Cheryl

I think the easiest and most logical way to interpret Paul is to see what he had already said about the angels. When he said “because of the angels”, he gives us an indication that he is referring back to what he has already said about the angels. The connection with authority and “because of the angels”. What does the woman’s authority have to do with “because of the angels”? It would be natural for Paul to continue the thought that we need to learn to make judgments here in this life because in the next life we will be judges even over the angels. It also makes perfect sense. Since Paul has not mandated the head covering but he allowed it for women because of her husband’s conscience, it fits with the context that her right to decide for herself regarding what she will do with the head covering (to wear it so that her husband will not divorce her) and whether she cuts her hair or not is tied directly into the position that she will have a role of authority and judging in the next life. Someone who has this great responsibility in the next life certainly can make decisions over her own head and hair in this life.

If we make the reference to be a human messenger, how would we know that would be the interpreation in this context? There is no reference to a human messenger (called an angel) in the immediate context or the entire letter. I have heard a lot of interpretations of the phrase “because of the angels” and there is one thing all of these interpretations have in common. That one thing is that the different interpretations cannot be connected to anything Paul said in his letter. If there is no connection to what Paul has already said, then it would be impossible to really know what Paul meant. Everybody’s guess would be just as valid. I think it is a better practice to first check out what Paul himself says about angels in the letter and if it fits well with Paul’s second reference to angels. That way we are letting Paul define his own terms.

When I first wanted to understand what Paul meant, all I did was go back and back in the letter until I came to Paul’s own reference – the only other reference he makes to the angels. When I saw what Paul had said about the angels and the context that we are to be mature in making decisions in this life because we will be having a position of authority in the next life, Paul’s meaning of “because of the angels” made total sense to me.

I believe that the reason complementarians cannot make sense of the passage is because they refuse to give women any kind of authority. If one starts with this mindset that only men can have authority, then one will have to reject Paul’s only other reference to the angels and that leaves one with having to guess at what Paul means. One would also have to reject that women are also going to be judging angels since the mindset says that only men have authority. I have heard complementarians say that women will be ruled over by men in the next life too. That just doesn’t fit with Paul’s revelation about authority and women. When we just take the passage in its most simple form and take Paul’s own words, we must accept that God has given women authority to make decisions because he considers them equal with men and equal in authority in the next life too.

Does this make sense?