1 Corinthians 11:2-16
2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you.
3 But I want you to understand 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 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.
5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
6 For if a woman does not cover her head, have her also cut her hair off; however, if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, have her 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 man.
8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
10 Therefore the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does even nature itself not teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her as a covering.
16 But if anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor have the churches of God.
Women’s Head Coverings (1)
The cultural background of Corinth
Next, Paul turns to the subject of order in worship. He begins by commending the Corinthian believers. Whenever there was reason for praise, Paul always expressed it in order to encourage the recipients of his letters. Then, before addressing a major issue, he first takes up a smaller one. The matter of “women’s head coverings” serves as a kind of introduction before he moves on to the next, more serious subject. There are various interpretations of this passage, even among Christians. Here, I will present my own understanding in two parts. (1) In the ancient Near East, women always wore a head covering when appearing in public. This remains the custom in many countries of the Middle East even today. A head covering provided the woman who wore it with dignity and protection as a woman. As long as she wore a head covering, she was not exposed to the gaze of men. To stare at a woman wearing a head covering was considered extremely rude. Even in the midst of a crowd, the head covering allowed her to remain herself with dignity and security. (2) If a woman appeared in public without a head covering, she immediately exposed herself to danger. Moreover, in those days, going about without a head covering was associated with women of questionable morality, such as prostitutes.
The order of worship
The customs described above were those of women in the Middle East. In contrast, Greek women generally appeared in public without wearing head coverings. Some of the women in the Corinthian church, claiming their “freedom in Christ,” brought this Greek custom into the church and began attending worship without head coverings. As a result, disorder was introduced into the worship service. We will examine the instructions Paul gave next time. Ultimately, the issue of women’s head coverings is a matter of maintaining order in worship. The freedom believers have in Christ is to be exercised for the purpose of building up others and strengthening the church. Let us also examine ourselves before the Lord and ask whether we have at times been too insistent on asserting our own rights.
Today's prayer
God the Creator, You are the One who delights in order and harmony. Help me to use the freedom I have in Christ for the sake of order and harmony. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.