Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 6/27/2010

Question
Hello. I read recently that women are to have head coverings at all times. I tried to follow this but had a difficult time. Everytime I enter a building or at school I get told to take it off. Is it even an issue of salvation?

Answer
Blessings and thank you for your question.

This idea that women must cover their heads is an obvious example of how the Bible can be taken out of context.  Let's look at the verses in 1 Corinthians 11 where this order is taken from:
1Co 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
1Co 11:4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
1Co 11:5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved.
1Co 11:6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
1Co 11:7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
1Co 11:8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;
1Co 11:9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
1Co 11:10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
1Co 11:11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
1Co 11:12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
1Co 11:13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
1Co 11:14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
1Co 11:15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
1Co 11:16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

Paul is taking to the church at Corinth.  This church was living in the most evil city of the New Testament times.  The church at Corinth was a seriously troubled church. Infected with sexual immorality, split by factions that dragged each other into court, and crippled by abuse of the spiritual gifts, this church was in need of radical spiritual surgery. Though true believers, the Corinthians had a lot of growing up to do. They had to stop following the immoral, selfish, and contentious ways of their pagan neighbors in Corinth, the notoriously immoral city of that day. One can sense the disappointment of a hurt father in Paul’s stern words for the Corinthians. Yet Paul, like a surgeon, diagnosed the problem and aimed his efforts straight at the source: pride and a lack of true love in the church.

Paul picked out many things that the church was dealing with and was trying to set them straight.  In Chapter 11, Paul is talking about headship, that is authority in the church and in the family.  God originated the man to be the head of the family, just as Christ is head of the church.  Head primarily means “authority” when used in the context of human relationships. But the Greek word for head can also mean “source” or “origin,”  The relationship between men and women does not involve inferiority, for Christ is not inferior to God the Father. Submission does not indicate inferiority, but subordination. Just as Christ and God are equally divine, men and women are equal beings. But just as Jesus and God the Father have different roles in God’s plan of salvation, so men and women are given different roles.

Women were obviously allowed to pray and prophesy in the Christian assembly because it would have been meaningless for Paul to give instructions for something they were not permitted to do. Dishonors her head refers either to the woman’s own physical head or to her husband as her head, or possibly both (v. 4#. For a woman not to cover her head with a veil or with her own hair was as shameful as having a shaved head, a sign of public disgrace in their culture #obviously it does not mean the same thing in our culture today-unless you are muslim#. The woman was taken from the side of the man #see Gen. 2:21#. Woman for the man is Paul’s way of stating the concept of the “helper” in Gen. 2:20. This does not mean the woman is inferior to the man; it refers only to the purposes of God for man and woman in the creative order.

In verse 10, women were to wear a covering on their head because of the angels. Evidently God’s angels are present at the meeting of the church and actually learn of God’s work of grace through the lives and worship of God’s people #see Eph. 3:10#. This is a symbol of the woman’s authority to prophesy in the new church age, which was inaugurated with the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost #v. 5#. It also might refer to a symbol of the man’s authority over the woman #v. 3#. Verses 11-12 point out that men and women need each other, and as creatures of God, both depend on Him. Neither man or woman can have any claim to special status other than what God has purposed for them as their Creator.

Verse 16 is what makes all of this out of context.  Paul concludes by saying that the church ought not to make rules in connection with the matter of women’s dress or men’s hair. The really important issue is the inner man. It is the old nature which needs a haircut and the robe of righteousness. When we are clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness and if our old nature is under the control of the Holy Spirit, that will take care of the outer man. The haircut and the style of clothes #as long as they aren't provocative) won’t make much difference. Paul is saying that he is not giving a rule to the churches. He just states what is best in his opinion or solution to their problems are. We should remember that in all our Christian liberty we are to think of others and of our testimony to others. We should be guided by the principles he has laid down: to glorify God, and not to offend others.

Remember this is not an issue of salvation or even sin.  May the Lord bless you richly.