Please turn to 1 Corinthians 11. We begin with verse 1.
Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head.
But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoreth her head; for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven.
For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled.
For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man:
for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man:
for this cause ought the woman to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels.
Nevertheless, neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord.
For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God.
Judge ye in yourselves: is it seemly that a woman pray unto God unveiled?
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
But if any man seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
We have been fellowshipping during these few times on some very important principles that need to be applied to the various issues of life. This morning we dealt first with the matter of discipline—how the church of God today needs this principle, and how discipline establishes the church.
We mentioned Christian conduct: how we should conduct ourselves toward one another, and the various principles that govern our conduct. “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.” “All things are lawful, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” We do all things to the glory of God. We give no occasion for stumbling to brothers and sisters.
Tonight we want to enter into another very important basic principle of life, and that is the matter of divine order.
We are not going to enter into the matter of head covering itself. Paul brings in this matter of head covering on the basis of a principle. It is out of that principle that he speaks about head covering.
Now, of course, concerning head covering there are many opinions. Some say that it was a Corinthian custom. But that cannot be, because if it were simply a custom among the Corinthians, why should Paul need to tell them to retain it? They already had their custom.
Other people say that it was a Jewish custom. But we know that among the Jews the men covered their heads, not the women, in the synagogues. And the church is not Judaism. It would be entirely contrary to Paul’s way to impose Jewish custom upon Gentile believers.
But, as I say, we are not entering into the matter of head covering tonight. We would like to go back to this vital, basic principle, which can be applied not only to head covering. The principle is much, much bigger than head covering. It is the principle of divine order.
So our emphasis tonight will be on verse 3:
The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Now, brothers and sisters, our God is a God of order. He does not believe in disorder. Everything He does is in order.
When you think of God creating this earth, and read the first chapter of Genesis, you find that God created everything after its kind. “After its kind” simply means that everything has its order.
For instance, on the third day God said:
Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.
Whether it is grass, herb, or fruit tree, you find that everything is after its kind. There is a definite order.
Then, on the fifth day, God created the great sea-monsters and every living creature that moveth, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. Whether it is the sea-monsters, all the fishes, or all the birds of the air, each is after its kind.
Then, on the sixth day, God said:
Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind.
All the living animals on the earth were created after their kind—a definite order. And at the very end of the sixth day God created man, because man belonged to another order.
So you find that God is a God of order. When He created the universe, He created everything after its kind, according to its order.
Especially in the creation of man, the Bible says that God created man after His own image. In His own image He created him; male and female created He them.
In other words, in the original thought of God, man is a corporate being. According to God’s original design, man is composed of male and female.
So far as God’s original thought is concerned, there is no inequality between man and woman, because male and female God created man. Sometimes we say that she is the better part and the other is the worse part. But Scripture does not speak that way. There is no worse part or better part; they are equal parts.
God created man with equal parts: the male and the female. They are equal. So far as God’s original design is concerned, and so far as life is concerned, they are equal.
And yet, in the process of creating man, you find there is a difference in time. The male was first created, and the female followed.
Why? Because the female was created to be a helpmeet. In other words, so far as the human race is concerned, so far as life is concerned, the man and the woman are equal. But so far as God’s work and function are concerned, there is an order.
Let us remember that this divine order is not a matter of life. This divine order is a matter of function.
For this reason, God created man first, because man was to be the head of the family, and the woman was to be the supporting part, the help. Through the cooperation of man and woman, God’s work entrusted to man as a corporate being would be realized.
So, brothers and sisters, in the very creation of man there is an order. If this order is kept, there is not only protection, but there will also be the performance of God’s work.
Satan is the source of disorder. He hates order. Therefore, when Satan came into the Garden of Eden, instead of going to Adam, he went to Eve.
He knew that there was a divine order there. If the divine order had been kept, there was no way for him to attack man. Therefore, he did not go to Adam; he went to Eve. Somehow, we do not know why, Adam and Eve were separated at that moment.
