"For man is not from woman, but woman from man" (1 Cor. 11:8).
Paul proves his assertion that man is the glory of God and woman the glory of man with two facts from creation. First, man did not originate from woman, but woman from the man. Second, man was not created for the woman, but woman for the man. “In this way does the New Testament constantly authenticate, not merely the moral and religious truths of the Old Testament, but its historical facts; and makes those facts the grounds or proofs of great moral principles,” Hodge wrote.
Throughout 1 Corinthians 11, Paul refers to creation to prove his point concerning the general principle of the subordination of women and the symbol of authority that should be placed upon her. Nowhere does he give cultural reasons for his teaching, i.e., abusive practices of a pagan society that placed prostitutes with shorn heads in the temples. Paul points us back to God’s established order in nature. Whenever a teaching in Scripture refers to “creation ordinances,” that teaching is binding for all cultures in all ages. The forms may change, but the substance concerning symbols and principles remains the same. This is true in the case of head coverings, just as it is true in the case of marriage and deviant behavior such as homosexuality. Marriage is grounded in nature, established at creation to be entered into by one man and one woman. This is why polygamy in any culture is contrary to God’s design. Likewise, homosexuality is contrary to God’s created order. Paul recognizes this when he teaches in Romans 1 that those who engage in such behavior know “by nature” that it is wrong. God created them male and female. He created the woman out of the man to be a helper to him. He did not create another man to help Adam, and He did not give Adam more than one wife. Thus, the authority of man, marriage, and the sanctity of the male/female relationship are rooted in the very nature of God’s creation.
Because God so entwined the man and the woman from the very beginning, man is not independent of the woman, nor is the woman independent of the man. They need one another and depend on one another in the Lord, meaning both are ultimately dependent on the Lord and under His authority.
Read the account of Adam and Eve’s creation in Genesis 2. Why did God create Eve? When God brought the animals to Adam, the man was given authority to name the creatures. In ancient times, the right to name something gave one authority over that which was named. Who named Eve? How does this prove the authority of man?
