The letter from Paul to the Romans can be a difficult book to read, not because it is hard to understand but because what is says can be hard to take. But just because it requires determination doesn’t mean we shouldn’t study it and try to understand what the Holy Spirit is teaching us through Paul’s words. It is definitely worth the effort!
Let me give you a little background on the epistle (letter) to the Romans. By the time Paul wrote this letter, he had been preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) for more than 20 years. He did not plant the church in Rome, but he had heard of them, and he longed to visit them. They were in a very influential city, and he wanted to make sure they were doctrinally strong. He had plans to visit Spain, and intended to pass through Rome on his way. He sent this letter on ahead so the Christians in Rome would be ready for his visit.
The book of Romans is a letter, and as such, there were expectations for how it should be read. It is important that we attempt to understand this letter the way Paul’s original audience would have understood it instead of imposing our modern day culture on its contents. Read my post about how to read epistles in Scripture to understand more about the style of writing.
So if the letter was written to the Christians in Rome, why is it important for us to read it today? The Word of God is living and active no matter the time period (Hebrews 4:12). That means it had an audience then, and it has an audience now. Let’s go through some of the reasons believers today should study the book of Romans.
Romans Is the Inspired Word of God
The first reason we should read the book of Romans is because it is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and immutable (unchanging) Word of God. Honestly, this should go without saying, but we live in an age when there are “Christians” diminishing Paul’s writings because he is merely a man. They do this by elevating Christ’s words, using the argument that if Christ didn’t say it, it doesn’t matter who else did say it.
We must remember that if we don’t believe the entire Bible is the Word of God, there is no reason to study any of it. We can’t question the truth of Scripture just because we don’t like what it says. Every word in Scripture is God breathed, and we must approach every book and human author from that perspective.
It Presents a Clear Gospel
The book of Romans is one of the clearest statements of the Gospel in Scripture. The first eleven chapters deal with doctrine, including the doctrine of sin and salvation. But Paul doesn’t stop there. The final five chapters of the book give clear, practical guidelines on how Christians are to behave toward other believers, toward the world, and toward God. As Matthew Henry put it, the last five chapters are “to inform the judgment and to reform the life.” Paul encourages believers to include the Gospel in their everyday lives.
Often, once we believe, we tend to stray from the Gospel into other areas of study, yet Paul is writing this letter to believers, those who have already accepted Christ as Lord of their lives. Rather than move on from the Gospel, Paul encourages them to go deeper into it. And as we study the book, our view of evangelism should shift. Paul presents the Gospel as a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness to His people, and we should never lose the awe of that truth!
Romans Focuses on God
While most of the other epistles deal with specific concerns or behaviors in the church, or they are meant to encourage an individual as he walks out his faith, the book of Romans focuses on God. It teaches us what we were before God rescued us. It presents God’s solution to the problem of sin. And it teaches us how to walk out our faith in view of Who God is and what He has done.
Within this framework, Paul anticipates objections to his statements, and he responds to them through rhetorical questions posed throughout the book. His answers are firmly rooted in the Gospel, including passages from the Old Testament that support His claims of salvation through faith. Paul knows he is presenting difficult truths; he tells the believers in Rome that he is “satisfied” about them, but he has written “very boldly by way of reminder.”
It Explains Our Battle with Sin
The book of Romans dives into the complicated doctrine of sin. While this topic is difficult to understand, Paul offers us some incredible encouragement! The mere fact that we struggle to stop sinning is evidence that we are God’s children. Those who are not regenerated do not struggle to stop sinning. They may fear disappointing a loved one or facing consequences if they get caught, but they don’t feel the Holy Spirit conviction to stop sinning because it offends the holy God.
So take heart, believer! If you hate that you still sin, it is a sign of true regeneration.
When we diminish sin to simply be things we do wrong, we take away from the glory of salvation from that sin.
Romans Gives Us Direction
The book of Romans teaches believers how to interact with each other, how to interact with unbelievers, and how to interact with God. Paul includes admonitions about false teachers. He instructs us to submit to the government and be prepared to suffer the consequences when we must stand against it. In his encouragement for us to treat other believers as higher than ourselves, he includes an encouragement to missions and financial support of Christians in other places.
Some questions that the book answers include:
What role does the law play in the life of the unbeliever and the believer?