Satan came to Eve and said, “If you eat this forbidden fruit, you will be as God, knowing good and evil. You do not need God anymore. You will be god yourself.”
Instead of keeping her place in the divine order, and instead of going to Adam, she made her decision. In other words, she took a false position of authority. She took the initiative. She ate the forbidden fruit and gave it to her husband to eat.
Here you find that the divine order was reversed. Because the divine order was interrupted, the whole world entered into chaos.
Thank God, redemption comes to this world.
You know, we often think of redemption in terms of our personal, individual benefit. That is true. We were once dead in trespasses and sins, and yet God redeemed us. Our sins are forgiven, and we are given new life.
But let us remember that when we come to the work of redemption of our Lord Jesus, redemption is far more than something personal. Redemption goes way back. Redemption is for the purpose of restoring God’s original design in creation.
In the redemption of our Lord Jesus, the order that has been overturned is to be brought back in the church.
In the world, you cannot expect divine order to be established. But in the church, among the redeemed of the Lord, that is where order is to be restored.
This is the reason why, in 1 Corinthians 11, there is this mention of divine order. Paul uses head covering only as a demonstration.
If we argue about head covering and forget the divine principle of order, we miss the whole point. Paul bases everything upon this principle of divine order. If we can see the divine order, brothers and sisters, many things are easily solved.
Anyway, there is a divine order, and this divine order must be seen in the church.
You know, in all spiritual things, you have to go back to Christ. Christ is the foundation for all spiritual things.
If we try to solve this matter of divine order between man and woman without Christ, we will not be able to solve it. Even if we try to do it, it will be technical, mechanical, legal, and not spiritual.
Everything spiritual has to find its origin in Christ. So, in this matter of divine order, we have to go back to Christ, because it is in Christ that we find the foundation of divine order. Aside from Christ there is no order; everything is disorder. It is only in Christ that there is divine order.
Paul, in his presentation of divine order, bases everything upon Christ. He says, “The head of Christ is God.”
For the moment, let us forget about men and women and go back to Christ. Before the Son of God came to this world, He was equal with God.
God the Father and God the Son are one. God the Father and God the Son are equal. There is no sense of inferiority or superiority. There is no question of who is superior and who is inferior. That does not exist in the Godhead. God the Father and God the Son are one, and They are equal.
That is why we say it is not a matter of life. So far as life is concerned, God the Son and God the Father share the same life in the Spirit—completely the same.
But for the sake of God’s purpose, plan, and work, the Son offered Himself to the Father to come to this world to be Christ.
Christ simply means “the Anointed One.” In the Old Testament, one who was anointed was anointed for a special purpose. One might be anointed to be a king, a prophet, or a priest. In other words, it is a matter of function; it is a matter of fulfilling a function.
Because there was such a tremendous need, God needed to redeem the people He had created. So the Son offered Himself to the Father to come to this world, to become a man, to be Christ—to be sent and anointed for a special purpose, to accomplish a special work.
When the Son of God came to this earth to become a man, to be Christ, immediately a divine order was set up.
As Christ, He takes God as His Head. The Son of God and the Father are one in eternity; but as Christ, He voluntarily takes a lower position and accepts the Father—God—as His Head.
To do that, He had to empty Himself. He emptied Himself and took upon Himself the form of a servant. Being made in the likeness of men, He further humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the Father even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
Brothers and sisters, this is the story of Christ. Today we think of Christ in one aspect: He is the glorious Christ, and He has come to accomplish God’s purpose. But there is another aspect of Christ: as Christ, He learned not to be His own Head.
He learned to cover His Head before God. Why? Because there can be only one Head.
Our Lord Jesus, as Christ, covered His Head before God in order that God might be His Head. If you read the Gospels, especially the Gospel according to John, you find what a life He lived.
He said, “I can do nothing of Myself.” He did because He saw the Father doing. “I can say nothing of Myself.” He spoke because He heard the Father speak. “Not My will, but Thy will.” His time was not in His own hand; His time was in His Father’s hand.
