Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
Notice here again how Paul uses the articles
1Co 11:7 For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man.
Are you my glory? Notice the play between the definite and indefinite articles? Is EVERY woman the glory of EVERY man or is this speaking of THE woman and THE man...obviously. The definite articles here are important Newman
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Many have pondered about this verse and wondered why Paul spoke of only men being the image and glory of God instead of acknowledging that such was the case for women also (
Gen 1:26-27).
Yet, Paul did not deny that women were likewise created. Instead, his statement went to the principle issue at hand, which was why women should wear coverings in worship, but men should not. His point was that women were a direct reflection upon man.
Their actions were a reflection not only upon themselves, but their fathers, husbands, and brothers as well.
Society well understood that women could make or break their husbands (or whoever had legal authority over them and could bring disgrace upon a family).
This was a view expressed and embellished upon by Jesus ben Sirach, written the second century before Christ:
A daughter keeps her father secretly wakeful,
and worry over her robs him of sleep,
when she is young, lest she do not marry,
or if married, lest she be hated;
while a virgin, lest she be defiled
or become pregnant in her father’s house;
or having a husband, lest she prove unfaithful,
or though married, lest she be barren.
Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
lest she make you a laughing stock of your enemies,
a byword in the city and notorious among the people,
and put you to shame before the great multitude.
Do not look upon any one for beauty,
and do not sit in the midst of women;
for from them comes the moth,
and from them comes wickedness,
Better is the wickedness of man than a woman who does good;
and it is a woman who brings shame and disgrace (
Sir. 42:9-14 RSV).
So although women could bring shame to men, the converse was not true. Women were not disgraced by men since they had no real power to control them. When a man messed up, nobody (in that era) blamed it on the women in his household. After all, the man was considered the master of his universe. Thus men’s actions were a reflection upon God; while women’s actions brought the most immediate attention to their husbands, fathers and/or brothers.
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