Why It Matters

The sermon "Why It Matters" by Jeffrey Johnson examines the biblical directives regarding women wearing head coverings during worship, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Johnson begins by linking his sermon to the story of Jonah and his own avoidance of difficult biblical passages, humorously referring to "3 Corinthians" before diving into the actual text.

He outlines the context of Paul's instructions in Corinth, where cultural norms demanded that married women wear veils or head coverings to signify their marital status and purity. Johnson interprets this as not merely a preference for long hair as a covering, but as a fabric covering used to indicate a woman's submission to her husband, paralleling this to the veils worn on wedding days in Roman culture.

Johnson argues that Paul's insistence on head coverings is rooted in a broader theological framework that includes the order of authority (Christ over man, man over woman), the creation order (man was created first), and the need for clear, visible symbols of this order within the church. He suggests that these practices were meant to communicate important truths about God's design for authority and submission within the family and the church.

The sermon also addresses contemporary issues, questioning whether the church has drifted from biblical teachings by comparing the debate over women pastors in modern times to the first-century context of Paul's letter. Johnson challenges listeners to consider the implications of dismissing such practices as outdated or legalistic, emphasizing the need for obedience to scripture rather than cultural conformity.

Johnson concludes by encouraging a thoughtful, scriptural examination of the role of appearances, customs, and authority structures in worship and daily life, urging a commitment to uphold these principles even if they seem counter-cultural or controversial today. He leaves open the possibility that while the specific practice of wearing head coverings may not be mandated for all times, the underlying principles of authority, submission, and visible symbols of these truths remain relevant.

Transcript

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How Jonah when he didn't want to give a message he fled to Tarshish. Last week I fled to 2 Corinthians. This morning I want you to turn to 3 Corinthians. Now we will go to 1 Corinthians 11 verses 2-16. Now I commend you because you remember me and everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ and the head of a wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head then she should cut her hair short, but since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut her hair or shave her head let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman for man, neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless in the Lord women is not independent of man and man of woman. For a woman was made for man, so man is now born of woman. All things are from God. Judge for yourself. Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that a man wears long hair, it is a disgrace for him? But if a woman has long hair it is her glory. For her hair is given to her for covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious we have no such practice nor do the churches of God. Now regardless of your position on head coverings we can ask ourselves this question. If you were in the first century why is this such a big deal? Why is Paul making such a big deal over an article of clothing? Is he being legalistic? I think he would be charged with legalism today. To say you need to be wearing your head covering. Some take this text and say the head covering is hair. We see that in verse 15 that God has given hair to the woman as a covering. And even if that is the implied meaning of head covering that is the hair of the woman. Even then why is Paul making such a big deal about women's hair? Would that not still be considered legalistic today? For Paul to be so concerned about women and their hair? Think about it today the SBC is currently debating upon women pastors. They are arguing about women's pastors. How far has the church come from this text? They've come we've come so far where we're disregarding the scriptures. And we said well that's old fashioned and outdated. Women are equal with man equality and we're pushing for that in our churches today. And I think to myself well how far have we gone from biblical Christianity? But I think Paul is not just referring to head hair as the covering. I think this is talking about a fabric that covered the head of El. And for four reasons I think it's talking about a veil a fabric covering one versus five and six doesn't make sense. If Paul is only talking about hair. Read let's read five and six and just replace a head covering with hair and see it just doesn't make sense. Verse five says but every wife who prays a prophesies with her head with short hair dishonors her head since it's the same as if her head were shaven for a wife would not cover her head or if she's not going to have long hair then she should cut her hair. Well that doesn't make sense if you're not going to have long hair then cut your hair. You see it's it's only makes sense if you're not going to wear a head covering you might as well cut your hair. Now that makes sense if we're talking about a fabric covering goes on to say but since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head let her have long hair. See that doesn't make sense. So that's the first reason I don't think this is just talking about