Throughout the life of Christ, there is one thing that is persistent: He always refused to be His own Head. His Head was always covered because He had taken His Father, His God, as His Head.
You remember the temptation in the wilderness. Satan said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.”
“If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple. Everybody will see Someone descending from heaven, and they will believe You are the Christ, the Messiah, right away. You do not need to go to the cross. God will take care of You. He will not let You be dashed. He will send His angels to bear You up.”
And then, “If You worship me, I will give You the whole world.”
In other words, Satan was trying to tempt Christ to be His own boss, His own Head. If Christ should act on His own, He would be disqualified. But thank God, He never did.
Our Lord Jesus answered:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
If God had not commanded Him to turn the stones into bread, even though He was hungry, He would not do it. He who was able to multiply loaves and feed the five thousand refused to turn the stones into bread for Himself.
His own brothers tempted Him: “If You want to make Yourself known, do not stay and hide Yourself in Nazareth. Go to Jerusalem during the feast, where the people are. Show Yourself to them, and they will acclaim You as the Christ. Why do You not do that?”
And our Lord Jesus said, “Your time is always ready; Mine is not. I have to wait for My Father. I cannot do things according to what I think is right and good.”
Brothers and sisters, this is Christ. This is an aspect of Christ that we sometimes overlook.
God is the Head of Christ. Oh, how our Lord Jesus always had His Head covered as Christ before God.
You cannot have two heads, you know. If you have two heads, there will be chaos. There will be struggle. Nothing can be done.
Therefore, for the work of God to be accomplished on earth, Christ had to subject Himself to God. The Son had to learn obedience through the things which He suffered, that He might be the Author of eternal salvation.
Here you find a divine order established. Throughout the world there is disorder. The order between God and man has been overturned. From the days of Adam until now, man has rebelled against God and has tried to be his own head.
But in this Man, in Christ, divine order is restored. Because divine order is restored in Christ, He has become the source of our salvation.
Then you find that Christ is the Head of every man. The word “man” here, in the first place, refers to those who are redeemed. Those who are not redeemed will not accept Christ as their Head.
You remember when Christ was on earth how they cried, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” “Crucify Him. We do not want Him.” They wanted to be their own head.
But to all who are redeemed, Christ is the Head of all. The word “man” here is not used to differentiate man from woman. It includes male and female. Christ is the Head of every one of those whom He has redeemed.
This divine order is established step by step. The foundation is Christ: God is the Head of Christ. Then, upon that foundation, another step is built: Christ is the Head of every believer.
Whether you are a brother or a sister, Christ is your Head. This is an order that has to be restored and established.
Many believers have believed in Christ and accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and yet they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord. They are saved, and yet they are still their own heads. They have not covered their heads.
Now, I am not talking about a sign upon the head. I am talking about a reality. Many believers, even though they are saints, sadly have not yielded their lives to Christ. They have not covered their heads before Christ.
In other words, they have not yet come to see that they are only a body, and Christ is the Head.
You know, I do not know whether I am overstretching it or not, but you remember Psalm 40. It is a Messianic psalm. David was projecting forward to the One greater than David, and he said:
Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in;
Mine ears hast thou opened:
Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I am come;
In the roll of the book it is written of me:
I delight to do thy will, O my God;
Yea, thy law is within my heart.
In Hebrews this is applied to Christ: “A body didst Thou prepare for Me.” What is that body for? That body is to do the will of God.
Where is the Head? God is the Head. This is what our body is for. Why do we have a body? Our body is to do the will of the head. That is what the body is for.
This was literally fulfilled in Christ. In the body of Christ, as He walked on earth, He did the will of the Head—His Father.
In Romans 12, Paul exhorts us, saying:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
Here again you find the word “body.” Present your body a living sacrifice. Why? Because this body is presented to Christ to do the will of Christ, to accept Christ as its Head.
The body is not to be the head. The body is to do the will of the head.
Dear brothers and sisters, many believers have never presented their bodies. They still live for their own sake. They do their own will. They seek their own pleasure. In other words, this divine order has yet to be established.
