Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Corinthians 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oh how I was tempted to take a verse from chapter 12. There’s so much good stuff to draw on there.

You and I both know that chapter 11 raises more questions. So here we go.

When I was in Bible college, I took part in a ministry that visited a local nursing home every week. Keep in mind that this was 25 years ago. The instructors warned us that whoever was giving the message had better dress the part. People from that generation would not listen if the preacher was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.

In chapter 11, Paul is speaking in no uncertain terms to a culture that was very different than ours. The guidelines he was insisting on would have made sense to the Corinthian church members of that time. They were not matters of morality but of cultural relevance.

Likewise, we should remain culturally relevant to those we are trying to reach with the Good News of Jesus.

Within the boundaries of Biblical morality, we need to bring the Gospel to people in a manner that will be both understood and not rejected for cultural reasons.

Do you wish for the days of more strict dress and grooming standards?
Would you be willing to study and understand the culture you are trying to reach with the Gospel?