Interdependence (1 Corinthians 11:2 to 16)

Graham Nicholls

Interdependence

Men and women are different by God’s design and command. We glorify him as we live out the creation order of authority and submission and live in equal dependence on each other and ultimately on God. This seems to be have been contradicted by the some women’s behaviour in church gatherings as the women discarded their head coverings (probably shawls).
Paul calls on them to show that they are respecting God’s design for men and women as they worshipped together using the cultural acceptable ways to designate male headship and female co-dependence

  • Different for the glory of God.
  • Dependent on each other for the glory of God.
  • Dressing for the glory of God.

To listen to Graham Nicholls preaching at Christ Church on Sunday morning 3rd May 2015 use the player above..

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Questions for discussion in Community Groups

1. What do you think Paul means by “the husband is the head of the wife (v3?).

2. How does it help that Paul uses the reality of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son as one of his models?

3. How, in that culture and that church could men and women dishonour their heads? What do you think it means to dishonour the head?

4. Why does Paul talk about creation order/sequence? (v8,9)

5. How does Paul want women to engage in public worship?

6. How do we express God’s design for equality and diversity, headship and interdependence in our corporate worship?

7. What are the pressures on us to rebel against God’s design for men and women?

8. How does what we dress or our demeanour say something about masculinity and femininity?
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Series: 1 Corinthians (2015)

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