But remember, this is part of God’s protection. The redemptive work of Christ has not only brought in forgiveness of sins and eternal life; the redemptive work of Christ has also brought in divine order.
If we have accepted Christ, this divine order must be established in our lives, whether you are a brother or a sister, a man or a woman, because Christ is the Head of all.
Every one of us needs to hold fast the Head. If we all hold fast the Head, then the whole body will be fitly framed and knit together, and each part will function according to the gift God has given, unto the building up of the body in love.
When you see a brother or sister who is not taking Christ as the Head, who is trying to stick up his own head, you know what happens. Immediately disorder and confusion are brought into the church.
That is why it is so important that we must learn to have our heads covered before Christ. We must learn to yield ourselves to Christ and say, “Lord, You order that—not me, but You.”
It is only when we are covered before Christ that we have divine order. When there is divine order, there is peace—very peace.
Now this is the second step in the matter of divine order being established. It rests upon the first step: God is the Head of Christ, and Christ is the Head of every believer. Then upon this step another is built: man is the head of woman.
Christ is the Head of the brother as well as the sister. Christ is the Head of the male as well as the female. Every one covers his or her head before Christ. But upon that basis you find another step: man is the head of woman.
Is there inequality in it? No. So far as life is concerned, man and woman, brother and sister, are equal.
You remember Galatians 3:
For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
In Galatians, Paul is not talking about church function; Paul is talking about Christ. In Christ, so far as life is concerned, there is no male and female. It is the same life of Christ.
The life that is in you is the same as the life that is in me. The Christ in you is the same Christ, whether you are a brother or a sister. It is the same life. So, in Christ there is neither male nor female.
It is not that a man must be more spiritual than a woman—not at all. A sister can be more spiritual than a brother. The grace of God is open to all. Whoever seeks Him more will receive more.
If you are a sister who seeks after God and loves God with your whole heart, surely you may have a greater measure of Christ. It is not because you are a sister that you must have a lesser measure. Not at all. There is no partiality here. It is perfect equality.
So far as life is concerned, brothers and sisters, there is perfect equality. Praise God, in the history of the church you often find more spiritual sisters than brothers.
But so far as the church is concerned—that is to say, when you come down to function—the church on earth has a work to be done. The church on earth is entrusted with a vision, with a work to do.
When you come down to this matter of function in the church, there is an order. Again, I will repeat: it is not a matter of life; it is a matter of function.
There is an order to govern so that we may function well. God sets order in the church.
I do hope that when we talk about this matter, no sense of superiority or inferiority will come in. We shall not allow this thought to come. It is for the sake of God’s work.
Christ willingly took a lower position for the sake of God’s purpose. It is for the sake of the glory of God that a woman in the church voluntarily and willingly takes the supporting part instead of the leading part. That is all. It is for the sake of completing the function.
In the beginning, in creation, God placed Adam as the head of the family, and Eve as the helpmeet. Through the cooperation of both, God’s commission to man was to be fulfilled.
But unfortunately this order was broken. Because the order was broken, man was not able to fulfill God’s commission. That is why the work of Christ is to restore this order—not only in the family, but in the church also, because the church is the family of God.
According to God’s order, God places brothers in the leading part. But no man, no brother, is able to perform his function rightly if he is not covered before Christ.
Here you find how Christ covers His Head before God. Under this covering, He is able to fulfill the work God has entrusted to Him. Then you find that a man must cover himself under Christ. It is only when he is covered under Christ that he is able to fulfill his function as head of the family and as part of the leading function in the church.
You know, today I would like to say something about brothers, and I feel very free to say it. The problem with brothers is that, when you come to a certain point and are cornered, you have a weapon, and the weapon you use is, “I am the head.”
Brothers and sisters, is that the way to be the head? I am afraid that when you claim yourself to be the head, you lose your head. You lose the respect.
Look at Christ. He is the Head of the church. But does our Lord Jesus impose Himself upon the church and say, “I am the Head”? No.
He loved the church and gave Himself for the church. In His sacrificial love, He proves His position. It is in love that His authority is manifested. It is love that conquers us, so that we gladly submit to Him.