women having long hair not it'll talk about that as a covering God has given women long hair as a covering. But in addition to her natural covering that God has given her she was to put a fabric covering or a veil on top of her head. But not only that verse seven tells us for a man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and the glory of God. So I think that is talking about men are not to put a covering over his head. And that only makes sense if that's talking about some type of hat or veil or some kind. Third veils were to be born by all married women unmarried women did not have to wear veils if you're a girl and not married you don't have to wear a head covering and regrow Roman culture. The first time you was expected to put a veil on are covering on on is on your wedding day. That's where the traditions of veils came from. And they would typically be white to speak of purity. But you would put a veil on to represent that you're getting married and you would wear the veil or the head covering the whole time you're married. Every time you're outside of your home if you're out in public or at the market you would wear a veil. It was like your wedding ring. It symbolized that you're a married woman that you were taken and you were free to take it off after the funeral at the funeral. You'd wear a black veil. But after your husband passed away then you would take your veil off because you were not married anymore. During the first century seagulls Caesar Augustus made it illegal for wives to go outside their homes without a head covering. It is because adultery was on the rise in the first century. And to combat adultery you have to go women who are married have to identify themselves as married women and they were not free to go without their veils in public. It was the prostitutes and prostitution was legal in the first century especially in Corinth and they would identify themselves as unmarried women by not having a veil. Therefore going without a veil meant that you're either single or you're not married. And this is why often a veil or head covering represented purity in the first century. A modesty. It was a sign of fidelity that you're a faithful wife in submission to your husband. Now it's the third reason I believe that this is talking about head coverings because that was the culture of that day. Third I mean fourth reason Paul is only arguing for wives to wear head coverings. He's not saying women wear head coverings. He's saying wives are to wear head coverings. Five times he uses the word wife. I think nine times he uses the word woman. And let's read through this real quick. We read verse three. The head of a wife is her husband. Every wife verse five who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. Verse six for a wife will not cover her head. Then she should cut her hair short. So every time he's talking about a wife is talking about a veil. Vails go on wives. But look sometimes he appeals to women or womanhood. And when he talks about womanhood he's not talking about head coverings. We see this in verse eight and nine for a man was made from woman but woman for man. Neither was man created for woman but woman for man. Verse eleven nevertheless in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman. For as woman was made from man so man is now born of woman. So when he's just talking about men and women he's he's he's identifying all women. This is applicable to all women. All women are made from man. All women were created for these same purposes. That's for children and married people and unmarried. All women. This is true. But look at verse 10. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head. Verse six a wife. This is a argument that if you're married you need to have the symbol of marriage upon your head. In fact in verse 15 when it does talk about hair been given to women. Women all women even young girls have a head covering on them with their hair. But wives have an additional symbol that they're in submission to their husband and see a head covering will see is a symbol of being in submission to your husband. And this is why it's Paul is making the argument for wives and not just women. And for these four reasons I think this is definitely talking about head coverings made out of fabric. And so for the time being as we look at this text list put aside if this is a command for us today if this is or if this is something women need to be worried about today let's put that aside and let's transport ourselves back to the first century. And let's see why Paul made such a big deal about this and he's going to give us five arguments five reasons because apparently in the worship service women were coming to church married women. Wives were coming to church and they didn't have their head coverings on and it is because there was a movement we think feminism started in the sixties it's it didn't it started in the first century. In fact it started in the garden feminism is not a new phenomena. There is whole articles that I found about feminism raging in the first century and this is one of the reason Augustine made some rules about wives having to wear their head coverings. It was made this rule I think in fourteen A.D. and it was because it was a new trend and that you didn't need to have these head coverings in fact adultery was on the rise and often these women who married women who would commit adultery they would go to the marketplace and they wanted to not. Think the guys they don't want the guys to think that they're married and so if you want to disguise