1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Head coverings for men and women

Introduction

Paul has just used the Israelites' journey through the wilderness as a cautionary tale for the Corinthian church. He’s warned them against idolatry, testing Christ, and sexual immorality. He tells us these were given as warnings for us today to not fall into the same traps.

Paul finishes chapter 10 with the following:

1 Corinthians 10:31–33“31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

Chapter and verse numbers came in with Stephanus’ 1555 and the first English Bible with them was the Geneva Bible

1 Corinthians 11:1 “1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

Paul now will take the next 3 passages to write about worship in the church

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 KJV

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 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. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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. 8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. 13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Maybe the most widely debated passage of Scripture in the NT

What do we know?

A few things Paul is NOT saying:

A person is saved by the covering or uncovering of the head

We can tell if a person is saved or unsaved by if a woman covers her head or a man covers his

For Paul to be saying a woman can be a pastor or deacon, he would have to expressly disagree with his on words in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.

The Bible does not contradict itself in any way

What we don’t...

Many say it was speaking about a custom then and doesn’t matter now. We don’t know a lot about the customs of Corinth in Paul's time.

We don’t know exactly what Paul means by man or woman. Not like today people don’t seem to know, but does Paul mean man or husband, woman or wife?

almost exact parallel in Ephesians 5:23 “23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”

but Paul uses the same word in Ephesians 4:13 “13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” or a “a complete man” so general enough to refer to man as the mature male.

I think I’m comfortable with a reference to husbands and wives just because I see Paul use it

1 Corinthians 11:2–3 “2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 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.”

Paul opens up with some praise and a mild rebuke

Praise:

remembering him in all things

keeping the ordinances (or traditions) he gave them either when he started the church or in another letter

a mild rebuke

Paul starts by giving them a positive picture of how men and women relate to each other; how things ought to be

head of every man is Christ

1 Corinthians 11:4–6 “4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 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. 6 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.”

1 Corinthians 11:7–10 “7 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. 8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.”

power can be read as “symbol of authority”

1 Corinthians 11:11–12 “11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

1 Corinthians 11:13–16 “13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.”