First Corinthians 11:4-5 says, “Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head; for it is one and the same as she who is shaved.” Let us now find out the meaning of head covering.
The significance of head covering is that one puts himself under God’s government; he acknowledges this position. He would never annul God’s government just because he has received His grace. He would not even allow such a thought to come into him. He would, on the contrary, acknowledge God’s government. Just as Christ accepted God as His Head, so also every man should accept Christ as his Head. In like manner, the woman should accept the man as her representative head. Head covering means that one covers his head as if he had no head.
Please bear in mind that, in practice, only the woman is required to cover her head. In reality, Christ’s head is covered before God, and every man’s head is covered before Christ. But in practice God requires only that the woman cover her head before the man. This is a marvelous thing! It expresses a profound principle. The whole matter is not trivial by any means.
Sometimes I feel that I do not have the liberty to speak to some saints about the matter of head covering because they have no idea about God’s government. You must first understand what God’s government is before you can understand head covering. Since Christ has His head covered before God, I also have my head covered before Him. I have covered my head; it is no longer exposed. God is now my Head. Actually, God wants every man to cover his head. Christ is our only Head. Our head should not be exposed; it must be removed from sight.
Here, I will say a word to Christian women: God has ordained the man to be the head of the woman. In this day of ignorance concerning God’s authority, God only requires the church to observe this. The matter of head covering now becomes a question of whether or not one is a Christian. In the church God requires every Christian to acknowledge His ordained system of government.
For the sisters to cover their heads means that they take the position Christ takes before God and the position every man takes before Christ. God’s intention is for women to cover their heads as an expression of His government on earth. He asks only the women to cover their heads. A woman does not cover her head for her own sake but for the sake of representation. There are many things which one does for himself, but there are also many things which one does as a representative of the whole group. A woman covers her head for herself, because she is a woman. She also covers her head as a representative, because she represents every man, and she also represents Christ. A woman represents every man before Christ. She also represents Christ before God. The woman’s covering before God is equal to Christ’s covering before God. In the same way, the woman’s covering before Christ is equal to every man’s covering before Christ.
No one should assume any headship before Christ. Everyone should cover his head and let Christ be the Head. If one does not cover his head, there will be two heads before Christ. When there are two heads, one should be covered. Between God and Christ, one head has to be covered. Likewise, between the man and the woman, one head must be covered. Between Christ and every man, one head must be covered. Without the covering, there will be two heads. There must not be two heads in God’s government. If God is the head, Christ cannot be the head. If Christ is the head, man cannot be the head. If man is the head, the woman cannot be the head.
God is asking the sisters to be representatives. The sisters are responsible for the sign of submission on their head. This expresses God’s system of government. In particular, God ordains that the woman should cover her head while praying or prophesying. The reason for this is that she should know God’s government when she goes to God. Whether she prophesies before men for God or prays before God for men, whether it be prayer, prophecy, going out for God, or going to God, she must conduct these God-related activities by covering her head. This is for the purpose of expressing God’s government.
Man is not allowed to cover his head. A man disgraces his own head if he covers his head before a woman. Man represents Christ. If a man covers his head, he is, in effect, saying that no man should cover his head before Christ, and that Christ should cover His head before men.