How do we get along when we disagree with someone in the church?
What responsibility does our church have toward other believing churches?
How can we have a right relationship with God?
One thing I can say with certainty is that none of these questions are outdated! We can relate to a struggle with each of these questions just as much as the original audience would have.
I would love to know if you have additional reasons we should study the book of Romans. This list is certainly not exhaustive, and I’m sure there are important ones I have left out. If you have one (or more) to add, leave them in the comments.
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One of the biggest battles Paul had to fight as he ministered to the Gentile believers (non-Jewish believers) during the early years of Christianity was the enforcement of the Mosaic law. There are many discussions in the New Testament about circumcision, eating foods sacrificed to idols, and the Sabbath, just to name a few. The Jews had followed these laws since the days of Moses, so even those who believed in Christ struggled to let them go. But more than that, they tried to impose these laws on new Gentile believers.
But, while Paul is clear that we have liberty in Christ and nothing in and of itself is unclean (unholy), he also reminds us that there are limits to our Christian liberty. Our freedom in Christ has boundaries, and he discusses these boundaries in Romans 14.
Boundary #1: It Is a Sin
We must begin this discussion by pointing out that sin is sin. Paul is not saying that we can commit sin under the guise of Christian liberty. The first two chapters of the book of Romans discuss the rebellion against God in detail, and make it clear that we are to have no part in it. Anything the Bible explicitly calls sin is off limits.
This discussion revolves around those things that some would call sin but the Bible doesn’t explicitly call them sin. Paul specifically gives the examples of which foods we eat or which days we believe to be holy days. Believer, do not try to pass off your sin as Christian liberty. It will not end well!
Boundary #2: It Is Doctrine
Paul begins the discussion by introducing it as a difference of opinion (v. 1). These are not quarrels over doctrinal issues. He is clear that false teaching is not to be tolerated within the church. If we look ahead to Romans 16:17-20, we see how Paul tells the church at Rome to deal with false teachers.
And in Galatians 1:8-9 Paul says,
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
It is clear Paul gives no place to false teaching in the church. The disagreements subject to Christian liberty are about opinions or personal convictions. These are what we typically call secondary or tertiary issues. In other words, they have nothing to do with salvation or the Gospel itself.
Boundary #3: God Has Authority
While we may feel strongly about our convictions, and we may feel it is prudent for others to follow our personal convictions, other believers do not answer to us; they answer only to God. Romans 14:4 says,
“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
We do not have to agree with someone else’s convictions, we must simply remain true to our own because we will answer to God only for how we live, not how our fellow believer lives.
Can I do it in honor of the Lord?
Boundary #4: Does It Honor God?
Verse 6 really stood out to me in this chapter and caused me to ponder things I have done in the name of Christian liberty. It says,
“The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.”
First, it is clear that all parties are doing what they believe honors the Lord. Second, this would eliminate anything that we cannot do in honor of the Lord.
One example of Christian liberty I discussed in my previous post on this topic was drinking. Because of my personal convictions, I could not have a glass of wine with dinner and say that I am doing it in honor of the Lord. That doesn’t eliminate wine from everyone’s menu, but if you cannot do it in honor of the Lord, it is no longer an issue of Christian liberty but of sin.
Lately, I have seen Christians using foul language and claiming it as Christian liberty. After all, who even decided which words were curse words? This is only an issue of Christian liberty if it can be done in honor of the Lord.
What about the recent trend of not going to church, calling nature your church, or only participating in a virtual capacity. We know that the Sabbath law no longer applies to New Testament believers (the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is a better Sabbath), so is it wrong to “forsake the assembly” (Hebrews 10:25)? In order to discover the answer, we have to ask if it can be done in honor of the Lord.
These are all matters of personal conviction for which we will individually answer to God, not to each other (Romans 14:12). If you can drink alcohol, cuss or be crass, or not attend a physical church in honor of the Lord, then Paul says it is a matter of Christian liberty.
BUT the discussion does not end there.
Boundary #5: It Causes Someone Else to Sin
Paul describes everything as clean (Romans 14:14), but he goes on to say that even something that is right can become wrong if it puts the faith of God’s people at risk.
“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.”
