The Spirit versus the Letter of the Law, Part 2

Circumcision

Paul used the example of circumcision to teach some important principles to his mixed Jewish and Gentile congregations. Circumcision was strictly required of Jewish men and its applicability to Gentile believers was an extremely controversial question at that time (not unlike the role of women in churches today). We must ask: to what extent are Gentile Christians to fully endorse and seek to follow all of the injunctions from the Old Testament… and more to the point, to what extent do the following principles laid out by Paul apply to his New Testament rules as well?

Galatians 5: 1-5
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery [to the requirements of the Law]. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Neither salvation nor righteousness are about a legalistic (slavish) obedience to rules, including the commandments of God found in the Mosaic Law and even the Pauline rules. Here is what Paul preached specifically to the Gentiles:

Ephesians 2:11-18
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands– remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

This principle, embedded in Paul’s arguments regarding Gentile believers, applies to so many of the detailed commands found in the scriptures (see Acts 15). The exceptions include Christ’s summary Law of Love (see Part 1), sexually immoral behavior (see 1 Corinthians 6:9), and the Ten Commandments (except the one regarding the Sabbath).

An important aside regarding interpretation. The written Word of God has authority over the Church. The way I interpret the scriptures must follow my born-again heart and conscience. Of course, I will not ignore what 2000 years of Christian tradition has taught, but I will also remember that tradition does not carry the authority of scripture itself, nor is it above the Holy Spirit’s internal guidance for each individual believer. Some ancient traditions have been clearly in error.

I am personally responsible to God for what I believe and how I interpret His Holy Word. This is a fearsome responsibility, but its end result is up to God’s grace and power, which I trust far more than I can trust myself (Proverbs 3:5-6).
https://virtueonline.org/scripture-and-church-issue-authority-interpretation-scripture
www.virtueonline.org/basic-guide-bible-interpretation-part-iii-humbled-facts-interpretive-process
An insight from C.S. Lewis: “What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what kind of person you are.”

Head Coverings for Women in the Context of Public Prayer

“Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?” (1 Corinthians 11:13)

He may have meant it as a rhetorical question, but I will take it seriously… and do what Paul suggests… and judge for myself with reference to the whole counsel of God and not just the single teaching in 1 Corinthians 11. The entire passage is in the context of prayer… and in analyzing its relevance (or lack of relevance) for us today, I think we need to first remember what Jesus said about prayer.

Prayer is between us and God, and God will hear us whether or not we have anything on our heads and whether we are kneeling or standing or sitting or lying down. Jesus certainly did not mention anything about what one should wear during prayer, nor do any of the writers of the New Testament… except for this one passage by Paul in 1st Corinthians 11.

Even though the “Our Father” was said publicly as a teaching example, Jesus recommended going to a private secluded place (into one’s ‘prayer closet’ so to speak) when we pray… which means that no one will see or hear us… so that it truly does not matter what we are wearing. When in private we can be open and honest, and not be tempted to role-play before God or impress anyone with our religiousness.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.” (Matthew 6:5-6)

Jesus also prayed privately, sometimes going away by Himself and out to a mountain. Perhaps that is what He was doing when walking on the water… getting away from the crowd for some prayerful solitude with the Father.

But obviously in 1st Corinthians, Paul is referring to praying in public in the congregational context, something the gospel writers never record Jesus as recommending. Note Jesus’ judgment on the proud Pharisee and His justification of the repentant tax collector in Luke 18:9-14. It is the heart that matters to God… and one’s mouth and behavior should follow.

Romans 10:1-10
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Therefore, one’s attitude is vitally important when one prays. You have heard of the “hail Mary pass” in football. It is the only play named after a prayer… because many people only pray when they are in desperate circumstances. Here is an anonymously written, rather humorous poem that highlights this point.

THE PRAYIN’EST PRAYER

“The proper way for a man to pray,” said Deacon Lemuel Keys,
“and the only proper attitude, is down upon the knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,” said Rev. Dr. Wise,
“is standing straight with outstretched arms and rapt but upturned eyes.”

“It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front
with both thumbs pointing toward the ground,” said Rev. Dr. Blunt.

