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29 May 2022

Headship, Hair & Headgear [1Corinthians 11:2-16]

Overview

Adam was made first. Then God made Eve from Adam's rib. So Eve was made from Adam, and made for Adam. And this is the family order God has set from Creation- the husband is the head, and the wife is his help. Regardless of intelligence or competence, the wife's role is to be her husband's helper. She is to bring him glory. She is to submit to him. But naturally, this is not all easy for the woman. "The Battle of the Sexes" is thus a constant family drama throughout history. In Corinth, the wives are publicly displaying their insubmission by uncovering their heads (contrary to their social or cultural norm). Paul thus addresses the issue-not just the act of putting the covers on, but also the attitude of submission. This is a technically difficult text. But there is something about the gospel we can also learn here.

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Sermon Transcript

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Baptism service is a day we expect newcomers, friends, family members to join us, but the passage we are going to look at is rather difficult. You see, this is a passage about problems.

This book of Corinthians is a lot about problems, and we are kind of embarrassed to share about problems in life, but this is where the book takes us.

We are looking at the problems in the church at ancient Corinth, and you know that they have many problems. They have problems of schisms, and strife and divisions. They have to deal with sexual immorality in that there was prostitution or people going to prostitutes and justifying themselves, and there are even cases of incest in the church.

Then, we read about how they were suing one another. And then we read about how some are even eating food offered to idols in idols temples. Well, the problems continue and we read about the problem now of submission or the lack of submission. And so the texts brings us to verses like "Every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head," [1 Cor 11:5] in this case, her husband.

We read in verse 10, "This is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." [1 Cor 11:10]

And then in verse 13, "Is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?"

So the title today is about "Headship, Hair & Headgear". It's a rather difficult passage, I would say, and I ... I hope you understand this is difficult for various reasons. It's difficult because the details in this text are not all fully understood by pastors, commentators, preachers throughout the ages.

It's extremely challenging, because there are many divergent views on a passage like this. Also, it is difficult because it is seemingly irrelevant to a lot of us and why do we bother about hair and a covering and about head gear. You may be tempted to be saying, "Alright, this is a sermon I can fall asleep in."

But let me just share something, about 28 years ago, I was ... it was one of the first few times, I was in church service. And the sermon then was a very bizarre and strange one, in my opinion, it was a sermon based on Nehemiah chapter 3. If you are to flip your Bible and take a quick look at Nehemiah, chapter 3, you will realize it's a ... it's a seemingly boring and irrelevant chapter, because it was a chapter that describes how Israel, the people then were working together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

So there's a lot of repetitive statements, saying this group of people worked here, this group of people worked there, and they were building gates that had funny names like Fish Gate, Horse Gate, Valley Gate, Dung Gate.

What in the world is this? I was puzzled, but at the end of the day, I realized that, "Oh, there was a point! It was all perhaps driving towards Jesus Christ, the Savior and what He represents and what He is to do." Up till today, I don't remember many sermons in, for all these years, but up till today, that was a sermon strange and bizarre and puzzling one, that I can still recall till today.

I think God used that strange and bizarre message to open my heart to enquire about the things of God. So this is my hope, I know this is a difficult passage, it may be seemingly irrelevant, but it is not. And I hope that you will listen in and perhaps God can use this to also point you ultimately to Jesus Christ, the Savior for our sins. So with all that preamble, let us dive in to this subject about "Headship, Hair & Headgear".

"Now I commend you because you remember me in everything ..." Paul says to the church at ancient Corinth, "... and maintain the traditions even as I deliver them to you." [1 Cor 11:2]

Now, before he is going to deal with this problem, he wants to keep the big picture clear that they are still, despite all the many problems, with not without their virtues, that they do seek to remember Paul's teachings and to maintain the traditions. Nevertheless, this is the issue at hand.

"I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God." [1 Cor 11:3]

So, he starts by laying down a theological framework. He starts by giving a principle that is going to determine all that he's going to share in these verses. He talks about the order in a family. And he says that, "The head of a wife is her husband." [1 Cor 11:3]

So we say that a wife is to submit to her husband, and a husband is to lead and to protect and to provide for the wife as the head. This is the clear principle! And then you see that the husband is to submit to Christ, because the head of every man is Christ. And doesn't end there, because it goes on to say, the head of Christ is God, and so this is the order that we see.

