Pastor Martin expounds Deuteronomy 22:5 and 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, arguing that the divinely established hierarchy of male headship and female subordination is to be visibly maintained in external appearance, dress, and demeanor by all people, especially believers. He establishes three biblical principles: the primacy of internal attitudes over external appearance, the legitimacy of connecting external appearances with internal attitudes, and the validity of unchanging principles amidst changing cultural manifestations. Martin applies these principles to contemporary issues like unisex fashion, hairstyles, and immodest dress, urging believers to reflect God's order in their outward presentation.
Primary Texts
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Deuteronomy 22:5This Old Testament law is expounded as a foundational moral principle condemning the obliteration of male and female distinctions in appearance, transcending its original cultural context.
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1 Corinthians 11:3-16This New Testament passage is thoroughly expounded as the primary text demonstrating how visible symbols (head coverings, hair length) in worship reflect the theological reality of male headship and female subordination.
Introduction: The Barong and the Sermon's Purpose0:03
Review of Crucial Issues: Male Headship and Female Subordination3:20
Thesis Statement: Visible Maintenance of Male Headship and Female Subordination11:11
Biblical Principle 1: Primacy of Internal Attitudes Over External Appearance12:33
Biblical Principle 2: Legitimacy of Connecting External Appearances with Internal Attitudes15:29
Biblical Principle 3: Unchanging Principles in Changing Manifestations26:12
Application of Principles: Decency, Order, and the Barong Illustration34:34
Deuteronomy 22:5: The Moral Principle of Distinct Appearance37:51
1 Corinthians 11: Head Coverings, Hair, and Theological Roots45:52
Contemporary Aberrations: Hair, Dress, and Modesty53:05
Key Quotes
“Pastor Martin, how can men say this when it is the authority of Jesus Christ flouted in his church? This, you see, makes me very suspicious of men who stay on in these mixed denominations saying, well, freedom to preach whatever I want to preach in my own congregation.”
“In other words, God is always more interested in the state of your heart than in the condition of your clothes.”
“The legitimacy of connecting external appearances with internal aspects in the Bible.”
“You tell me I'm more concerned with my big poofy hairdo than my heart. And furthermore, I want people to be paying more attention to my head than to God and to their own hearts when they come to the assembly.”
“But you see what we have a change principle in betting.”
“Now what is condemned here is what is called in our day a life technically speaking, a transvestite is someone who gets sexual gratification by wearing now you see upper clothing for any given sex or you couldn't have a transvestite you see what I'm saying someone who gets some level of perverse sexual gratification by wearing the clothing of the ox”
“that's the manifestation in the world however there are those who would say well in the church and we're going to see when we turn to Corinthians this seems to be the problem with karma we are so free in Christ sexual distinctions as”
“I wouldn't be caught dead getting a haircut in a unisex hair shop just to walk by one makes me want to spit on the sign because I see it as a clenched fist against almighty God and I hear these words it is an abomination”
Applications
All listeners
Pray God will give men like this man that I've referred to to stand for Christ's rights in his church.
If you can get hold of those three principles understand them stand upon them biblically you'll be kept from errors on the left hand and on the right.
