Corinthians 11: 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.”

Some men were repeating this and making insinuations about it along the lines of women’s inferiority. In the previous post, I discussed how I had prayed about this verse and the entire passage. The Lord helped me to understand what it truly means.

Hint: It has nothing to do with men being more God-like than women, more important to God, or superior to women in any way.

Here is one thing the Lord brought to my attention relating to context of “glory” in 1 Corinthians 11: 7.

His word tells us, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” -Romans 3: 23.

If Paul was using “glory” in 1 Corinthians 11: 7 in the context of God’s glory described in Romans 3: 23, to say that men had that kind of glory, while women didn’t, he would be directly contradicting the Bible. Romans 3: 23 states we have all fallen short of God’s glory!

• God created Adam and put him to work. Adam did the will and work of God. The man is God’s “glory.”

• Eve was formed because God said it was not good for man to be alone, and He would make him a helpmeet suitable for him. She is man’s “glory.” In 1 Corinthians 11: 8- 9, it explains in true context the details of the woman being a man’s glory.

I believe it is greatly underestimated how a woman truly can help a man by praying for him, supporting him, and holding him accountable to God’s requirements. This is the true meaning of being a helpmeet.

A woman does not have to wait until she is married to be a helpmeet! She should be holding a man accountable to God’s righteousness before she even gets married. God calls the man to lead in carrying out His will.

Sometimes, the man is in stubborn rebellion. He may not do God’s will, but wants to govern himself. A woman who will hold her fiance or boyfriend accountable may be able to help him do what God calls him to do. If he wants to be with her enough, but she won’t have anything to do with him as he sins against God, he may rethink sinning against God.

• When a woman requires of a man what God requires of a man, it can help the man do what he otherwise might not do, which is to do the will of God.

• Why? God wired a man to pursue and desire a woman. This means if a godly woman does her duty and is the helpmeet that she is supposed to be, she will not affirm a man who is not walking in accordance to the will of God!

The reason she will not do this is because she serves God and wants His will to be done. As a daughter of God, she will not settle for a man who is not doing the will of God. This is being a true helpmeet. A prudent woman keeps God first and requires no less of the man than God requires of him. She absolutely refuses to give her body to, or marry a man who is out of the will of God.

In short, the man will realize that he has the option to get right with God or go without his needs and desires for the woman being met. The woman is the glory of the man, being created as his helper. As a daughter of God, I am obligated to be Biblically literate. When I study the word of God for myself and pray for understanding, I have truth, no matter what people are saying. Mankind was created for God’s glory. Mankind includes both men and women. We trace this fact back to the beginning. Genesis 5:1-2.

The head of every man is Jesus Christ. The head of the woman is the man. Within marriage, the man is to reflect the role of Jesus Christ in how he lovingly, selflessly, and righteously cares for his wife. The wife has the role of reflecting the church in how the church responds in submission to Jesus Christ’s love and leadership.

The man has the awesome responsibility of being God’s representative in the home, as it relates to being a leader, provider, and the most responsible one.

• Both the man’s and woman’s role glorifies God!

• Both roles are equally important, but the man carries the greater responsibility.

• It is all for the glory of God.

• Remember as well- in the beginning, God created them both in the image of God, as male and female, and called their name Adam. The Apostle Paul was not stating that the male is more like God than the female is.

“For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: To whom be glory forever. Amen.”  -Romans 11: 36.

God’s holiness and nature can manifest in both men and women, and Paul was not denying this in 1 Corinthians 11: 7.

A woman’s “glory” is her hair, because it is given to her as a covering. It is a symbol of authority. Her glory (her hair) signifies she is under the authority of her husband, who is under the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is under the authority of God.

We are dealing with authority, position, and roles here; not personal importance, value, or righteous status with the roles of the man and woman. The man, being God’s glory, is the one who has the greater responsibility; not greater value.

There is further explanation about the woman being the glory of the man in verses 8-12. In verse 8, it goes on to explain why and how the woman is the glory of the man:

“For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.”

Notice, it did NOT say, “for the man has superior moral character and is more like God than the woman is.”

Instead, in simple words, it explains, for (or because) the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. God formed Adam first, before Eve was fashioned from his rib.This is why woman is of the man, not the man of the woman, because she came out of man.

Keep in mind both the male and female spirits both existed before they got their bodies (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 5: 1-2).

Verse 9 further explains: “Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man…” What does this mean? Is this saying that a wife is for her husband, but the husband is not for his wife? No! A husband and wife belong equally to one another and are equally for one another.

Paul is describing that when the first man and first woman were formed from the dust, (Adam and Eve), there was an order in which they received their physical forms, and coinciding delegation of authority and roles.

Adam was formed first, meaning he got a physical body first, with God later creating Eve for him to be his helper. It was not an afterthought, because God knew from the beginning, as He knows all things, that He was going to form the woman from the rib taken from the man’s side.

This means the woman joined the man to help him in what God had assigned him to do. She plays a significant supporting role and submits to the man, who submits to God.

In this passage, Paul is referring to the fact that there is a divine order of creation, of authority, and responsibility. Men and women are to conduct themselves accordingly.

•  The woman was created as a helper for the man; not the man created as a helper for the woman.

• What is the significance of this? The woman came out from the man to assist him in his already assigned, God-given duty to obey God.

• Adam was formed first and put to work for a duration of time before Eve was separated out to assist. This shows a difference in responsibility; not importance or worth.

• The woman is not to take over or take lead in the man’s duty. She is a helpmeet to him in his duty.

Paul is pointing out that her long hair is her covering, symbolizing power on her head and shows that she is under authority of the man. The angels observe. Verse 10: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”

God is a God of divine order, authority and delegation of authority and responsibility.  This is in effect in heaven and on earth. A woman wearing long hair is a symbol she is under the man’s authority.

“Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord.”  –1 Corinthians 11: 11.

• In the Lord, they are not without, or independent of each other.

“For as the woman is of the man, so is the man by the woman, but all things of God.” – 1 Corinthians 11: 12.

Verses 11-12 show that even though the woman came from the man, men come by women. Ultimately, this is all of God.

“Glory” is a term used in a specific context by apostle Paul that is referring to the man’s position and the woman’s position in the chain of command in their delegated roles. “The man is the glory of God” does not refer to superiority, being more God-like than the woman or being more important!

Whoever has been transformed and has God’s holy character is more like God!

Simply being in a particular position or role has nothing to do with it. Bottom line, we are all to be Christ-like. We have simply been assigned different roles in doing so. Read next the final post on this very important topic: The Man Is The Image And Glory Of God: But The Woman Is The Glory Of The Man? Part 3