coverings & such

What if we don't wanna take 'em off?!?!

 

I was using older books on etiquette to show that women wearing head coverings and men not, has historically always been a practice, and a Biblical one. It has Biblical roots. I did not expand on that part.
However, Eliayu did in post #79 on the previous page, which I fully agree. It has nothing to do with culture. It has everything the Bible. When it comes to culture Paul simply says: If any man seems to be contentious we have no such custom."
The custom he refers to is that of being contentious. What he just gave was an "ordinance of the Lord," a command. There was no choice in the matter. He gives several reasons why women should wear head coverings, and basically sums up his argument by saying if you are going to disagree and be contentious about this, then go away. You are in a state of unbelief. The Bible states to avoid them that cause contentions among you. We don't have that custom. Don't cause contentions among the brethren. It is the strongest argument yet to sum up all of his arguments on wearing a head covering.

 

Now I want to think about the actual practices assuming that the believers realize about the correct Head-Covering practices.

Let's say that the believers realized the men should not wear any hat in the service. In that case it will be relatively easy for the church to obey this teaching.

But if they realized that the women should wear the head-covering, will they practice it in obedience to God immediately?

For that change, the problem is, the pastor of the church must decide first, thereafter the other believers should reasonably agree to it. However, in many cases, I believe there will be still a bigger problem with the denomination itself.

If one of the Presbyterian churches decide to follow the teachings in 1 Cor 11:1-16, they will encounter big objections from the other member churches.

In reality, around 1990, there was a Pastor at a Presbyterian church in Los Angeles. He realized that the Baptism by Immersion is correct and therefore he went to a Baptist church and was baptized there. Thereafter he confessed such experience of Baptism. Then such news was reported to the Presbyterian Synod in the region. Of course the pastor was dismissed from the position.

I think there would be some significant difference if such situation happens to Baptist churches, and they are most likely to accept any changes required according to the Bible teachings and the biblical discernment since they already started the obedience from Baptism.


At the end, what I see is that the Christian believers can hardly change the practices of the individual church in many churches other than Baptist or Brethren churches. This may be corrected only at the time when the Lord Jesus comes again. But if He comes here today, I am sure that He will ask us " What does the Bible tell you about the Head-Covering?"
Will Paul say, " What I said in 1 Cor 11:1-16 was only a cultural issue, forget it!" ?

Blessed are the meek who are tenderhearted to accept the Words of God.

 

Were you baptized in order not to offend others?
Do you participate in the Lord's Supper in order not to offend others?

Read this:

1 Cor 11:
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(=Jesus Christ). 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

Except Jesus Christ!

Is the Obedience to the Baptism a legalism?

The Old Testament was accomplished at the Cross by Jesus Christ, then the New Testament has given us very simple commandments, and a few of them are:
1) Baptism by immersion
2) Lord's Supper
3) Head-Covering
4) Teachings on Offices such as Elders( Overseers) and Deacons, etc.
5) Donations

Are they more difficult than sacrificing thousands of animals as in OT?
If you can keep the commandments in OT, you can find no reason to refuse the commandments in NT.