Christians to know that if the special presence of God in the midst of his people is a reality and it is it is unseemly to appear in the special presence of God as though we were appearing to do a job of overhauling the engine of our car in our jeans in our greasy shirt and with a bag full of tools and in our particular culture the seemliness specialness of the special presence of God here to lead the worship a shirt that be the specialness of that gathering of the people of God
For certain activities he's either loose between the ears or perverse in his own heart there are certain situations where for a woman to pursue the biblical doctrine of modesty wearing slacks is a necessity and she's not violating this man
We must be careful even in our homes where constant input with our children that they do not gain masculinity and femininity and of male and female modesty because he speaks of certain things that are shameful and that's why for some of you women it might be convenient for you to go around in some old floppy shorts all summer never once put a skirt on you may be impressing the psyche of your daughters that appearing like that most of the time is fitting for a Christian woman is that the impression you want to give
I wouldn't be caught dead getting a haircut in a unisex hair shop just to walk by one makes me want to spit on the sign because I see it as a clenched fist against almighty God and I hear these words it is an abomination
You women with all the different textures and the rest and I think I can speak as one who has a wife who's had to spend hours throughout her life every night having to put her hair up in curlers because of the fine texture of her hair and can't let it grow long like she'd like to but so that it appears distinctively feminine and you don't have to look twice to know that she's a she unsympathetically guards away womanhood femininity anyone's got to look inside your children
It is not enough that in the domestic sphere we embrace the divine hierarchy in the sphere of the church but in our general appearance and bearing everything about us we speak that we love God's ways and we're determined to manifest that what's in our hearts and our whole demeanor and our dress and our bearing
A full transcript is available on the
tab. 88 paragraphs, roughly 61 minutes.
Machine transcription
Introduction: The Barong and the Sermon's Purpose
This adult Sunday school class was held on July 17, 1988, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. I'm sure many of you have already noticed that for the first time in 25 years of ministry in North Jersey and the previous 10 years of ministry in other places, I've appeared in a place of public ministry other than in the Philippines, dressed in something other than a standard shirt and tie or shirt, tie, and jacket. And I'm appearing in my barong this morning, custom-made for me in the Philippines several years ago, for two reasons. As our brother Pete led us in prayer, we all had our hearts run out with thanksgiving to God for the safe return of Pastor Dixon among us, and as many of you know, he has been some eight weeks in the Philippines, and as I was going through my closet this morning
to pick out a white shirt to wear with my gray suit, I saw a shirt off in the corner, and I said, my, that white shirt is yellowed a bit, and I said upon closer look, no, that's my barong that I've not worn since returning from the Philippines, and knowing that our brother for eight weeks has looked upon creatures in a barong. I thought I would ease the reverse culture shock this morning, and so this is worn in special honor of Pastor Dixon this morning. Welcome back with a little edge off the reverse culture shock. For all these weeks, he has seen preachers stand to lead worship, dressed accordingly, and men appearing in the house of God in their Sunday go-to-meeting vest, which would be, for many of them, this kind of a shirt that is called a barong. Then I had a second reason, and it is that to illustrate one of the principles we'll be wrestling with in our studies together on the subject of male and female roles, relationships, and identity, I thought the very appearance in this shirt could underscore one of the principles that we will be examining from the Word of God. So reason number one is patent, upfront, and clear. Number two, you'll have to wait for that.
And it just might be that unknown to me was a subtle acting of my own desire to just break out of the mold that so many of you have put me in. And if you saw me in anything other than my wingtips, a two-piece business suit, a shirt, and a tie, you might think that the world was coming apart at the seams. So it could be. I don't know.
My wife was kidding me. About that, when men get into middle age, they do strange things.
Review of Crucial Issues: Male Headship and Female Subordination
Injecture, the first two I'm very certain about. Now for those of you visiting with us, I think it would be helpful if we just explain briefly what we are doing in this adult class in these days. We come this morning to the 16th in a series of studies under the general heading of crucial issues facing the people of God. And after setting that subject, in a solid biblical framework, using Romans 12, 1 and 2, as our basic text, we then began to concentrate upon the first of these crucial areas facing God's people in our day, namely, the area of male and religious, and even the whole matter of male identity. And after seeking to act from Genesis 1 and 2, a solid framework, and considering those areas in which men are equal in creative dignity, in spiritual capacity, in moral ability, and from Genesis chapter 3, in sinful depravity, and then those areas where they are equal in redemptive privilege and standing,
we have now for some weeks been concentrating on the structure set forth in the word of God with reference to God's purpose the relationship between men and women, in spite of all of the realities of creation, fall, and redemption. And we have seen from what is our pivotal text in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 3 that there is a divinely established key relationship. And in that key text we are told that under God, or that God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, and that what it sets forth of this divinely established hierarchy, which the grace of God in Jesus Christ never intended to negate or cancel or neutralize, but rather to establish so that the people of God embrace as part of the good will of God, we have then been seeking to show the application of this hierarchical structure
of male headship, and female subordination. Now class, tell me, what was the first area in which we demonstrated that this structure of male headship and female subordination obtains as the will of God to the end of the...
