To Cover or not to Cover: The Big Question

I just recently ran into a certain passage of scripture that made me stop and rethink that particular section of verses in a different light than I had ever done before. Sure I had read it, but due to a recent discussion with a pastor friend, it stuck out to me with new meaning. No, this is not a post on some big in-depth theological discovery that
a. you have never heard of before
and
b. is only marginally applicable to you life.

Sometimes certain passages of scripture show you thoughts on certain topics that may be applicable to your spiritual life, but besides the outworking being you look and act more like Christ, there is nothing really "new" and "unique". Just you being a better Christian, dying to self, and living in Christ.

This is not one of those passages folks. This is a passage that has outward and obvious applications, if we take it the way the scripture says.

The topic, is.....

Are you ready?

Head-coverings.

*You look slightly confused and raise one (or both) eyebrows*

Seriously? Head-coverings?

Yup, I had the same reaction - till I started digging into it. It gets interesting to say the least. Here is the text.

   1Co 11:1-10  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.  (2)  Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.  (3)  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.  (4)  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.  (5)  But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.  (6)  For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.  (7)  For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.  (8)  For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.  (9)  Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.  (10)  For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Ok, so there is the text. It says

 (5)  But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.  (6)  For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.  (7)  For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

Before I even get started it must be stated right here, because I know it is going to run through the mind of somebody. God cares about our appearance as well as the inner being. God wants every aspect of our lives to follow his standards.

Ok, back to topic again. 

If we take the text straight like that, no reading into the text, no really digging into meanings of words, it should be clear and obvious that all women should wear something on their heads while praying or prophesying in the local gathering of the church. 

That's the first reading. Lets get into it a little bit more. I found this article on Monergism.com.

   Paul instructs women to wear head coverings whenever they pray or

prophesy (v. 5). Similarly, men are instructed to keep their heads uncovered

when praying  or prophesying (v. 4). At a minimum, this means women

should have their  heads covered (and men should have their  heads uncovered) when the Body of Christ is gathered corporately for prayer, edification, and/or worship.

However,  women pray throughout the day and in  many locations.

Women often speak God’s Word to children and friends outside of church

settings. Thus 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 does not describe a situation that occurs

only in  public  church meetings.  For  these  reasons, some maintain  that

women should wear head coverings always and not only in church meetings.

This is a reasonable and defensible position. Both Old Testament Hebrew

women and Christian women throughout church history wore head coverings

all the time and not at worship services only. 

Other Christians point to the second half of 1 Corinthians 11 (which

deals with the Lord’s Supper) and argue that the context for both instructions

seems to be formal public gatherings of the Body of Christ. Accordingly,

these Christians conclude that the instructions in 1 Corinthians 1:1-16 are

applicable only in public meetings of the church. This also seems to be a

reasonable and defensible position, although this second position (in my

assessment) is weaker than the first.

This guy wound up by saying his position was that he thought all women should wear head-coverings all the time - period. 

Ok, so there is an argument for wearing head-coverings all the time. Text does not specify exactly whether it is to be only at church, so therefore wear it all the time. 

Then there is the argument to only wear it during church, since that might be the context of the whole passage. 

That's assuming (which might be a good assumption) that we are talking about a honest-to-goodness something-or-other (head scarf, hat, etc.) on your head. 

However there is another position out there. 

After some more digging (and having a pastor who believes it) I found a second view. 

They say, since the subject is brought up slightly (ever so slightly) later on in the passage, that the "covering" is referring merely to hair length. Their argument runs something like this. 

Having short hair in this passage is being compared to not having any hair at all. Praying with your head "uncovered" (having short hair) is virtually the same in shame as being bald. Therefore, women should have long hair when they pray and prophesy.

Then of course, the question comes up of "how long is long?". 

Of course, there is no length requirement in the scriptures. By this line of interpretation (meaning the interpretation that the "covering" is hair, then it is a shame for men to be "covered" i.e. have long hair. 

So men should not have long hair and women should - by this line of reasoning. Again, the question of what is long and short hair defined as, pops up merrily again.

From what I gather, women's hair should be significantly longer than men's hair, and men's hair should be significantly shorter than women's hair. No length specifications, just generalities.

I also recently heard the position that the head-covering thing was merely cultural and the application now-a-days is the long hair.  

So, that is if you take the interpretation that the covering is hair. 

However, upon more digging, some say that the word "covered" has a connotation in the Greek of being something that has the option of being "uncovered", so therefore the option exists to put on or take off the "covering" at will. 

Unless you wear a wig, that option doesn't quite apply to hair.       

So maybe the first pass by reading of the text wasn't so wrong at all. 

Then, there was another punch against the hair-covering folks, on the point of analogies. They say that the analogy comparing short hair to baldness is not as strong as comparing no covering whatsoever to baldness. They say that it is a much stronger analogy, and is therefore referring to an actual hat, or scarf, etc. on ones head. 

I must add that the affect of a lady wearing a head-scarf or nice hat, is rather phenomenal in our modern world. It definitely conveys a vast amount of messages to the observers. It denotes respect, dignity, elegance, and certainly down-home femininity. A girl can have a massive influence merely by her looks, for good or for evil. Hats (nice feminine hats) certainly aren't in the vogue, short to medium length hair uncovered is. One site I came across even stated the temple prostitutes in Paul's day had no head covering, a sign directly opposite to the "chaste" and "honorable" appearance that the Christians were trying to convey.

Granted, it doesn't mean that today, but seriously, when was the last time you saw a porn model or a rebellious teenager wearing a nice feminine hat or head scarf?? It just doesn't fit. It would look too....... sanitized..... and.... dare we say it.... submissive.

*gasp*
(we as Christians don't want to look like that do we??)  

Another thing I heard is that the issue of covered, hats or hair, only is applied to married women. They use the whole part where it talks about submission to husbands as saying that the passage only points to married women. A case could be made in that direction.      

So, that is the run-down on the girl part. On to the guys. 

It says that guys should be uncovered. In fact, it is a shame to not be uncovered. Now, whether this is referring to hats or hair is still up in the air (no scarfs guys - it don't look as manly as a good camo ball-cap or a good cowboy hat). : D 

So, whether or not you call it hat or hair, it is a shame for you to pray or prophesy covered. Take your hats off gents.

Wait. Sound familiar? Taking off your hat when you pray has been a habit of gentlemen for centuries, and so for that matter, (but not in recent times) was ladies wearing their hats to church.   

Wonder where that tradition came from?

Wonder were the tradition of taking off your hat when saying the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem came from?  

My guess is that it was from a direct and literal translation of this passage of scripture.

However, where has the tradition of men having shorter hair than women come from? Is it just mere genetics, or is there something more to it?

There certainly is a lot to chew over on this subject to say the least. 

My personal take is still yet undecided, but from all my research, I am certainly leaning towards the side of the "hat", over the "hair".

My personal application is pretty simple. Take off your hat when praying and when in church. I try to take my hat off indoors as a sign of respect to the host, similar to the reasons for taking it off in church, but obviously not exactly the same. 

Now, another question is, what about all those times during the day you pray silently? For guys, do you take your hat off while you work so you can pray? For girls, do you wear a hat or scarf all the time so you can pray whenever or merely haul it out when you need it?  If we are supposed to "pray without ceasing", do we wear a hat at all?  

Would the whole point of "take your hat off when praying" even be an issue if hats were not allowed?

So you have a lot to work through here. Where do you fall? Hat or hair? How long should hair be? Married or no? 

There are a few things you will have to work out yourself between you and God, but one thing is for sure -  

 - don't go bald ladies, I ain't the only one who doesn't like it. : )