THE TOKEN OF AUTHORITY

Well now, the beginning of 1 Corinthians 11 is a scripture over which there has been much contention in the past, and it may be still some hesitation or reserve on the part of some, but it is an important element in the truth, dear brethren, if we are to reach the greatest features of the service of God, headship in the wilderness position, the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. What an important matter that is, that the element of subjection is to be seen in the man as holding Christ as his Head, and in the woman as holding the man as her head, what a word that is for us brothers, dear brethren, as to whether in point of fact we hold Christ, as our Head, as to whether we look to Him for influence and impulse, whether our exercises are to take character from Him. We need to do that in order to have more influence ourselves. But then in regard of the sisters, God has placed them in a position of subjection and therefore, He requires not only that they should be covered in “praying or prophesying” but that at all times there should be authority on their head, because of the angels, in order to show that they acknowledge this principle of subjection. If the chapter is read carefully in the light that the whole position is one of headship in the wilderness, the sisters will, I am sure, see that it requires that there should always be something on the head that recognises on their part that they are under authority. It says in that very passage “neither is woman without man, nor man without woman, in the Lord”, and “in the Lord “ is not simply when you are praying or prophesying, “in the Lord” covers the whole of our position as in responsibility here, and so the whole position of headship is to be recognised if there is to be any power to move into the greatest features of the truth.

We know that in the case of Jephthah’s history it involved great sacrifice for his daughter, but the spirit of his daughter was beautiful, she was ready for sacrifice, whatever it entailed for her she was ready for it, seeing that God had given the victory over their enemies she was ready for it, she becomes an example for the sisters to see that in every way the principle of headship in the wilderness is recognised by them.

LONDON

1954

From Notes of Readings in New York 1958, vol 27

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