Someone raise his hand and tell us what was the first area. Howard? We're in the domestic area. And the key passages that ought immediately to come to your mind are three.
What am I saying? Yes, Barnabas?
Ephesians 5, passage in Colossians 3, when we say Ephesians 5, and that's... Apostles' Writings.
Coordination is the will of God for the domestic relationship, all right? What was the second major area? Best, and we complete the subject of the lesson together. Someone tell us the second area.
In the church or in the ecclesiastical realm, redemption can first establish it. And here again, what are the key passages that ought immediately to come to our mind when we consider this truth? Someone? Passage number one.
Second one we looked at, but that's a pivotal passage. First Corinthians 14, 33b, and...
It is not permitted unto them to speak, but to be in submission. All right, Mike? Timothy 2, 11 and following,
and to teach, but to be, but to learn in submission. She is not to usurp authority or exercise authority over the man. So the clear teaching of these two passages, and then we looked at other ancillary passages, is that in the church, then, this divinely instituted, hierarchical structure of male headship and female subordination is indeed...
You who are here are from a Church of Scotland minister who is going to be kicked out of the church by Presbytery because he will not ordain women contrary to the word of Christ. And I wrote to him, and I just got a return letter from him two days ago, and the sad thing is, is he says that noted evangelicals in the Church of Scotland are telling him, back down and capitulate on this issue. It's not worth losing your base of privilege to preach Christ on such a secondary issue. And he said, Pastor Martin, how can men say this when it is the authority of Jesus Christ flouted in his church? This, you see, makes me very suspicious of men who stay on in these mixed denominations saying, well, freedom to preach whatever I want to preach in my own congregation. But they are organically tied denominations to those who are overthrowing the rule of Christ, and many are making no effort to bring discipline upon those who flout the authority of Christ. And as far as I'm concerned, it is unchristian and is unmanly, and we need to pray God will give men like this man that I've referred to
to stand for Christ's rights in his church. Now, that's a review of what we've covered over a period of many weeks, Now, today, we're going to take up a related aspect of this teaching. And my concern will be embodied in this statement. Now, it's a mouthful.
Thesis Statement: Visible Maintenance of Male Headship and Female Subordination
I've worked on it. Time changed. And even after all of that, I'm still not content with it. And when my notes were all ready this morning, I was still so dissatisfied, I rewrote it and pasted over my notes.
You can see there's a section pasted over. And I believe this is what I want to say. The principle, the principle of male that relationship,
conscientiously maintained in general, and by the people of God to get at subordination, visible relationship, that is, one of subordination and headship, are to be conscientiously maintained.
Biblical Principle 1: Primacy of Internal Attitudes Over External Appearance
In particular, I should underscore these of the Bible. If I could draw them out in lecture form, then I'll have art working on the key passages with me, as we have done in previous lessons. As we come to touch upon the subject of the relationship between an inward submission of this hierarchical structure of male headship and female subordination, as it expresses itself in the external symbols, we must keep in mind these three vital biblical principles. Number one, the primacy for internal attitudes over external opinions. This is one of the major emphases of the Bible. There is a primacy of concern for internal attitudes over external appearance.
In other words, God is always more interested in the state of your heart than in the condition of your clothes. They shall see God, Matthew 5, 8. Matthew 6, you remember what the Lord said? The Pharisees are concerned with how they appear before men.
