Brett A. Todd
Sometimes I think if the Apostle Paul had any smarts, he would have never penned some of the things he wrote. But of course, he lived in a different time and culture. One example is found in 1 Corinthians 11:3 where he said, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man, is the head of the woman.” Some translations read that “...the husband is the head of his wife.” Whatever translation one accepts, for the modern man and woman, Paul's words are not appealing. Either way, “man” and “woman” is probably the best rendering of this text.
One might ask, however, what did the Greek word for “head” (of a woman) mean during Paul's time? There are a few opinions on this matter. Let me mention two of them:
First is the traditional definition which is widely accepted by scholars. For them, the word “head” represents authority. However, for some, this definition is gorged with male chauvinism. So, others have come up with a second suggestion that the Greek word for “head” is more accurately defined as “the source”, like the source of the river. Here it means that man is the source of a woman's existence since a woman (Eve) was made from man (Adam). These same scholars are quick to point out that this definition carries with it no sense of authority or of one person ruling over another.
Let's pause for a moment and ask, “Really?” Do these male Bible scholars really think this is going to appease the modern women of our day? “Women, I have good news for you, men are not the head of women, they are just the source of your existence. Without them, you would not exist.”
From a scholarly perspective, there is a significant problem with this idea of a man as the source of a woman’s existence. Every Greek lexicon (Dictionary), except for two, defines this Greek word as someone having a superior rank. The only two lexicons that offers the idea of a man as the “source” is Liddell and Scott as well as Schlier's in the TDNT. However, they offer no example of this use in Greek literature. From my research, I cannot find such an idea for this Greek word.
Why then would some scholars translate this Greek word as “source”? It seems in their hasty effort to tame Paul for the modern Bible reader of male chauvinism, several male Christian scholars have designed a way to assure women that the Bible, Paul, and Christianity are on their side. However, in their effort to tame Paul, they seem to have no idea that this idea is still demeaning and outdated for the modern woman.
It is best, to be honest with ourselves and the Bible and recognize that this ancient literature holds many, ideas that are improper, sinful, and even inhuman when dealing with God's creation, such as racism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, and here, sexism. All of this and more were a part of the Bible's culture. Yes, Paul was wrong.
In our next study, we will discuss whether or not Jesus believed he was the Kingly Messiah. We will also look at an archeological find that many Bible readers are not aware of that may support this idea of a kingly messiah in the Bible.
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