Lesson: PLATFORMS FOR EXPRESSION OF MEN’S TRADITIONS
TEXT: 1Cor. 11:1-2, 23(RSV)
MEMORY VERSE: 1Cor. 11:2
“I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the TRADITIONS even as I have delivered them to you. (RSV)
INTRODUCTION:
Platforms here-in-after referred is simply opportunity or window for people’s particular ways of life to be exhibited. It
bothers on the items on which these particular traits are noticed: such things as manner of greetings, eating habits, dressing patterns, etc. by which a community of people is recognized.
Both the old regime of Moses in the Laws received at Sanai and the new and final regime of Jesus are replete with circumstances by which we recognize what were the various traditions and/or customs of various people.
OBJECTIVE: At the end d of the lesson, we should be able to see hairstyle and dressing codes, leadership principles, worship patterns, marriage administrations, burial traditions, language and ceremonial days as some of the many platforms or opportunities for expressing men’s customs.
PRESENTATION:
Step I: HAIRSTYLES/DRESSING CODES AS PLATFORMS FOR EXPRESSING SOME TRADITIONS OF THE CORINTHIANS
(a) Hairstyle was an identity of pagan worship custom in Corinth (cf. 1Cor. 11:4-14).
i. The Christians there, after conversion through Paul’s preaching, wrote asking how the worshippers of the “god of Aphrodite,” (god of love) whose temple servants (prostitutes) were identified according to their hairstyle, would keep their hair now as Christians (see 1Cor. 7:1).
ii. The Holy Spirit through Paul told them never to let such tradition before their conversion become a subject of contention (cf. 1Cor. 11:16) since it applies only to them with whom such custom is bound; not in the Christian Faith generally (cf. also Rom.14:5).
(b) What is cardinal here to note is that Paul recommends for modification (for it to run without friction with
the tradition of Christ) and not to be discontinued.
(c) Head covering was a tradition given to the Hebrews and adopted by many in ancient times as a sign of subjection, on the part of a woman, to her husband and for acknowledgement of God’s presence via elect angels.
I. It also encouraged delectable outlook for the husband’s pleasure.
(d) The husband, on the other hand, was not to cover his head in his acknowledgement of Christ’s headship of him.
(e) Every custom has a design in dressing that separates the males from the females which we should see as a fundamental human right and honourable.
STEP II: LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES/WORSHIP
PATTERNS AS PLATFORMS FOR EXPRESSING HUMAN TRADITIONS
1. In Asia Minor (Ephesus 1Tim. 1:3; 2:11-15) and Achaia (Corinth – 1Cor. 14:34-35) where Jewish custom of women’s silence in public meetings was adopted through Synagogue ministrations, (cf. John 7:35; Acts 15:21)
Paul agreed to the tradition of the elders advising women never to struggle to occupy leadership positions in their assemblies.
i. The status quo, Paul accepted for peace to reign in the Christian brotherhood (cf. Rom. 14:13, 19; 1Pet. 3:10-12).
b) In the Province of Galatia, however, the situation was different. There was no observance of such mores as were in Ephesus and Corinth.
i. So, Paul said that (in Christ or by His faith), there is no gender distinction, nationality and professional disparities (See Gal. 3:26-28; Rom.1:14).
– No religious distinction as Jews and
Gentiles.
– No socio-cultural distinction as Greeks and Barbarians
– No economic and political distinctions as
slaves and non-slaves.
– No gender and human distinction as male and female.
ii. In Christ, Paul emphasizes that what matters is spiritual talents’ endowment and the people’s endorsement to determine who leads.
III. This principles apply in all things whatsoever that the Christian community sees honourable and engages in.
a) Enough of our brandishing this Hebrew custom of women’s silence in public assemblies to the suffocation of endowed divine talents as though Christ had ordered so.
i. If any group adopts it, it should be for that group. Let others be who do not subscribe to it (See Rom. 14:14b).
2. The Jews engaged in many customary practices as items for worship (See Mark 7:1-5). It is okay by them and between them alone and God.