But your Heavenly Father sees in secret. Matthew 15, this people draws near with their lips, outwardly, but inwardly, of course, the classic statement, Matthew 23, 25 to 28, where Jesus likened the Pharisees to two very unflattering metaphors or similes. He said they are like dishes, that someone polishes them until they glisten on the outside, but they never wash the inside. You've got months of the accumulated scum of coffee grounds, and everything else.
He said that's the way you Pharisees are. All the inside, never with the inside. And then he said you're like whitewashed sepulchers. Someone goes out every month and puts a fresh coat of whitewash on the outside of the sepulcher, but inside the bones and the flesh get more and more rotten, and the stench is greater.
So you see, there is an emphasis in the Bible of the primacy of God's concern for internal as opposed to external, in terms of that, if we know our Bibles.
Biblical Principle 2: Legitimacy of Connecting External Appearances with Internal Attitudes
Major principle that must be underscored before we get into our major thesis this morning is this. The legitimacy of connecting external appearances with internal aspects in the Bible.
But the Bible is legitimate to read from the condition of the heart. And that emphasis in the Bible is clearly given, as is the first one. For example, in Proverbs chapter 7, you will notice that when the father is warning his son about the wild, seeking to seduce a naive man, no new thing under the sun. For Proverbs 7 is not warning about what we would call a professional hooker plying her on any given occasion. She's a married woman on a journey, and he'll not be back until the noon, seeking to seduce a younger, naive man. And notice, verse 9 of Proverbs 7, in the twilight, in the evening, of the day, in the middle of the night, and in the darkness, behold, there met him a woman who was a harlot. She had observed how professional hookers
kept themselves in business. She said, if I'm going to snare a naive young man,
modest, married, connected, a professional hooker.
Attractiveness on a journey.
Attractive to her husband. They gain the impression that her heart is open to anyone in the presence of other men.
Intention to sedermal opinion. And then she said, she says, the smell of her bed were indicative of her attempt at seduction. Another example, chapter 3. If any of you question my exegesis of Proverbs 7, read the whole passage, and I believe you'll be convinced of it.
Isaiah chapter 3.
The nation is carrying on business as usual in its external religious patterns. Chapter 1, feasts, new moon,
sacrifices, prayers, bulls shoot and match, business as usual. But the nation is apostate. They've turned from God in their hearts. Now, one of the clear indications found in the way the women dressed and walked.
Outward to the inward. Look at Isaiah 3.16. More authors of Zion haughty and walk stretched necks and will tell you the first hookup for an immoral relationship is with the eyes.
People here who would say, Amen to that, unless their amen would so embarrass as to make them feel pain. And that's why I'm not asking to say it. But it's true. And he says that they walk and wantonize.
It's as though they've got their necks out as far as they can to get their eyeballs in the best position to make a hookup. How they walk. Walking and mincing as they go. And to attract attention to their legs.
They even put their feet so when people walk, they'd turn and look and when they'd look, they'd see them mincing. That's what the scripture says, folks. I didn't put it there. God Almighty says that's what they were like.
Give a graphic.
And in the way they walked,
the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will lay bare a secret part. Take away the beauty of their ankle crescents and the pendants and the bracelets and the mufflers and the head tires and the ankle chains and the sashes and the perfume box. And the hand mirrors. I tell you, they were all done out like a modern.
They might eventually have a hookup in the bed.
Not to seek, but in shameful man. That's true. He says, you want your secret parts laid bare.
A message. And the thrust of this passage, it is this. That the dress and the walk and the demeanor.
Now that emphasis in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as well. Just one passage. First Peter chapter 3. We could look at 1st Timothy 2.
But we want to look at 1st Peter chapter 3.
As he's speaking of women and their responsibility to be subordinate to their husbands even if they are not saved.
He says in verse 3, whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning gold or putting on apparel. In other words, they are not to be preoccupied with the externals. This is not an absolute prohibition of braiding your hair or wearing of jewels. This is not an absolute prohibition of braiding your hair or wearing of jewels.
