THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD

(Doctrine of the Soul)

1 Corinthians 11:7-17

For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.

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

Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.

For this cause ought the woman to have power (authority) on her head because of the (observation of) angels (1 Cor. 4:9).

Nevertheless, neither is the man (anything) without the woman, neither the woman with- out the man, in the Lord.

For as the (original) woman is of (out from) the man, even so is the man also by (born through) the woman; but all things (are from the source) of God.

Judge (discern) in yourselves: is it comely (seemly) that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto 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 seem to be contentious (concerning the covering of the woman’s head), we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

I am not going to give you the male viewpoint on this passage, but rather, the Biblical interpretation. I suspect that this is one passage in which any red-blooded male could discover some truth he could apply. But that isn’t the intent of this message.

One of the most difficult forms of interpretation is the physical-spiritual analogy. The Bible has several: the blood of Christ, where the physical blood of the animal is analogous to the spiritual death of Christ on the cross; and the glory analogy of 1 Corinthians 11:7 ff., in which the man as an aggressor in sex is compared to God as an aggressor through grace.

Let’s take a look at the latter, where we begin with the word “man’’ in verse 7: ‘’For man . . .” The Greek word, “aner,” is man in his noble sense, and is the highest word for man found in the Greek language. By interpretation, it refers to Adam, who was ‘’noble’’ man before he sinned. By application, it refers to all believers in Jesus Christ, regardless of sex — male or female, bond or free.

“ . . a (noble) man indeed ought not to cover (veil) his head . . . .” He ought not to put a veil over, or literally, about his head. And now begins the beautiful analogy between the physical relationship of a man and a woman to the relationship of God and believers.

MAN, THE IMAGE OF GOD

“… forasmuch as he (man) is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.” Just as God is revealed or unveiled to man, so man must be revealed or unveiled to the woman, who is his glory. The first man, Adam, was created in the image of God and remained so until he sinned. Although the word '”image'” means exact image, it doesn’t mean that he looked like God. It was man’s soul that was created in the image of God.

God has essence; man has essence. The essence of God is His perfect character, while the essence of man is his soul. Below is the essence of the original man, before and after he sinned.

Though there are passages which teach that the soul is in the image of God (viz., Gen. 2), that is not the interpretation of verse 7. The Greek word for “is” (huparcho) is a most important point of interpretation. This is the present active participle of ‘’huparcho,” and it means that man CAME INTO EXISTENCE as the image of God. This means that man has real and invisible essence of the soul. God designed a creature who, from his essence is an aggressor or initiator, just as God is an Aggressor or Initiator from His essence.

GOD, AN INITIATOR

There is a double analogy in the phrase, ‘’he is the image of God” — both physical and spiritual. Man, in his relationship to woman is an initiator; God, in relationship to man, is an Initiator. As recipients of God’s eternal love, believers in Jesus Christ are in the plan of God forever, because in eternity past He initiated a plan a perfect plan a complete plan! As an Aggressor in eternity past with a plan, God had to have some- one who would be the recipient or beneficiary. Consequently, God’s aggressiveness began at creation, as we shall see in verse 8.

Since the male is created to be an initiator, therefore, like God, he must also have a responder. That is why God took a rib from Adam and designed for him a responder. He took something from the man that the man would receive back; and when God led back the ‘’rib,” it was the woman — the right woman! Adam and Eve — right man, right woman!

In the spiritual side of the analogy, God is the Initiator toward the human race with a plan called “Grace.” In the physical part, man is an initiator in love, both soul and body, toward the woman.

APERTURES FOR RESPONSE

Now, you must understand that the woman, as well as the man, has a soul, and both have apertures of the soul to respond to God. Since the woman is in the analogy in the last half of 1 Corinthians 11:7, it becomes obvious that she also has apertures of the soul with which to respond, just as there are apertures in her body.

Let’s take as an illustration that aperture we call the mouth: the mouth is the recipient of food, which, when taken in regularly, keeps one alive. The point is that apertures are designed for receiving or taking in.

Just as God designed a plan, so He also created man with the ability to receive that plan. Take, for example, self-consciousness of the soul. Through this characteristic, man can be aware of the fact that as a creature he has a purpose. No animal has this ability. With each characteristic of soul-essence, therefore, God has placed “apertures.” How do we know that?

In the last half of the second chapter of Genesis, the essence of man’s soul is manifest: as man became aware of his estate and of the creatures around him (self-consciousness), he categorized them (mentality) and made decisions with regard to them (volition). He had an appreciation (emotional response) to things around him, and he had norms or standards in regard to them (conscience). All of this was possible because he had apertures of the soul. In this way, too, God can reach man with His plan. So God initiates doctrine, and the believer responds to God.

In order to understand, how doctrine is taken in and how the soul responds, we will designate the five apertures of the soul as “banks” or “lungs” of the soul. There is “inhale” and “exhale” — that is, doctrine taken in and response breathed out. The left bank is designed to take in doctrine and to exhale ‘’category #1” love for God. The right bank is designed to exhale (express) ‘’Category #2 love toward man or woman, as well as ‘’Category #3 love toward friends.

The word for soul in the Greek (psuche) is a feminine noun. Why? Because the soul is no good until it takes in something from God: this sets up the analogy. In the physical side, man initiates love on the right bank; woman responds to man. The apertures on the right bank of the woman’s soul are designed to respond to the right man, just as she has physical apertures for response. The woman was given a body different from the man’s because her body was designed to respond, never to initiate. It was specifically designed to respond to the right man.

You will notice that I keep emphasizing the RIGHT MAN, for the analogy applies only in the case of “right man and right woman.” The man gives of himself, and the woman receives and responds: such is the analogy to our relationship with God in Phase II (the Christian way of life). God gives to us of His mind — “the mind of Christ” (1 Con 2:16), which is Bible doctrine. And once we have that doctrine transferred from the mind to the human spirit, then we can respond toward God. The illustration of this is marriage — and not marriage only — but sex in marriage. Turn to Ephesians 5:25-27:

THE BODY AND BRIDE OF CHRIST

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27

Christ (God the Son), as the Creator of the original man (John 1:3; Col. 1:16), initiated action. As Creator of the Church, Christ again initiated action. What is the Church? The Church is the cc Body” of Christ, made up of all believers (Eph. 2:16; 4:4,5; 5:30,32; Col. 1:24). In Phase II, or the Church Age, Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 1:3), and the Father is giving Him a “Body” (John 17:9,10).

One day, the “Body” will become the “Bride” (Rev. 21:9). The marriage will be in heaven, and will take place at the Rapture of the Church. To consummate the marriage, the believer must have a resurrection body. Ephesians 5:27 describes Phase III (eternity) at which time the Church becomes the C’ ride'''' of Christ: “That he (Jesus Christ) might present it (her) to himself (the wedding), a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’’

In the meantime, doctrine fills up the deficiency (Eph. 4:10). The moment you accept Christ as Savior, the “engagement,” as it were, begins. As the woman is designed to respond to the man, so the believer is designed to respond to Jesus Christ. What is Christ giving the believer now? His mind — BIBLE DOCTRINE (1 Cor. 2:16):

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

The Church Age is absolutely unique. Ephesians 5 brings this out.

MAN, THE GLORY OF GOD

‘’Husbands, love your wives (and this is an assumption that the right man has the right woman), even as Christ also loved the church, and gave. Gave, GAVE Him- self for it.” There is a direct analogy here: Christ giving Himself on the cross in order that the “Body” might be formed, and man as an initiator giving himself to the woman. Christ was an Initiator; He went to the cross and died for us so that a relationship might be established. And man gives himself to the woman so that a relationship might be established.

The man gives of himself; the woman takes and responds. This is the perfect illustration of the believer’s relationship to Jesus Christ through grace: the woman doesn’t earn it; she doesn’t deserve it; she doesn’t work for it. That is true love!

If you understand something about sex, you can understand something about theology. God offers salvation through GRACE; man responds by FAITH — a non-meritorious response. He neither earns it nor deserves it nor works for it.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

This is the inhale of the gospel into the mentality of the soul and the exhale of faith in Christ. A relationship is now established whereby every believer in the Church Age is in union with Christ. And when the believer responds to God, he becomes the glory of God!

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Why? “That he might sanctify (set it apart) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Do you get that? BY THE WORD! If you do, you see an analogy. During the formation of the “Body of Christ” (Phase II, the Christian way of life), it is the Word that must go into the soul; the Word is doctrine.

Man is designed with responsive areas in the soul so that he becomes the glory of God. In the spiritual side of the analogy, man has apertures of the soul; into the mentality aperture of the soul goes Bible doctrine. When it is transferred by faith to the human spirit, he can exhale response toward God, the response of love. In the physical realm, the right man initiates response to the right woman, soulishly and physically, and she responds.

Bible doctrine is to sustain the believer during the ‘’engagement,’’ and to keep him faithful to the Lord. The Lord initiates doctrine. From Bible study or a pastor-teacher, it goes into the mentality of the soul, where by the filling of the Spirit, it becomes comprehensible knowledge (gnosis). This knowledge is not applicable or useable until it is BELIEVED. Faith then transfers the doctrine into the human spirit, which is the storage place and launching pad for doctrine (epignosis). From there, it is used to construct an “edification complex of the soul” (Eph. 4:12,16,29), composed of grace- orientation, inner happiness, relaxed mental attitude, capacity to love (all three categories) and mastery of the details of life. Such an “edification complex” reflects the glory of God.

With the daily inhale of doctrine erecting an “edification complex of the soul,” you won’t have to be concerned about ‘’Category II or III love” (love toward opposite sex and friendship love); the only thing you need be concerned about is that you have a love response toward the Lord — “Category #1 love.” When that is right, everything else will fall in place. If the Lord isn’t first, then everything else will be out of kilter. You were not designed any other way.

What do you think those apertures of your soul are for? The left bank is for inhale-exhale response to the Lord; such response is first and foremost. When you daily inhale doctrine and exhale Category #1 love and develop a capacity to love God, you will not lack capacity to love in Category II or III. Neither will you lack the capacity to appreciate properly the details of life. Far from it!

Here is a solemn warning for those of you who are single: you can blow one of the most beautiful analogies in the Word by marrying the wrong person. It is better to lean over backwards and be overly careful, rather than to be stuck with the wrong person!

Every exhale toward God from the left bank of the soul is an expression of our love affair with Jesus Christ while on earth before the “marriage.” You have a “date’” with the Lord every day OR YOU SHOULD! If you don’t, you’re the loser! You will be miserable all your life and never know why! Now, you WILL BE at the “wedding,” no matter what kind of an ‘’engagement” you have had. That was settled at the cross. But why have a miserable “love affair” for the rest of your life? God gives of Himself (doctrine) just as a man gives of himself to the right woman (sex). For now, God gives us His mind; in the future, He will give us His “body”; for in heaven we will have a body exactly like that of Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:l,2).

WOMAN, THE GLORY OF MAN

Now, because the man’s role is the aggressor, 1 Corinthians 11:7 says, “… man indeed ought not to cover (veil) his head.” In the context, the woman, not the man, should have her head covered. However, this is not teaching that today women must wear hats or veils in church. The Bible must be interpreted in the time in which it was written. Her hair is her veil or “coverings (1 Cor. 11:15).

In the ancient world, a woman wore a veil over her face, which said, in effect, that there was only one man who ought to see her, who ought to initiate love action ward her. There is just one man who ought to lift that veil. This custom becomes the illustration in our pass- age to the believer’s response to God. As man is the glory of God, so every believer is the glory of God when he responds to doctrine.

The woman’s hair indicates her role in life, which is the greatest role of all — submissiveness or responsiveness to the right man; and this is her glory. “Man . . . is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of (to glorify) the man. Since the woman was taken from Adam, not directly created, she was designed to be a responder. She was given both body and soul responses.

God took the rib from Adam and brought back the “right woman’’ and beginning with Adam and Eve, God has designed a right woman for every man in the human race, and vice versa. When a man finds that right woman, he fulfills her (in this analogy), and she becomes his glory. He fulfills her soul as well as her body. Sex, therefore, is designed to give overt expression to this relationship, and through it she becomes his glory.

When the woman receives from the man, he sees her in intimate glory which can never be excelled in time. No one else ever sees the full glory of the woman except that right man. Now, if she doesn’t get the right man, the illustration breaks down, and you have only an awful mess! Sex was designed by God and is therefore perfect. It is the people who are involved in it who are imperfect. It was designed for marriage, because under this situation, the right man and right woman have a continual intimacy in which he beholds her glory.

The same thing is true of the right relationship with God. Only God sees the full response of that wonderful ‘’Category #1’’ relationship; but people see only the results of the response, just as people can see the results when a woman is properly loved. Outside, people can tell that she is happy. With the proper love relationship with the Lord, people can see the grace-orientation, the happiness, the relaxed mental attitude, Category #2 and #3 love, and even the mastery over the details of life! But only the Lord sees the full response. So, as the woman is the glory of the man through sex taken in, so the believer is the glory of God through doctrine taken in.

The believer must have a love affair with God in time based on God’s aggressiveness — GRACE! God in grace provided doctrine; and in order to love and respond to God, the believer must daily inhale doctrine and exhale love toward God through the left lung of the soul. When the believer inhales doctrine and exhales occupation with Christ (Heb. 12:2; Col. 3:1,2 — “set your affection on things above"), then he is “aner,” or a noble man (1 Cor. 11:7). He is the glory of God!

There is nothing more noble than any believer, male or female, exhaling Category I love (toward God) through the inhale of doctrine! The glorification of Christ made this possible. Were it not for His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and session at the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit could not have indwelt every believer (John 7:39), and every believer would not have had the “mind of Christ.”

THE EVACUATION OF THE SOUL

One part of the soul is not designed to take in doctrine, and that part is the old sin nature. There are no apertures of the soul OPPOSITE the sin nature, either on the left bank or on the right bank. Why is this so? The sin nature, with which every man is born (Rom. 5: 12), is the basis of our spiritual death. God can never have a relationship with anything that is spiritually dead. Therefore, no apertures in the old sin nature for inhale or exhale!

But the old sin nature does have an opening for the evacuation of the excrement of the soul: all human good as well as sin is evacuated through the sin nature. Even our “righteousnesses (human good) are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), and emanate from the sin nature. Therefore, sins from the area of weakness, and human good from the area of strength, both excrement of the soul, are evacuated only from the sin nature.

THE BELIEVER A RESPONDER

Verses 8 and 9 of 1 Corinthians 11 explain the details of the analogy in the human realm by way of illustration: ‘’For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man’’ (verse 8). Although man is now born of woman, he was not originally “from the woman,’’ The “man’” (again it is the Greek word “aner” — noble man) indicates Adam in the state of innocence. By application, the word “man” refers to anyone who is born again in the Church Age.

In contrast to man, who came directly from God, the woman was created from the man. The analogy here, describing the relationship between Christ and the Church, is beautiful beyond description. The woman is created through the man just as the believer is re-created, reborn, through the work of Christ on the cross.

Christ is the Initiator of grace by having gone to the cross. Mankind is the responder to grace by faith in Christ. The cross is an act of aggressiveness. The believer’s faith (the point at which he believes) is an act of responsiveness. Christ first loved us (1 John 4:19), and therefore Christ is the Aggressor. Man responds through his volition from the left bank of the soul; and when his response is positive, he is born again.

At the point of faith, the believer is entered into union with Christ — a permanent security! The believer now has a human spirit and doctrine (the mind of Christ, or the written Word) with which to respond to God. Every- thing in life must be secondary to the believer’s love-response to Christ. That is the technique of “occupation with the Person of Christ.” Just as the believer’s first response was non-meritorious (faith in Christ), so every response thereafter will come from inhaling doctrine in the left bank of the soul. This is the most important thing in the believer’s life — SPIRITUAL BREATHING . . . THE INHALE OF DOCTRINE . . . THE EXHALE OF RESPONSE TO GOD!

PURPOSE OF CREATION

“Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man” (verse 9). It should read, literally, “For the man was not created because of the woman, but the woman because of the man.” Are you shocked to learn that man was NOT created because of the woman? Why? Because he had what he needed — God! Every day in the Garden, Adam inhaled doctrine in the left bank of his soul and exhaled response from his spirit. Man was created because of God — that is, God’s plan with regard to resolving the angelic conflict. But God graciously GAVE man the woman.

The woman, on the other hand, was created because of the man! Just as man needed something to complete him spiritually, man also needed something to complete him physically. That “something physical” was the right woman. Eve was the right woman because God took a rib from Adam and brought back to him the loveliest woman who has ever existed.

The believer is born again because of Christ — because He went to the cross. As the woman (rib) was taken from the man and brought back to the man, so mankind, who was spiritually dead, is brought back to God through the cross and becomes alive unto God through faith. Before we continue with the rest of the First Corinthian passage under consideration, let’s summarize the principles we have gleaned thus far.

SUMMARY OF THE ANALOGY

PHYSICAL	SPIRITUAL
Man is the aggressor through soul and sex love.	God is the Aggressor through Grace.
Woman responds to man in both soul and body.	Believer responds to God through inhale of doctrine.
Woman does not earn pleasure in sex.	Believer does not deserve doctrine.
Responding woman is glory of man.	Responding believer is glory of God.
Woman’s erogenous zones are basis for response.	Believer’s soul is basis for response.
Woman can only respond properly to one man the right man.	Believer can only respond to one thing, viz. doctrine.
Sex fulfills the woman’s body.	Doctrine fulfills the believer’s soul.
When the woman has the right man in her soul, she is perfectly content regardless of circumstances.	When doctrine is in the soul, the believer is perfectly content with relationship with the Lord (Heb. 13:5,6).
Under “right man-right woman’’ relationship, the man gets the glory.	Under grace, God always gets the glory.
When the woman experiences the fulfillment of sex with the right man, it is never forgotten.	When the inhale of doctrine results in inner grace and happiness, it is never forgotten.

