Women’s Head Covering

Verses 2-16 of 1 Corinthians ch. 11 form a section. The theme of the section is that when praying or prophesying a man should have his head uncovered and a woman should have her head covered. The portion åhead. Presumably error in this matter was (just as it is now) more prevalent among women than among men. So far as divine grace and position in Christ Jesus are concerned, there is no male and female (Ga≠latians ch. 3, v. 28). So far as order and responsibility are concerned, distinction is made between man and woman.

The length of the portion and the number of arguments adduced indicate the importance of the subject. God had the right to do no more than give the simple instruction for the obedience of men and women, but in His grace He has given much more. Six points are made regarding the covering of a woman’s head. Let us consider them together.

1. The SHAME of BEING UNCOVERED (verses 5 and 6)

The removal of the hair was inflicted as a punishment on adulteresses. An uncovered head is as bad as a shaved head – a thing of shame. How searching are the words of verse 6 – “let her also be shorn”. The hair of the uncovered woman should be cut off.

2. The SHROUDING of MAN’S GLORY (verse 7)

The woman is man’s glory, and before God man’s glory should be veiled. Man’s head should not be covered, inasmuch as he is God’s image and glory. God’s glory should not be veiled.

3. The SIGN of AUTHORITY before ANGELS (verses 8-10)

Any suggestion that the instructions of this passage were only for Corinth in Paul’s day is easily refuted. The appeal is made in the passage to the fact and purpose of creation. The woman was taken out of man (Genesis ch. 2, v. 23) and the woman was created for the sake of the man (Genesis ch. 2, v. 20). Today in any part of the world we look back to the fact and purpose of creation. Angels are looking on and for that reason, a token of the authority under which woman stands in regard to man should be upon her head.

4. The SEEMLINESS (verse 13)

The appeal is now made to what is comely. We should of ourselves come to the conclusion that feminine modesty demands a head covering when a woman prays to God.

5. The SIGNIFICANCE of NATURE’S GIFT (verses 14 and 15)

God’s gift, through Nature, of hair to a woman should teach us that a head covering for a woman is comely. A comment on the subject of a woman’s hair will not be out of place. Sometimes it is maintained that providing the hair is longer than a man’s “short-cut”, a sister comes within the Scripture (verse 15). A godly sister, that is one who is concerned about pleasing her Lord, will choose a course free from doubt. A “half-length” will not satisfy her. Here Nature’s gift is in view. Great use of the scissors greatly reduces God’s gift through Nature. Should any gift of God be treated in such a way?

6. The SILENCING of any CONTENTIOUS PERSON (verse 16)

After all that has been said somebody may yet think to be contentious. The answer to such is the practice of the apostles and the assemblies of God. The “we” is emphatic. “We apostles and the assemblies of God have no such custom” as the contentious person would uphold.

The next section, verses 17-34 contains five references to “coming together” (verses 17, 18, 20, 33 and 34). Verse 18 speaks of coming together “in assembly”. Very significantly the section begins with a reference to coming together. The inference is that the former section, the subject of our consideration in this pamphlet, does not relate exclusively to our coming together in assembly. We have confirmation of this inference if we compare verse 5 “every woman . . . prophesying” with verses 34 and 35 of chapter 14.

Without doubt the instructions of verses 4 and 5 apply to assembly gatherings, whether for breaking of bread, preaching of the gospel, prayer or Bible study, but not to such meetings only. Certainly there should be respect for a sister who, out of a desire to maintain scripture order, has her head covered during any season of prayer.