INTRODUCTION
Before reading this article,[i] everyone should read my article entitled “God’s Roles For Men and Women,” which can be found on this Blog, giving them the background necessary for interpreting this portion of Scripture. The key passage in that article is:
God created males and females with the exact nature and rank (Gen. 2:18). Men and women each individually possess the full image of God (Gen. 1:27), and because of this, they have equal status and dignity before God. Men and women are co-heirs in the grace of life (1 Pet. 3:7) and one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). They have equal shares in the plan of salvation. God assigns males and females the same responsibility to have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26), to be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth (Gen. 1:28) …However, men and women have specific roles God assigns in marriage, the family, and the church.[ii]
Thiselton quotes Roland Barthes in his Book on 1 Corinthians as saying that “clothes have usually operated in human cultures as a powerful semiotic system, i.e., they generate ready signs or signals of class, style, modesty, self-promotion, attitude, or whatever.”[iii] Dress was important to the Corinthians and to many other cultures throughout history. But in today’s culture, dress has a different connotation. Nevertheless, the subject of the letter is the same.
The women’s liberation movement long ago entered the church via syncretism. They used Galatians 3:28 and 1 Peter 3:7 as their basis for creating women’s liberation and no difference between men and women in the church. But these two verses and other verses are talking about the spiritual equality of men and women regarding salvation. They do not discuss the God-given roles that men and women have in marriage, the family, and the church.
This article will offer an exposition of verses 2-16 of 1 Corinthians, which passage in most translations is called “head coverings.” However, this passage is not about head coverings but authority and submission and the God-given roles for husband and wife in marriage, the family, and the church. The purpose of this article is to explain what these verses mean so that the average Christian can interpret this passage of scripture correctly.
PROLOGUE
Most translations of the Bible include verse 1, which reads, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Paul commends the Corinthians for following his example of imitating Christ as the supreme example.
Then, in verses 2 – 16, the Apostle discusses head coverings to address the issues of authority and submission. In Corinth, women wore veils in public church services, indicating subordination and modesty. Thus, the Corinthian women wore veils to be recognized for their subordination to their husbands and their claim to modesty. It is this sort of dress upon which Paul’s argument about authority and submission (or subjection) is based.
There is no dress code for public worship in a Christian church. The Bible never speaks of such a thing. The dress for public services in Christian churches should be determined in conformance with the dress for such usages in the community in which the church exists.
In the United States today, head coverings are not commonly worn by men or women, so this passage does not refer to the wearing of head coverings. It refers to the authority and submission in the word of God that was symbolized in the times of the Corinthians by their head coverings.
Beginning in chapters 11 through 14, Paul discusses proper worship in the church. In verses 2-16, Paul is not teaching about head coverings for humans but about authority and submission.
EXPOSITION
1 Corinthians 11:2 – Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
In verse 2, the Apostle commends the Corinthians for their general obedience to his instructions regarding the Bible. Although the Corinthians were generally obedient to Paul’s teachings, they were still “babes in the woods” as far as Christianity was concerned. There were some parts of what Paul had taught them that they did not understand, although Paul subsequently instructed them on public worship, especially the roles of men and women.
Most translations of the Bible use either ordinances, teachings, or traditions to express the Greek word “paradosis” found in verse 2. The English Standard Version (ESV) I use has the term “traditions.” The word traditions in English is translated from the Greek word “paradosis” (pron. pä-rä’-do-sēs), which means doctrinal summaries or precepts (Forbes #3862). Paul is teaching the Corinthians, commending them for following the doctrinal principles of Christianity. However, their behavior in public worship services, at least by many of them, was deficient, and he felt the need subsequently to teach them regarding worship.
1 Corinthians 11:3 – But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
Then in verse 3, Paul talks about the “head” of all the people in the world. The Greek word
κεφαλή, transliterated kephale (pron. kef-al-ay’), is translated into the English word “head,” which means head, master, or authority. He writes about Christ being the head of the man and the Church, the man being the head of a wife, and God being the head of Christ, something he has not written of before.
This is essentially represented in Corinth by women wearing veils, which was the custom. Today, we wear headgear very little in the United States of America. Therefore, it is simply a metaphor for us in today’s age. Nevertheless, the meaning is the same: it means the authority of God, the authority of Christ, and the authority of husbands, and the submission of Christ, the Church (including all humankind), and Christian women accordingly. Remember that this submission or subjection of a party does not imply that that party is inferior in any way to the authority figure.
