God's Works
Acts 14:19
And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
Yes, there is a situation. Disregard it with me for a moment if you will. I know some of you are saying, 'look, there's a dead man laid out in the streets; how can you be so calm about it.' See, I do not find the dead man to be at all shocking. Rather it should be that the people were even persuaded to begin stoning the apostle which healed them. Sure, it was God's power unto salvation. But Paul is still writing to them. They stoned him in the street, dragged him from the city, and left him there to die. Surely it is no worse than the woman in the garden of John 20:13 crying about how they took away her Lord. Here Paul is writing them as though from beyond the grave. I can see him now saying with the thief in Luke 23:42, "Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom." Even so I hear his ghostly whisper echoing through the region: 'remember me, brethren, and keep the faith as I have delivered it unto you.' See, 1 Corinthians 11 opens with the matter of a severe head injury. For this cause Paul discussed at great lengths the covering of God and man over the head of the woman. It is not because he is bored. Rather it is for the created order of the angels.
If she prays or prophecies in public, let her head also be covered. We see God is the covering of all who seek him. Like Lazarus, we also will be raised up at the last day spoken of by John 6:40. For are we not made in the image of God, crowned with dominion and power. Ephesians 2:10 displays this just as Christ also has all things under his feet. The long hair and coverings are but outward signs just as circumcision changes not the heart. Here Paul is lying dying from a head injury. But God has his back, his sides, his front, and his rear covered. The contentious men, like those Jews of other places, are neither of God nor the apostles for such is not their custom. So, when the news came to Paul, he must have felt he had a head injury indeed. See he partly believed the rumors and prophecies, but God has got his back. Now many of the church here have sickness and sleep due to the disorder within. As in 1 Peter 4:17, judgment first starts at the house of God. This is why he says to examine, prove, and judge yourselves so you are not condemned with the world. For are we not one in the body of Christ; as such we really ought to care more for one another. But some are gluttonous and others starving, having nothing. It makes no sense for Paul to be so divided into pieces nor yet the church as so many wolves for the pickings. My, it is a frightful thing indeed to begin messing with God and his children. But look closer at what will become of it.