Featured Head Covering (1 Cor. 11)

Why should we think ill of you? We didn't pen 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. We are just like you, sinners saved by grace responsible to obey the Word of God. If a person has never been taught the truth on any given subject, it should not be expected they would be obeying it. However, once confronted with it, then the issue is what will you do with it? You may choose to study it or not to study it. You may choose to believe it differently than how others interpret it. Nevertheless, if you profess the truth of salvation you are no worse or no better than any other sinner saved by grace, as we all fail somewhere. What you will or will not do with it, we will let you and God figure that one out.

 

A cultural explanation of a passage isn't necessaryly a dismissal of a passage. The bible wasn't written in a vacuum, there are accomidations, exceptions, inclusions and exceptions made all the time in biblical interpretation.

 

I think that they can be great witnessing tools, great personal reminders of our faith, and good to encourage modesty. Personally, it would be strange to leave home without one, but it can't judge those that don't for not having been convicted, like said above. The one I wear is a self-made pattern (for better or worse) and I actually just make a tutorial that I can sell online for those that sew, or know someone that does. It costs only 75 cents with the code FRIENDS for the next month.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/215930396/headcovering-veil-tutorial-diy?

 

The point Paul is making is that God made male and female, and he wants them to maintain that distinction in their appearance and roles. How long is long and how short is short? When you can't tell visually if you are looking at a man or woman but the appearance blurs the line of that male and female distinction and breeds confusion it is too long for a man and/or too short for a woman as God is not the author of Confusion.

Unfortunately, we live in a "ITS" society where distinction between male and female are intentionally under assault by our society. Another evidence of the last days when what is called "good" is evil and what is called "evil" is good.

 

When you read the context, you see that there was confusion in the early church in regards to married women feeling threatened by unmarried women. In our day, we wear a wedding band to demonstrate the marriage covenant. In NT times, most early Christians were poor and they certainly could not afford gold for a wedding band, so Paul appeals to "headcovering" to demonstrate that the women are under the same covenant-ie, today the wedding band in our society demonstrates the woman being "under" the man.

The long hair issue also comes from a custom in the day. In NT times, pagan temples often had prostitutes which basically served as "sexual slaves". They cut their hair short so they would be easily picked out in the crowd. Paul is telling women here to not "act as the pagans" and not even hint towards such behavior hence early Christian women wore long hair

 

Overt paganism was still rampant in NT times, see Acts 17

 

1. I personally do not.
A. I have never been taught to.
B. After reading, I haven't felt the conviction to do so.
2. I have visited other countries where it is more traditional to wear head coverings to church.
A. This was geared more towards married women.
B. I am single. I didn't wear one.

 

I have always believed Paul is talking about a women submission!