1 Corinthians 11
June 29, 2022
“Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.” (v11-12)
Paul has been expounding (in ch 11) on the distinct roles that men and women play. The fact that Paul points out that “woman came from man” (v9) could have, by itself, further fueled a patriarchal chauvinism in the Corinthian men. After all, in that culture, men had all the power, and women had almost none. But Paul qualifies his point about the complementarity of the genders by stating their interdependence: that man is not independent of woman. The idea that man needs woman would have been a radical idea in that culture. But to reinforce this point, Paul highlights that while the first woman did, indeed, come from a man, from then on, every man comes from a woman (v12).
Father, I praise You for Your beautiful design in creation, and for Your beautiful purpose in men and women. You’ve made men and women equal in value, worth and dignity. Both sexes are absolutely created in Your image. Forgive us wherever we’ve fallen prey to a sexism that would see one gender as superior to the other. Forgive us, too, wherever we’ve slipped into believing the lie of our culture - that men and women are interchangeable and indistinct, rather than interdependent. Help our Trinity family to live out this healthy, beautiful interdependence, where both men and women are held in high honor, and You, our Creator are glorified in the way we relate to each other.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
