1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Head Coverings
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.
13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
This passage seems to have a veiled implication of actual head coverings being more a symbolic representation of the true roles of men and women in the church in regards to authority and headship. To those in the culture of that time in Corinth, however, it was most likely much more clear than it is to us in regards to the actual head coverings which we do not see in today’s society of the west. Paul began this discussion to remind them how he had taught about authority and headship by reminding them to keep the traditions as he had given them as an apostle who spoke for God. The reminder began with the head being Christ over everyone in the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), then the role of the husband as head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23), and a reminder that Christ as the Son is under the headship of God the Father, so that we are reminded we are all under God’s authority with Jesus as the head of the body (Colossians 1:18). This is an extremely unpopular truth to today’s society and this discontent filters into the church among those less spiritually mature even to the point of heated debates and division. It is one of those doctrines which we need to go back to ask what did God say instead of (Genesis 3:1) “did God really say,” as an echo of the doubt leading to original sin rings clear in defiance of God’s authority as our head. He has set an order of roles, not importance or value, of men and women united in marriage in the church. This order is based on the fact that Eve was deceived, not Adam (1 Timothy 2:12-14), and therefore was put under his headship as wife with her judgment kept in line with God’s word as long as Adam fulfills his role to keep that word himself and not sin in line with Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3) as in the Garden. Though both sinned, the impetus fell primarily on Eve who was targeted by the deceiver and this is the reason for these roles of headship which we are under as man and wife in the church under Christ as our head to keep us in line with His word as we serve in those roles of authority in humility and love. Therefore, in that society where women wore head coverings and men did as well, it was symbolic of this hierarchy of headship that the men did not dishonor God by wearing their coverings in church while praying or prophesying and that women likewise did wear theirs to display submiss to the authority in the role as wives under their husbands under God in Christ. This was not so the women would act as slaves to their men nor for the husbands to rule over their wives in an ungodly manner (1 Peter 3:7), but with understanding of the equal inheritance in Christ in honor and respect and not as overlords in the roles set by God’s grace since the fall. Men and women were made for each other even though the first woman was made for man since now every man comes into the world through a woman by birth to keep us in the proper perspective. As it says here, “as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.” There is further concern here that men in Corinth were using long hair as a covering which was also an affront to God’s authority while women with long hair had that as their head covering, yet it is not a complete prohibition on long hair as some may deduce apart from the cultural significance of that day. This is explained in the final verse where the apostle speaking for God tells us that if this becomes a contentious matter then the church has no such mandate on the long hair as a covering In light of authority and roles. The important point is the actual meaning of the roles of authority with Christ as head over we who are in His body in God’s house with His created and mandated order of headship for us in the body of Christ which is the church. Amen!
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