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well, headfirst,” said Cyrus Brown,
“With both my heels a-stickin’ up, my head a-pointin’ down.
I made a prayer right then and there– best prayer I ever said.
The prayin’est prayer I ever prayed, I was a-standin’ on my head!”

As Jeremiah 29:13 reveals, God hears this kind of prayer and He is always available to our honest searching: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Moreover, this 100% (all your heart) attitude seems to happen most often when we have hit bottom, with our “heels a-stickin’ up” and our heads “a-pointin’ down.”

The moral principle is this: It is the inner attitude of our heart that counts, not our external appearance. We are not going to impress God with the form of our prayers, our expressive poetic language, our outward religiousness, and certainly not our clothing.

If wearing something on her head will aid in a wife’s attitude toward God, then it is a good thing; if it does not positively affect her attitude toward God, then it will matter not. Or perhaps it will have a negative effect…as is likely for women living in a western nation in the 21st century who may feel that it is a very unloving thing that God will not hear her prayers unless she puts something on her head to indicate her subservience to men. We know what Paul said about the role of women in the Church in 1 Timothy 2, but in all of Galatians 3 he also revealed the danger of seeking to be justified by the Law (and I submit that this includes all rules, even those made by Paul), to which he completed his point with this famous passage about the deeper truth of spiritual equality among believers:

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:23-29)

Finally, we must take into consideration that in Paul’s day, in his culture, wearing head coverings (or not) had far more meaning than it does today. I submit that this is the reason for this passage… this rule is clearly culturally-informed relative to his time and place; however, the symbolic issue of head covering is almost meaningless today. For example, in the USA, the majority (especially men but also many women) take their hats off indoors (at restaurants, etc.). We do so as well during public prayers and the national anthem (like at ball games). But no one expects women to put on hats for these moments. Ever. This is a cultural and secular thing, not a religious requirement. For patriotic Americans, it is not about gender or about male authority at all but about respect for God and country.

This is a good example of why our interpretations of biblical passages must take into consideration the cultural and ecclesiastic context… especially who the author is writing to… and why. Many passages in the Bible are directed to certain people who lived at the time… and the message is not meant to generalize universally in its external detailed requirements, only in the underlying principle. I think that this is one of those instances, especially since this particular rule is not repeated anywhere else in the Bible.

However, Paul also says in verse 16 (NLT), “But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.” I read this as Paul saying that head coverings have become an accepted custom in his churches, but it is not worth people arguing about. Head coverings are clearly not necessary for women to worship God; however, because the practice was so ingrained in the church culture and because the symbolism was valid regarding the role of women in churches, Paul would keep supporting it.

Summary Statement of the Principle

Believers become free from “enslavement” (Paul’s word) not only from the OT ceremonial and Jewish cultural laws but also free from slavish letter-of-the-law obedience to any rules devised by the churches. Regardless of which category the head covering of women in the context of worship falls into (Jewish culture or church rule), it is still an ordinance which can enslave anyone who puts it above Christ or above the primary Law of Love (Matt 22:37-39, John 13:34, 1 Cor 13, 1 John 4:19-21). See Romans 14 for what love and wisdom within the church may look like in practice when we disagree on secondary matters.

Personally, I am fine with women choosing to wear head coverings in church, but I would never require it. I am convinced that no woman will be kept out of the Kingdom of God because she did not wear a head covering during congregational prayer time, nor a man because he wore a ballcap. However, if he wore a mitre I am not so sure…

Dr. Bruce Atkinson is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary with an M.A. in theology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He is a Christian psychologist who also has an M.S. in research psychology from Illinois State University and a B.A. from Beloit College. He is a veteran of the USAF medical corps and served a term in Vietnam in 1971-72. He is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America and is Moderator and frequent contributor with VirtueOnline.

The Spirit versus the Letter of the Law, Part 2
Some examples from the teachings of the Apostle to the Gentiles

By Bruce Atkinson, Ph.D.
www.virtueonline.org
July 23, 2024

Note: Except where otherwise noted, the scripture passages are from the ESV.
The emphases (bold and italics) are mine.
Please first read Part 1: The purpose of the laws and requirements in the Bible.
https://virtueonline.org/spirit-versus-letter-law-part-i