It is important to note here that in verse 3, the word used for man or husband is two different Greek words—the Greek word ἀνδρὸς, which is transliterated as andros (pron. ahn DRŌS), and the Greek word ἀνήρ, which is transliterated as anér (pron. ah-NAYR). The Greek word andros is usually translated “every man” or “church.” The Greek word anér is commonly used for “husband.” However, either of the two Greek words may mean every man, church, or a husband. It should also be noted that the Greek word ekklésia is also translated as “church” (e.g., Eph. 5:23).
1 Corinthians 11:4 – Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
In verse 4, the word “head” is found two times. The Greek word kephalé is used in both places, but the word’s meaning can be either the physical part of the human body or the authority figure over that human. We find it used in both ways here. The first “head” refers to a person’s body part, the head. The second “head” that we see refers to the person with authority over the human being. However, some commentators claim that the second head also relates to the preacher dishonoring himself rather than dishonoring Jesus Christ. According to these commentators, it is not clear what Paul means here—dishonoring oneself or dishonoring one’s authority figure, in this case, Christ. Nevertheless, dishonoring occurs.
Verse 4 applies verse 3 and teaches Christians that the man who prays and preaches in a church worship service should have his head uncovered, unlike the pagans and the Jews do. The fact that our dress today does not include head coverings does not eliminate the possibility that someone would wear a head covering sometimes. Therefore, Christian men who pray and preach while officiating church worship services should always be uncovered. This is usually not a problem in today’s Christian churches.
However, again, this section of Scripture is not about dress. It is about authority. In essence, verse 4 teaches Christians that men should pray and preach in public church worship services. These men who officiate at public church worship services should be faithful to the word revealed by God in the Bible. The revealed word of God in the Bible is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To pray or preach anything else would dishonor Jesus Christ and His authority. Christ gives men the authority to pray and preach in public church worship services, so those who officiate under the authority of Christ should be true to the Word.
1 Corinthians 11:5 – but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
Verse 5 contrasts with the previous verse. Paul states that the wife who prays and preaches while uncovered in a public church worship service dishonors herself in the same shameful way as if she had shaved her hair. He talks about a woman who is the wife of a man with authority over her, who uncovers herself, or, in other words, goes against her husband’s authority by praying and preaching in a public church worship service with her head uncovered. Paul says that she may as well shave her head or cut her hair short like a man if she intends to shame herself in this way.
The failure of a wife to recognize her husband’s authority in church public worship services renounces the husband’s authority over her, as God intended. She takes her husband’s authority and puts it upon herself by doing so. This is shameful and is not according to the will of God.
1 Corinthians 11:6 – 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.
In verse 6, the Apostle analyzes verse 5. He says that a wife who violates her husband’s authority and does not cover her head (if a Corinthian) while praying and preaching may as well cut her hair short or shave her head to be shamed and disreputable, like the wife she is. These are not commands by Paul but instead are his consistent analysis of what the wife is doing.
1 Corinthians 11:7 – 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.
The principle in verse 3 is proved in verses 7-10. Verse 7 states the law, while verses 8 and 9 provide proof of the law. Verse 10 begins by explaining why the law exists, which is proved in verses 8 and 9. Women should either cover their heads (like the Corinthians did) or understand that they should not pray and preach in public church services and behave accordingly with the God-given authority of man in view.
Since God creates men in the image and glory of God (1 Cor. 11:7), Paul explains to them in verse 7 that men have the authority to pray and preach, and as Paul told the Corinthians, men should not cover their heads when they pray and preach in public church worship services. Man possesses the authority of Jesus Christ, who is God.
Likewise, the wives do not have the authority to pray and preach in a public church worship service, and as the Corinthians understood it, these wives should not go without a veil or a head covering of some type. The wife is subordinate to the man, and the man has the glory of God. The woman has the glory of the man, the image of God.
However, please understand that in verse 7 and, for that matter, in this passage of Scripture, the Apostle does not say that women and men are inherently unequal in God’s eyes.
1 Corinthians 11:8, 9 – For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
In verses 8 and 9, Paul uses two facts to prove that the woman is subordinate to the man. He shows that the woman was formed from the man (Gen. 21, 22). He, obviously, the man, was created first, and she, the woman, was created second. The second fact was that the woman was created on the man’s account (Gen. 2:18). He was not created for her, but she was created for him.
So, the religious truths of the Old Testament are used here to support the historical facts of creation. Paul makes these two facts the grounds for the moral principles of the Bible. Since Paul is taking his facts from the Bible and the Bible is God’s word, the divine authority of the facts is not in question.
1 Corinthians 11:10 – That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
Verse 10 is difficult to interpret, as evidenced by several proposed interpretations by various biblical scholars. All of these interpretations are speculative. Rather than discuss these different interpretations, this article will attempt to interpret verse 10 in the best way possible.
