As part of our series on marriage, today’s topic is should women cover their heads? Christian culture has seen the evolution of head coverings go from the modest head scarves of the east, to the elegant sunday church hats of the black southern United States of America, and everything in between. But this tradition is quickly dying out as more and more Christians blur the lines between Christian and pop culture. The current Christian practice of wives not covering their head, brings shame to the word of God.
In today’s society, a head covering is generally associated with Islam, but if we look, we can find its origins first rooted in the Bible. The difference being that Christian wives only need to cover their heads when prophesying or praying.
1 Corinthians 11:5-6 – 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.
To clarify, the scriptures are stating that only married or divorced women should cover their heads. This does not apply to women who are single or widowed. In Greek, the same word is used for ‘women’ and ‘wives’. The Greek language does not have a different word to separate the two. This becomes evident when you read 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which says:
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 – Let your women keep silence in the assemblies, for it is not permitted for them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as the law also says. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to chatter in the assembly.
As shown in this scripture, the word for ‘wife’ and ‘woman’ is the same. In this verse, the term is referring to a wife because there is no way that a single woman can ask her own husband if she is not married. A wife who speaks out in church and doesn’t cover her head brings shame to herself. By not wearing a head covering, she is illustrating that she is not in subjection to her husband. Asking questions in church also shows that she does not consider her husband as the spiritual head of the household.
Even in today’s Jewish culture, in order to conform with the requirement, all married women cover their heads with either a scarf or a ‘steitel’, a wig worn by married Jewish women only.
Paul is referring to an Old Testament scripture when speaking of a wife shaving her head, which also mentioned wives only:
Deuteronomy 21:10-13 – When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, 11 if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails 13 and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.
A wife who does not cover her head must be adopted into this traditional symbol by mourning and forgetting the ways of her father and mother (her old ways) and accepting the concepts of submitting to her husband in all ways.
1 Corinthians 11:13-16 – 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.
Paul is not stating that a woman’s long hair is a sufficient covering when praying or prophesying. Rather, he is explaining that even outside of prayer and prophecy, in a natural setting, a woman has a covering of long hair, which is her glory, while it is shameful for a man to have long hair.
Paul is not telling us to decide for ourselves whether wives should cover their heads or not when they pray or prophesy. He is telling us to see and understand for ourselves, that this is right, and that it is even observed outside the church by women with naturally long hair.
Paul ends off stating very clearly, that if anyone wants to argue about this tradition, let it be known that there is no other way in either the Jewish or Christian culture.
1 Corinthians 11:16 – But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.
Paul mentions that the purpose of wearing a head covering for a wife is to symbolize that when she prophecies, she is speaking from under the authority of her husband; within his interpretation and not her own. Others will understand this and take this into consideration when heeding her prophetic word.
1 Corinthians 11:10 – For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.
Angels are meant to minister to people but not to wives, even if what she follows from her husband is incorrect. This would cause confusion in the marriage and so Paul states that a head covering is a symbol for the angels not to interfere in the marriage. Angels must minister to the husband regarding his error who in turn will teach his wife. She is covered for any mistakes her husband may teach her.
Luke 22:43 – An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
Matthew 26:53 – Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
Mark 1:13 – And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Matthew 4:10-11 – Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Hebrews 1:14 – Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Psalm 91:11 – For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
Angels ministered to Jesus and they are meant to minister to God’s congregation but not to a wife, who must submit to her husband in everything. An angel being allowed to minister to a wife would only cause confusion within her marriage.
Ephesians 5:24 – Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
A wife can prophesy but must cover her head whilst doing so. This however, does not mean that a wife should go into full time ministry. Her primary office is to be a wife and helper to her husband. It has been this way from the beginning. In fact, this was God’s purpose for creating a woman.
Genesis 2:18 – The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Her duty is towards her husband and understanding his interpretation of God’s word. The spiritual head of a wife is her husband. When she teaches the word of God, she must teach it according to her husband’s interpretation, even if she does not agree with it.
In the same way, a man’s ‘spiritual covering’ or ‘head’ is Jesus. A man must also ensure that he is teaching according to Jesus’ interpretation, even if he doesn’t agree with it.
Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
1 Corinthians 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.
This is what the bible means when it says that a wife must cover her head. Without this covering, a wife is showing that she does not believe in her husband’s interpretation or authority and therefore, shames him. She also brings shame to herself and the word of God because she does not honor the word of God regarding a wife’s duties and position.
Titus 2:3-5 – Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Since the office of a Godly wife is such an important and significant role with its own obligations, wives cannot reasonably hold a second office of a prophet and fulfill all of its obligations also. Of course, she can have the gift of prophecy and should operate within her husband’s understanding of the scriptures.
Understanding The Spiritual Rank Of Authority
1 Corinthians 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.
God is not a God of confusion. A wife receives her spiritual covering from her husband, not from herself or a Pastor. Therefore, He has commanded that a wife must submit in every way to her husband’s authority. This is because a wife cannot be obedient to both the teachings of Jesus or pastor, and her husband’s interpretation. Everyone has different opinions which would cause strife and confusion in the marriage.
No husband is perfect and if he differs in some way with the teachings of Jesus, the wife would be placed in a difficult predicament. Does she disobey her husband and go with her own convictions (which may also be incorrect)? Or does she obey her husband according to God’s word, even though she feels he is wrong? This is the confusion the Bible speaks of. For this reason, the commandment for a wife is simple. She is to follow her husband’s way, and she will be judged according to whether she complied with this commandment or not.
Colossians 3:18 – Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22-24 – Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
A husband on the other hand, will be judged according to his teachings and interpretation and how accurate it is to the teachings of Jesus. If a husband is teaching his wife ways that are false, compromised, twisted or manipulated, he will be held accountable by God. If due to God’s commandment to respect and obey her husband, a wife is obedient to her husband and his (false) teachings and interpretation, she will not be held accountable for following her husband’s wrong teachings. This is the covering Paul is speaking of which is symbolized when a wife covers her head as she prays or prophesies.
1 Corinthians 11:7-9 – A man ought not to cover his head, 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.
It is inevitable that every husband will do or say something that is not according to the Bible. Rather than cause conflict about who is right and wrong, God offers a practical way to preserve peace, respect, love and obedience within the marriage. A wife must quietly and submissively accept the errors being taught by her husband. No husband is perfect in his understanding of God’s word and this is not a reason for there to be conflict and confusion within the marriage. For a wife, God has given her a covering which means exemption from being accountable for having to follow the disobedience of her husband.
1 Peter 3:1-5 – Likewise wives, be subject to their own husbands so that, even if any are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without word by the conduct of the wives, 2having witnessed your respectful, pure conduct, 3whose adorning let not be the external, of braiding of hair and putting around of gold, or putting on of garments, 4but the hidden man of the heart, in the imperishable of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth before God.
5For in this way formerly, the holy women also hoping in God used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, of whom you have become children, doing good and not fearing any consternation.
So we can see that the current practices that Christian wives hold today of not covering their heads in church when praying or prophesying is shameful and against God’s word.
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