I want you to understand that this order has nothing to do, the order and the family in the home has nothing to do with IQ or competence. God did not say that the wife is to submit to the husband because the husband is smarter. God did not say that a wife is to submit to the husband because the husband is more capable, or because the husband is the one who brings in the dough. Nothing like that!

This is not a kind of bias, in a sense of your worth and value, because we see that Christ submits to the Father, even though both the Father and the Son are equally God, there is no inferiority, with regards to the Lord Jesus Christ. So this is not about a comparative value.

Also, we see that this headship and this submission is not an excuse for the husband to abuse or to bully the wife. This submission and authority order in the family is so that, there will be love and harmony within. Just like the Father is not the head of Christ in the sense that He will abuse Christ, so we must understand this in the context of love.

So, a wife's role is to lovingly support and submit to her own husband. And the husband's role is to lovingly and sacrificially provide and protect and lead his wife. So this is the order that is laid down, a wife is to submit to the husband, and this is the principle that must be extolled.

Now, Paul then goes into this practical issue of head coverings. "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head." [1 Cor 11:4]

Now, there are three questions you will need to answer.

Number one, where is this to take place? Or what is the context, in what scenario is this applicable? What is this head covering? And why is this dishonoring to the head or to Christ?

So I think the first question, where, is likely to be in a public gathering of God's people. The reason is because Paul mentions prays or prophesies. Now we know praying, you can pray at home, alone to God, that's fine. But when you prophesy you usually prophesy in the presence of people, or fellow Christians.

Prophesy is to speak forth God's Word, to encourage, to exhort, to warn and admonish and so on, but you do it in the presence of people. So it's likely, this is an issue when the church is gathered in a public manner.

Now, second question is — what. The word, 'head covered' refers to something that comes down from the head. Later on, there's another word that symbolizes or teaches, this is about the head covering. Now, this can therefore refer to a kind of veil or cap, or actually if you look on to verse 14, it can also refer to simply long hair.

In any case, we understand it as a kind of covering. So when you are gathered in a public setting, when you pray, or when you prophesy, you should not as a man cover your head, with this cap, with this veil, or with even long hair. Because, "This dishonors his head," [1 Cor 11:4] that is Christ.

Why? We will come to that in a while, but let's move on to verse 5 first. The other flip side for the woman or for the wife is this, "Every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven."

So again, I asked the same three questions — where? Well, praying, prophesied probably in the public gathering of God's people. What? Well, probably refers to a kind of a veil or cap, or even to long hair. But now, it's that she is uncovered, so she does not wear a covering, or she does not even keep her long hair.

It is most likely that Paul is referring to a custom, a practice that is well-accepted during those times in these regions, where a woman symbolizes her submission to her husband via a kind of covering. It's likely to be that scenario. So it is a custom, it is a practice that is normal in those days.

So if a woman wears this covering or puts on this covering, she is submitting, she's displaying her submission to her husband. But if she does not put on this covering, it is well-known in that custom, that she does not want to or she refuses to submit to her own husband. So in that sense, that's how we understand it.

And why? Well, as I've mentioned, it is a symbol of submission and she is displaying her in-submission. And so, "When your head is uncovered, you dishonor your head or your head." So there are two heads here right, your physical head and your metaphorical head, which is your husband, "... since it is the same as if her head were shaven." So if you do not put on your covering, or if you do not keep your long hair, it is as if your head was shaven.

And he goes on, "For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or to shave her head, let her cover her head." [1 Cor 11:6]

So it is said that in those days, the prostitutes, the temple prostitutes, the temple prostitutes in the temple of Aphrodites, the prostitutes shaved their heads. They do not submit to any man, there are prostitutes.

So Paul says, "If you will not cover your head, then you might as well cut your hair short. But since you know that it is disgraceful to have your hair short, or if you should shave your head, so that you are like even the prostitutes in the temple, then you should cover your head."

