The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Head Coverings

Dave,

At the risk of being charged with ... although it would be great if others would jump into this particular discussion on headcovering, I would like to offer one more thing.

Here is a glowing example of how many today apply, even unwittingly, the "Culturally Bound" hermeneutic in regard to worship in general.

The text:

We don't know where these two brothers were living geographically to each other nor their occupations. But what we do know is that Abel was involved in raising sheep for he brought "of the firstlings of his flock". Whether Cain, however, also raised sheep we are not told but only that he
"brought of the fruit of the ground". Further, what learn from this text is that most surely, God had given instructions as to how He was to be worshiped and that included what was to be brought as an offering to Him; acceptable offering. Abel obeyed the Lord and thus his offering was accepted. However, Cain, laboring under a "Culturally Bound" hermeneutic took it upon himself to bring whatever pleased him before the Lord as an offering. He understood clearly what was required of him, i.e., the PRINCIPLE of worshiping Yahweh but apparently felt that as long as his heart was sincere he could choose what SYMBOL satisfied that principle. Perhaps in the culture in which he lived slaughtering lambs was not recognized as a means of worship?

What is most important to see here is that the Principle and the Symbol were inextricably bound together. God had specifically made known both. To deviate from what the LORD had commanded in either the Principle of Symbol was unacceptable worship.

I used this example for a good reason. If we are even vaguely familiar with Scripture we know that a "lamb" was used throughout the history of Israel as a sacrificial animal which represented the cleansing of sin through its shed blood (death). In the NT we read that the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jh 1:29, 36; Rev 5:6; 7:17; 15:3; et al). God the Father instituted acceptable worship from the very beginning and demanded strict adherence to both the Principle and Symbol. And the Spirit had more than good reason to have Moses pen those words found in Gen 4 for our instruction.

In short, a headcovering isn't introduced in 1Cor 11 for the very first time. Headcovering appears in various other passages and contexts and thus Paul's teaching concerning women covering their heads isn't something novel or new nor bound to the culture of Corinth. It has an ancient precedence. And so, we are to be extremely careful in how we "divide the Word of Truth"; in this case relegating a "symbol" (practice) of a mandated "principle" to a by-gone era based upon an alleged "passé culture".

In His grace,