Question: When should a sister in Christ cover her head?

Bible Study

11

1Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

2Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you. 3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6For if a woman does not cover her head, have her also cut her hair off; however, if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, have her cover her head. 7For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10Therefore the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

– 1 Corinthians 11:1-11
(NASB® © 2020)

The Question of Head Covering

Question: When should a sister in Christ cover her head? Is this necessary when answering a biblical question?

This question is aimed at 1 Corinthians 11:1-11. It is useful to see that this passage is about men and women: men should not cover themselves; women should cover themselves (when praying and prophesying).

Roles of Man and Woman

Well, the man should not cover himself because he is “God’s image” and “glory” (1 Cor 11:7). He is God’s representative on earth. He has no authority on earth over himself, but only Christ is above him. That is why he does not hide himself under a head covering. And he is the one who is (first) responsible for giving God the honor and glory – and this glory of God should not be covered when praying and prophesying.

The woman is to cover herself, for she is the “glory of the man” (1 Cor 11:7) – she is for his benefit, well-being, and honor. However, praying and prophesying is not about this glory of the man, nor is it about the beauty of a woman’s long hair (her “honor,” 1 Cor 11:15) – that is why she covers herself.

The head covering is also a sign that an earthly authority is directly above her. It is particularly important to show this when the woman touches the man’s domain by praying and prophesying in public herself, for example, in a sisters’ meeting (if men are present, they should pray according to 1 Timothy 2:9). If she also covers herself, if she prays inwardly in public, then this is certainly good. Because in this way the glory of the man and her own glory is hidden in the presence of God.

Public Prayer and Prophesying

This passage is about public, not private, prayer. The term “prophesying” already makes this clear because this cannot be done alone per se. So, it is not the idea that a sister has to cover herself when she prays silently in her heart on the bus. Since the angels see the wisdom of God in the assembly (Ephesians 3:10), the head covering is often associated with meeting as an assembly. However, neither Ephesians 3 nor 1 Corinthians 11 is directly about meeting as an assembly – the point is whether believers are together in public.

Prophesying means proclaiming the thoughts of God (1 Pet. 4:11) so that believers may be edified, exhorted, and comforted (1 Cor. 14:3). It is about a specific ministry that is practiced and not about isolated words that may be uttered from time to time. This ministry would be exercised, for example, at Sunday school and when visiting the sick with the clear aim of encouraging based on the Bible. Philip’s daughters carried out this ministry (Acts 21:9). Answering a biblical question is not yet exercising a ministry (you are not yet a math tutor if you solve a math problem once).

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