The Greek word ἄγγελοuς, which means “aggelous” (pron. ANG-gel-os), is translated into English as “angels.” It means messenger, angel, envoy, or one who is sent.
No commentator knows why the word “angels” appears in verse 10. The best we can come up with is that these holy creatures, the angels, were present when God created order out of nothing and when he made woman out of man. Not recognizing man’s authority in a public church worship service goes against God and anybody present in the beginning, including the angels.
1 Corinthians 11:11 – Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman;
In verses 11 and 12, the Apostle gives a causal relationship to the principle of verse 3.
Verse 11 is interesting. It says that the roles of men and women are mutually dependent, in that one cannot exist without the other. The Apostle is not talking about the spiritual equality of men and women, which I have written about in a previous article (see an article on this blog entitled God’s Roles For Men and Women). It is an absolute authority and a real submission, but they depend on one another by divine appointment. One cannot properly exist unless the other exists properly.
This is a Christian doctrine. The Greek word translated “Lord” is generally used for Jesus. When we see Lord spelled with an initial capital only, we translate it as Jesus. The roles of the man’s authority and the woman’s submission are Christian.
1 Corinthians 11:12 – for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
This is the proof of the previous verse. In their roles of authority and submission, the man and the woman depend on one another. The Greek word translated into English as God is the word for the triune God in the Bible. God created their roles.
Note that spiritual equality between man and woman is not discussed here. Their roles are discussed in that they are dependent on one another.
1 Corinthians 11:13 – Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?
The principle in verse 3 is considered using common sense in verses 13-16. Paul commands his hearers to consider “the facts, use their minds and judge for themselves”[iv] and answer several rhetorical questions.
Now, Paul appeals to the people’s internal judgment. God created humans and implanted the laws of right and wrong. Therefore, Christians will agree with God on this issue when using their conscious judgment appropriately.
This verse mentions “with her head uncovered. ” Christians today should understand this as talking about the woman’s role of submission to the man’s authority, which was given to them by God.
1 Corinthians 11:14 & 15 – Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
Paul is talking about the natural order of things God created in man and woman. He gave men shorter hair than women from the beginning, and he talks about a woman’s hair as a covering for the woman. It is also proper for a woman to wear a veil in public church worship services. But nowadays, veils or head coverings for men and women are not usually proper attire in church worship services.
In short, the Apostle tells the men to wear their hair short and have authority over women. The women are to wear longer hair; if desired, they can wear veils to show submission to the man’s authority.
1 Corinthians 11:16 – If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
Contentious has been defined as likely to have a perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes for disputation. Paul warns his readers that if anyone inclines contentious, the Apostles and the Church of Christ will not stand for it, for there is no such custom under the Gospel of Christ.
The role of authority for the man and the role of submission by the woman are proper, and any contentiousness toward this doctrine is unacceptable. As Matthew Henry has written, “Those must be very contentious indeed who would quarrel with this, or lay it aside.”[v]
CONCLUSION
This passage of Scripture tells us that God has authority over the man Jesus Christ, Christ has authority over the church and all humankind, and the husband has authority over his wife.
1 Corinthians 2 – 16 deals with the husband’s authority and the wife’s submission. This exists by divine appointment. When the triune God created the man first and the woman out of the man, God decided that the husband would have authority over the wife in marriage.
The head coverings discussed were intended for the initial recipients of the epistle, the Corinthians. They were also for Jews and pagans. These groups of people had a custom of dress that required women to wear their hair longer than men and for women to go to worship with a head covering, such as a veil. This is not the case today, and this passage should not be read solely about the dress code for the public Christian worship service.
This passage is about the authority given by God to the husband and the submission given by God to the woman in the marriage ordinance of God. They should follow these roles and should not be contentious concerning them.
[i] Bibliographical note: Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Eerdmans, 2000). Charles Hodge. Geneva Series of Commentaries: 1 & 2 Corinthians (The Banner of Truth Trust 2018 (1857); John MacArthur, The Role of the Godly Woman, sermon preached May 2, 1976; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 6, (Hendrickson Publishers, 1991); Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New Testament commentary (Baker Academic, 1993). The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (Thomas Nelson, 2001);
[ii] Christian Inquiry blog, God’s Roles For Men and Women. https://christianinquiry.com/gods-roles-for-men-and-women/.
[iii] Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Eerdmans, 2000), p. 802, quoting Roland Barthes, Elements of Semiology (Eng. trans., London: Cape, 1967), 13-28; cf. Mythologies (Eng. Trans., London: Cape, 1972).
[iv] Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians: New Testament Commentary (Baker Academic, 1993), p. 380.
[v] Matthew Henry, Commentary On the Whole Bible, vol. 6 (Hendrickson Publishers, 1991), p. 453.
