we are all one. If we use jewels and other finery, either to prove our own worth or to diminish others by comparison, we are creating an energy of separation and judgment that will greatly delay our spiritual progress. (And if we dress plainly and severely in order to appear more saintly than others, we are creating that same energy and the same delay.)

Jewels and fine clothing are, after all, manifestations of the creative power of God. If we enjoy and share them in that consciousness, they cannot harm us and may well help us affirm God’s abundance in our lives. Remember: if we “seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness,” then we will be free to enjoy the pleasures of life, including its jewels, as beautiful expressions of that kingdom consciousness.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:2-16:  This lengthy passage concerns men and women in church, specifically, the wearing of hats or veils. It is, I think, not only inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus, but also with other writings of Paul, especially the Letter to the Romans. Throughout his ministry, Paul insisted that, as a result of the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, we are freed from blind obedience to religious laws, including dietary restrictions and other laws imposed in the Jewish faith. And yet here he seems to be switching sides, insisting that religious forms are to be obeyed. (And aren’t Jesus and his disciples always depicted with long hair? So how can it be that “for a man to wear long hair is degrading”?

I agree with theologian Matthew Fox that “Paul had his good days, and his bad days.”  Here he is addressing a congregation in Corinth that has apparently gotten out of hand.  Corinth was a notoriously licentious city, with an “anything goes” kind of spirit that seems to be infesting the church Paul had founded there and cared deeply about. He is clearly angry and impatient with those people in Corinth who are all worked up about superficial concerns and ignoring the one important focus on the Christ Presence of God in all people. Basically he’s saying, as he often does, “Don’t make waves.” “All things are lawful,” he writes, “but not all things are helpful” (10:23). And again, “Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” (10:32). So although it is not necessary in spiritual Truth to obey man-made religious rules, it is also not necessary to make an issue of it so that others are upset. Paul believed that the Second Coming was absolutely imminent, after which all these superficial concerns would be meaningless. He just wants people to get along and stay focused in the meantime.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed