Current Studies and Reflections
1 Corinthians 11:3-22 Are Women to be Veiled?
Ok, so let's open our Bibles to 1Corinthians11
andsee what is said about head covering for women! This has been a
study of mine and if you have any input, pro or con, I would be happy
to hear from you. Just hit the box on the homepage to e-mail me!
PURPOSE OF
PASSAGE
This is to address the problem the
Corinthians were having with headship. In verses 18-22 we see that
there were divisions and factions in the church. Apparently women
were not being subject to the men and men were not taking their place
as head of the women.
This order of authority is not cultural
in view, but what God has ordained. In verse 3 we are told that
Christ is the head of man, and that man is head of a woman, and God
is the head of Christ. The reason for man being the head of a woman
is the order of creation because the woman was created for the man's
sake. Verse 7-10
COVERING
What about the woman covering her head? It
can't be hair since verse 6 says she is to cut her hair off if she
doesn't cover her head. But what about a veil or a hat? I do not
believe it is this either. In verse 15, speaking of her hair, the
Greek word for covering means a mantle, veil, covering or vesture,
which is clothing. This is not the same word used in the rest of the
text. Verse 4 uses the word "on" meaning opposition or denoting
motion or diffusion from higher to lower and in verse 6 and 7 meaning
to cover wholly, veil, cover or hide. So to cover one's head would
mean to be in subjection to another. Nature is said to teach us this
in verses 14 and 15.
Verse 10 is more clear on this. "a
symbol of" is not in the original text, but added by the translators.
So it can be read "Therefore the woman ought to have authority on
her head, because of the angels."
Another reason for this position is that there
isn't anything else written on women wearing head covering but there
are other passages about women being under the authority of men such
as 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15. In reading these
two passages we are faced with the question, "What are women doing
praying and prophesying in the congregation if they are to be
quiet?"
1 Corinthians 11:5 says they disgrace their
head. If the head covering was a literal piece of clothing then she
would have to carry it with her everywhere she went in case she was
to pray, fellowship or witness.
ANGELS
I
n the Greek,
angel means messenger. Since we do not live
our testimony to please angels,
angelic creatures can't be in view here in verse 10. Other examples
to this are Luke 7:24, Heb:13.2, Luke 9:52, James 2:25, Rev 1:20,
2:1,8,12,18: Rev 3:1,7,14. So, Angels would be the believers in the
church which could be divided into two groups: LEADERS-Heb 13:17
"Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your
souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy
and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you."
GENERAL MEMBERS-Galatians5:13-15 "For you,
brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty
as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one
another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!"and verse 9 says
"A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough."
