In verse 8 Paul gives us a second reason for head covering: “For man is not out of woman, but woman out of man.” As a rib taken out of man, woman was made out of man (Gen. 2:21-23). God did not create a woman. He formed a male body from the dust of the ground and breathed into this body the breath of life. As a result, a man, named Adam, became a living soul. God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and then He opened his side, took out a rib, and used that rib to build a woman. Thus, woman was not created, but came out of man. This indicates that the woman’s place is by the side of the man.
However, a man should not be proud regarding his position in relation to the woman. Notice what Paul says in verses 11 and 12: “However, neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord. For just as the woman is out of the man, so also is the man through the woman; but all things are out of God.” In the Lord’s plan and arrangement, neither is the woman apart from the man nor the man apart from the woman. Man is the source of the woman’s existence. Hence, the woman is out of the man. But woman is the means through which the man is born. Hence, the man is through the woman.
Regarding the relationship between man and woman, Paul is balanced. On the one hand, he says that the woman is out of the man, for she was made from a rib out of Adam. On the other hand, Paul says that the man is through the woman, for man comes into existence through his mother. We also should be balanced, realizing both that the woman is out of the man and that the man is through the woman.
Verse 9 says, “For also man was not created for the sake of the woman, but woman for the sake of the man.” Here the apostle takes God’s purpose in the creation of man and woman as another strong ground for his teaching of head covering. It is based not upon any human-made customs, but upon the divine purpose of creation. In creation woman was made for the purpose of matching man (Gen. 2:18, 24).
In verse 10 Paul continues, “Therefore the woman ought to have authority on her head for the sake of the angels.” Authority here denotes the head covering, which signifies the authority of man’s headship over the woman.
In this verse we have another ground for the teaching of head covering. Head covering is closely related to God’s headship, God’s authority. The archangel with his subordinates rebelled against God’s headship (Ezek. 28:13-18; Isa. 14:12-15; Matt. 25:41), establishing his kingdom of darkness (Matt. 12:26; Col. 1:13), and became Satan, God’s adversary. After God created man, Satan seduced man to follow him and rebel against God. Then God sent His Son to destroy Satan and rescue man out of his authority back to God’s kingdom (1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14; Col. 1:13). Now when the believers worship God in praying to God and speaking for God, they should have signs that they are under God’s headship, the divine authority, showing the observing angels (see 1 Cor. 4:9), who are concerned with this matter, that they (the believers) keep God’s ordained order in His administration. For this sake, the sisters should have a sign, a covering, on their head.
It is significant that Paul says that the woman ought to have authority on her head for the sake of the angels. Satan, a chief angel, had been commissioned to control the universe for God. But he rebelled, and certain angels followed him. Of course, a good number of angels remained faithful to God. God created man to deal with the rebellious angels. But Satan seduced man, and man followed him. Then in redemption God came in to bring fallen man back to Himself. God’s redeemed people are now the church. As the church, we should declare to the angels, both to the rebellious and to the submissive ones, that as God’s redeemed people we are not rebellious against His headship. Rather, we remain under the headship of God. Not only in the coming kingdom age in eternity shall we be under God’s headship, but even in this rebellious age we submit to His authority. The covering on the sisters’ head is a sign declaring this to the angels.
In verse 13 Paul asks, “You judge among yourselves: Is it fitting for a woman to pray uncovered to God?” Here Paul is indicating that, judging according to the reasons he has given, it is not fitting for a woman to pray uncovered to God.