Service Meeting Part about Sisters Wearing Head Coverings

by TTATTelder 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • TTATTelder
    TTATTelder

    This week's service meeting had another part about women wearing head coverings.There's already been a post about it, but I would like some thoughts from the forum on the scripture referenced. It is 1Cor. 11: 3-10. I want to focus on verses 4-6. It says this (NNWT):

    "4)Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head shames his head; 5) but every woman who prays or prophesies+ with her head uncovered shames her head, for it is one and the same as if she were a woman with a shaved head. 6) For if a woman does not cover herself, she should have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or shaved, she should be covered."

    Other translations including the ONWT render vs 6 as "let her also be shorn" - as in shearing a sheep!

    Does this not basically say that if a woman is caught not wearing a head covering in certain settings then she should have her head shaved or shorn??

    Was this meant to be taken literal???...or was Paul just trying to make a point (in a very degrading way)?

    P.S. The elder that handled this part at our hall has a reputation for being a bit chauvinistic towards his wife and other sisters in the hall. The way he delivered the part by reading the entire 8 verse passage to the congregation made for a very uncomfortable scene. It made me embarrassed to be there.

  • KateWild
    KateWild

    or was Paul just trying to make a point (in a very degrading way)?-TTATTelder

    Yes Paul was in my view. God did not write it, it was Paul or another sexist man. Some may be interested to know my JC chairman, had that item. He then grilled me in the back room for 20 mins how unscriptural it is to call the police on my ex, if he is beating my son. My ex unscripturally divorced me, but he is in "good standing".

    Nonsense items aren't they

    Kate xx

  • leaving_quietly
    leaving_quietly

    Hmm. "Prays or prophecies". So, conducting a Bible Study is prophecying?

  • TTATTelder
    TTATTelder

    KateWild

    Sorry for your ordeal. I can only imagine the emotions you have been going through.

    The part felt very sexist when being delivered at our hall. What's interesting is there were some new female studies there, and the study conductors were scrambling trying to do damage control.

  • KateWild
    KateWild

    study conductors were scrambling trying to do damage control.-TTATTelder

    LOL, that made me smile. Slip them a bit of paper with jwfacts.com and jwsurvey on their seat if you can get away with it. Wonder how the damage control would go then during the free home bible study.

    Kate xx

  • Justitia Themis
    Justitia Themis

    but every woman who. . . prophesies+ with her head uncovered shames her head

    If one believes the Bible, Jehovah poured out his holy spirit on first century women and motivated them to prophesy and speak in tongues within the congregation.

    If one believes Paul's writing above, one must question Jehovah's judgment since he would be pouring out his spirit upon a woman who is misbehaving by not wearing a headcovering.

    If Jehovah chose to pour out his holy spirit upon a woman, my guess would be that he is pleased with her behavior and dress. By his words, Paul is questioning Jehovah's decisions.

  • TTATTelder
    TTATTelder

    Justitia Themis,

    Interesting point. I hadn't thought about it that way.

  • blondie
    blondie

    The WTS believes that "prophesying" is preaching and teaching, not predicting the future.

    *** w52 4/15 p. 253 Aids for Understanding Prophecy ***

    PROPHESYING TODAY

    Since Joel 2:28, which has its complete fulfillment after 1919, foretells that God will pour out his spirit upon people of all kinds and "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions", in what sense then do Jehovah's witnesses prophesy today? Jehovah's people confess no powers of inspiration today. However, they do pray continually for more of God's holy spirit to understand the many prophecies already uttered and preserved for the final preaching work which Jehovah's witnesses are now undertaking. They know that the inspired infallible Scriptures of prophecy will be fulfilled toward them correctly. They diligently study the visions and dreams of God's faithful men of old. They can quote and copy the Scriptures of God's inspired men and can apply them according to the facts. They can observe how God interprets them by Christ Jesus through the events and facts that he causes to appear. They are then faithful in publishing and preaching the revealed prophecies to the utter ends of the earth. The twentieth-century preaching prophets of Jehovah are the ones who are running to and fro over the Bible to gain knowledge of the divine pronouncements which is on the increase.-Dan. 12:4.

    *** w61 10/1 p. 593 par. 9 Prophesying with the Loyal Organization ***

    Let this fact not be overlooked: It was not the miraculous speaking with foreign tongues that Joel's prophecy on the last days foretold; it was the outpouring of God's holy spirit accompanied by prophesying. This particular prophesying was not the special gift of prophecy that was inspired, a gift that was not shared by all Christians. It was the declaration publicly of the "magnificent things of God," and this prophesying was shared by all receivers of God's outpoured spirit, from Pentecost forward.-Acts 2:5-11.

    That organization for which we must look is the one that gives the proof of having God's spirit poured out upon it in these "last days" by doing the foretold prophesying, the 'preaching of this good news of God's kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.' As foretold, this preaching or prophesying is being done by every sort of flesh in the organization, by male and female, by sons and daughters, by old men and young men, by the menservants and the maidservants, by all those on whom the spirit has been poured out.

    In proof of this they have got baptized in symbol of their full dedication of themselves to God and are wholeheartedly taking part with the remnant in the prophesying or preaching of the good news.-Zech. 8:20-23.

    God's holy spirit when poured out upon the remnant of spiritual Israel causes or induces only the prophesying or preaching of the truth, God's own truth.

    *** w61 11/1 p. 660 par. 15 Nations in Fear at the Name Called upon Us ***

    They must do what the prophetic Scriptures foretold and what the remnant of the anointed "little flock" are doing-prophesy or preach.

    It has resulted in more and more, better-qualified congregation servants, to watch over God's flock and to supervise their work of prophesying, witnessing.

    The persecution that he has let come upon us for prophesying or preaching about his kingdom is not a mark of his curse or disapproval.

  • Legacy
    Legacy

    Hi,

    I posted this earlier re: same topic....1 Cor. 11:13-16....

    13 Judge for yourselves: Is it fitting for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that long hair is a dishonor to a man, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her instead of a covering. 16 However, if anyone wants to argue in favor of some other custom, we have no other, nor do the congregations of God.

    Basically, Paul is saying..it's up to you....or up to the GB's....LOL...

    Remember, Paul was about rules, he was very rigid before God called him & he still was about rules & regulations...If God/Jesus, didn't blind him, he would have still been running killing Christians. He was an extremist, as so many religious folks are, they either running around doing all sorts of things then when they get saved or face a death situation, Ah, they are be best christians you'll know...

    The jewish women always have their heads coverd, with wigs...ummmm

    I'm sitting here cracking up, imagine you are at a door & have to cover your head, then you whip out a wig...& say, I didn't want to stumble anybody & think if I put on scarf, that I'm a wash women....teeheeheee

    Legacy

  • steve2
    steve2

    So, if a woman shaved off her hair, there would be no problem with her praying and/or prophesying in front of brothers, according to Paul. On that subject - having shaved off her hair - is a JW woman allowed to door knock?

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