Sisters In The Ecclesia: Further Thoughts

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 11:16 about the question of sisters wearing head coverings in the ecclesia: ?If anyone wants to argue, we have no such custom, nor the churches of God?. It seems that Paul knew there would always be those who wanted to argue about this matter. As if he knew this matter would be somewhat unclear, but maybe it is there simply as a test of obedience, as to how seriously we will take the inspired word of God and be obedient. It is especially a problem here amongst the ecclesias of the ex-USSR, and the West, where women were trained in worldly wisdom, and can act as if the word of God came out from them rather than to them. It is hard for women from this background to obey Eph. 5:22, which tells women to be in subjection to their husbands. There is in the world a spirit of competition between the genders and this must not be allowed to affect us. We also are in a world where we are trained to do whatever we feel like doing and not to be governed by the feelings of others or by the word of God, and this too is a matter which leads to problems in this area for us.

Abraham?s wife Sarah is presented to us as an example (1 Pet. 3:1-6); she was in subjection unto him, but there was a time when God told Abraham to listen to Sarah?s voice and do what she said rather than what he thought was best (Gen. 21:9-12). This shows that God does not make women subject to men automatically but there is always a context. It is a matter of roles. There are different roles for men and women, but this doesn?t mean that women are slaves of men, and the sister is to glory in the roles she has been given. The description of the wise woman in Prov. 31 is the example for sisters.
 

Bro. Gennady (Poltava, Ukraine)