yourself as available and you want to flirt with other men and you're a married woman you would take your veil off. And it meant Hey look I'm available it's the same phenomena as a man taking his wedding ring off when he goes to a place that could have a lot of ladies. It's like that's not appropriate. What are you doing? What's the motive behind that? And so this was going on in the culture and even Augustine is like you can't do this. And so he made it mandatory mandatory. It was a long. For women to go out and put their veils on. Now. Apparently there were some coming to church and they say hey I think they were impacted by this movement this is this Corinth by the way this is the Los Angeles or the Las Vegas of Europe or Asia at the time. And so I think they're impacted by that but remember I think one of the things that crept into Corinth in the church of Corinth is a Gnosticism where this this idea Gnosticism this idea that what matters is the soul not the body. And so they didn't care about the body and so I think that's impacting the ladies in the church and often ladies would not wear their veils at home in the home is fine. It was when you went outside the home that you put your head covering on. So when they were in the house they would relax and everything was fine and I think often when you had company if you did if you knew the company well you might not put your veil on. It was company you didn't know very well maybe you would but it was more relaxed atmosphere in the home and I think what was happening is maybe these ladies is thinking hey this is a comfortable place is that the family of God and they were just not abiding by it. Not abiding by that custom that not and it got back to Paul he says listen this is not good. Again I think many would say Paul's a legalist for pointing this out but he's going to give us five reasons he gave them five reasons for the women not to worship without their head coverings. Let's go through these five reasons and these five reasons no matter what we think about this position or what we think about head coverings for today these five things are important. First of all it matters. Why does it matter it matters first of all because God's order of authority matters. Look at verse three but I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ and the head of a wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God. Now Paul using this word head metaphorically Christ is the head of the church the word head means authority. God is the head. He's in a position of authority over Christ. Christ is the head in a position of authority over the man. The man is the head a position of authority over the wife. There's a orb structure. There is a chain of command in God's creation and that matters to God. This world has always been trying to undo this order. Sin is trying to undo the authority structure. Could you imagine a newly enlisted private going to a four star general say hey this orb structure doesn't make sense and I don't like it. You know let's do away with that. Could you imagine that what organization any organization could function without a orb structure without a chain of command. Even businesses have to have someone who's a superior giving commands and others who are taking commands. That's just a part of nature and it's a part of God's design. But since as I don't want to be controlled I don't want to be ruled I don't want someone tell me what to do. I don't I want to be boss them and that's the nature of sin and that was the nature of sin that came into the garden. It was God was man who was Eve after Eve. It was the angels. The angels came in saying come in and says listen you don't have to obey God. You don't have to submit to your husband. You can submit yourself to me and the one who was at the bottom of the chain angelic beings sought to put himself at the top of the chain. And when that sin took place the whole structure the chain of command just reversed. And that's the way Satan is seeking to destroy our society since then it destroys in a roads our society. It could be say the home is the fabric of society and I would say that's true. But the fabric of the home is this structure that God has built in it. And we are not free to break ring. It's not something that God says is a minor thing. So regardless of what you think about head coverings we need to have a high commitment to the role of a wife. The role of a husband. The Bible says over and over Ephesians 5 and Colossians 1st Peter wives submit yourselves to your husbands. 1st Peter 3 1 wife submit your own husbands. This is a command of the Lord if you want to be in submission to Christ. Then you must be a submission to your husband. And this is important to Paul. And this might be in debate and contemporary Christianity today but it's not a debate in the mind of Paul. And it shouldn't be in a debate in our minds. We may come to different conclusions about head coverings but let us not come to a different conclusion about the orb structure that God has placed in our lives. That's what matters. The second reason it matters. We see in verses 4 through 6 is because appearances matter. I mean we want to we want to say no they don't matter. It doesn't matter what you look like. It doesn't matter how you dress. It doesn't matter. Symbolisms don't matter. I mean all that neckties and dressing dressing up and all this is just cultural customs that change and God's not worried about that. I've been thinking about doing this all week. It might get me in trouble but what do you think if I did if I preach my