1 Corinthians 11:1-16
Try to imitate me, even as I myself try to imitate the Messiah.
2 Now
I praise you because you have remembered everything I told you and
observe the traditions just the way I passed them on to you. 3 But
I want you to understand that the head of every man is the Messiah, and
the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of the Messiah is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies wearing something down over his head brings shame to his head, 5 but
every woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame
to her head — there is no difference between her and a woman who has
had her head shaved. 6 For
if a woman is not veiled, let her also have her hair cut short; but if
it is shameful for a woman to wear her hair cut short or to have her
head shaved, then let her be veiled. 7 For a man indeed should not have his head veiled, because he is the image and glory of God, and the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man; 9 and indeed man was not created for the sake of the woman but woman for the sake of the man. 10 The reason a woman should show by veiling her head that she is under authority has to do with the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in union with the Lord neither is woman independent of man nor is man independent of woman; 12 for as the woman was made from the man, so also the man is now born through the woman. But everything is from God. 13 Decide for yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God when she is unveiled? 14 Doesn’t the nature of things itself teach you that a man who wears his hair long degrades himself? 15 But a woman who wears her hair long enhances her appearance, because her hair has been given to her as a covering. 16 However,
if anyone wants to argue about it, the fact remains that we have no
such custom, nor do the Messianic communities of God.
So now lets go through this together. The passage starts off strong, to imitate Paul just as Paul imitates Yeshua, our Messiah. Is that not the epitome of our walks with Elohim? To follow his example; to be obedient to his desires for us? So an introduction to this chapter should make us sit up a little straighter and listen. Verse two also leads in praise for doing these things that Elohim has commanded us.
And then verse three starts off, leading into an explanation for the passage. It's pretty straight forward, the head of man is the Messiah, the head of woman is man. Before you all jump me screaming about misogyny lets think about this Biblically. We know right from Genesis 2:18 that woman was created For man, 18 Adonai, God, said, “It isn’t good that the person should be alone. I will make for him a companion suitable for helping him.” So if you're thinking "That's just Paul" it's not Paul you're arguing with, but Adonai himself. Once we understand that men are the to be the godly leaders of our homes, and that as women we are called to be the helpers, the support for our husbands we then have the foundation built to understand what is being said in this passage.
Verses four to nine go on to lay out the point of the passage, that men are not to have their heads covered when they pray or prophesy; but women are to be covered when they do this. Now, there's some key things written into this portion. First, that the covering he is speaking out can not be hair like so many are taught. This is because he clearly states that the cover is for prayer and prophesy, if it was hair why would he need to state when the cover should be on? It would always be present. He also clearly states that men are not to be covered, so should a man then shave his head before he prays? No.
A part of this segment needs cultural context to understand, see, at the time this was written there was a few things going on. First, the men of the time covered their heads when they prayed and taught, and secondly that the only women walking around with uncovered heads, short hair, or shaven heads where the pagan prostitutes of the time or the unsaved. But in the church in Corinth with its influx of gentiles into the fold of new believers many where beginning to bring with them their traditions of not covering their heads. This is exactly why we don't see earlier reference to doing this, because it was so standard practice for the women that it hadn't needed to be written in, it was a given. But now that it was being challenged Paul needed to lay it out. We can see in scripture this 'given' that covering was done in verses in Genesis 24:65 and 38:14-15.
We also need to note here the strong language used by Paul in these statements. Not only are men to not cover when they pray, but to do so Dishonors their head, and who was their head again? Yeshua! For a woman to pray uncovered is to dishonor her Husband first, and by continuation it is to dishonor Yeshua. In fact, for her to pray uncovered is so strongly marked down by Paul that if she didn't this command comes with a punishment that would make her the societal equal of a prostitute! That's some pretty powerful stuff. This also combats the 'her hair is her covering' idea as if her hair was her covering why would it then be cut short if she doesn't cover?
Then we get to Ten, which is open to much debate in a few ways. But one things is for sure, this verse alone blows "headcovering is cultural" out of the water. Angels are not affected by our culture and, more importantly, Neither is Elohim. As we already addressed that the passage makes headcovering a matter of honoring or dishonoring the Messiah we simply can not view this as a cultural issue. What exactly is meant by 'to do with the angels' is where some people do try to come up with their own theories.