Because if so, then it would be also a prohibition of wearing any clothes at all. Putting on apparel. Speaking the absolute for the relative whose adorning let it not be one pre-op.
The hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet which is in the sight of God of great price. You see how he reasons the outward must be.
And if you see a woman coming into the assembly with her hair piled up like 16 beehives and she's saying, she's got it all loaded with golds of ornaments that glisten and dazzle. You tell me I'm more concerned with my big poofy hairdo than my heart. And furthermore, I want people to be paying more attention to my head than to God and to their own hearts when they come to the assembly. So you see, the Bible that clearly teaches principle number one, the primest concern as opposed to external appearance teaches the legitimacy of connecting the external appearance with internal attitudes. Established before we move in my thesis for the morning and it's this. The validity of unchanging principles in best of changing manifestation.
Biblical Principle 3: Unchanging Principles in Changing Manifestations
In John chapter 13,
you had cultural activity of in the first century for all I'm in certain places of the world today, but it was clearly, as a guest to the home, the first thing your host would do would he have his house servant or would himself personally have you sit upon a bench, kneel down with water and wash your feet because they would be hot and they would be dusty from the travel. You would have had nothing but sandals upon your feet and this was a part of the cultural milieu of the first century there in Palestine. So in John chapter 13, our Lord to show makes the place of a servant girds himself with a towel and begins to wash the disciples' feet. Now we read in verse 13. You call me teacher and Lord.
John 13, 13. You call me teacher and Lord and you say well for so I am. If I that your feet you all another's feet that you now notice not what is not greater than his Lord neither one that is sent greater than him that sent him if you know these things blessed are you if you do them. Now what do we have?
We do not have a third ordinance. There are certain churches that teach there are three sacraments or ordinances. Baptism, the Lord's Supper and feet washing. And they say now it's plain.
Jesus said do as I did. So once a month people come who have their and the shoes and if they have a little foot powder they don't even have a foot odor and they take each other's feet the shoes and socks off and they wash one another's feet. And they do it believing they're obeying this passage. Now my hat's off to them.
At least they're taking the Bible seriously. And at least they're willing to get down and wash somebody's smelly feet. But I got a sneaking suspicion that I'd be willing to bet that in those churches when you knew a foot washing service was coming up most people probably perfumed their feet a little bit or put a little bit of Desenex powder or something in there to kind of make them smell a little better. I'd like to take a survey in such churches and I'd be willing to bet you anything few people would appear with their normal foot odor in that context.
Alright? But you see what we have a change principle in betting.
Now what is the principle? Well you see the principle is the lesser should be willing to the lesser. If I the master have washed your feet disciples the lesser how much more should you as equals one to another.
Now somebody must have caught that principle between between the last Lord's day and this Lord's day with regard to this external condition of this building. For several weeks as I've seen the weeds growing I said Lord that's a reproach to you. Those weeds need to go. Should I go over and pull them myself?
And I was prepared to. And I don't think pulling weeds is beyond me. Most of you know I was called into this church from a context of literally shoveling manure out of a barn 25 years ago. So pulling weeds is not beneath me.
But I said no Lord I don't believe that that's the best stewardship of my time. I've had to give up my garden because the position of pulling weeds aggravates where I've had my back surgery and has actually put me out of commission when I've tried to do it. But I've said Lord you'll lay constraint on someone else. And when I drove up this morning I said to my wife somebody's been working.
And all those ugly weeds were pulled and the building looked attractive and glorifying to God. Somebody was willing to do a servant's task. That's what the Lord is talking about. Getting down on their knees and pulling weeds in this hot sticky weather.
I don't know who you are but you caught the principle. You see there is an abiding moral principle do as I've done in a changing cultural found in the New Testament with a holy kiss four times kiss of love in Peter. Five that say we are to greet a related handshake.