He goes on to say, "For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God." [1 Cor 11:7]

Remember, I was saying, that it is likely that the custom and practice is that this covering symbolizes submission to another.
So, a man ought not to cover his head, a man ought not to display that he is in submission to another. Why? "Since he is the image and glory of God." [1 Cor 11:7]

Now this, of course refers to Genesis 1:27, where the Bible clearly states that, "God made man in His own image." That means we are made in the image of God to represent God. An image represents the real thing. When I see a photograph, I know that this photograph represents the person who is being photographed.

So, the image of God is that we are here as God's representatives, to show God in the way we steward creation, we care for creation, we have dominion over this world. That's all given in Genesis, chapter 1. So man is the image of God in that he is the vice regent of God, he's the representative of God, he's the ruler God has set in this world.

And therefore he is also the glory of God in that he is meant to bring glory and order and praise to God. The point here is that man is designed by God to be His representatives to serve Him, and to bring Him honor. We serve God.

So when a man puts a cover over his head symbolizing that he is under submission to another, it dishonors Christ, because you are to serve Christ, not another. So it is an inappropriate picture, if a man should pray and prophesy with his head covered.

Now, for the woman, it's quite the opposite. "But the woman is the glory of man. "[1Cor 11:7]

Now this, if you look at it carefully, seems as if women is not made in the image of God, because the word, 'image' is not repeated in the second half of this verse. But that is not quite correct because in Genesis 1 and verse 27, in the same verse, it continues to say, "Male and female He created them." In ... how did He create them? In the image of God He created.

So, we, not we, you, as women, are also made in the image of God. But the emphasis here is that the woman is the glory of man, just as man is designed to bring glory to God, the woman or the wife is designed to bring glory to her husband. That is the chief role! That is the chief responsibility! That as a wife, you are to submit to your husband and to support him and to bring him praise and honor.

And so, she is to rightly display her role and her submission to her husband in those days with a head covering. Not to do that would be a shame, not to do that would be inappropriate, not to do that will not be according to God's will.

So, the summary of it all so far, is — ladies, keep your veils on and men don't put on the veils in a public worship setting. Why? Because the covering is a sign of submission to another. Ladies, you are to put it on, because you are to submit to your husband and you are to show it, you are to display it. You are not to display in-submission. And men, you are not to put that on, because you serve Christ and no one else.

So, so far that's what we can grasp. "Why this order?" some of you may ask. "Who says that a woman is to submit to the man? I'm more capable than my husband! I'm smarter than he is, I got better grades in school. Why should I submit to him?"

Well, Paul anticipates that somewhat, and he establishes this order not based on competence or IQ, but in creation. So he brings us back to creation, where he says, "For man was not made from woman, but woman from man." [1 Cor 11:8]

So you know the story in Genesis, where God formed Adam, and then from Adam's side, took a rib and fashioned Eve out of that rib. So very clear, God did not create Eve first, then from Eve, Adam, but Adam first, then Eve from Adam. But not only was woman made from man, but, "Woman was also made for man." [1 Cor 11:9]

God said, "It is not good for man to be alone. Therefore, let me make a help, a companion suitable for him." So in creation, God sets the example, that Eve is made from Adam and for Adam. Nothing to do with IQ! Nothing to do with competence! That's the way God ordered it since the day of creation.

And therefore the wife is to submit to her head, this is the order God has set in every family. And she should not therefore display in-submission. This is the clear will of God.

We read in verse 10, "This is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head ..." [1 Cor 11:10] to display her submission to her husband '... because of the angels."

Now if you felt that it was difficult, are you all lost already? If you felt that it was difficult till now, this phrase makes it even more difficult — 'because of the angels'! Now, this is very difficult to understand and interpret because you do not get many clues from the text, nor elsewhere. Various people have given suggestions but at the end of the day, I think as a Christian community, we have to admit, this is tough, we may not really be so sure of the exact implication here. But I give you the best response or suggestion I know of.

And it is this — the angels watch what's happening here on Earth, they are not bochap [don't care in Hokkien]. They are very interested as to what happens here on planet Earth. We have clues that the angels are watching, for example in verses like Luke 15, verse 10 that, "The angels rejoice over one sinner who repents." So whenever someone turns from sin to Jesus Christ, angels rejoice!

We read also for example, in 1st Corinthians 4:9, Paul saying about the apostles who suffered, who went through a lot of hardships, he says, "We have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men." So the world looks at them, people look at them, but he's also saying, "Angels look at us." Angels see what's happening.