sermon like this. Any of you offended or would you be offended. How many of you honestly if I preach the rest of my sermon. I better take that off. I'd like to preach the rest of my sermon in a ball cap. How many of you would be offended. Raise your hand. About half of you. Those of you that are nervous about raising your hand you don't like raising your hand raise your hand. That's the other half. You see appearances matter. How do you think God says bow your head. If it doesn't matter. Right bow your head. Or get on your knees and pray. Why. My bow the knee. Oh that doesn't matter. It's the heart that matters. And I know you can drive and pray and keep your eyes open. God understands when you're praying when you're driving. But normally speaking should you be praying with your eyes open. Or with your head not bow down. It does that communicate a bowing down communicating thing. I believe it does. In the first century of a veil community it was a means of communication. It communicated subordination. It communicated some mission. It was according to verse 10 is a symbol of authority. There could be put the slide up in the first century. It wasn't just a little thing that covered the hair. It was something that they'll literally met mantle and it would wrap around. Some would cover the face but it would wrap around the ears. And it literally come from the word little little house. A veil comes up with the Greek word in the etymology of the word would come from a roof. A little roof on your head. And it has the kind of the construction idea of like of a house on your head. But it represented. Submission because remember the word head the word head. He's using it metaphorically. Your husband is your head. And what is your head. The head is the control. It controls the body. And Christ is the head. The church is the body. So he's using the word head metaphorically. And what it was when you put a symbol of authority on you. You're putting something over your head which means you're underneath. A wife is underneath. She's not her own head. She's showing she's showing the world. I'm in submission to my head. I'm underneath. I'm underneath this roof. I'm underneath this covering. And so it symbolize a spiritual truth. So we see that communication matters to God appearances matter to God. You say words don't matter. You hear some people make cases that you can cuss and use profanity. I've heard preachers use profanity in the pulpit. I said why are you doing that. And they want to say it's legalism to put restrictions on words and words are just words and they're always changing and words are just cultural constructs. They don't have any really eternal truth to them. But the Bible says let no filthy communication come out of your mouth. Words do communicate things. They communicate the heart. What's in the heart. And so words communicate. Therefore words matter in the same way your clothes communicate. Therefore your clothes matter. Ask a young person if they're not trying to communicate something with their dress. What do you think style and fads are all about. Or seek you to communicate. We're all communicating something. And so here we see that head coverings communicate subordination. This is why verse four says every man who prays or prophesies with his head cover dishonors his head. Now if I put my ball cap back on. Who am I dishonoring. Am I dishonoring Jesus who is my head or am I dishonoring my physical head. And a lot of the commentaries debate which head are you referring to because the head is kind of reflected back to the authority above you or it's reflected to your own self. And I think the answer is both. I think when we do something of that nature of life I was preaching in a ball cap. You would leave thinking who is this man. And who does he think he is. He said what he was he just it's just a cultural custom. No. If you probably evaluated that you'd be going no he he is. This is shameful. This is disrespectful. This is not how you treat the sanctuary. This is not how you treat a service where you're in the presence of God. This is not proper. You don't have any decorum. Do you don't have any respect for where you're at. It does matter. That one. Why do you think God told Moses take off your sandals you're on holy ground because stuff like this matters to God. It might not matter to our. Culture today. But it doesn't mean it doesn't still matter to God. It goes on to say in verse five whatever wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head means it's shameful. And it goes on explain how it's shameful. It's shameful in the same way as if a woman had her hair cut or she was shaved bald. Look at verse six since it's shame as as if her head were shaven for if a wife will not cover her head then she should cut her hair short. But since it's disgraceful or shameful for a wife to cut her hair or shave her head let her cover her head. Now how many of you ladies out there's a lot of bald men. And we don't think much about men who are bald. But you ladies especially the ladies who get cancer and lose her hair. I mean is something totally different for a woman to be bald. Men at the Bible says the hair is a woman's glory. I mean men we two seconds we just put our hands in her hair and we're gone and we're done. I don't know about most of you ladies you're you're in the looking at the mirror for 30 minutes on your hair. But I mean that's not a bad thing because your hair is important. It's your glory. It's beautiful. It's meant to be beautiful. Here is an amazing pain. But it's not just about Paul saying hey