COVERING THE HEAD - MEN AND WOMEN

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Question? What is the biblical significance of men and/or women covering their heads?

Is it relevant today? Why or Why not?

Should one's head be covered in the church / temple / tabernacle?

Should one's head be coverd no matter where they are (men and/or women)?

[James Pierce]

In the words of an old mother with the big hat,"Hmmmmmmmmmm, Lawd, Lawd."

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

LOL...

I ask this question because someone told me that I need to have my head covered. When I asked why, there was no particular biblical answer, just "tradition".

Well, I'm not a traditioins of men kinda woman. So, I wondered if there was some biblical basis for this that maybe I have not discovered.

I am not fond of the "church lady" hats and "church lady" suits. It just isn't me. I dress modestly, not too trendy, fashion doesn't dictate my closet but may influence it at times. And skirts down to your ankles... not me. Skirts up to your hind parts.. not me either.

I have hats but they are not churchy hats (see the pic I have on my profile)

I know women who would die before ever wearing pants to church but they wear pants everywhere else. I wonder, is God only present at church and do we only worship Him at church?

I use to love skirts down to my ankles, not because of modesty but because I actually liked long skirts. I will tell you this story than I will go leave. I use to have this long skirt.. oh man it was my fav black skirt. I wore it everywhere. But I either shrank or lost weight because I had to pull the waist all the way up to my chest to keep it from dragging the floor an inch and a half. Did the skirt grow or did I shrink? I can't afford to shrink, I'm only 5'3" LOL Even in heels I had to pull the waist up to my chest... that was ridiculous. From then on, I just looked frumpy in long skirts.

I guess I understand modesty in the Lord's house but why dress inappropriately Mon - Sat and then try to clean up on Sunday? Never made sense to me.

But back to covering one's head...

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

For the benefit to those who don't have their bibles with them ..here's the chapter referenced previously


.
1 Corinthians 11 (King James Version)
1Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3But 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.
4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6For 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.
7For 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.
8For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
17Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
20When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
21For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Now, with that chapter posted as a reference, I'll ask the questions posed at the beginning of the discussion. But please feel free to reference any other relevant passages:


What is the biblical SIGNIFICANCE of men and/or women covering their heads?

Is it RELEVANT today? Why or Why not?

(Here, relevance has nothing to do with it being relevant to MAN but relevant to the Lord. As an example, sacrificing animals has no more relevance because of the atoning work of the Blood of the Lamb of God. Is the covering of one's head a tradition of man or a command of God? This is what I mean by relevant. Also, if it is relevant by tradition or command, what was/is the purpose of the covering of one's head? Why is one asked to do it?)

Should one's head be covered in ONLY the church / temple / tabernacle?

Should one's head be coverd NO MATTER where they are (men and/or women)?

I look forward to your answers.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Good response AliYah.

For the benefit of those reading on the sidelines who may never respond, I do have another question though.

The Greek word “gyne” is used often in the NT. This word means:

1) a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow
2) a wife
a) of a betrothed woman

Looking at the definition, we can see that "gyne" can be used interchangeably for woman or wife. So, when reading a translation, you must use the context around the word to discover which word is being used.

What is the context of the scriptures you gave?

What was happening in those "churches" or "congregation of believers" that caused the letter to be written to them?


There was lots of disorderly conduct happening in the worship services and outside of the temple in Corinth and Paul addressed many of them.

Another question, why were the women talking in the temple? What was it they were trying to learn in the temple?

1 Corinthians 14:33-35

33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Having read that..., according to 1 cor 11:5 women were expected to pray and prophesy. (But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.)

Where was a woman expected to pray and/or prophesy?

Lastly, the covering itself....

they wore headbands, scarfs, veils, shawls, snoods (we see alot of African Americans wearing snoods today)

Was Paul talking to Greeks, Romans, Jews or other ethnicities at Corinth? I Cor chapter 1.

I have a few more questions a lil bit more to say but... I must leave now. Hopefully I will return before the weekend is up.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Interesting....

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Traditions!
Like learning a song by rote.
I’d rather learn to read each note by note
Melodies then have more meaning

Traditions!
Like memorizing lines mindless singing
I’d rather learn the lyricists meaning
Of those wonderful words he wrote.

I Cor 11:2 - Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

Ordinances? Was it culture or command?

Well if it is an ordinance then there is a reason for it.

In this passage, the word ordinances is the Greek word “paradosis” meaning:

1) giving up, giving over
a) the act of giving up
b) the surrender of cities
2) a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in writing, i.e. tradition by instruction, narrative, precept, etc.
a) objectively, that which is delivered, the substance of a teaching
b) of the body of precepts, esp. ritual, which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent generations, which precepts, both illustrating and expanding the written law, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence


A fiddler on the roof, is such a lovely sight
It may not mean a thing
But then again it might
What does it mean this fiddler on the roof
Who fiddles every night and fiddles every noon
Why did he pick so curious a place
to play his little fiddler's tune.


People stop and stare at the fiddler and make all kinds of judgments about him. But they never ask the fiddler... why?

No answer for the why? How about where?

Where is the word "paradosis" used in other scriptures and in what context.

Matt 15:2, 3, 6
Mark 7:3,5,8,9,13
1 Cor 11:2
Galatians 1: 14
Col 2:8
1 Thess 2:15
2 Thess 3:6

(you may not understand my references to the "fiddler", the poem nor the song... but that's ok.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Sis, believe me, I would never have posted those scriptures without having gone through them. I was actually hoping that someone would read them and comment on the two in Thessalonians.

Thank you for your comments.

Anyone else?

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Oh my... I do look forward to many comments and much info on this subject.

[Rev. Kareem A. Christian]

once again, grace isn't an excuse to live like you want or to do as you will... many qoute Jesus half-heartedly... many fail in the reality that Jesus told us He didn't come to abolish the law but through Him the law be fulfilled... for the unbeliever the law is a yoke...but for us who are saved the law is glorious... we can't seperate the Bible into what parts we want to accept and what parts we don't want... God said His Word is the same yesterday, today and forever... in plain english, His Word never changes... man and his sinfulness want to assume and sometimes make God's Word to change because the culture changes... but once again, that's man and his sinfulness... only those who are humble in spirit could accept God's Word...

the question was once raised, "What's the difference between today's church vs. the early church of the apostles?" I'll answer that question, "nothing" the same mess that was going on then is going on today... for there's nothing new under the sun...

one of the key things i've learned is not to study the Scripture with verticle transference... when that is done, one isogete his/her own beliefs into the Bible... the Bible isn't about personal opinions or personal beliefs... it's about what God has said/commanded to His people... so the question that really needs to be asked, "Who do you belong?... are you of God or of the devil?" God said, "His children love His Words..but the devil despise His Words..."

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

This is a sincere question that I have asked in this discussion. I'm sure it will bring about heated debate but a heated debate is never my desire (for those of you who do not know me.)

With that said, I ask another question:

Are there any laws that have been replaced with a new (or better) law but not abolished?

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

thank you for your reply