Daily Scripture Reading 1Corinthians 11:2-22

The conventional wisdom in the modern church regarding head coverings is that the practice was a cultural issue limited to the church at Corinth in the 1st century. There are two main problems with that belief. First, the Bible does not say that. Second, the Bible actually tells us when and why women should cover their heads, and it had nothing to do with the culture, nor was it specific to Corinth.

In chapters 8-10, Paul dealt with the issue of whether it was okay to eat food sacrificed to idols. The answer was it depended on multiple factors. In chapter 11 he turned to a different topic.

1Cor. 11:2 ¶ Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

Note the word “praise” and the phrase “hold firmly to the traditions”. Chapter 11 is the head covering chapter. Many Christians approach this chapter with the mentality that Paul was correcting the Corinthians regarding head coverings. However, this verse indicates the Corinthians were doing head coverings correctly. Paul was merely explaining why the rules are what they are.

1Cor. 11:3 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.

Notice the overall chain of command. God rules over Christ. Christ rules over men. Men rule over their wives.

Feminism has spent decades fighting fiercely against this truth. Unfortunately, many Christians have been swayed into abandoning the correct biblical mindset. Many Christian wives still claim to submit to their husbands, but when you look at how they think, they don’t live according to the truth that their husband is between them and Jesus in the chain of command.

This chain of command is not popular in modern culture, but if we Christians want to differentiate ourselves from the world, one of the things we have to do is recapture the mindset articulated in this verse.

1Cor. 11:4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, shames his head.

Many Christians think of head coverings as a women’s issue. There is truth to that, but the head covering teachings pertain to men as well.

Men should not have anything on their head while praying or prophesying. Notice this only applies while praying or prophesying. Prophecy does not exist in the 21st century, so today this only applies while praying. This means men should not wear hats or caps while praying. For the most part, men are conscientious about removing hats and caps from their head while praying, but younger men are starting to ignore this directive.

1Cor. 11:5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, shames her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.

For women, the teaching is the opposite. They should have their head covered while praying. It does not say they have to have their head covered all the time. Nor does it say they have to cover their head every time they go to church. It only says they have to cover their head while praying.

Think about what we know at this point about why men should be uncovered and women should be covered. It is because of the chain of command: Jesus is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman. Many Christians think Paul gave the teaching about head covering due to cultural issues in Corinth. However, that is not the case. Men should uncover while praying and women should cover because of the chain of command that has existed in all generations.

1Cor. 11:6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut short. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut short or her head shaved, let her cover her head.

Some people claim this passage was written because of the cultural situation at Corinth. This verse does address the cultural shame of women being shorn, but that shame applies across all cultures, not just the culture in 1st century Corinth.

1Cor. 11:7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man.

Most Christians think both men and women are created in God’s image. However, this verse clearly states that men are the image of God while women are the glory of man. The Bible always identifies God and Jesus as being a male. Men and women are different; therefore, it doesn’t make sense that women could also be the image of God.

Not being in the image of God does not mean women are inferior. If an artist paints a self-portrait and a portrait of his wife, the portrait of his wife is not inferior just because it is not a self-portrait. The same is true of humans. God created Adam in His image as a self-portrait, but that doesn’t mean Eve was inferior just because she wasn’t a self-portrait.

1Cor. 11:8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man.

1Cor. 11:9 For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.

1Cor. 11:10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Notice the word “therefore”. That word means verses 7-9 are the reasons for the rule in verse 10.

Verse 10 teaches women should have a symbol of authority on their head while praying. The reasons are because women are the glory of men. They originate from men and were created for man’s sake. That has nothing to do with what was happening in the culture in Corinth when Paul wrote this letter. Therefore, this command about head coverings applies in all cultures in all generations, not just in 1st century Corinth.

1Cor. 11:11 Nevertheless, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

1Cor. 11:12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman, but all things originate from God.

1Cor. 11:13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

The answer is no.

1Cor. 11:14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

1Cor. 11:15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.

Again, the natural teaching that men should have short hair and women should have long hair is true across all cultures and generations, not just to 1st century Corinth.

1Cor. 11:16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

The word “churches” is plural.

Many people teach that this passage on head coverings only applied to the church at Corinth due to the cultural situation at Corinth. However, this verse indicates all the churches followed this practice.

1Cor. 11:17 ¶ But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

As of verse 17, Paul switched to a different topic on which he did not praise the Corinthians.

1Cor. 11:18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you, and in part I believe it.

1Cor. 11:19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.

1Cor. 11:20 Therefore when you meet together in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper,

1Cor. 11:21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first, and one is hungry and another is drunk.

1Cor. 11:22 For do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

The conventional wisdom in the modern church regarding head coverings is that the practice was a cultural issue limited to the church at Corinth in the 1st century. There are two main problems with that belief.

First, the Bible does not say that. We did not read anything in today’s passage that implies Paul was addressing a cultural issue in Corinth.

Second, the Bible actually tells us why these commands were given and it had nothing to do with the culture. Men should uncover their heads while praying and women should cover their heads while praying because the head of a woman is her husband, men were created in the image of God while women are the glory of men, women originate from men, woman was created for the man, and women should have a symbol of authority on their heads.

Here is a suggestion for women. The next time you pray at home in a room by yourself when no other human sees you, try covering your head while you are praying and see what happens.

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”