Straight Talk About Headcovering...Part 1

Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered [them] to you.
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.
Every man praying or prophesying, having [his] head covered, dishonoureth his head.
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.
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.
For this cause ought the woman to have power on [her] head because of the angels.
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.
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.
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
1 Corinthians 11:2-16, KJV

     There is much discussion today (and seemingly always has been) concerning the Christian woman and whether or not she should cover her head.  Some women are deeply convicted of this and do so 100% of the time, while others are passionately against it and refuse.  Still others fall anywhere along the spectrum between those two extremes.

     It is my intention here to offer a straight-forward, no-filler look at what THE BIBLE has to say about the subject.  There are many opinions floating around, but no one has the authority to command or require of us anything that scripture itself does not command or require.  We are held accountable to the authority of scripture, not man.

     As such, however, it is our responsibility to understand what the scripture says on the subject and to behave accordingly.  Anything less is both unwise and unfaithful to our King and Bridegroom.

     First, I'd like us to look at what scripture says.  The one and only passage where this is discussed in the Bible is above for your reference.

     The passage begins by reminding us of Adonai's order in our home.  The head of the man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man.  This traces back to the creation of woman from man, as also referenced in the passage.  This is the reason given for head-covering - that it would be a symbol of this order.  Thus, a man covering his head in prayer would be dishonoring his head/authority, Christ.  A woman who does not cover her head in prayer dishonors her head/authority, the man.  The rest is pretty much explanation and illustration.

     There is, however, one more thing the passage tells us.  Apparently, the head covering has something do with the angels.  This is not explained, so it's not possible to be dogmatic about what that may mean, though some inferences can be made based on history, apocryphal writings, etc.  However, this does indicate that there is much more going on that meets our eye.  There is somehow a significance in the spiritual realm, and this affects not only ourselves, but also the angels.  When we consider that it is specifically prayer and prophesying that we are discussing in the passage, it is safe to assume that this spiritual-realm-significance could very likely have a bearing on what it is we are trying to communicate or accomplish.

     Now, some brief notes about what scripture does NOT say.  I mention these because you will hear many of these things mentioned when you do your own research on this subject.  Again, my aim is to be straight-forward, clear, and balanced, so I'd like to point these out from the start.

     Scripture does not mention modesty!  Many people cite modesty as a reason for the practice, and while it is certainly modest (and while modesty is right and proper and important), that is not the reason given by scripture for women to cover our heads.  Scripture simply indicates head covering as a symbol of spiritual authority.  That is not to say that modesty points are invalid, and I especially value a man's input on how a woman's hair is viewed (and often lusted after) by men.  You can look for The Health Watchman on YouTube to find a man's point of view on the subject.  Head covering is, indeed, very modest, and that's a very good thing.  It simply isn't the reason Paul tells us to practice this is the Bible.

     Scripture also does not say "hair" covering.  Some teach that your hair cannot be visible at all or only a certain amount of hair can show.  This seems to me to be personal preference or opinion, but not based on a scriptural requirement.  We are not required to obey commands not found in scripture!  If you prefer or have a conviction of a certain style of covering, that is fine, but that cannot be imposed on others biblically.  The scripture says the head is to be covered.  Past that, it's pretty much left up to us for the details.

     Scripture does not indicate that a covering must be worn at all times.  We are told to wear them for prayer and prophesying.  Many women choose to wear them full-time because of personal conviction, or because of the biblical command to "pray without ceasing."  (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  And while I find these views valid, again, we cannot command anything beyond what scripture commands.  I would ask you to consider, however, since Paul was speaking to a congregation if this might not also include worship...  Just something to think about.

     Also, the scripture does not say that this applies only to certain women.  Many teach that this is only for married women.  However, the word used here for woman in the Greek applies to a woman of any age, whether virgin, married, widowed, whatever.  You can simply reference your Strong's Concordance to see this or visit www.blueletterbible.org to view it online.

     This is certainly not an exhaustive study of the verse, but it should hopefully give a clear platform from which you can study further online.  There are many videos on YouTube as well as independent websites that discuss this matter.  Have at it!

     I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention the last verse.  This causes some stumbling because Paul seems to indicate that the churches do not have this custom.  I admit, this verse confuses me a bit, too, but we should be very careful about being dismissive.  That final "dismissive" verse speaks of those who would be contentious.  As children of the Most High, we are certainly not meant to be in that group!  Furthermore, it doesn't otherwise make sense for Paul to give an instruction for the church to follow, then wipe it clean in the next verse.  Don't be contentious!  Seek Adonai for yourself concerning this matter!

   In part 2, I will share with you  my experience in head covering - good and bad.  In the mean time, go to YouTube and look into some of the many videos on this subject.  You might be surprised what you find!  Also, give it a test drive!  Just drape a scarf or bandana over your head when you pray tonight.  See if it makes a difference and ask the Father to speak to you about what He thinks! :)