Bread Of Life MC

If you want to start an argument in the West, tell a women she needs to put on a scarf or veil when she goes to church. Men will gladly remove thier head covering when entering a building or church meetings, but for some reason putting a covering on for a women is demeaning.

First of all, is this practice Biblical? Does the Bible teach for men to remove their hats and women cover? If so, why is it not practiced in the West? One of the most obvious hints that this practice might be apostalic, is the Christian wedding veil, it still practiced in the west and it is symbolic of  headship order in the home, as Paul taught the Corinthians.

The Biblical teaching of the Christian head covering is still seen today, in the wedding veil and what it represents.

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Picture of wedding dress found online and copied for this purpose

The Scripture that is sparking all kinds of debates in the West, may not be so hard to understand if the context of the meeting is understood correctly.

1 Corinthians 11:1-34

1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

On Covering the Head in Worship

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man,[a] and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

7 A man ought not to cover his head,[b] since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own[c] head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?Certainly not in this matter!

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come I will give further directions.

Back ground to the Biblical instruction on the women head covering.

In the book of Corinthians, the Apostle is correcting abuses and misunderstandings and wrong practices in the church.The context is clearly church meetings, and the Agape Meal (Lovefeast) appears to be at the center of Paul's thoughts. Chapter 11 deals with two issues, Church meetings and the Lord's supper, while chapter 12 deals with spiritual gifts. Since the Lovefeast had prayers, scripture reading, prophecy, a common meal, and the Eucharist, The meeting Paul must be dealing with must be the Lovefeast.

 Chapter 11

1. Divisions and arguments (verse 18-19)
2. Everyone doing as they please eating and drinking to much. (Vs.21-22)
3. Dispising the church of God by humiliating the poor.

It is pretty clear that Paul was not talking about a church service with communion as we know it today. It was a meal. After correcting the abuses (not waiting for oneanother, drinking and eating to much etc. ) he says,

"So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together." So yes, I believe The apostle is refering to the Ancient Agape meal gathering.

Verse 1-16 confirms the order of creation between men and women in the church. 

historical context is an important element in biblical interpretation. We must remember, at this time in church history, Jewish women were not allowed to pray with men at the Synagues. Jesus broke down that wall, and now there is no distinction between men and women, as the Spirit was poured out on all flesh (see Acts 2 and Joels prophecy about the Spirit being pourd out on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophecy).

Women were free to partake in the Lovefeast church meetings with men.They could pray, prophesy, and use other spiritual gifts. But they most do it under subjection and  submission to God's original order of creation. The symbols mentioned in this passage,  acknowledges the order of creation. 

1. the head of the man is Christ
2. Men are to lead their families and women are to be helpers to their husbands.(order of creation does not change Gen. 2:18, Chapter 3)
3. Men are to lead the church (Titus 1:6-9)
4. women can still use her spiritual gifts in church meetings for the building up of the body of Christ, with her head covered (Jewish women covered their heads while praying at the Shabbot and other times.
5. Women can pray and partake in the Lovefeast, with Christian brothers (unlike how it was in the Jewish synagues).

I do not think anyone would argue that Jewish men wore some kind of a prayer  head covering at the synagues. As Christians, a few symbols common to the Jewish people were tweeked abit to become uniquely "Christian".

It appears one of the changes were that the men stoped praying with a prayer shawl or cap, as Christ would now be that symbol of his submission and covering. The women would continue to cover their heads with a scarf, shawl, or other covering while praying or prophecying in the public meetings, including the Chirstian lovefeast meetings.

The reason Paul commented on this issue?

It appears that some of the women in the Corinthian church was not satisfied with their new found freedom in Christ, but desired no distinction between male and female in leadersship roles (so it appears). what ever the reason, Paul corrected this abuse, as he also corrected the abuse of  spiritual gifts in the next chapter, and also the abuse in the love feast  also in this Chapter.

 For more on the Christian lovefeast,click here

Note: Ancient art always shows Christian women praying with their head covered. Christian women still pray with heads covered in most eastern countries. In the West this practice was dropped in the 1960's, do to women lib movement. The applications of the covering is very broad throughout history and also around the world. 

How does this apply to us today? 

Paul ends his correction with these words, "If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God."

Women are asked to wear a head covering when praying or prophesying in church meetings. This is consistant with her Jewish counterpart who lights the candle and prayers a blessing every Friday evening Shabbat gathering. Unlike Ancient Jewish women, Christian women have always been allowed to worship with men and hear the teachings, and even partake in a submissive role in prayers and prophesy.

By the 4th century, it was understood women would not aproach the communion table with out their heads being covered, as a sign of thier subjection to the headship order in family and in the church. 

Christian men are asked not to wear coverings when praying or prohesying (unlike his Jewish counter part who must cover).

 For the DANVERS STATEMENT on the role of men and women, click here