TL

”Egalitarians argue that there is no creation order in Gen, then when we look at this passage in Corinthians the answer changes from’ no creation order’ to ‘so what’, it ‘means nothing’ using your own words. It is inconsistent, do you believe there is a creation order but it means nothing, or do you believe there is no creation order?”

The problem with the “creation order” doctrine is that humans made it up. God said nothing about a creation order. The fact that one was born before the other is noting a “birthing” order but without legal meaning to it. It was later that humans began to give preference to the firstborn. Part of that may have been in looking for the Messiah that was promised. This was acceptable until someone decided to go backwards and assign preference to the birth order of humanity. They put words in God’s mouth so to speak.

What Paul did in 1 Cor. 11 was tackle the ‘birth order’ subject and redirect it. He starts out by noting the birth order of humanity, woman and the Messiah. It was a clever move since the order of those significant births put’s Christ last. I suspect that in the original letter to Paul from the Corinthians there must have been something said about birth order in trying to make men more significant than women. Paul continues, by pointing out in verses 11-12 that in the end the order of the birth of the first man and woman doesn’t really matter because now all humans come from woman.

11. Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

In addition, the discussion on head coverings is also something humans made up. God is not concerned about head coverings of either men or women. Yes, Paul discusses the Hebrew theory behind it, but what he does not do is make it a church doctrine or requirement. Paul says that a woman has authority on her own head, that she is to decide. Historically, in that era there were laws in different areas requiring different types of coverings for women. In order to do what Paul recommended in the previous chapter, a woman had to consider not only her husband but the laws of the place she was speaking in. Women still need to do that today.

”31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”