What are the churches of God in 1 Corinthians 11:16?

Verse 16. "But if any one seem to be contentious," etc. In all that relates to the question of attire, the apostle, while earnestly exhorting his brethren, has delivered no command. He points out what is comely, and trusts, for the effect of his counsels, to their spiritual discernment and right feeling. But he knew that among the various characters of men there are some who are more easily commanded than advised, and who, in all cases where a doubt may be plausibly expressed, are more ready to debate than to follow in the way of peace. To such he directs his closing words on this needful, but by no means welcome, topic. He would have them know, that in excepting to his counsel, they were condemning also the general practice, not only where himself or his fellows in the apostleship might be present, but in all companies which he knew and acknowledged as churches or assemblies of God. Nor in such assemblies was it usual to dispute the judgment of divinely inspired teachers, but rather to receive and follow it. Debate was not his own vocation, but to minister to willing ears the wisdom which he had himself received of God.5

Finally, the habitual usage of the churches, as regulated by apostolic wisdom, is no light thing to disturb, and this the apostle puts with great moral force. "But if any one seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor yet the churches of God." It is a contemptible sort of independence which sets itself up, not only against the spiritual feeling of all the public witness in God's assemblies, but above those endowed with heavenly wisdom to direct all. It is neither conscience nor spirituality, but a fleshly love of differing from others, and at bottom sheer vanity. The "custom" negatived was the Corinthian innovation, which confounded God's order in nature, not disputatiousness, as many ancients and moderns strangely conclude.

But the Spirit of God has anticipated the fact that in this matter some would be contentious; and the subject is decidedly closed by the declaration that the apostles had no such custom of being contentious. God has spoken: they had declared the truth of God: they will not descend to the level of merely arguing over it. And the assemblies of God are not to be in any wise contentious either; but to obey the Word of God.

God anticipated that this particular scripture would become a matter for contention, and therefore Paul closes the subject by writing, "But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God" (v. 16). Yet this is the Word of God, and deeply important for the true blessing of all the church of God on earth. Paul has stated the truth, but will not allow it to be a contentious issue. The truth of God is too precious and vital than to be dragged down to the level of human argument.

"If any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God" (v. 16). The apostle had declared the mind of God in this matter and if any were going to contend about it and argue, he simply adds, "We have no such custom, neither the churches of God." It is often in little things like this of covering or uncovering one's head that the state of heart is manifested and a test given as to whether one's will is subject to God and His Word or whether it desires instead to go against the Word and according to the fashions and order of the day. Customs may change, but the principle of God's Word in this and other matters abides.

Truisms, such as: "a cover on the heart is better than a mere cover on the head," will not avail to cover outward disobedience; for where there is inward obedience and submission, it will be sure to appear outwardly too; and where the heart is under the power and authority of the word of God, the "power" on the head will not be refused. I feel quite sure, that this is done unintentionally, from a want of spiritual understanding of the bearing of that important and so much neglected portion of divine truth (I mean 1 Cor. 11), but neglect or carelessness can be no excuse for disobedience to divine injunctions, just as little as the concluding words of the Apostle: "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God," could be used as an encouragement for disregarding the injunctions just given by himself, as inspired by the Holy Ghost. Those words are merely added, by the grace of God in the writer, to put a check upon the contentious spirit of the Corinthians, and guard them against undue legal pressure upon the consciences of their sisters in Christ; as this, after all, could never be made a matter of church discipline. Therefore the Apostle does not speak here the authoritative language of an apostle of Jesus Christ, as in that case of the flagrant evil (1 Cor. 5), but he appeals to their own judgment "Judge in yourselves: is it comely, that a woman pray unto God uncovered." But to any godly woman under the sense of divine grace and truth, the apostle's speaking thus in grace, would not, in the least weaken, but, on the contrary, serve to increase her solemn sense of responsibility as to the divine truth, taught and insisted on in the above important passage of Holy Writ.

If by faith in Christ we become members of the one flock, the one Church of God, there should be uniformity and harmony of action. Each one of the children of Israel had to observe the same rules, and was bound to worship God in the same way. So each member of Christ should know what are God’s directions and regulations for His Church. In ignorance surely of what the Church of God is, earnest, godly, souls, feeling the need of uniformity, have devised rules for all such as will agree on some special doctrine or church question with themselves. Hence the formation of so-called churches, composed of some, not all the members of the Church in any one place. Hence, too, the varied forms of church government and worship, Paul at Corinth would have nothing to do with the divisions there, save only to correct such evils. He did not form a church for all those who followed him, to the exclusion of those who were attached to Apollos, or Cephas, or some other teacher. All who believed at Corinth were members of God’s Church there, they were all God’s husbandry, God’s building, the temple of God. Was he indifferent about uniformity in order and worship? He insisted strongly on it. He sent Timotheus to remind them of his ways which were in Christ, as He taught everywhere in every Church, (1 Cor. 4:17.) As regards marriage, he ordained the same in all the churches. (7:17.) If the covering of women — if the order of worship, were in question, he spoke of the customs of the churches of God, and the order of worship in all the churches of the saints, (11:16; 14:33.)

The Apostle, while addressing the church at Corinth, links with them “all that in every place call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours”. There is only one Lord of whom each local assembly can say, in reference to all others, He is both theirs and ours. This is of the deepest importance in an epistle which deals with the practical conduct of the Christian, and the maintenance of discipline and order in the assembly. It clearly shows that the instructions apply to the whole Christian profession for all time. Again and again in the course of the Epistle we shall find passages that refute the attempt to limit the instruction to a local assembly and the apostolic age. (See 1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Cor. 7:17; 1 Cor. 11:16; 1 Cor. 14:36-37; 1 Cor. 16:1.) The Apostle will have to speak plainly as to the disorder in this assembly, but behind all his plain words of condemnation his earnest desire is that they may enjoy the blessings of grace and peace from “God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ”.