Head Covering in the Church
June 25, 2021
Commentary
Two of the issues Paul deals with in this chapter are women praying and prophesying, and instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper. The topic of head coverings (vv. 4-7) is not one of the fundamentals of the faith but deals with the matter of obedience. One pastor said, “This may not be a camel, but it is a fairly good-sized gnat we dare not ignore.” Paul uses the hair as a symbol to teach respect and responsibility. We all have our biases and the culture in which we have grown up can affect our view of this subject. We should be very careful about making this a proof text for views which are contradicted elsewhere in Scripture. The following are some things to consider when we approach this passage of Scripture:
Women Praying and Prophesying (vv. 3-16) – It seems that some of the women had been swept off their feet by their newfound liberty in Christ and they were discarding the established customs of modesty of that day. They refused to cover their heads when they participated in public services. In that day, except for the temple prostitutes, the women wore long hair and, in public, wore a covering over their heads. For the Christian women in the church, to appear in public without this covering, let alone to pray and share the Word, was both daring and blasphemous.
Paul makes it plain that it was not appropriate for a man to participate in public worship with something on his head (v. 4). On the contrary, it was wrong for a woman to participate with her head uncovered (v. 5). This covering symbolized her submission and purity.
Application
The first question to ask myself is, “What does the Bible instruct me to do?” The second question is, “Does it offend those I want to minister to?” The third question is “Will I do it anyway?”
1 Corinthians 11:1– 16 (NET)
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
2 I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered disgraces his head. 5 But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is one and the same thing as having a shaved head. 6 For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut off her hair. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head. 7 For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for man. 10 For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 In any case, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman. But all things come from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.