Romans 14:20-21
Paul has painted a clear picture of Christian liberty, but even Christian liberty must be sacrificed for the benefit of others. The passage goes on to say,
“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
Romans 14:23
If you do something out of Christian liberty that a weaker sister follows even though she has questions about whether or not it is sin, you have caused her to stumble because she is not doing it in faith, believing it is “clean.” So often, whether we like it or not, we have to check our Christian liberty at the door for the sake of the faith of those around us.
Application
So when you come across a situation where you and a friend believe differently about an issue, here are some questions to ask yourself before you claim Christian liberty:
Is this a sin? If the answer is “yes,” don’t do it.
Is this a matter of doctrine? If the answer is “yes,” study it out before you decide.
Can I do this in honor of the Lord? If the answer is “no,” don’t do it.
Will it cause someone else to sin? If the answer is “yes” or “maybe,” don’t do it.
I would love to know your thoughts. Have you come across any situations where you have either caught yourself judging someone else for acting out of Christian liberty or been reprimanded for doing something out of your own Christian liberty? What trends are you observing in culture that fall squarely in the realm of Christian liberty?
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“The word epistle comes from the Greek word epistole that means ‘letter’ or ‘message’” (gotquestions.org). So in the broadest sense of the word, an epistle is a letter. Just like letters or e-mails in our day, epistles share some elements though many vary from what scholars believe to be the normal structure of letters for the time period. Common elements of an epistle include the greeting, which usually includes the author and specific audience; the body of the letter, which introduces the purpose for the letter; and the conclusion, which might be more personal, naming specific people to greet and personal struggles or concerns.
The Epistle Should Be Read as a Whole
The most important thing to keep in mind when we approach an epistle is that it is a complete, self-contained work. In other words, you want to be familiar with the letter in its entirety and not cherry pick short sections without understanding the context. Think about the last time you wrote a letter or an email. We typically build up to the point; we don’t dive into the purpose for the letter right out of the gate. And very often we set the foundation for what we are going to say next.
The same is true for the epistles. The author generally lays a foundation before diving into the teaching, correction, or encouragement of the letter, so it is important to be familiar with the entire epistle even if you are studying a shorter passage within the epistle (though I generally recommend studying the whole book from beginning to end).
The Letter Has an Audience
Another important thing to keep in mind as you study an epistle is that there are two audiences. The specific audience is the one listed in the letter. For example, the epistle to the Romans was written to the church in Rome while 1st and 2nd Timothy are written to Timothy, one of Paul’s dear friends who is in leadership in the city of Ephesus.
But each epistle also has a more general audience: Christians. Sometimes, as in the epistle to the Hebrews, the specific audience is Jewish Christians while the general audience is Christians as a whole, including us today. Other times, as in the case of most of the epistles, the specific audience is Gentile Christians while the general audience is still Christians as a whole.
This is important because while we are the intended general audience, the specific audience should determine how we read the letter. What was going on around them in their culture at the time of the writing? Were they being persecuted for their faith? Did they live in a particularly debauched society? Were they facing false teachers within their own congregations? It is important to have a grasp on the specific audience so our interpretation of the content of the epistle is accurate.
A Tip for Context
Something that can help with the context of the epistle is to look at the history. For example, if you are studying the book of Hebrews, it might be helpful to look back at the history of Israel as this book is written primarily to Jewish Christians. They understood the Jewish feasts, sacrifices, and laws. You may want to spend some time in the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, to familiarize yourself with the knowledge they would’ve had.
For the epistle to the Ephesians, you would want to go back to the book of Acts when the author shares how the church was started. Then you could turn to 1 and 2 Timothy to get an idea of how it was going. And you might even want to turn to the book of Revelation since the church at Ephesus is a recipient of one of the letters. They are the church that “abandoned the love you had at first.”
I’m not saying you need to be a Bible scholar to understand the epistle, just have a basic knowledge of the context as you dive into the letter. It is so interesting to me when I find connections I had never made before as I study a new book of the Bible. Everything in Scripture, whether it is the Old or New Testament, prophecy or historical narrative, poetry or discourse, is connected. There is an over arching narrative being taught throughout the whole of the Bible, so you cannot truly study any part of Scripture in isolation. And every book must be understood in the context of the whole Bible.
The goal of Bible study should always be to understand Who God is and what He means in His Word.