So what do we do? Why haven't we called a congregational meeting and that the only Trinity Church is a kiss? Well for the simple reason that the kiss between men and a certain between men and women the synagogue pattern kept them separated they didn't even mingle together and in many places now I see one of our Pakistani friends here I had to learn that very quickly not to touch a woman though I'd embrace a man three times setting if it was a younger girl I didn't touch the top of her forehead just step away and greet her never touch her. So it was probably men embracing men women embracing women but you see that was part of the whole cultural way of greeting. That's the way people in the ordinary cultural milieu greeted one another. Now what is the abiding principle is your open heart to one another that if Paul were writing a letter to Trinity Church in 1980 he'd say greet one another with a hearty
holy handshake. A handshake is more than a kiss. A social greeting that you give to sinners at work when you meet a client you meet a business associate you are performing a mere social thing but greet brother my beloved in the Lord. That's what makes it a holy handshake.
So you see the example. Now dear people if you can get hold of those three principles understand them stand upon them biblically you'll be kept from errors on the left hand and on the right. Let me run over them very quickly now. Number one the Bible clearly teaches the primacy of attitudes as opposed to external appearance but secondly the Bible teaches the legitimacy of connecting the external appearance with the in turn which is the validity of unchanged principles embedded in the midst of cultural manifestations.
Application of Principles: Decency, Order, and the Barong Illustration
Now that's why I wore my see what is one of the great principles of the word of God well that in the worship of God everything is to be done decently and in order. Love doth not behave itself unseemly.
Christians to know that if the special presence of God in the midst of his people is a reality and it is it is unseemly to appear in the special presence of God as though we were appearing to do a job of overhauling the engine of our car in our jeans in our greasy shirt and with a bag full of tools and in our particular culture the seemliness specialness of the special presence of God here to lead the worship a shirt that be the specialness of that gathering of the people of God now that's of the changeless principle in the Philippines the station I preached to some six hundred people three nights with this on they would have felt that T-shirt in my barang they felt with my T-shirt
two inches here and this part's already covered with my trouser it's part of that changeable cultural sensitivity that in every culture is part of the glue that holds things together in congrates and is part of decency and of order alright so I thought this would be a good illustration as I mentioned earlier now though we have taken a lot of time to establish the principles I was determined not to cheat on those principles because they're vital now come back to our thesis the reality of men female subordination coupled with the vision femininity are to be conscientiously maintained now I want you to turn to the pivotal passage in the old which teaches this Deuteronomy chapter 22 Deuteronomy chapter 22 and verse 5 here in law
Deuteronomy 22:5: The Moral Principle of Distinct Appearance
of Israel is a woman not wear which pertains unto a man for question number one in the light of the fact that we read so thy vineyard with two in the light of verse 12 not make thee fringes upon the four borders of thy vesture in the light of to the nation of Israel in its temporary existence theocratic nation what right do I Pastor Martin have to use this text in this class to demonstrate the thesis with which we began that the principle of male headship and female subordination
manifested in the visible symbols of that relationship are to be conscientiously maintained by all men in general the people of God in particular at all times and in all cultures indicating that there is something peculiar by the very way God speaks about it alright something else that would indicate that we have something in this passage that is not limited just to the nation of Israel alright Jonathan out again do you get that distinction that is not rooted in some temporary or rooted in what the theologians positive law look I want every Israelite to know I got a right to monkey around with any part of your life and I'm going to give some rules that appear very arbitrary and just to see if you'll obey me and God gave some regulations in the civil law that had no what we would say moral justification around rationalization
God was just simply saying in essence I'm God you're my people now do what I tell you because I tell you period full stop with two different kinds of material no 35 65 polyester cotton nicks can't have it care if it's easy to iron Lord your God got to do it now that's what the theologians call positive law but we know that this is moral fundamentally for two reasons and that it is appended with this statement it is an abominable Lord thy God and apparently under the new covenant revelation of the apostolic teaching and the gift of the spirit to be able positive rules and those that are more relating to a New Testament setting in 1st Timothy 5
