1Cor 11:13-16 - Hammering it Home on Hats

13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.


This must be received in both the larger and the immediate contexts. Again, it is not primarily about hats and veils, but about God’s created order. God has ordained that the world, the family and the church should work in certain ways - and the church is supposed to be the model for the rest of creation. It is within the professing church that God’s order and His wisdom are meant to be clearly seen. And if not seen (for some cannot see) then "held up to public view" so that God will be glorified. How that is accomplished may not be apparent in the here and now to us and to the world, but it will indubitably be made apparent in God’s good time.

Living by faith requires that Christians conform themselves to the order that God ordains. This is a conformity that takes place first in the heart and not in outward observations. Hats and veils are no use at all of themselves - only inasmuch as they indicate in the social context a heartfelt desire to display a conformity to God’s order, for His glory. In Corinthian society it was regarded generally by the whole populace that men with long hair were shameful. On the other hand, women (and men) made much of their hair as ornaments of beauty and allure.

Now, a woman could readily pray and worship with her head uncovered if her heart was submitted to God and to His order - and, for herself there would be no sin. But other scenarios present themselves with which Paul has already dealt, under the heading of meats sacrificed to idols. The same principles apply.

Is the woman, for example, truly submitted in heart or is the outward appearance of flaunting the custom of covering itself a covering for rebellion and pride? And, knowing that people both inside and outside the church are likely to stumble at her appearance, does she nevertheless not care? She herself may be strong enough to understand that hats and veils make no difference to God - but others most likely are not. Again, what God desires is a right heart, firstly towards Him and, flowing from that, also towards others - brothers and sister in the faith first, and then to outsiders.

Once more - this is not about the slavish observation of customs and mores, as if they had any standing with God; it is about being sensitive to the effect that behaviour - especially the observance of societal customs and values - has on others and their right regard for God. Nothing must be made into a stumbling block that spoils the witness of the saints or the simplicity of the gospel. And, inasmuch as hats and veils and covering in public worship at Corinth conform to the outward observation of God’s created order, they remove impediments for others and reaffirm God’s created order, as a witness to Him before men. In other words, properly understood, the cultural argument substantiates rather than obviates the created order of God’s delegated authority in society.

So what is the "practice" that Paul speaks of here? It is the practice of men not covering their heads and of women covering their heads in public worship. This is about reverence for God and about that reverence being seen by others. It is about a reverence that is so pure and deep and devoted that it will gladly observe customs so as not to cause anyone else to stumble, or to be distracted from the main Object of worship. And a woman praying with her head uncovered would be just such a distraction in Corinth.

It might speak to others of a lack of respect for God’s order and an absence of reverence. It might hint at a degree of vanity, pride, self-glorification - a desire to be noticed at a time and place where it is God and God alone Who should be noticed, and Who should be the focus of all attention.

Should women wear hats and veils today? Is this an edict? Is it a Biblical directive that applies to all generations for all time? I don’t think so. At least, the particular form of the observation is not a universal law. But the motivation it is addressing is a law that will never become obsolete - the law of love for God and love of man for God’s sake, and the gospel. And it is, in this instance the law of Christ applied to public worship. God is the focus and do not do anything to distract anyone from that focus.