The Epistle Has a Purpose
Once you understand a bit of the context surrounding the epistle, including the author and the audience, take note of anything that indicates why the author wrote the letter. Did he receive a bad report about the church or one of its members? Is he encouraging a pastor and teaching him what to do? Does he want to come visit the church and has sent a letter on ahead of that visit? Some of the epistles clearly state the intention of the letter, but others only give clues or simply imply the reason.
Very often, epistles include very practical instruction for believers facing various challenges, and these can give a clue as to the purpose of the letter. They also serve as instruction to us so many years later! And even when the instructions are specific to the situation in that particular church, we can draw principles from the teaching to apply to our lives today.
The Letter is God’s Word
Finally, it is important to recognize that the epistles in Scripture are God’s words. The authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit as they wrote. We don’t have to know exactly what this looked like in order to believe in the inspiration of the Bible. Whether the first draft was the final draft, the authors used secretaries, or the writing was more of a group project as the author discussed the work with his companions, ultimately, the words that made it into the letter are God-breathed. We should treat them with that authority and not try to twist them into what we would want them to mean.
The goal of Bible study should always be to understand Who God is and what He means in His Word. It is not an endeavor to take lightly or a task to be manipulated to fit our agendas. We may not always like what the Bible has to say, but it is our responsibility as God’s children to obey it even when we don’t want to.
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“If there’s anyone you can trust, it’s my mom. For real!” my son, Micah, said to his friend when we were seated around the dinner table and a touchy subject came up.
I will admit, I was holding back tears.
While I am staring down the barrel of an empty nest, I have been pondering my parenting choices along the way. I have made a lot of mistakes in parenting, more than I care to think about, but both of my kids have expressed sentiments like the one above recently–letting me know that I have earned their trust.
While I have been an inattentive mom at times–working a distracting “side hustle,” binging a TV show, or researching the latest societal downfall–I have always tried to show an interest in what matters to my kids. Mind you, it has not always been interesting to me, but if it was important to them, I tried to care about it.
Building Trust Requires Intentionality
I have found the best way to be intentional about listening to my kids, even when the topic is, dare I say it, boring, is to be proactive. I have to decide ahead of time that they will come first. When I am busy during my day, and my kids require my attention, they are not an interruption because they are my priority.
I have sat through long discussions about Minecraft and watched a million Fortnight dances. I have learned the ins and outs of baseball and horseback riding. I have listened to convoluted stories about a joke or the most recent unfolding friend drama. I have sympathized with disappointments and mourned lost friendships.
I have also celebrated their victories: cantering on a horse, medaling in a jiu jitsu tournament, and passing the hard test. I have shared their excitement as they have learned something new or have overcome a hurdle.
And as we have experienced these things together, we have grown–as a family, in our spiritual walks, and in maturity–together.
Being attentive does not mean there are no boundaries. It does not mean they can interrupt willy-nilly and never be corrected for it. Taking the time to explain the boundaries instead of just brushing them aside when they interrupt at an inappropriate time is attentiveness. While we should absolutely teach our children when it is appropriate to interrupt and when they need to wait, we should make an effort to prevent their feeling like an imposition on our time or a burden we have to deal with.
Teach your kids they can trust you with their silliness, and they will also trust you with their hurts.
Attentiveness Has a Compounding Effect
If you choose to be attentive to your kids and make them the priority, it will require a long-term commitment on your part. And you will make mistakes. There will be times when you will lash out because the incessant interruptions have kept you from accomplishing your goals. But there will also be times when your children will see you physically set your work aside to give them your undivided attention.
Little by little, story after story, you will strengthen their trust in you. You will share inside jokes and find yourself carrying on conversations you never imagined. You will see things or hear things when you are alone that will bring a smile to your face–you might even find yourself taking a quick picture of something because it made you think of one of your children, and you want to share it with him or her.
And here is a bonus tip: when you do mess up and lose your cool or break their trust, a heart-felt apology, admitting you were wrong, and asking for forgiveness will go a long way to fortifying your relationships with them.
It Teaches Us Important Lessons
I have learned so much from my kids! Listening to their stories, guiding them through life lessons, and giggling with them over silly jokes has taught me not just about their interests and personalities, but also about myself.
Yes, I have learned about baseball, jiu jitsu, cheerleading, and horseback riding. I’ve learned things about astronomy and biology I never learned in school. I have learned what my kids like, what they avoid, and what they long for.
