Sunday

[bpr]

A day of rest. Whereby I wake up at 7am and then don't stop moving until 10pm. To start the (real) day, I joined other members of 20CF for church service at Mars Hill. After two 'contemporary' songs played by a "jazz / funk" worship band, it was on to the sermon. Sermon Download Five minutes into the sermon, we realized two things: a) it was

Comments

[lhynard]

I've never entirely been convinced that this passage is about men and women as opposed to husbands and wives. the Greek words are the same.

[bpr]

You are certainly correct on the meaning of the word, and the sermon made note of this problem, though I am inclined to follow most translations in the use of "man" instead of "husband" in this passage.

[lhynard]

Why so?

And if this is the case, what do you say about such cases as working for a female employer as a man, etc.

(just curious)

[bpr]

To your first, if we read "the head of every husband is Christ", who is my head? Maybe this is why the ESV reads, "3But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife[a] is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." Still this might only satisfy the first verse.

To your second, "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes,; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour." (Rom 13:7)

[lhynard]

Well, the way the ESV reads it is exactly how I understand it. There were no distinct words for husband and wife because a virgin/maiden was unmarried and still at home and an adult woman was married or widowed. The inclusion of her man makes it very clear that it is not just any man but her husband whom she is under. However, with the Christ, all men -- married and single alike -- are under Him.

It is my feeling that an unmarried single woman in today's world, no longer under the headship of her father or a husband should consider herself under the Christ's headship directly just as if she were a man. Such a woman almost did not exist in the days that these passages were written.

Rom. 13:7 is an excellent response to my question. But in an ideal world, do you think a woman should ever have authority over a man? Or more personally, as a Christian, would you consider voting for a woman president?

[bpr]

I will need to read the Greek to know whether there is a possessive in this verse. The NIV reads "the head of the woman is man", so whether the possessive was a translator's adjustment or something implied in the Greek.

I think the main question is what authority are unmarried men and women under? When is parental authority replaced?

In an ideal world, everyone would need no authority over us but Christ and under this authority we would do everything according to the Father's perfect will. But as sinners, we pick up some pragmatism in how we live in this world. Only the position of pastor seems denied to women.

[lhynard]

Ah, yeah, the Greek text doesn't have the "her"; instead it says, "...but the head of a woman is the man." Hmmm....