you might as well cut your hair off. The penalty in Roman days Augustine after he made these rules and laws the penalty for going the penalty for being caught in adultery for women. We could cutting your head off a hair off not your head your hair. Although there if you caught your wife in the act you could you could kill her but you had to kill the man to the first century. There was a Syrian law that predates the Roman law and it says a wife of a man who basically went out without a head covering. This is not adultery just without a head covering and she would appear as a prostitute but she's a married woman. She would have the penalty of that was having our hair cut off. So this is the penalty of being caught doing a scandalous shameful act of representing yourself as a as an unmarried woman. When you're married if you got caught they would humiliate you in public and the way they would humiliate you is just to shave your hair off. And that would be very shameful because it would represent that you're not a woman of integrity. It would shame you shame your husband. It was shame your community with shame your family. If your head was shaved off it was a sign that you were under penalty. I mean so in the same way Paul is saying if you came to church and you didn't have any hair or shave your head off a hair off altogether if that's shameful then you need to realize when you come to church without your head covering that's shameful to in the same way. You're shaming yourself you're shaming your wife is disgraceful. So put your head covering back on is what Paul is making. And what we see here is that appearances matter to God. This is not just legalism. This is important because this communicates important truths and women need to be above reproach. They need to represent their husbands well and the way they would do that is while wearing their head coverings. The third reason this is important is because the order of creation matters. We see this in verses seven through nine. For a man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and glory of God but woman is the glory of man for man was not made from woman but woman for man neither was man created for woman but woman for man. Now the Paul bases the authority structure the chain of command. Why is man over his wife. Why is the husband the head of his family. Why is that. Well according to God is because man was created first. We learn that in first Timothy to twelve. I do not permit a woman to teach her to have authority over man but to be silence. For Adam was formed first then he. So the fact that Adam was created first. Is indication that he is the leader. It'd be like someone who starts a business and he owns it and he started he was there and then he brings someone in to help them. Well who's who's the leader naturally the one who was there before. So Adam is the leader. He's designed to be the head of the family. And then three ways this could be seen in three and three examples he gives. First of all he says that man is the glory of God and woman is the glory of man. Now what does that mean that woman is the glory of man. Well we could all say that men and women are both equally made in the image of God. They both have the same dignity and value. That's not a it's not a distinction of value or glory or being made in the image of God is a distinction of rules. There's distinct gender roles that God has placed in us and I think what it means is that Adam when he was created. He first God had a duration where he didn't have a wife he didn't have anybody but himself but all the animals have pairs. He created all the animals and pairs and so he went around naming the animals and he goes those are drabs and elephants and that's zebra. And he was naming them and he was naming the animals. He come to the conclusion hey there's two there's two there's two and they're quite they're similar. They look similar. They definitely go together but they're a little bit different. That's interesting. They're different but similar and they hang out together. And in the process of naming the animals I think that's when Adam became lonely. He's like where's my where's my partner. You know he's looking around like I don't have a mate. I don't have a person that similar to me but a little different and he felt alone. He felt something's missing. He's not complete. And so God made from his side out of man he made woman. And it's interesting that what does it mean to be made in the image of God. I believe being made in the image of God means we're made to be compatible to be in a relationship with God. We have ethical distinction rational distinctions. You know we have a soul when we're spirit we're not just we're you were you. We have this unique similarities were different than God but we're similar to God in some ways and that allows us not like the animals that allows humanity to have a relationship with God. But here it is man doesn't have someone to have a relationship with. He didn't have a partner. All the other animals do. So God made someone after his image. That means God made woman to look like man's in some ways. To be similar so he could have a partner. But man was made first. Second man was not made from woman but woman was made from man. That is woman came out of man and not the other way around. Third man was made for woman man was not made for woman but rather woman was made for man. That God didn't make woman first and say OK this is your task this is your responsibility. Now I'm going to make you a help me a man to come by side you and help you know he made