I have also learned how much responsibility they can handle and how much they can juggle at one time. It has allowed me to let go when I need to and taught me when to step in to manage a sticky situation.
One of the most important things I have learned about them is to read what is coming. Often, I have been able to discern an imminent frustration, stressor, or meltdown, and as a result, I have been able to prevent it, minimize it, or at least be prepared to manage it. I have learned to read the signs and adjust accordingly.
But I have not just learned about them by being attentive. I have also learned about myself through them.
I’m a pretty straight-laced person; a rule follower and risk avoider. But my kids have taught me to take risks and try new things. In the process, I’ve discovered some things I really enjoy that I would not have known otherwise. They have pulled me out of my shell in more than one area of my life. And they did this, not by threatening or by manipulating, but simply by allowing me to get to know them and the things they enjoy.
I have also recognized some of their stresses, frustrations, and sins in myself. I can see where they picked them up, and I realize when I need to repent. My children have been an integral part of my sanctification. It is always fun (she said sarcastically) when they parrot back your own advice as they see you struggling with an issue they know well. At least you know they are listening!
I hope you have picked up on the fact that attentiveness requires you to spend time with your kids. They cannot trust someone they do not know, so it is vital that you make the time. While trust building through attentiveness takes intentionality, commitment, and teachability, hearing your kids express that they trust you definitely makes it all worth it! Attentiveness does not just grow your children’s trust in you, it also grows your trust in them. It creates a bond that will hopefully last long into adulthood.
*This post was originally published in issue 7 of the Learning Well Journal.To read more articles from the Learning Well Journal, subscribe to the magazine here.
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Over the last year, I have been on a quest to discover what the Bible actually says about the role of women in ministry. As I have been diving into this subject, the topic of head coverings has surfaced over and over again. I have spent countless hours combing through research trying to answer the questions surrounding this topic:
Was Paul commanding the women to wear head coverings as a reaction to the culture around the church in Corinth?
Is this a command for the Corinthians then and for us now?
If this is a command for us now, what are the parameters? Is it for while we pray? While we worship? Only at church, or also at home?
The passage addressing head coverings is 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Some would argue that because this is the only passage in Scripture that mentions this topic, we shouldn’t put much weight on it. On this issue, I agree with Partridge when he points out that the number of times something is mentioned in the Bible doesn’t negate its truth. There are many commands in Scripture that appear only once, and we don’t question their authority (11). So we should treat this passage as we treat any passage in Scripture and study it to answer the questions it raises.
I have listened to both men and women discuss this topic, most in favor, yet have not been convinced by their arguments. I’m not trying to be obstinate; I have truly wanted to be convinced. I even wore wide headbands to church for a while wanting to err on the side of caution until I fully studied the topic. Yet no argument has proven to me definitively that Scripture commands head coverings for women today. I also watched a seven-hour-long YouTube video from Mike Winger in which he concludes that head coverings are not mandatory but an issue of Christian liberty and potentially church or location specific.
When I saw that Dale Partridge, a pastor I have admired and respected for some time*, published a book on the topic, A Cover for Glory, with the subheading, “A Biblical Defense for Headcoverings,” I was excited to get my hands on it and dive in. I was not disappointed by the amount of research he put into the book. He cites many Bible scholars throughout church history, discusses the topic of submission in depth, and honestly, seems to come at the topic from every possible angle. Yet I find myself unconvinced that I should be wearing a head covering during my church’s worship service. While he includes all of the research, he fails to prove biblically that all women in all times and in all places should wear head coverings in church.
I am certainly not dismissing this book as poorly written or lacking in content. Partridge includes a lot of great information about the history of head coverings in the church, the definition of submission, and the meaning of glory. He simply fails to prove the point his book is intended to prove.
The Role of Feminism
One thing that has bothered me for a long time, and honestly one reason I have wanted to be convinced on this topic, is that women stopped wearing head coverings in church due to the feminist movement. As feminism grew, many of the symbols of submission in our society began to fall out of practice, including the wearing of head coverings during worship. I, like many other Christian women, do not subscribe to the feminist ideals and would have relished a way to react against it, even in some small rebellion like wearing head coverings.
