Conflicting Commands

In the Bible, there are many statements that could, on the surface, be interpreted as conflicting with other verses. To complicate the matter, some people go so far as to say a suggestion from Paul is a command from God. Let's take one particular set of verses as an example.

1 Corinthian 11:4-6

Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.

If I were a calvinist with an agenda, my exegesis might conclude that God, through Paul, is ordering women to:
A) Pray and worship aloud in church.
B) To do so with their heads covered.


1 Corinthians 14:33-35

As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

Again, if I were a calvinist with an agenda, my exegesis might conclude that God, through Paul, is ordering women to:
A) Not speak, sing, or otherwise make noise in church.
B) Seek all Biblical knowledge from their husbands.

< sarcasm font off >

OK, now let's analyze for real...
First - Paul is the author. And these verses are not very far apart in the same epistle to the Corinthians. Barely had Paul stated that women should pray and prophesy in church when he turned around and said they should remain silent in church. 

Since God is not the author of confusion, we must logically assume that neither of these is a command, for if it were, then the other would be a suggestion which clearly violates the command. Therefore, teh only logical conclusion is that both are suggestions.

A more realistic exegesis, as appropriate for today, would include the fact that the culture of the time prohibited women from speaking in public places in many instances. Therefore, women refraining from speaking in public was clearly a suggestion that was time-sensitive and location-sensitive. Similarly, the other suggestion - to keep women's heads covered - was a time-sensitive and location-sensitive suggestion. 

Conclusion
The Bible has many suggestions that are as true today as they were thousands of years ago. Similarly, there are some culture-specific suggestions. To go around, making one suggestion out to be a "command" is, by definition, taking the Lord's Name in vain - which is specifically mentioned as a sin (directly mentioned in the Decalogue) in Exodus 20:7 -

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

Cafeteria-Christian is the term for someone who takes only specifically selected parts of scripture as commands, even though they are never labeled as such. People who do this often have an agenda. At the root of it, the person's pride is what is coming through. 

Christians who elevate specific suggestions to the status of a command (failure to comply is a sin), are taking the Lord's Name in vain. This is a sin, that is not disputed by any follower of God. Don't do it! In other words, if I call you a Cafeteria-Christian, then I am saying you are sinning by taking the Lord's Name in vain!


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