NT 260: Part ThreeSample

As with chapter 8, this chapter is difficult to understand without understanding the culture. In their society, a woman who appeared in public without her head covered was considered promiscuous. Paul makes the point about the husband being the head of his wife in order to say that if a woman looks promiscuous, she is shaming herself and her husband.

In the same way, if a man shames himself, he is also shaming Jesus. That’s not to say the woman doesn’t also shame Jesus. If she is shamed, her husband is shamed, so Jesus is shamed as well. In our culture, we don’t view uncovered women’s heads in the same way, so it’s not an issue for us.

Although we view head coverings differently, the idea of our actions shaming those around us still holds. If I behave badly, I’m not just damaging my reputation, but the reputations of those around me. I could be damaging the reputation of my family, the company I work for, the church I attend, and, worst of all, Jesus.