Partridge dives into this issue and points out the influence feminism has had on the church. In fact, he goes so far as to accuse pastors who don’t encourage head coverings in their church of bowing to feminism because they don’t want to “poke the bear” (115-18). There is no doubt that feminism has affected the American church, but this raises another question for me. Did women understand the reason they wore head coverings in the first place? If there had been a biblical reason for it, would they have been so quick to toss it aside?
As a child, I remember watching the movie Easter Parade in which the focus of Easter, a religious holiday with so much meaning, was the hat or bonnet on each woman’s head. If the concern is what our hat looks like instead of what it is supposed to represent, we are wearing it for the wrong reason, potentially even sinning in doing so. So while it is true that the practice of head coverings diminished due to feminism, I have to wonder how many women even understood the meaning behind wearing a hat (or bonnet) to church. The purpose fell away long before the practice.
The Definition of Submission
Partridge does a good job of explaining biblical submission in the book. He spends multiple chapters talking about biblical authority and gender roles, and he returns to the topic again and again throughout the book. Overall, I was impressed with his ability to explain this complicated and nuanced topic. However, I will add that many times he left the statements incomplete, leaving the impression that women are to submit to men in general while Scripture says that a woman is to submit to her own husband. This is an important distinction.
The dilemma I had with this topic is that, while he goes to great lengths to define and describe biblical submission, he does not successfully tie it back to the practice of head coverings. Yes, the passage talks about headship but it is unclear if this discussion about head coverings was specific to the Corinthians due to their culture or if it is for all believers in all time periods and cultures.
Errors and Inconsistencies
One major concern for me in this book is the misrepresentation of Scripture. In chapter 2, Partridge introduces Tamar. While he says she disguises herself as a prostitute in one paragraph, in the next, he refers to her as a harlot as an introduction into the topic of punishment for harlotry in the Old Testament. This is misleading because the account of Tamar is not about prostitution but about a woman who is mistreated by the men in her life and how God vindicates her (in spite of her tactics) and allows her to be included in the lineage of the Messiah.
In another instance (chapter 10), he begins to tell the story of Haman and Mordecai. The book of Esther makes it clear that in God’s sovereignty and providence the king innocently made Haman honor Mordecai in the way Haman himself hoped to be honored. Yet Partridge tells the account differently: “For those of you who know the story of Esther, Haman had planned to sabotage Esther’s uncle Mordecai, but the king had become aware of his scheme, and Haman is now forced to honor Mordecai in public” (145). It made me question if he knew the story.
Finally, Partridge discusses Naaman, the military commander who was stricken with leprosy. When he visits the prophet Elisha and is told to dunk in the Jordan seven times, he is offended and refuses. Partridge ends the story here, using it as an argument that pride keeps us from blessing (so women should not be too proud to cover their heads during worship). But the story goes on, and Naaman does what he is told, thus healing his leprosy. So he didn’t miss out on the blessing.
At best, Partridge simply doesn’t know these stories. At worst, he is twisting Scripture to support his argument. In either case, this is not proper handling of the Word of God.
Adding to the Book
But worse yet is when Partridge adds to God’s Word. This is most notable when he claims “Eve’s purpose was never to rule but to ornament and help her husband” (emphasis mine) (92). Scripture never says that a woman is an ornament to her husband. Yes, the Proverbs 31 woman does make her husband look good, and wives should always strive to be a positive reflection on their husbands, but there are times in a woman’s life when the last thing on her mind is to be an ornament to her husband because she is concerned with her duties as a wife and/or mother. Scripture never commands that a woman must ornament her husband but that she honors God in all she does. (I would also argue that the command to have dominion over the earth was given to both Adam and Eve, so in some sense, Eve’s purpose was to rule, just not over her husband.)
More subtly in the same chapter, he presents the argument that women are not to have authority over men in any arena of life. Scripture only addresses this in the realms of church and home. The Bible does not forbid women to participate in leadership positions in their communities, education, business, etc. You could certainly make an argument for this being your preference, but it is not discussed in Scripture.
Honestly, this chapter (chapter 7) was the most problematic for me. Partridge quotes a Dr. McFall in a way that leaves one thinking a woman must go through a man to reach God (though he denies this in other sections of the book). At one point, I even wrote a question in the margin: “Can a woman lead a man to the Lord?,” and I wonder how Partridge would answer this question.