(a) What was not clear enough to them was the inability to see those rituals as only binding on them (cf. Rom 14:22; Mark 7:5).
b) Where the Gospel of Christ remains a TRADITION, patterns of administering it must not be made TRADITIONAL. The method has to be TRANSITIONAL depending on grace, divine supplies and needs.
Step 111: MARRIAGE ADMINISTRATIONS AND BURIAL RITES AS PLATFORMS FOR EXPRESSING MEN’S TRADITIONS
1. The Hebrews’ traditional rites were enough to make people couples: Jesus’ presence in one of such marriages in Cana (John 2:1-10) suggests divine endorsement.
(a) Our traditional marriage rites are also enough for God’s endorsement if we settle for our own and stop the adoption of foreign traditions which are equal before God, even those of the Hebrews found in Bible.
(b) marriage is only honourable in God’s sight because it is done so spiritually. (cf. Heb.13:4).
i. It is the spiritual hand of God that unites them through sex after men had witnessed the performance of the traditional marital rites (cf. 1Cor. 6:13-16). God can accept this anywhere.
(c) Parents/guardians and Ministers of the Gospel (Christians) have the duty to advise, encourage, pray for and support the marriage partners.
2. Burial rites in God’s mind were to be as simple as possible so as not to lead people into idolatry which is fellowship, for any reason whatsoever, with invisible beings rather than God through Christ (cf. Jesus’ burial style for adoption – John 19:38-42),
i. We know that fellowship is in giving and taking and, in the case of worship, honour.(a) Despite Jesus dying sinless as the Son of God, His body was neither mummified (embalmed), flown to His hometown, Nazareth, nor was there any form of economic wastages in the name of a befitting burial.
i. l am yet to be convinced what should account for saddling someone with the responsibility of ringing bell on the day a Christian corpse is to be interred.
ii. Is it to honour the spirit of the dead person? If it is, then, all of us must rise up to stamp out from among us since that is idolatry in Scripture.
iii. These days, there’s an initiation of another pattern of idolatry expressed in the throwing of caskets around in the fictitious belief that the dead person is happy for a befitting burial and dancing.
iv. How about the drink offerings in libation and the needless throwing of sand into the grave first by Church leaders before others?
– When did God asked that such Scripture as “to the sand, you will go, the place from which you came” be demonstrated?
Step IV: LANGUAGE AND CEREMONIAL DAYS AS PLATFORMS FOR EXPRESSING HUMAN TRADITION
1. There are economic ceremonial days/months/years fixed by community leaders in which community lands are cultivated; their palm plantations harvested; etc.
(a) Christian tradition is not against such practices unless the people’s continued learning modifies due to innovations.
i. There are many well to do graduates today who were trained with money from such sources. May such people-centred and beneficial traditions continue, brethren.
(b) It is the same way the Jewish Christians observed many Sabbaths before and after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension without being condemned. (cf. Col. 2:16-17; Acts 21:17-25).
2. Greek language unified the various arms of government in New Testament times although Latin was the official language not popularly used (Acts 22:37; Jn.19:20).
a) Similarly, Aramaic language (the official language of the Babylonians which the Hebrews learned during their seventy (70) years in captivity) gave some listening grace to the Hebrew crowd to give more
attention to Paul (See Acts 21:40-22:2).
(b) Understood language as a medium of communication normally unites a people together for achievement of their set goals without friction (cf. Gen. 11:5-7).
CONCLUSION:
Whatsoever brings any people together when practiced soon becomes a tradition and/or custom.
EVALUATION:
1. Mention any two features of people’s tradition as a mark of their identity.
2. If the Christian Faith is a tradition, what differentiates it from other traditions?
3. “If any tradition honours the spirit of the dead or any invisible being other than God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, it is idolatry.” Discuss.
PRAYER: Thank God for the lesson and pray against all forms of malice and that the “the golden rule” of ‘Matt.7:12’ take a centre stage in us in every transaction.