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Hair 1 Corinthians 11:5-6 "But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head." The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, continues to ruffle some feathers with his comments about the conduct of a woman in church. The pastor who brings up the verses in church just might hear a few pistols cock. Fortunately, if you do some history research, you will see the Lord is at work in protecting His children. Corinth was a major Greek city and an important part of the Roman Empire. It was a melting pot of ethnicity and religions. The pagan temple of Aphrodite on Acrocorinth offered thousands of sacred prostitutes as part of worship. This was due in part to their worship of gods and goddesses. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Although this woman of Greek mythology was married to Hephaestus, she bore children from eight different men. It is said that she felt no remorse for her adultery since she was, in fact, the goddess of love. If you have a spiritual role model like Aphrodite, there is no morality nor guilt for immorality. Now, part of Greek tradition dictated the fact that men did not cover their head but women did. The temple prostitutes did not cover their head and also kept their hair cut short. Paul was encouraging the women to continue with the Greek tradition of covering their head and keeping their hair long. Those who did not, risked the possibility of being identified as a temple prostitute. This could have a real negative effect on a marriage if the transients were hitting on a married woman, thinking she was a prostitute. It could lead to jealousy, temptation, adultery, STD's, unwanted pregnancies, fights and even murder. There were also temple prostitutes making their way into the true church of our Lord and corrupting believers. God was indeed looking out for his children. Application in today's church: Should keeping your hair long and wearing a covering apply to the church today? Times have changed and customs have too. If a woman imitated a prostitute in any way, shape or form, she should change her style immediately. The typical prostitute that can be observed being arrested on the streets dresses in a very provocative and seductive manner. No, Christian woman should desire to dress and act in this way. We are not under a commandment to adhere to a dress code, but we must not cause a person to sin. It all comes down to some Christian common sense. Talk 1 Corinthians 14:43 "The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says."  The Delphi Oracle Right across the bay from Corinth was Delphi. In this Greek town you will still find the Delphi Oracle, the most famous of oracles. At this temple, men would come to inquire about their dreams, future, decisions, etc. They would sacrifice an animal, then hand their question to an oracle. The oracle was female priestess or prophetess would act as a mediator for a person in an effort to ascertain a response from a god. The oracle or priestess would inhale fumes from a chasm below the temple of Apollo at Delphi, get high, and babble on sometimes incoherently. (Geologists have found geological faults that run below the temple of Apollo at Delphi.) The message was interpreted by a temple priest and the usual good news was given back to the man in question. Application in today's church: The woman who was an oracle would speak out in an unfamiliar tongue and some people would think that lady lost her marbles. Paul wanted to avoid madness (1 Corinthians 14:23) and confusion (1Corinthians 14:33). To speak or not to speak, a question that isn't dumb. Should a woman lead the music in church, give her testimony, read from the Scriptures? The answer is yes.   The Delphi Oracle ResourceGranite Image Resource |
