Growing up, I only knew that as a Christian woman, I needed to cover my head with a head scarf to church. When I later inquired about why I needed to cover my head, I was told that Apostle Paul commanded it. No further explanation was given as to why Apostle Paul commanded it. No wonder years later, a generation arose that was not impressed with the head covering dogma and the majority of these young women refused to cover their heads until the church stopped complaining about it. Now, head covering is not a compulsory dress code for that denomination. Many of the things or the dogmatic practices in various denominations are treated just like the issue with the head covering. Even leaders are not well informed on why a church considers one thing a priority over the other. The issue of head covering in the Bible as perceived in the first letter to the people of Corinth addressed specific issues in the Corinthian church.
But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. (1 Corinthians 11:5)
First we need to understand that Paul wrote to a specific congregation but the letter has truths that are applicable in all generations. In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul addresses the issue of women and head covering in the church. We need to understand that this was a fragment of a whole apostolic letter and at this point in the letter Paul was addressing the concerns about submission in the church. The apostle states that “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). Here, Paul outlines a hierarchy or chain of command that every Christian must submit to: the headship of God the Father, God the Son,the husband and then the wife. In the Corinthian culture, a married woman was required to wear a head covering as a sign of her submission to her husband’s authority and tentatively the submission to God’s authority.
Furthermore, in the Corinthian culture women kept long hair and the men kept short hair. They perceived the woman’s hair as her glory given for her covering: “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. But if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.” (1 Corinthians 11:6,15). Paul reasoned that submission to the husband and God is a pattern that even the angels consider and learn from humanity (1 Corinthians 11:10). As Paul addressed this cultural issue that was disrupting the smooth flow of the church, Paul did not entirely abandon the culture. He used the cultural significance of head covering to teach a spiritual truth of submission in the body of Christ. Head covering or submission wasn’t an act of inferiority but an act of obedience to God’s pattern of authority.
Unfortunately, the issue of head covering has not been justly explained in the body of Christ. In fact, it has rather become a sign of a church with “suppressed women” rather than an understanding of authority. Must every woman wear a head covering? Maybe we need to go back and understand the cultural significance of this as well as the spiritual implications. Wearing the biggest head covering and refusing to submit to the authority of your husband shows a woman with an uncovered head. Truth be told, head covering is now more fashionable in the church than a religious requirement. There are still cultures in the world, especially in the Middle East that require head covering for married women. Whenever women in such cultures wear head covering as a result of marriage, Paul wants us to consider this in relation to the chain command in the Christian home. Remember, you cannot submit to God if you are not submitted to your husband. Your head is uncovered.
To the unmarried sisters, submission is required even if you marry an unbeliever… therefore, before you say “I do” make sure that you say “I don’t” to any character deformity that will make submission difficult and unreasonable. No woman wants to submit to her bully.
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