man and gave man a responsibility to take dominion. He says OK it's not good for you to be alone nor is it good for you to do your task by yourself. You need to help me. Therefore I'm going to make you a partner to come beside you and submit underneath you but to help you and to serve you and to be a partner with you. And this type of teaching will get me stoned in today's society because the world hates this. But I'm going to tell you the reason the world hates this is because they hate God. And they hate God because they hate authority. We don't like to submit but we all have to submit men are not without submission. We're not our own bosses. We're not free to do what we want to do. Like none of us are independent. We're all under submission. So it's God's design. You see the created order is the foundation of authority and gender roles. The fact that woman was made for man tells us that there's gender roles or purposes and that they will destroy a Christian home fast is when a woman a wife wants to have a career that takes her completely in a separate and opposite direction as the career of the husband. You've seen it. Two different paths. This is my life. That's your life. No, that's not a marriage. So this is our life. One of the best things I've ever seen was one pastor's wife says you know our ministry. She kept on saying our ministry and our ministry our ministry are talking about her husband's ministry. That's my ministry. That's our ministry. It's like that's it. That's the way to that's the way to think. This is our ministry together. This is our life together. We're in this together. We have the same desires and purpose and there's different gender roles to make this work. But when husbands wife are going in opposite directions the family is going to be destroyed and it's going to destroy the home and the children and so forth bring much damage and it has on our society. Just look around feminism kills society and the problem with is that feminism is because we have weak men. I don't mean we need men who are toxic men who are barbaric. We need servant leadership. We need men who love their wives and lay down as their their their life for their wives. It's a great responsibility to be the head of the home. But this is God's order. And this is why verse 10 says this is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head. Because of these three timeless truths. It's still true today that man was made first. It's still true today that woman was made from man and not the opposite. That's still true. It's still applicable. Still important. And it's for this reason Paul says a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head. And then he says something that I don't know what he means. He says because of the angels. Now there are two things. There's two ways of interpreting a wife should wear a head covering because of the angels. There's two ways to look at that. Some say that's because angels are overseeing worship service. Angels are present. I believe that's true. I believe angels are watching us. I believe God is watching us too. Martin Lord Jones says the Scriptures teach that when Christians meet together and when they gather together in prayer then the angels of God are present and the women are to be covered when they take part in public prayer because of the presence of angels. This is tremendous and a remarkable thing. That's Martin Lord Jones position. I'm not convinced of that position. I would I would think well God's even a greater witness. Why not appeal to the authority of God. Women should have authority. Simple authority because of God. He's definitely watching. I think it's more most likely. I'm not sure. I don't think any of us know for sure. But I think more likely what he's referring to is the fact that we're to judge angels the proper order. The orb structure is God man woman angels. And Satan came in. He says listen I'm putting myself at the top and God's going to be at the bottom. A woman's going to be over man and he's just like shaking the whole structure upside down destroying society that way. And the church puts it back in order. It fits God Christ man. Wife and that we need to have this structure because angels. Lord is if that's the meaning or not in verses eleven through twelve. He makes this qualification that there's still interdependence and equality among the sexes. Nevertheless in the Lord women is not in the woman is not independent of man or man of woman for a woman was made for man. So man now is born a woman and all things are from God. That is the whole female sex doesn't just come out of one man. Now we see that there's this interdependence. We need I know this is Father's Day but we could this would be a good Mother's Day sermon. We need women. We must have them to keep society going. What a privilege and joy and honor to be a woman to be one who life comes from. This is why God Adam called his wife Eve the mother of all living. And you see God has given women a great honor in society a great honor in this position to be able to be the source of life to the next generation. Now the fourth reason this matters head coverings matters is because care matters. Now again this is talking about fabric coverings on the head and Paul is giving five reasons why they need to wear their head coverings. Now he comes to hair. Our hair is a reason to wear a head covering. Look at verse 13 judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered. Does not nature itself teach you that a man wears long hair. It is a disgrace for him. But if a woman has long hair it is