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Question: Some accuse Christians of being
hypocritical in their attitude toward Muslim women wearing burkas, since 1
Corinthians
7:2-16
seems to teach that Christian women should also wear head coverings: “But every woman who prays or
prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having
her head shaved” (1 Cor.
7:5).
What does
the Bible teach concerning head coverings for men and / or women?
Answering
this question requires that we look not only at the content of 1Cor. 7:2-16, but also at the context and culture
surrounding this instruction to Christians.
Context
1
Corinthians 7:2 – 14:40 gives teaching and instruction specifically concerning the
church in worship: (Head Coverings, 11:2-16; The Lord’s Supper, 11:17-34; and
using the Spiritual Gifts, 12-14). Since that is the focus, the instructions do
not necessarily become principles for
Christian behavior beyond the worship setting.
Verse two
distinguishes between “traditions” passed on and the principles behind those
traditions. A tradition is not a Law. A specific “tradition” may change over
time while still faithfully communicating the principle it represents. With the
Lord’s Supper, for example, the “bread” and the “cup” shared by believers across
time and cultures changes in various ways, yet without losing their
significance in memorializing Christ’s sacrificed body and shed blood.
Culture
The use
of a veil or head covering by NT women in the worship setting (v.5) is one such
“tradition.” Veils (head coverings) were a common practice among Jewish women,
especially during public worship, as a symbol of respect to their husbands and
to God. This was not the case among
the Gentile women. Consequently, when the Gentile believers mingled with the
Jewish believers for worship the Jewish women would be easily offended by Gentile
women who prayed and prophesied without veils. To Jewish eyes, these unveiled
women were flaunting their sexuality rather than showing modesty and humility
in worship.
Content
1Cor.
11:2-16 teaches a three-fold spiritual principle:
(1) Headship:
God has established an administrative hierarchy of roles:
1Cor.
11:3 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.
(2) Equality
Under God:
1Cor.
11:11-12 Nevertheless, in the Lord
woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman
came from man, so also man
is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
(3) As
Male and Female, Honor God:
1Cor. 11:14-15 Does not
the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a
disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long
hair is given to her as a covering.
Out of
respect and honor to God, women should neither hide their femininity nor seek
to look male (“have her hair shaved”,
v. 6)—that would be a “disgrace”
(v.6)—nor flaunt their femininity in corporate worship (her long hair is her
God-given glory—v. 15).
That’s
why, in that cultural setting, “…if
a woman does not cover her head…it is a disgrace” (v.6). For the same
reason, men were to keep their heads un-covered during corporate worship, and
not have feminine-looking hair (“it is a
disgrace to him” — v.14).
Conclusion
For men
and women alike, worship is about honoring Christ, their head, even as Christ
honors God who is His head (vv. 3-5). Both the context and content show that the “tradition” of
women wearing head coverings was not required outside of the corporate worship
setting, nor was it intended as a “law” for all time.
Likewise,
the tradition of a head covering during corporate worship was an appropriate
means in that culture for reinforcing the spiritual principles of
headship, equality, and giving glory to God.
