Why do we sometimes enforce and sometimes ignore the clear teaching of God’s Word?

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head. – 1 Cor 11:1-6

I’ve never been to a church that obeyed Paul’s instruction from this passage. I still see some men removing hats when it is time to pray, but I’ve preached on some occasions and in some locations wearing a hat. I don’t see women covering their heads for prayer (although I suspect I know a woman who intentionally wore hats to church because of this passage). We don’t forbid men from growing their hair long, but I remember folks in the church getting bent out of shape about it when I was a kid. It seems something was lost culturally from the time of Paul’s writing to today. Paul wrote, “if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved,” but today’s culture doesn’t find a woman with short hair, or “hair cut off” as he puts it, disgraceful.

So, I guess we just dismiss this passage as containing something cultural that has been lost to us. However, in the next section, Paul justifies his requirement based on the order of creation, not culture.

A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. – 1 Cor 11:7-12

Paul references the order of creation as the reason women need to cover their heads when praying and prophesying. This is the same justification he gives for why women should stay silent and not teach or have authority over men in the letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy 2:12-13, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” In the 1 Cor 11 passage he uses more words to describe the argument than he does in 1 Timothy 2. He appeals to the order of creation as justification for women needing a public display of authority on their heads during prayer. For some reason, many of us dismiss the one Scripture passage as cultural and embrace the other as an argument from God’s forever plan. In the 1 Cor. 11 passage, Paul concludes the section with even stronger language saying women need to keep their hair long and covered.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God. – 1 Cor 11:13-16

Should we repent and confess that we got it wrong all this time by not requiring women to keep long hair and wear a covering during prayer?

Pastor John Riley

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