Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
In this chapter Paul laments that all men are not bachelors like
himself; and in the second verse of that chapter he gives the only
reason for which he was willing that men and women should marry. He
advised all the unmarried and all widows to remain as he was. Paul sums
up the whole matter, however, by telling those who have wives or
husbands to stay with them--as necessary evils only to be tolerated;
but sincerely regrets that anybody was ever married, and finally says
that, "they that have wives should be as though they had none;"
because, in his opinion, "he that is unmarried careth for the things
that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he that is
married careth for the things that are of the world, how he please his
wife."
"There is this difference, also," he tells us, "between a wife and a
virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she
may be holy both in body and spirit; but she that is married careth for
the things of the world, how she may please her husband." Of course, it
is contended that these things have tended to the elevation of woman.
The idea that it is better to love the Lord than to love your wife or
husband is infinitely absurd. Nobody ever did love the Lord--nobody
can--until he becomes acquainted with him.
Saint Paul also tells us that "man is the image and glory of God; but
woman is the glory of man." And, for the purpose of sustaining this
position, he says: "For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of
the man; neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for
the man." Of course we can all see that man could have gotten along
well enough without woman. And yet this is called "inspired!" and this
Apostle Paul is supposed to have known more than all the people now
upon the earth. No wonder Paul at last
was constrained to say: "We are fools for Christ's sake."
ANON.
1 Corinthians xi.
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and
the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered,
dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered
dishonoureth her head.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the
image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of
the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the
woman without the man, in the Lord.
13 judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God
uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long
hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair
is given her for a covering.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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