A long verse ... uh not long, not this one, but in chapter 3 of Ephesians, it says God has saved people and forms the church. Why? "So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." [Eph 3:10] This refers to angels.

So one of the purposes of the church, one of the purposes why you and I are saved to belong to Jesus, is that through our lives and through what God is going to do in the church, His wisdom might be known by the angels. The angels are looking at what's happening now, and from the developments in the church, God is glorified.

And then, a long verse, you can take the time to read it, as I ramble on, but essentially, the angels are longing to see what's going to happen with regards to God's plan for salvation. [1 Peter 1:12] All that to say, because of the angels perhaps, refers to how it is important for the women to submit or to display their submission to the husbands, because the angels are watching. And through how we ... you, women, submit to your own husbands, they learn about submission, as well, and the wisdom of God, in this submission.

Admittedly, a difficult phrase to interpret either way, but we come to the close. In case, any one thinks that, "Because I'm the head, I don't need women or I can abuse women," Paul says, "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of men nor man of woman." [1 Cor 11:11] We need each other!

"For [as man was made], as woman was made from man ..." As Eve was made from man, "... so man is now born of woman." [1 Cor 11:12] Every single one of you .... why you all laugh? Every single one of you comes from a woman. You never came from a man! That is an impossibility! So this is the way God created it, first woman from man, but every man from then on, from women.

"And all things are from God." [1 Cor 11:12] All things depend on God and are blessed of God, and so there must not be that prideful, arrogance, abuse of the woman.

He now closes with this, this appeal to their perhaps custom, "Judge for yourselves is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?" [1 Cor 11:13] Do you think it's right for you to worship God with a display of in-submission by not covering your head?

"Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him." [1 Cor 11:4] I think the word, 'nature' here best describes the custom of those days, it's not ... it's not necessarily biological nature.

Because if ... if you do some research, you will realize that the hair growth of a man, and the hair growth of a woman is essentially the same. Not because you're a woman, your hair can grow faster. It's the same! So the 'nature' here is, does not this custom, this practice around you teach you that if you have long hair, it is a disgrace.

"But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory? ..." [1 Cor 11:15] This is the custom in those days, "... for her hair is given to her for a covering."

"And if anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God." [1 Cor 11:16] This is the accepted norm.

Now, I've argued a long time that this is a custom, this is a practice, this is not a universal practice that must be done in all ages and in across all cultures. So, let me just answer some questions you may have.

Can a man have long hair?

I'm ... I'm watching who has long hair here, and asking you on stage and ask you how you feel. Can a man have long hair? This is the ... this is the question, right? Well, some of you today, who are balding will be very glad. "I'm so glad I have the shortest hair."

Well, let me ask you a few questions. Can a man have long hair? First of all, what length is long? How long is long? We are not given that instruction in the Bible, it's very hard to say. But more importantly, I ... I think long hair is not really forbidden anywhere else in the Bible. And if you think about it, there are many people with long hair in the Bible.

Think about the Nazarite vow, God sets this vow for Israel, for any man who wants to serve God, they are not to touch dead bodies, touch grapes, the fruit of the vine and they are not to cut their hair. Maybe the most famous person with long hair will be Samson. That was the symbol of his consecration to God, and that was the secret of his power. When his hair was cut, he was left powerless.

In fact, I was reading my devotional reading and I read about Absalom. It was said that Absalom was very very handsome, very very spectacular and he had long hair, that was part of his beauty, or his handsomeness, his glory. So I don't see that the Bible is saying that long hair is equal to sin or that you cannot serve God or worship God with long hair.

So it is probably that Paul, it's probable that Paul was referring to a custom, a practice in those days. That's at least how I think.

So can a man put on headgear in church? Your ... your ... your hair is not long, but when you come to church you put on a ... not ... not ... not veil lah, not handkerchief, but you go put on a cap can or not?

Interesting thing, 28 years ago, when I first came to church, I was in the NS. So when you're NS you botak [bald in Malay], right? And when you're botak, you don't like to be botak you put on a cap. So I ... I came, one of the first few times I came to church service, I was wearing a cap, I walked into the room that was in RELC in those days. And one of the church members told me, "Put ... take out your cap."