the double honor muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn and he picks up one of these regulations right out of Deuteronomy expecting that we will understand that there was a moral principle involved that transcends cultures now what is condemned here is what is called in our day a life technically speaking a transvestite is someone who gets sexual gratification by wearing now you see upper clothing for any given sex or you couldn't have a transvestite you see what I'm saying someone who gets some level of perverse sexual gratification by wearing the clothing of the ox
to the Lord now he hastens to say and your fundamentalist legalist friend comes along with this text and says for certain activities he's either loose between the ears or perverse in his own heart there are certain situations where for a woman to pursue the biblical doctrine of modesty wearing slacks
is a necessity and she's not violating this man when a woman says what we would call regenerate attitude of the unconverted they'd say and then you know what they say that I made a woman I'm going to prove there's no femininity so they crop their hair like a man tapered up the back like an old 1942 men's haircut style they'll even have shirts that button on the same side of them is femininity that's the violation whether they get any kind of sexual high out of it or not that's the manifestation in the world however there are those who would say well in the church and we're going to see when we turn to Corinthians this seems to be the problem with karma we are so free in Christ sexual distinctions as
1 Corinthians 11: Head Coverings, Hair, and Theological Roots
chapter 11 this is what we might call the pseudo spiritual liberation from the of male headship female subordination maleness and femaleness touching externals now don't get law I'd attract this one question down as read the passage which focuses on externals 1 Corinthians 11 every man praying or prophesying having his head nurse his head but every woman praying or prophesying worshiping and her head is her head for it is one and the same thing as if she a woman is but if it is a shame for a woman to be sure let her be
is the image and glory of God but the woman is the glory of the man for the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man for neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man for this cause ought the woman to have a sign of authority on head because of the angels nevertheless neither is the woman without the man nor the man without the woman in the Lord for as the woman is of the man so is the man also by the woman but also is it seemly that a woman pray on it if a man it is a dishonor to him but if a woman have Lord for her head is given her for a contentious we have no such custom neither the churches of God now my friends let me ask you one simple question do answer yes or no do externals matter yes you see how I read with the emphasis
you see these people had come to the place and we can't track down with any definiteness what the movement was and you read the commentators and each one has his own opinion and so eventually we have to say God has only revealed as much as we need to know and this much we see in the passage the Corinthian women under the guise of while women's ordination that relationship and now I'm not he doesn't start with the externals he starts with the theology that's why we spent all our time with verse 3 he says we've got a planted in theology in other words he says your wardrobe has its tap roots in your theology your head those of you who can still grow it I happen to just glance at a couple of our poor brethren who are losing it quickly and I just dare not look sorry brethren I'm my day is coming I'm sure but he speaks
he speaks of men that's an external he speaks of women in verse 5 having their head unveiled of a woman he speaks of a man on his head veiled I'll tell you what he's doing he is typical and a plotural situation and what he is saying is in of subordination to men and of the modest that should mark that subordination you men before God your position of God in headship and let nothing everything about external appearance make it evident that you understand
that the head of Christ is God the head of the man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man now what you do in private what you do in the secrecy of your bedroom what you do in the privacy and the what we would call the order of your home is of cleaning a total other thing in the exceptions but may I since he says does not nature itself teach you that's why I said all men in general as well as the people of God in particular we must be careful even in our homes where constant input with our children that they do not gain masculinity and femininity and of male and female modesty because he speaks of certain things that are shameful and that's why for some of you women it might be convenient for you to go around in some old floppy shorts all summer never once put a skirt on you may be impressing the psyche of your daughters that appearing like that most of the time is fitting for a Christian woman is that the impression you want to give yes it may be a little uncomfortable frankly it's uncomfortable for me
Contemporary Aberrations: Hair, Dress, and Modesty
when I have to get out of my shorts and sneakers and a polo shirt from my study when