Notice that this passage (1 Cor. 11:7-17) is located just before the communion passage: ‘’Keep on doing this in remembrance of me.” For a long time I wondered why it was in this context. Well, here is the answer: when grace and inner happiness result from the inhale of doctrine in the soul which is transferred by faith into the human spirit, it is never forgotten. And it is to be remembered at the Communion Table.

THE WOMAN’S BADGE

1 Corinthians 11:10: “For this cause ought the woman to have power (authority) on her head because of the angels.” A woman’s hair, her veil, is a sign of both her freedom to accept or reject a man and of her submission to the authority of the man she accepts. As a badge of submission, the woman’s hair conforms to the divine purpose for her life. Elect angels observe and rejoice (Eph. 3:10). Both the woman’s response to man and the believer’s response to Bible doctrine are a part of the angelic conflict.

“Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (verse 11). In other words, there is divine design here. God has designed male and female in the human race to be dependent on each other. Neither is complete without the other. The man has authority over the woman; yet he cannot get along without her; thus, his authority does not eliminate equality. But notice — “in the Lord”; in the area of Christianity. The Christian way of life gives the woman her proper place.

“For as the woman is of (out from) the man, even so is the man also by (through) the woman (through physical birth); but all things are of (out from the source of) God” (verse 12). In contrast to physical birth, God provides in grace salvation for the one who is born again — a spiritual birth.

“Judge (discern) in yourselves: is it comely (proper) that a woman pray unto God uncovered” (verse 13)? The word “uncovered” is not literally found here, but means, rather, ‘”without a veil” Prayer is used as an illustration of the woman’s doing anything without her “badge” — that is, her hair!

MAN NOT TO WEAR WOMAN’S BADGE

“Doth not even nature itself always teach you that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him” (verse 14)? In other words, he assumes the female role and makes himself a responder. In any age where men grow long hair, as in 18th Century Western Europe, they become effeminate and assume the role of responders, while the women become the initiators. Men in those days wore long hair, lace, silk stockings and high, red-lacquered heels — all effeminate affectations!

“But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her FOR A COVERING” (verse 15). Why is it her glory? Just because she has long hair? No! Because as the glory of man, she was designed to respond to him. Her long hair is the badge of her submission to her husband; this submission becomes the fulfillment of her husband.

“For a coverings is literally, “instead of a veil.” The fact that the woman’s hair is longer than the man’s is her “veil,” and is a substitute for a veil or hat. The women who were slaves in Corinth could come to church and pray, even though they did not have a veil. (The legalists in Corinth are commanded in this passage to refrain from bullying them). And this liberates the ladies from wearing hats in church!

But the women should wear their hair longer than the men. How long is long? Well, rest assured, ladies, that this is not a command or even a recommendation to let your hair grow ad infinitum! Just as a rule of thumb, so no one gets “shook,” I would say that a woman’s hair is long if it comes to or below her ears, whether combed up or down. It should, at least, be longer than her right man’s hair! I don’t think it takes any stretch of the imagination to say that ladies with crewcuts and men with hair down over their ears are signs of an unhealthy generation!

But more than that, this passage has another implication — that prayer is a response to grace — not a matter of apparel, or even posture!

THE REAL ISSUE FOR THE BELIEVER

“But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God” (verse 16).

No such custom as what? That you have to wear veils. Only contentious people would contend that a woman must wear a veil in order to pray or worship publicly. The issue is not what they wear, but the Spirit-filled life. God is interested in mental attitude not hats I Now, Paul goes on to say, IL . . in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together, not for the better, but for the worse” (verse 17). If believers in a local church are not inhaling doctrine, that church is just like two unhappily married people, with all the bickering, bullying, judging and maligning! And things could not be worse! To have a wonderful local church, every believer in it must inhale Bible doctrine every day and exhale Category #1 love toward God.

THE ISSUE FOR THE UNBELIEVER

The Lord Jesus Christ had you personally in mind when He went to the cross. Every sin you have ever committed was judged in Him. He died for you; He took your place. He is the only Savior, the only Way to eternal life. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). He has initiated in grace; your response must be in faith: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). You can have eternal life and become a child of God simply for the receiving. The decision is up to you!