Now, I was an unbeliever, I didn't know anything about the Bible, I was like, "Wow, wah, this ... this church very interesting and like cult like that! Must ... must do this, must do, must take off ah!" I didn't know, I didn't understand what it all meant. But now that I look back, I was impressed that anyone would remember a passage like 1st Corinthians 11, and say you cannot put on your cap.

The fact of the matter is if you walk into church today, any single man today, even if you have long hair, you're welcomed here. You wear a cap or a hat or whatever you want, no one will ask you to take off your hat or your headgear. Who is correct? The man who told me to take off the headgear, 28 years ago, or the ushers here who does not, who do not say anything to you if you should wear headgear?

Well, I think it is good that anyone would remember a passage in the Bible like 1st Corinthians 11. Remarkable, in my opinion, but I do think that it is not something that is universally applied as a custom for all times. The principle of authority and submission in the family is universal, but the application of that principle in forbidding a headgear and mandating a headgear for the woman, I think the application is not quite universal.

Now, let me move on and speak and ask further questions, maybe that would be clearer.

Should a woman put on a veil in church?

You see most of you ... anyone, anything? Maybe you put hair-band ah, but that's not quite what it is, isn't it? None of you came to church thinking, "Oh, I'm going to pray, I may speak, so therefore I should put on a headgear."

How about this — must a woman only have long hair?

So those who have short hair because you don't want to wash so long, should you go home and say to your husband, "Husband, from today onwards, I cannot have short hair, I must have long hair because I'm going to church."

Again, the question is how long is long? What is the standard for long hair, for woman? I do not know. Or how about if you should have sickness, and you cannot have long hair, in fact, you may have no hair, if you're going through certain kinds of treatment. Would that be sinful? I think that will be quite difficult.

Let me give you a similar kind of teaching in the Bible that we all kind of understand that the principle is universal, but the application may not be the same. And that example is — greet one another with a holy kiss.

Now, don't be shocked, because this is how many times in the Bible, in the Epistles, as Paul ends his Epistles, he says, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." How many of you greeted one another with a holy kiss? Maybe not even your wife, right huh!

But can you imagine if next week onwards, Pastor Paul, myself, we stand at the door, "Everyone come, eh come, come, come." Everyone must pass through this holy kiss, you would run away from Gospel Light in no time! "Wow, this guy haam sap lou [lecherous man in Cantonese] ah!" Because the cultural practice and norm is very different! In those days, they do it, in our day in Singapore, very few people do it. You go to France, maybe they still do it, but not here in Singapore.

So we understand that the principle of warmth and hospitality, they remain, but the practice differs, especially when COVID. Now actually at the door, I'm very awkward, I don't know whether I dare to shake your hand. Actually, I dare to, I have no problem, but I'm not sure if you dare to shake my hand. So we used to shake everybody's hands, but with COVID, we do the Chinese New Year hello, hello. The custom changes, the practice changes but the principle remains.

So the principle of submission of the wife to the husband is eternal, why? Or it's as long as we shall live. Why? Because it is rooted in creation. That's not based on custom. Paul is arguing from creation, that remains! But the practice of the application of it, I think can differ.

So, if you feel that the way you want to apply your display of submission to your husband is via head-covering, go ahead. I don't think anyone would criticize you for that. But on the other hand, to mandate it for every single one, as if it is a law to be conformed to, I think that will be a stretch too far.

So I hope that answers the thorny issues, and sets you somewhat at ease as to how we should apply. So I hope, none of you would feel compelled next week to bring a handkerchief in your pocket, and when Pastor sees you, put on or that you would have to shave your hair as a man, and so on and so forth.

But let me again, come back to the important principle or submission of the wife, that is the whole essence here. The ... the issue is not so much the display of the head covering or the lack of it. The issue, of course Paul is driving at is deeper and that is about the submissiveness of the wife.

And this is something that the Bible talks about, I know in our modern day society, we don't quite like this kind of teaching. We like equality, we don't like to be made to feel that we are in any sense inferior. I want to assure you over and over again, the Bible does not say that when a wife submits to her husband, she is in any way inferior. Nothing like that!