As the passage closes we see Paul referencing into the idea he wrote in Ephesians 5:21-33, 21 Submit to one another in fear of the Messiah. 22 Wives should submit to their husbands as they do to the Lord; 23 because
the husband is head of the wife, just as the Messiah, as head of the
Messianic Community, is himself the one who keeps the body safe. 24 Just as the Messianic Community submits to the Messiah, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 As for husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community, indeed, gave himself up on its behalf, 26 in order to set it apart for God, making it clean through immersion in the mikveh, so to speak, 27 in
order to present the Messianic Community to himself as a bride to be
proud of, without a spot, wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and
without defect. 28 This is how husbands ought to love their wives — like their own bodies; for the man who loves his wife is loving himself. 29 Why,
no one ever hated his own flesh! On the contrary, he feeds it well and
takes care of it, just as the Messiah does the Messianic Community, 30 because we are parts of his Body. 31 “Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and remain with his wife, and the two will become one.”32 There is profound truth hidden here, which I say concerns the Messiah and the Messianic Community. 33 However,
the text also applies to each of you individually: let each man love
his wife as he does himself, and see that the wife respects her husband. Drawing the clarity that submission is not built in a vacuum, but a part of a plan Elohim has for marriage. This also makes something else very apparent, how can this be cultural when it appeals to the very creation of men and women, spanning all times and cultures? Does our Elohim change? Is he affected by western culture?
It's in verses thirteen to sixteen that people begin to get confused. 13 Decide for yourselves: is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God when she is unveiled? 14 Doesn’t the nature of things itself teach you that a man who wears his hair long degrades himself? 15 But a woman who wears her hair long enhances her appearance, because her hair has been given to her as a covering. 16 However,
if anyone wants to argue about it, the fact remains that we have no
such custom, nor do the Messianic communities of God. So what is Paul saying here? The two most common responses are "See! Hair IS her covering!" and "See? Even Paul dismisses it all." But are these responses logical or simply trying to justify away what is written? We've already stated why hair can not be the cover, so lets start with that one. What we can see here is that men are to have their hair short, in esteem for himself if nothing else; and in turn a woman's long hair is a crowing glory! It enhances her physical beauty and is A covering, but simply can not be The covering discussed or it could not be used as a punishment to have it cut. We also need to accept two very big biblical facts that get so often dismissed in this passage. The Bible never contradicts itself when you dig into what it is saying and nothing is written without a purpose to it. So to dismiss this whole passage because of this last segment simply can not be the truth, it would mean Paul wrote this out for nothing and that he Lied when he said it was dishonoring to God. Instead I propose that he wrote it this way to cause thought on the matter, that it was sarcasm. This idea isn't free-floating, as we see Paul come out with sarcasm in Galatians 5:12 and Acts 24. But there is more against this argument of the hair, after all, when we go back to the terms used for covering in the original Greek we see instead that the word is more accurately defined as a veil, a separate object as a covering, and in the prior verses it makes applying this 'veil' an action, to be done and undone; which simply can not be achieved if hair is the covering in question.
Now, there is also another consideration that we must put into place here. We have seen that it is a dishonor to Elohim to not headcover as a woman when praying and prophesying. But we can not call this a sin or a Must, meerly a strong should. The reason I say this is that as sin is defined as a transgression of the Law, and that headcovering as a woman is never mandated in Gods Law, the Torah, we can not by biblical definition say it is a sin - and thus can not say it is a Must. Paul, after all, had no power to add to or change the Law of God. Only God himself can do this. And yet, as it is a physical symbol of the headship of our husbands it does yet fall within the confines of a law to submit to our husband. So the argument that the should borders on a must is valid in itself. After all, we see Yeshua himself elaborate on the Law numerous times to 'flesh it out' as it where, knowing that all scripture is Adonai-Breathed we must then view this passage as an elaboration on the law of the order in the home, a part of the submission of a woman to her husband. Additionally, while not commanded in the Torah we do see the Matriarchs of old model the covering.
With the passage laid out and understood lets go through a little more culturally and scripturally. See, the passage also has a lesser point made that we are introduced to. As we all know, Jewish men cover their heads when they pray and teach, and yet here we see that to do so is to dishonor the Messiah. So when could that have changed? The truth is that there is no Torah basis for these men to do be doing this beyond the Cohen in the Temple and Tabernacle. Even then, some theorize that this change was done at the point of Christ's death in Matthew 27:51, the tearing of the temple veil, 51 At that moment the parokhet in the Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom; and there was an earthquake, with rocks splitting apart. Now I am sure many of you have heard this event mentioned as the symbolism of the barrier between Elohim and men. We have scripture as well as outside sources which would support this claim. The headcovering of men before was another symbol of that barrier, a respect between men and God. And neither was the covering of women anything new. It was both for modesty and respect of a woman's husband that Jewish woman have covered their hair at least once married. So to tie the two, the curtain and the kippah, together is neither a stretch nor unfounded. But we see that because a woman still has her husband in authority over her that her cover remains intact. I have more on the covering of men in Part 2.
