Head Covering – Custom Or Ordinance?

HEAD COVERING – CUSTOM OR ORDINANCE?

( by brother Tarran Dookie)

SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY

Gen 6:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Gen 6:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1Tim 2:11-15 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

1Cor.11:1-9 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. 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.

According to 1Tim 2:14 Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived. She was the one who was beguiled by Satan. Notice that it was only after the fall that Eve is told 'thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee'. Therefore Paul declares 'the head of the woman is the man'.

What does head covering depict? It depicts the submission of the woman to the man even as the man must submit to the headship of Christ. Head covering is about authority. The woman is not to have authority over the man. In these days of 'women's liberation' this may be difficult for some sisters in Christ to accept. But we are not dealing with a mere first century Pauline concept but with the eternal word of God. When a woman puts on a head covering she is saying that she submits to the authority of the man and ultimately to the authority of Christ. Observe that in 1Cor 11:3 Paul does not say the head of the wife is the husband but rather the head of the woman is the man. Of course the husband is the head of the wife (Eph 5:23). But Paul in 1Corinthians 11 is not talking about husband and wife but rather man and woman. Therefore even the unmarried sister must have a head covering.

The apostle teaches that if the woman is uncovered it is just as if she were shaven. Further he states that if she be not covered let her also be shorn. According to 1Cor.11:15 the woman's hair is given her for a covering. Therefore Paul is saying that if the woman refuses to put on the symbolic head covering she should shave off the natural covering which is her hair. The woman who refuses to cover her head is in effect refusing to submit to the authority of God and God is saying let such an one be shaved, displaying her shame.

Some contend that the hair is the covering and no other covering is necessary. Let us examine the passage (1 Cor.11:1-16) to see if hair is the covering Paul is referring to. Verse 4 reads 'Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.' Am I to conclude that only bald-headed men can pray aright? If hair is the covering then men must shave their head, since the passage says that it is a dishonour for the man praying or prophesying to have his head covered.

Verses 5 to 6 reads '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.' If hair is the covering then Paul is saying that if the woman be not covered (has no hair), let her also be shorn. Imagine trying to shave a bald-headed woman.