I was in the biblical framework with all the qualifications that we've already considered and I've got to watch the clock but having set the qualifications we must be certain that under God seeking to live with this principle that male and female subordination manifested in the visible symbols of that relationship are to be common and the people of God in particular at all times and in all places now very quickly I want to deal with just two aberrations number one and hairstyle that's not an innocent fact it is an attempt to obliterate what God has established I wouldn't be caught dead getting a haircut in a unisex hair shop just to walk by one makes me want to spit on the sign because I see it as a clenched fist against almighty God and I hear these words it is an abomination you women with all the different textures and the rest and I think I can speak as one who has a wife who's had to spend hours throughout her life every night having to put her hair up in curlers because of the fine texture of her hair and can't let it grow long like she'd
like to but so that it appears distinctively feminine and you don't have to look twice to know that she's a she unsympathetically guards away womanhood femininity anyone's got to look inside your children the second thing I'll again may not be very popular but we're a bunch of adults and I'm going to address it you know what the 20th century counterpart was throwing off the veil in public for a woman at carnival what became the symbol of women
throwing off subordination to men in their modesty in the late 60s early 70s someone want to tell me what became the symbol that's right bra burnings that's right when these radical feminists gallantly took off that under men our culture for any woman to appear brawless or to have an it makes you have to wonder whether or not she does is violated some of you younger women you know what lies behind the wild you know what lies behind it is an attempt as though someone just came out of a wild that is not an innocence the orderliness that nature teaches is befitting for a woman in public does any modest woman come from a legitimate sexual encounter with her husband and the appearance that she may have in that sacred union to go out and greet guests
at the front door she clothes herself and she spends a little time with her brush and her teeth you've given the case away you know it's true it is not enough that in the domestic sphere we embrace the divine hierarchy in the sphere of the church but in our general appearance and bearing everything about us we speak that we love God's ways and we're determined to manifest that what's in our hearts and our whole demeanor and our dress and our bearing can assure you that I have hung up downstairs a short sleeve white shirt a tie and a jacket and I will be properly attired for the next hour let us pray father we are so thankful for the scriptures that they are a light unto our feet and a lamp to our pathway we thank you that even embedded in these
first century cultural actions there are times that bind us and guide us and oh that is your people we may not be conformed to this age keep us from cursed legalism lord that would try to dictate the length of a skirt and the length of hair and the length of side burns and a host of other nonsense lord deliver us from all such ungodliness but oh with our liberty in Christ deliver us from turning the grace of God into license give to us as men and women true Christian modesty give us wisdom to know how to adorn ourselves with those external symbols of our male headship female subordination and the dictum of modesty and Christ like grace for Jesus amen
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Passages Expounded
Deuteronomy 22:5
This Old Testament law is expounded as a foundational moral principle condemning the obliteration of male and female distinctions in appearance, transcending its original cultural context.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16
This New Testament passage is thoroughly expounded as the primary text demonstrating how visible symbols (head coverings, hair length) in worship reflect the theological reality of male headship and female subordination.
Texts Expounded
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Presented as the pivotal text establishing the divinely established hierarchy of God, Christ, man, and woman.
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Used to illustrate the primacy of internal attitudes over external appearance, likening Pharisees to unwashed dishes and whitewashed sepulchers.
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Used as an example of the Bible connecting external appearance (of the harlot) with internal attitudes and intentions.
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Used to illustrate how the external appearance, walk, and demeanor of the daughters of Zion revealed their apostate hearts.
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Used to show that while external adornment is not absolutely prohibited, preoccupation with it is condemned, emphasizing the 'hidden man of the heart'.
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Used to illustrate the principle of unchanging moral principles embedded in changing cultural manifestations, specifically foot washing.
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The pivotal Old Testament passage condemning cross-dressing, used to establish the moral principle of distinct male and female appearance.
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The primary New Testament passage for the sermon, addressing head coverings and hair length as visible symbols of male headship and female subordination in worship.