her glory for her hair is given to her for a covering. In this we see that even nature teaches us these truths. He says what I'm saying about head coverings half a foundation in the order of creation and in nature. And a lot of times people say well you know what are you talking about in nature. Look at the animals. No it's not talking about animals. It's just looking at the human race throughout the centuries and all cultures all times no matter where. From the beginning till now even today is feminist society as we live in today. It's still a custom for women to have long hair and for women men to have short hair. And who taught us that. Where did that come from. What what book did we learn that from. There wasn't a common book that we read that but you know how does that. How does Salma know how to swim upstream. Who taught them how to do that. It's instinct is not its nature. Who taught women to want to have long hair. What book was there a manual we read when we got to. Here's the manual how to know we just do it. It's natural. In fact it's unnatural for women to have short hair. It's unnatural for men to have long hair. Then this is the teaching of scriptures is just teaching of nature. It's shameful for women to have short hair. Sure. What do you think feminists want to cut their hair off. They're rebelling against God. It's an act of rebelling against nature. So this is important to the Lord. And lastly. It's important it matters because cultural practices and customs matter to God. Verse 16 says if anyone is inclined to be contentious. We have no such practice. Nor do the churches of God. You see there was a feminist movement in the first century. Those were to communicate submission subordination fidelity and modesty. These things are important to God. And for that reason I can I can now let me just confess something to you. And I'm honest as I can be. Last week when I began to study this I prayed. I prayed to the Lord because many of you gave me articles to read you gave me books to read you gave me things to be considered. And before I read any vein and before I went into the study I prayed because I prayed this because I was scared. I'm just being transparent and honest as I can to you. I was scared because what would happen if I came to the conclusion that my wife needed to be have a head covering. What would that do to our church. Put yourself in my position for a second. What if I in the honest study of the scriptures I changed my position. What would I do. And so I prayed before I studied it said Lord give me the courage to believe what you say and do what you say. No matter who's upset with me. That should be our heart when it comes to the word of God. Amen. We want to be submissive to the word of God no matter if the whole world thinks we're crazy for it. Now there was a moment in my study that I was leaning heavily towards this being something we should do because this is the way I was thinking I was thinking. All the reasons he's given are still true. I mean Adam was created first. Man is to be the head hair does matter appearances do matter. Paul is making a case and he's making a strong case and the reasons he's given are still good reasons. In fact there's reasons still valid. And therefore I'm sympathetic to R.C. Sproul's position R.C. Sproul came to the position that wives should cover their hair and worship. For that reason if you at all have any conviction towards this please cover your hair and let the rest of us not feel you as legalistic. All head coverings are welcome in this church. At the end I still personally believe it's a personal cultural custom and that's my honest conviction and I'm not lying to you. God knows my heart. I do believe in that time it communicated fidelity to your husband's submission to your husband. And because everybody knew the meaning of it it was so important for women to communicate that they are in submission to their husband. Word meanings change in time and I think this is one of those things that when I see you wonderful Godly women out there that love your husband when you are not wearing your veils I do not think it's not communicating at all that you're unsummissive. This is not the meaning that we understand today and that's why I think balls puts us there at the end of verse 16. We don't have any other practice. This is the practice or this is the customs. This is what is known in our churches. Therefore don't be contentious. This is not the place to be contentious. This is not the place to be rebellious or independent. This is the place to keep order and structure. And so I would say I would think it would be more personally disrespectful for men to be wearing caps in church because I think that still is communication. Something and so that's my own personal position in the end what I do know that this text is teaching that authority matters to God. That's not questionable appearance matters to God. That's not questionable. The order of creation matters to God. That's not questionable hair matters to God. That's not questionable. Customs matter to God. Let's pray. Dear Lord, I pray in some ways in the hell. This text is very difficult and even for I wouldn't. Don't know if I fully understand all of it and I humbly submit to that that I could be wrong in my explanation and understanding of it. But it is my prayer that all of us are clean to our conscience that we submit to your word and that we love your word. Lord give us a heart to obey you to submit our lives to your authority. Your word is our authority. This we pray in your son's name. Amen.