Heavy Metal Hair Bands

1 Corinthians 11:5, 8-12, 26-27

But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.

Doubt is the evidence of an unsaved spirit. They have a knowledge of God, according to 2 Timothy 3:5, yet deny "the power thereof." 1 Corinthians 11 describes everything from the order of creation to the Lord's supper. What do men, women, leadership, hair, and the angels have to do with each other? How does this motley collection of what sounds like heavy hair metal bands relate to the order of the Lord's supper? Paul uses hair as an outward sign of the leadership of God and man just as the ring is an outward sign of the order of marriage. He is saying to let who your leader is be visible in your life. Whoever you follow will be evident in your actions, your look, and your lifestyle. In the beginning, God made "man in his own image" as in Genesis 1:27.

For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.

Woman was taken out of man in creation. Man contains both woman and man inside of him just as woman contains both for they come from God. God is both the father and the mother to his people in Psalm 68:5. These verses expose the mark of leadership. The woman should have a mark of leadership because of the order of the angels. If you are not under God's leadership, you are under the enemy's or under your own. In this condition, Satan can use you to his own devices in 2 Corinthians 2:11. The mark of leadership or authority is not always external. Paul speaks of the circumcision of the heart recorded in Romans 2:29. Whatever is in the heart comes out through the mouth, the life, and the actions in Matthew 15:18. This is like putting poison in the water then trying to blame the source. The second part of this speaks of the angels. What happened to the angels? The most beautiful of them rebelled against Christ's authority and took half of heaven with him in Revelation 12:4. The Scripture makes it clear that these did not retain "their first estate" in Jude 1:6. Their order, their authority, and their position were given up in their decision to rebel against the Father. Acts 5:29 states, "we must obey god rather than" man. Make sure your source of authority and teaching is of God.

Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

These verses also bear out the order in creation. The "threefold cord is not" easily broken in Ecclesiastes 4:12. Man, woman, and God are together in the created marriage order. If one falls, the other two will hold him up. These verses show what happens when things occur to the man, woman, and the created authority. Paul is not saying if your heart breaks, your hair is cut, or your ring is taken or falls off that you are not under the authority of God or man. He is not saying that it is a sin or shameful; he says this is not how God created that to be. Choose to be under the authority of Christ under God and he will take care of the external circumstances. Contention in the body of Christ is not a mark of his leadership.

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

From there, we move on to the relationship with the Lord and his supper. See, the body of Christ was broken for us "on the night he was betrayed" and given out to those he did not know would follow the betrayer. Notice the celebration of his death. We do not celebrate the resurrection or his return but rather his death. So we too take the cup and the bread to be broken as the Father was. His death was a dying to self, his plans, and his life. This is not about the power or authority of the hand of God on our lives but about the death of ourselves. Our identity and example is found in Christ. As the servant is not above the master, in Matthew 10:24, so we are not above the example of our creator Christ. We can expect the same treatment he endured. If I go into work tomorrow, throw my patients in the floor, tip the med cart, and make the patients eat dirt, these are fireable offenses.

So seriously God takes the life of his Son. How are you going to come into the Lord's supper with your own agenda and tell him your life is more important than his, the one whom you came to remember. When you disrespect the Father and the Son he reserves the right to take you out. How are you going to enter the Master's house and disrespect him and the rest of the people in the house? He will not only take out the trash but also be within his right for you are in Christ. This means you are Christ's once you come to him. So if you need a little ownership in your life, try Jesus. He is the most possessive man I know. Having no discernment means you did not listen to what you were told. Not only did you not listen, you also did not do it and made others do the same. So he will judge you just as he did the angels and the unsaved.