In God's eyes, you are of equal standing. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." [Gal 3:28] Equal standing before God!

Nevertheless, there is order in the family. There must be an order in the family, just as there's order in the government, there's order in the church, there's the order in your company, there's order in your school, there is an order that God has set from creation.

"Wives are to submit themselves to their own husbands, as to the Lord." [Eph 5:22-24] Just as Christ is the head of the church, the husband is the head of the family. And just as the church is to submit to the Lord, Jesus Christ, the wife is to submit to her own husband. You do it as unto the Lord. So as I've mentioned, "As the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything, everything to their husbands." [Eph 5:22-24]

So again, your role as a wife, so easy ... so easy for us to forget this. We ... we think that our identity, our purpose, is to live independent lives to be successful in life. I'm not saying that women cannot carve out, or a niche or a career in this world. No, not that you can't do that, I don't think the Bible forbids a wife to work, she must not neglect the household, she must ensure that the household is cared for.

But the Bible does not forbid a woman from working outside, Proverbs 31 tells us of a very industrious woman. But she must never do it in such a way that she forgets that her key or chief role from God, is that she is the glory of her husband. She is to live and serve in such a way as to bring honor and praise to her husband.

So, I think it will not be good if a woman is successful in a career, but she doesn't quite submit, support her husband. I think you may miss the point that way. I think the Bible is very clear, she should be the help meet, she's made for the man and she is to be the glory of the man.

And so this is the model we see, just as the church today, we are not to create our own paths and missions and goals, we are to submit to Christ in everything. This is our KPI that we will bring glory to Jesus. Now, the church has to do many things, but everything that we do must be subservient to this principle — we serve Christ, we submit to Him. And just as Christ loves the church, every husband is to love and to protect and to provide and to lead his wife.

Well, we do all that because Jesus Himself is the model for us, isn't it? Christ did not come to do His will, but to do the will of His Father, "For I come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." [John 6 :38]

Remember, the garden of Gethsemane, His own will, at that point of time as He agonized, "Is if it be possible, let this cup of suffering pass from Me." But He was very quick when He also said, "Nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done."

And the beauty of Christ's submission, is that the result of it, we get saved. Salvation is now available to those who would repent and believe in Jesus, and more than that, the Father is glorified.

This is the way God designs creation, that the Church will submit to Christ and that brings glory to God and that brings salvation to men. The wife is to submit to her husband, that results in blessings to the world, your children will see that and learn of that and see the Gospel in the way you submit and it brings glory to God. This is the way it works! And so because of Christ's joyful and willing submission, you and I can be saved.

If you're lost, I understand that, I can understand why this is a difficult sermon for you, but please don't get lost here. This is a very simple point - Jesus came to lay down His own life, to do the will of the Father, who has sent Him to be the sacrifice that is necessary to pay for your sins. Jesus therefore becomes the scapegoat. Jesus becomes the Lamb of God, to take away your sin. It was His willing sacrifice on the cross, that opens the door of salvation for you and for me.

And the Bible commands men everywhere, to repent of their sins, and to believe in Jesus that you may be saved. Don't get lost here, this is a central message of the Bible - Jesus came to save you and I from our sins. Would you come to Him?

Let's bow for a word of prayer together.

Father, once again, thank You for this time that we can look into the Scriptures. We are thankful for the wisdom that You have given in the Bible, that we may know how to conduct ourselves.

I pray today that each and every Christian home represented here, at least will take to heart this morning, the importance of order. I pray that the husbands will follow Jesus, in the way we are to love and to serve and to sacrifice for our wives. Forgive us for hard-heartedness, forgive us for selfishness, but Lord, help every husband here, to live out servant-heartedness, to bless our wives.

We pray for our wives too, that each one will joyfully and faithfully be the glory of her husband, to support, to submit to her husband in everything. So that in this marital relationship, we can show the world, the love between Christ and the church, and from there, we may even see the relationship between You and Your Son.

We pray that each and every home therefore will be like little Gospel lights in a very practical way. Dear Lord, this morning we also pray for friends and guests who are here, I ask that they will see the wisdom of the Bible, the lack in their lives, and that they will turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, as well. Thank You, and we pray all this in Jesus' Name. Amen.


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