From here we can then continue in history, and what a rich history of headcovering we have indeed! In fact, it was only in the recent fifties and sixties and the height of the feminist movement that anyone even debated headcovering to the extent of removing it from our churches. All through history, until early eighteen hundreds it was expected that women would cover their heads full time within 'Christian Nations'. It became cultural to cover, a modesty issue. When the eighteen hundred came headcovering was introduced to the idea that perhaps it was meant only for church, as the passage is surrounded by church only statements. Now, Personally, I don't buy it as I fail to see how honoring or dishonoring God is affected by what location you are in on a given day of the week, but I do see their point based on the context of the passage so I certainly have no issues with women who cover only for corporate worship. This began an interesting tradition however which carries over into some parts of the world still today. Chapel veils and Sunday Hats.
As we moved into the twentieth century we start to see the feminist grow and change. From it's foundation in voting rites it gained steam and grew into something none of the founders could have foreseen. When the fifties came the feminist movement saw a new 'injustice' and began to push into the churches, against headcovering. They felt that to headcover, that visible representation of a woman's submission to her husbands God given authority, was atrocious; that a woman would make a show of being 'lesser'. They also noticed the difference in men not covering and in the name of equality became to push against women covering in churches just as men didn't cover.
Sadly, our churches went through a similar issue Corinth faced. Because covering had become so a part of the culture around us we had failed at teaching and being taught the meaning behind it. And so when the push against it came out many didn't even fight, they didn't realize that they were taking a person's teaching over that of God! And so as the sixties continued and on into the seventies we began to loose covering as a standard thing within the western world. It's interesting to note that the majority of the world, area's not evangalized by westerners, all continue to cover and never lost this. Russia, Ukraine, Israel, much of Europe, all still covering. It was never in question to them. But western culture is what abandoned it, and thus has spread the Word of God without this passage.
With time as well we run into a secondary issue in this topic as well. The length of a woman's hair. As time has gone on from the feminist movement the length of hair has gotten shorter and shorter. Making the argument that long hair is the covering even weaker. As we can see that the passage can not be taken culturally from the start of it we must conclude in consistency that a woman's hair needs to be longer, not the short styles like pixie cuts so often being done today. That it is a symbol of our feminine glory.
With time as well we run into a secondary issue in this topic as well. The length of a woman's hair. As time has gone on from the feminist movement the length of hair has gotten shorter and shorter. Making the argument that long hair is the covering even weaker. As we can see that the passage can not be taken culturally from the start of it we must conclude in consistency that a woman's hair needs to be longer, not the short styles like pixie cuts so often being done today. That it is a symbol of our feminine glory.
So what kinds of covers can we use? Well, the Bible doesn't say. It simply says that we, as women, are to cover our heads. It doesn't say our hair, it doesn't say our face. and if we go to the Greek there is four different words used for covering, veiling and head, and only one could even possibly allude to covering the whole head in its entirety; but if this was the case then there wouldn't have been the others used at all. It is also vitally important that we remember Deuteronomy 4:2 2 In order to obey the mitzvot of Adonai your God which I am giving you, do not add to what I am saying, and do not subtract from it. And with that we each are given freedom in our style to find what works for us. Colors, styles, types, find your personality and let it shine through!
There is more scripture to this issue as well however. Not only are veils modeled in the Torah by the matriarchs, both in married and unmarried states like in Genesis 24, but we see that a woman wearing a veil is a presupposition in the Torah as well. In Numbers 5 a woman must have her veil removed and her hair loosened in order to be put on trial for adultery! This command specifies then that she must be wearing one in order for it to be a part of the command of how the trial is to go forth. We also see Isaiah 3:16-24 make the very bold claim that to be uncovered as a woman is akin to exposing our private parts, saying, Moreover Adonai says:
and a slave-brand instead of beauty. A claim Isaiah takes very seriously in making headcovering a modesty issue when he says in 47:2-3, Take the millstones, and grind meal;
take off your veil, strip off your skirt, uncover your legs, wade through the streams.
3 Your private parts will be exposed; yes, your shame will be seen. I am going to take vengeance, and no one will stand in my way.
There is more scripture to this issue as well however. Not only are veils modeled in the Torah by the matriarchs, both in married and unmarried states like in Genesis 24, but we see that a woman wearing a veil is a presupposition in the Torah as well. In Numbers 5 a woman must have her veil removed and her hair loosened in order to be put on trial for adultery! This command specifies then that she must be wearing one in order for it to be a part of the command of how the trial is to go forth. We also see Isaiah 3:16-24 make the very bold claim that to be uncovered as a woman is akin to exposing our private parts, saying, Moreover Adonai says:
“Because Tziyon’s women are so proud,
walking with their heads in the air
and throwing seductive glances,
moving with mincing steps
and jingling their anklets —
17 Adonai will strike the crown of the heads
of Tziyon’s women with sores,
and Adonai will expose their private parts.”
walking with their heads in the air
and throwing seductive glances,
moving with mincing steps
and jingling their anklets —
17 Adonai will strike the crown of the heads
of Tziyon’s women with sores,
and Adonai will expose their private parts.”