Brothers and sisters, this spirit of arrogance, of pride, of being proud of position, should never come into the church.
If we are under authority, we can exercise authority. If we are not under authority, we have no right to exercise authority.
The brothers who will really be covered will have their heads covered. They will not pick up their own heads, but will have their heads covered before Christ.
God’s order is that you shall have the leading part in the church. Do not draw back. It is God’s order. By His grace you should be faithful. But remember, brother, be under the headship of Christ, because it is continuous; you cannot break it.
Unfortunately—or fortunately—the sign of authority falls upon the woman. Why? Because man in the church represents Christ.
So far as the church is concerned, Christ is the Head. Therefore, the Head cannot be covered. The woman in the church represents the church, and in representing the church there is the sign of authority—the covering of the head.
I remember a dear brother saying that when he sees a sister having her head covered, it reminds him that he needs to be covered before Christ.
So he said, “It is a privilege that God gives to the sisters to remind the brothers: ‘Now I am taking my place. How about you? Are you taking your place in the divine order?’”
Brothers and sisters, when that order is established, the church receives fresh strength and refreshment.
Now, of course, this divine order is not given to us as a rule or regulation. If it is a rule or regulation, the inevitable result is that either it will be rejected, or it will be kept only technically, mechanically, and legalistically. And the latter is dead.
Here you find a very important principle of divine order. Brothers and sisters, do not take it as letter. Do not reject it because you do not like it, nor accept it and practice it mechanically or technically. It will be bad. It will be dead.
But this divine order is a principle. If we accept this principle with an open and humble spirit, the Holy Spirit will lead us in its application.
When that application comes forth, it is spiritual, living, and vital.
I am not talking about head covering tonight. I am talking about something far bigger than head covering, because head covering is only one means to show and indicate this divine order.
I am talking about this: in the universe, divine order has been shattered. Therefore, nothing can be built. But the church, as the realm of the Lord, must see this divine order.
By His grace and through His Spirit, we must enter into it. When it is entered into, you will find there is healing, grace comes down, and God’s purpose will be realized.
Because it is divine order, it is the order of life, not an order of organization.
You can organize and have an order, just like human institutions. How can an institution work? It has to set up an order, an order of command. It has rules, regulations, laws, and bylaws. Everyone is clearly defined as to privileges and duties, and everyone is given a certain area of responsibility. Then you know the chain of command.
In other words, you set up an order in order to keep the organization operating. If you have an organization and there is no order, no definition of the work of the executive, the secretary, or the treasurer, how can that organization run? You cannot accomplish anything.
Now, this is one way to set up an order. But, dear brothers and sisters, in the church it is a spiritual order of life.
Just like our body, there is order here, but it is not organized; it is organic. It is organic.
As we yield ourselves to Christ and take Him as our Head, we will fall into our rightful places. There will be that organic order gradually appearing.
Do not go out and try to organize. Do not go out and try to set it up. The church is an organism, not an organization.
If we can see this divine order and all learn to walk in it, you will find that organically this order will be set up. When this order is set up, there is peace and fresh strength.
The church in Corinth was a church of disorder. Why? Because they had not seen this divine principle. So Paul said, “I would have you know.” I wish you could know that God is the Head of Christ, Christ is the Head of every man, and man is the head of woman.
Lord, we are touching something that is vital to Thy work on earth. But we are touching something that is very sensitive. So, Lord, we ask Thee to cover us with Thy precious blood.
We pray that Thou wilt put our flesh under the cross. We pray that Thy Spirit shall open our eyes to see this divine order, and may Thy Holy Spirit apply it.
Do not allow us to go out and set up order. But, Lord, may Thy Holy Spirit bring this divine order, so that Thy church may have peace, may be strengthened, and that Christ may have His headship in the church.
O Lord, it has to come from Thee, because Thou art the source of divine order. O Lord, we trust ourselves to Thee. Bless our brothers and sisters. In Thy precious name. Amen.
Amen.