But this chapter was also the most interesting because he presented an idea that was new to me. He described Adam as a representation of Christ and Eve as a representation of the church–a new Adam and a new Eve. Since he quotes Tertullian and Augustine in this section, it is obviously not a new idea, but it was one I had never encountered, and it caused me to ponder.
In chapter 10, Partridge brings up the topic of a woman’s long hair being attractive to men and baldness being unattractive to them. This leads to the implication that women should cover their hair during worship so as not to become a distraction to men. While it may be true that some men are sexually aroused by a woman’s long hair, the only passage in Scripture about head coverings does not point to this as a reason for wearing them. Since this would be an easy position to defend and would certainly make this passage clearer to modern readers, one would think Paul would have included it if it was pertinent, yet he didn’t.
“Universal” Examples of Head Coverings
Partridge includes several examples from our culture to reinforce his points, but he fails to see that these examples are unique to our culture. For example, he claims that women demonstrate submission by laying down their last names at the altar. I grew up in a culture where this was not the practice. He claims that there is gender-specific attire for special occasions (weddings, the opera, etc.), yet women refuse to wear the appropriate attire for worship. Again, this is very culture-specific, and honestly seems to be changing in modern times.
He uses the example of men removing their hats during prayer at a Nascar event as evidence that men don’t struggle to practice the command to them to not wear a head covering during worship. Yet when you walk into a worship service at many churches in our country, you will see many men wearing hats because this is not something they have been taught. And when it is taught, men are to remove their hats inside any building, not just the church.
“Spiritual Transgenderism”
At the beginning of the book, Partridge states that our culture’s current confusion about gender is a result of women no longer wearing head coverings (14). His argument is that removing this symbol of truth has caused the truth of gender distinctions to be forgotten. But at the end of the book, he brings this argument full circle when he says, “To God, a man worshiping with his head covered and a woman worshiping with her head uncovered is a sight of spiritual transgenderism, and it is shameful” (158). This is a bold claim!
What I Learned about Head Coverings
While Partridge claims this book is a biblical defense for head coverings, I felt it was a better defense of the cultural argument for head coverings. Chapter 5 discusses the Corinthian culture at the time this letter was written. After going through several descriptions of religious practices in Rome during this time period, he says, “In sum, Paul’s teaching here in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is not simply affirming the religious customs of Corinth; it was instructing a new Christian practice that was the exact opposite of the religious customs of Corinth” (61).
Paul was giving the Corinthians a new practice to set them apart from the religious customs of their culture at that time. It even set them apart from Jews whose Rabbis wore prayer shawls during religious events. To this day, Jewish men wear yamakas during their worship. This argument seems to fit the best with this passage based on my study.
Where I Land on Head Coverings
As believers under the New Covenant, we do not follow all of the laws given to the Old Testament Jews. The laws that still apply to us are those that are repeated or reinforced in the New Testament. This is why we don’t worry about eating pork and why we no longer offer birds or livestock as sacrifices. This practice of head coverings was not even a law for the Old Testament Jews, so this mention in the letter to the Corinthians is the first time any Jew would have heard the law, yet it is vague as if it is given to people who would understand and have a reason to practice it.
Another concern I have with the practice of head coverings is that it adds to the to do’s of the Christian life while Christ and the authors of the New Testament were continually removing things from the lengthy to-do list. This goes so far as circumcision, the symbol of being one of God’s chosen people. Paul goes to great lengths in the book of Romans to establish that circumcision is no longer necessary and to reinforce that God is more concerned about the heart of the person than any outward symbol.
I am not saying that women should not wear head coverings if they feel led to do so. There are countries where a head covering is culturally necessary. And there are churches here in America that teach head coverings, so wearing one is a sign of submission to the leaders of the church. You may attend a church that does not practice head coverings but you feel a conviction to do so. By all means, submit to the guidance and conviction of the Holy Spirit in your life.
I am saying that I am still waiting to be convinced that this command is meant for all people at all times in all places, and thus far, I remain unconvinced. And I want to be convinced! If this is truly what God would have all women do, I want to be obedient. But until such a time as that happens or the Holy Spirit convicts me personally, I will continue to worship from the heart knowing that is what God sees.
*Recently, Dale Partridge, along with Joel Webbon, the author of the foreword in the book, have made some public statements about the role of women that add to the standards set in Scripture. As a result, I have ceased to follow or listen to Dale Partridge, relearnhq, and Right Response Ministries.
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