Should women be ‘covering’ their heads, as mentioned in Corinthians?
Here is what I see from scripture in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, as our Apostle Paul discusses the place of men and women in public worship there in Corinth.
The first thing that our apostle does as he begins the chapter is to remind those saints that as their God-appointed apostle, they are to follow his instructions, as what he tells them is from our Lord Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 14:37
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
The ordinances laid down by Paul were to be followed in order to maintain order in their public worship!
1 Corinthians 11:1-2
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
He then goes onto to remind them of God's original order of authority. That is, that the male is in submission to Christ, that the female is in submission to the male, and that even our Lord Jesus is in submission to God the Father.
1 Corinthians 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Here we see that although the male and female are equals, just like our Lord and the Father are equal, they are still different, and there is still a God-ordained order of authority.
Then Paul goes on to clarify the tradition of public worship of that day in which it was not right for a man to cover his head while praying or prophesying under the power of the Holy Ghost, because the man, as the leader or head, represented the Lord Jesus, and as such, had no other HUMAN in authority over him, and therefore, the man was not to cover his head. To do so would dishonor his Lord.
1 Corinthians 11:4
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head [authority] covered, dishonoureth his head [authority].
Our apostle goes onto say about the female however, that she, as subordinate to the male by God's ordination at creation, must have her head covered in some manner during public worship, because it represented her acknowledgement, and those who watched her (including the angels) that she was under the man's authority.
1 Corinthians 11:5-6
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
As you can see, Paul says for a woman to be uncovered in that day while in public worship, she would be dishonoring her head or covering, the male. Paul even goes so far as to say that she might as well go ahead and shave off all of her hair (they had very long hair, not cutting it from birth). And in that day, if a woman had short or shorn or shaven hair it was a shame unto her. Makes me think that is why many lesbian women have short hair because they don't want to be under man's God given authority.
Anyway, our apostle goes on to give further explanation of this principle—one that God Himself set up at creation with Adam and Eve.
1 Corinthians 11:7-9
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
Then our apostle gives one last reason why God's order of submission should be followed by the woman—one that goes beyond human kind and extends into the Heavenly Places.
1 Corinthians 11:10
For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
What Paul is alluding to is the fact that the angels learn from those of us in the Church, the Body of Christ! They learn about God's manifold or multifaceted, or multiple wisdom in the Mystery of Christ. They learn from our submission to His Word through Paul how God is exalting the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head of all things both on earth and also in Heaven.
Ephesians 3:10-11
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
So as the female submits to the male, the angels learn about the church and it's submission to its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the man actually represents our Lord.
God has His angels observe the public worship of the Church, the Body of Christ, and He wants them to watch us worship Him in all decency and order. So when that woman has a covering upon her, she is showing her subjection to the male's headship and therefore her reverence for God's creative order.
Lastly, our apostle Paul reminds all the saints of our oneness in Christ, and how all this works out for God's glory when we obey and submit to His God-ordained authority in our public worship.
1 Corinthians 11:11-12
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
Then Paul sums up his argument by saying just consider that natural world...notice how men in general and for the most part have short hair, and women, to the contrary have longer hair (even to our present day). So even in the natural, woman having a covering [her hair] is the norm.
1 Corinthians 11:13-15
Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
To complete his instructions, Paul goes on to make the grace of God the issue, by saying that although this is the custom of that time, if someone wanted to do it another way, go ahead and let them…
Romans 14:5
…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
…because we are free from being so strict and legalistic about that custom because our Lord did not give a direct command to Paul to give to us about ‘head coverings’ (hair), although it was the custom of that day.
Today, whether a man or woman has their head covered (chooses to have long or short hair) or not is not the main issue with God—rather, the weightier matters of following the Apostle Paul in his sound doctrine is most important.
1 Timothy 1:10-11
…and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; according to the glorious gospel of the blessed god, which was committed to my trust.
It is a tougher passage because of the traditions and customs and culture of that day, which is far different from ours today.
Hopefully this helps!
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