The topic of head covering is ignored by many, but others pay much attention to it. Consequently, it is a subject of debate. Therefore, we must spend some time to see what God’s Word says about this topic.
1. “The things that I [the apostle Paul] have handed down...to you” (1 Cor. 11:2).
The teaching of head covering belongs to the New Testament and is taught by the apostle Paul. Since the New Testament emphasizes spiritual realities instead of outward rituals, we should not consider this teaching to be an outward ritual or something related to human thought. The apostle Paul preached according to the Lord’s revelation, not man’s thought (Gal. 1:11-12).
Some say that covering the head was an ordinance of the Jews. When the apostle Paul received a revelation from God, he set aside Judaism and all its ordinances; he absolutely did not preach Jewish ordinances to the church or ask the church to observe them. He did not even require the churches to keep the ordinance of circumcision which was established by God in the Old Testament (5:11). Therefore, why would he preach any other Jewish ordinance? On the contrary, he does not want us to keep any human ordinance (Col. 2:20-23). Moreover, the way the high priest and the other priests approached God was absolutely the opposite of what Paul teaches concerning head covering. Paul says that when a man prays or prophesies, he should not cover his head (1 Cor. 11:4), but the Jewish high priest and the other priests (all of whom were men) had to cover their heads when they approached God. The high priest had to wear a turban and crown on his head, and the other priests had to wear high hats (Lev. 8:7-9, 13). Thus, the teaching of head covering handed down by Paul is absolutely not related to Jewish ordinances.
Others say that head covering was a custom in Corinth at that time. However, we have the assurance that Paul would not use Gentile customs as part of his preaching or connect a Gentile custom with the spiritual teachings concerning God and Christ that the church would then have to keep. He uses half a chapter of the Bible to speak of head covering, saying that this matter is related to God and Christ and that it influences the angels. When speaking of such a crucial matter, how could he use a Gentile custom as his background and base? Paul’s teaching of head covering absolutely is not related to a Gentile custom.
1. “To...all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place” (1 Cor. 1:2).
Some say that Paul’s teaching concerning head covering was only for the church in Corinth because there was some confusion among them. This, however, is not accurate because the Epistle to the Corinthians, which contains the teaching concerning head covering, was written not only to the Corinthians, but to “all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place.” Thus, the apostle’s teaching concerning head covering was not only for the saints in Corinth; it was for all those who believe in the Lord in every place.
2. “If anyone seems to be contentious, we do not have such a custom of being so, neither the churches of God” (1 Cor. 11:16).
According to the apostle, the early churches of God did not have contentions concerning the teaching of head covering. This proves that the teaching was for all the churches, not only for the church in Corinth. Since this teaching was for all the churches and because the early apostles and churches accepted it without contention, should we not also receive it without contention?
1. “A sign of submission to authority on her head” (1 Cor. 11:10).
A more direct translation of this phrase is “to have authority on her head.” The head signifies authority. According to God’s ordination, a woman, even though she has her own head, should not be the head but should submit to authority. Thus, she should cover her head as a confession and declaration that even though she has her own head, she is not the head and does not act as head. Head covering declares that she is under authority and confesses and receives another as her head, allowing him to be the head. Simply speaking, when the woman covers her head, it is a sign that she submits to authority.