1Cor 11:4-9 - Hats and Veils and Such

4-9 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.


The strict context here is that of public worship. In the Corinthian context, a man who covered his head would have been seeming to reverse the roles of men and women, which would have been a stumbling block to many. It would have created the impression that he had no regard for the proper order of God. Strictly speaking, this would say nothing about his heart, but the principle given earlier about meats and blood and unnecessary offence are still applicable here; except that this is now before a wider audience, and therefore bears even more careful attention. Indeed, the fact that the matter of the cultural custom is so common and so plain should itself scream to the individual that care must be taken not to offend unnecessarily - and this is surely the desire of the heart of every truly born again believer. Again, it is not a matter of rules and restrictions and laws - but something far stricter; it is a matter of the law of love as demonstrated by Christ Himself.

Yet it is more than simply cultural. The culture in this regard is an illustration of the so-called "natural" order - an order instituted by God. It reflects and represents and coincides with a much higher principle which Paul is striving to bring to light in their minds. It is the principle of order - a lack of which is one of the chief problems at Corinth.

In the same way that a man is to have regard for how local customs reflect upon the created order, so women are equally responsible not to do anything to undermine it by creating even the appearance of disrespect for it. In Corinth, this meant married women wearing a veil or covering on the head as a sign of respect for the husband. In our age it might mean a married woman dressing with a view to respecting her husband by not giving other men a reason to covet her; in other words, modesty - whatever that means in the culture and always subject to the ruling principles of God. Love for God and for her husband, for God’s sake, ought to be the motivation for all that both wife and, for that matter, husband, do at all times, and especially in the arena of public worship.

In illustration of his point, Paul appeals to the creation account itself. The Bible clearly speaks to the creation of Adam first and then of Eve out of Adam as a helpmeet for him. Not as a lesser being in terms of value, for the service of God can just as well be done as a wife as it can as a husband. In other places Paul even steps right over the question of slavery because of the underlying principle that God can be served in any and all circumstances. His providence is at work putting people into situations (sex at birth, social position etc.) - some of which may change and be changed, and others which are generally fixed and beyond any human influence at all.

For example, if a slave has the opportunity to legitimately gain his freedom, he is not prevented; in fact he is encouraged to do so, if that is his desire. But in almost all occurrences, a person born to a particular sex has no legitimate reason, and no power to change it. A person may be born a eunuch, or he may choose celibacy, or he may have been castrated by other men - and he can still find acceptance in Christ; but his life must be governed in each situation by love for God (which includes obedience to His word) and love for men.

Another example is the homosexual. Some claim that there is a homosexual gene and some that early environment tips the scales towards the behaviour. It make no difference. It is impossible to display (true) love for God apart from obedience, and his word clearly forbids homosexual behaviour. If a man is born genetically effeminate he is under no less constraint of duty to God to deny himself that abberation than a man born with a tendency to severe depression is to struggle not to sit in a dark room, under a table with the lights out, thinking negative thoughts.

This is a lost principle in much of Christianity today. We think we are only responsible for conscious acts of the will that are formed out of a sort of morally neutral state. If our condition prevents our "neutrality" we think we are not responsible for what we do. You see it in the courts, the arts, the social sciences, the culture. Everybody else is to blame. The thief (murderer, embezzler, rapist) was subjected to neglect, abuse, criminal influence as a child and is not (fully) morally responsible for his actions. Wrong.

It is wrong because it is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible tells us that we are sinners by nature - all of us without exception, from conception - and that we all do what comes naturally to us. Our minds, hearts and emotions are corrupted, twisted and darkened. And we are still responsible for all that we do regardless of that fact. In other words, God holds us accountable even though from birth we lack the moral will to love and obey Him. This "moral will" is called "ability" by the Bible. "The natural man," Paul told us in this very book, "Does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he..."

But man cannot shake a fist at God and toss the blame upon Him for his own sinful behaviour. He cannot say, "Why have you made me thus?" God has His holy and perfect and righteous reasons and they are above human scrutiny. So the husband and wife operate under the same providential care as the homosexual and the depressive, as the slave and the senator. That principle is "submission to God through the circumstances of life as provided by His providence." These circumstances exist and are made for the believer to be the very means by which the goodness of God is worked in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ. We must trust God and obey Him. And all true believers not only desire this, but strive to be found doing it - regardless of how much they fall short.

But I digress. It is a matter of respecting the authority that God has set over us - and being seen to do so when in public worship. Mores and customs play their part inasmuch as the deliberate flaunting of customs that maintain the distinction between the roles and authorities established by God betrays a rebellious heart. And it is one of the carnal vestiges of rebellion against Him that God is dealing with in sanctification.

Once more, the Bible clearly states that the order in which God chose to make mankind has a bearing upon the roles that the sexes are to keep. Woman was made second as a person to come alongside man, but under his authority.