18 On that day Adonai will take away their finery — their anklets, medallions and crescents, 19 their pendants, bracelets and veils; 20 their headbands, armlets, sashes, perfume bottles, amulets, 21 rings and nose-jewels; 22 their fine dresses, wraps, shawls, handbags, 23 gauze scarves, linen underclothes, turbans and capes. 24 Then, there will be
instead of perfume, a stench;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of well-set hair, a shaved scalp;
instead of a rich robe, a sackcloth skirt;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of well-set hair, a shaved scalp;
instead of a rich robe, a sackcloth skirt;
take off your veil, strip off your skirt, uncover your legs, wade through the streams.
3 Your private parts will be exposed; yes, your shame will be seen. I am going to take vengeance, and no one will stand in my way.
For me, personally, I cover full time instead of part time. This means that because I pray so frequently through out the day it would become a chore for me to pull out a scarf or cover only when I wished to pray and thus my heart would no longer be in the task of honoring my God, I find it would also be disrespectful to my husband to be exposed without a cover. For the usual days, being on the farm, my cover is as simple as a wide headband, I'm feeling to uncovered in a headband narrower than two inches, or a ball cap. If I'm doing an in depth study into my bible or devotional I don't feel that a casual cover is enough, and so I will put on a prayer scarf of some sort, either casually draped on my head or in a loose hijab style to get the tails out of my way. But then for a church day, a heavy prayer day, a Sabbath or special day I will normally use a tichel, a Jewish style head wrap which covers all of my hair and sits atop my head. I absolutely love them, the colors and how much personality shines using them.
That said, some women do cover part time. That is, only putting something over their heads when they are praying and leave their heads bared in the in between times. When basing your decision to cover solely on 1 Corinthians 11 this would make sense as it specifies set times to be covered. With the Tanakh taken into play however to show that Isaiah considered it a matter of modesty this stance does not hold the same weight.
Also, there is some debate in covering circles about if this is just for corporate worship as the chapters before and after 1 Corinthians 11 are speaking in this context. While the context can lead to this there are two big problems with this theory that lead me to believe this is not the case. One is that we pray more than just at church, as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The second is that women where not permitted to be prophesying within the church, as we know from 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 2 Timothy 2:12. And of course, it again runs into issues when presented with veiling in the Tanakh.
That said, some women do cover part time. That is, only putting something over their heads when they are praying and leave their heads bared in the in between times. When basing your decision to cover solely on 1 Corinthians 11 this would make sense as it specifies set times to be covered. With the Tanakh taken into play however to show that Isaiah considered it a matter of modesty this stance does not hold the same weight.
Also, there is some debate in covering circles about if this is just for corporate worship as the chapters before and after 1 Corinthians 11 are speaking in this context. While the context can lead to this there are two big problems with this theory that lead me to believe this is not the case. One is that we pray more than just at church, as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The second is that women where not permitted to be prophesying within the church, as we know from 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 2 Timothy 2:12. And of course, it again runs into issues when presented with veiling in the Tanakh.
Since I began my journey in covering I have learned and grown a lot. I was so scared to start though! I remember, living in very rural Alberta, how nervous I was to go out of the house in a cover that was Obviously not normal attire by societies standards. I kept thinking things like "Well, it doesn't matter, God knows my heart" and "I can do this just in private right?" but even in my heart I knew it really wasn't acceptable like that. After all, I wasn't going to Quit praying if I wasn't at home! And I knew that our hearts are deceitful in all things (Jeremiah 17:9) and so how could I trust just pure conviction to be tell me if it was right or wrong? Only the Bible, the words of God, and the Holy Spirit can tell us that - and the Holy Spirit will never contradict scripture. A friend of mine who covered issued me a dare, and that dare changed my whole walk with Elohim. She told me that I needed to give it one week with Big, Elaborate covers. Nothing simple. During that week I needed to go out, get out of my little bubble of comfort zone and be seen. Not out of any vanity sake, but to judge peoples reactions to me and show me that I really had nothing to fear. So I then did, I did a week of tichel wraps and went out and about in rural Alberta. And you know what? Not only did I find I was by far more respected by strangers and got so many compliments, the exact opposite of what I expected, but my prayer life that week went through an incredible jump. To this day I feel the drastic, physical, difference when I pray before covering, like first thing in the morning, and when I pray with my cover on. I can feel the very connection to God change in our communication. And not just in prayer, but in learning. When I am reading my bible without a cover on I draw so little from his words, but the moment I cover the pages come alive!
I hope this has helped you understand head covering as a Christian, and be able to learn and grow with Adonai. If you're interested in learning further click here, to see my post about the Kippah and Tallit, and the flip side of this argument - a focus on the man in the passage of 1 Corinthians.
