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Timothy: I Corinthians 11:2-16
Head Coverings for Women

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer my praise and gratitude to You. You are the Almighty God and my Father in Heaven. I find joy and satisfaction in Your love and grace. My heart is always content when I contemplate the Eternal Living Word of God. The more I meditate, the more I understand the harmony and reason of the Scriptures, and I see the teachings of the Bible aligning with the knowledge of morality You have bestowed upon me. I am grateful that You nourish me every day with both physical and spiritual sustenance. I pray to Christ to grant me renewed strength and completely remove the lingering discomfort in my jawbone. I ask the Holy Spirit to teach me the true essence of God’s Word. I am thankful to Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Now, I would like to present my reflections on I Corinthians 11:2-16 as follows:

2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

Verse 2: Although the Church in Corinth was still spiritually immature and disturbed by false teachers and some believers living according to worldly desires, God used Paul to counsel and instruct them, even when he was not physically present with them. I understand that prior to this letter, Paul had already written another letter to them. According to the context of verse 2, the believers in Corinth remembered Paul and obeyed his teachings. The instructions Paul imparted to them included both his direct teachings during his 18-month stay with them and the words he wrote in his letters to them. Paul used the verb “delivered” to imply that what he taught them was received from Christ and then passed on to them.

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Verse 3: Paul taught the believers about the order of authority within the family and the Church. The term “the head” in this verse refers to authority. God has authority over Christ; Christ has authority over every man; men have authority over women. I understand that the concept of God having authority over Christ refers to God the Father’s authority over Christ’s human nature. In terms of their divine nature, God and the Holy Spirit are equal and share equal authority with Christ, who is the Word of God. Young men under 20 years old are under the authority of their parents or guardians. Men who are 20 years old and older are directly under the authority of Christ. Unmarried women are under the authority of their fathers, and married women are under the authority of their husbands. If there is no father or husband, they are under the authority of the elders in the Church.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Verses 4 to 10: Paul addresses the regulations regarding men praying or prophesying in the assembly of the Church. They should not cover their heads, whereas women should cover theirs. The reason men should not cover their heads is that they are the image and glory of God. The reason women should cover their heads is that they are created from and reflect the glory of men. The covering of a woman’s head signifies her submission to the authority of man, which is the divine order established by God for humanity. Prayer is conversing with God and includes words of praise, thanksgiving, confession, supplication, inquiry, intercession, and heartfelt expressions. Prophesying is speaking forth words from God, which can involve predicting future events related to the people of God or issuing words of conviction and calling for repentance, as well as proclaiming the Word of God as recorded in the Scriptures or bearing witness to God’s work in the lives of His people. In the Church, everyone has the right to pray and prophesy, regardless of gender, age, or social status, as taught in I Corinthians 14:26.

Many images referred to as “images of the Lord Jesus” depict the Lord Jesus with a covering on His head while preaching the Word of God. This is a dishonorable representation of the Lord Jesus because verse 4 of the Bible clearly states: “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.” Verse 10 demonstrates that women covering their heads during prayer and prophecy is not merely a cultural custom but a necessary act; failing to do so would be considered disobedience and would offend the angels present before God in the assembly of the Church.

11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

Verses 11 and 12: Although God has given men the authority to govern women, both men and women are equal in dignity as they were both created by God. While women were initially created from men, men are subsequently born through women. In the family, God has entrusted authority to the husband, father, and elder brother. In the Church, God has entrusted authority to the elders, and in society, He has entrusted authority to the governing authorities. Therefore, there is no equality in terms of governance, but before God, each person has equal value. That is equality.

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

Verse 13: Paul urges the people of God to consider and recognize that it is not proper for women to pray without covering their heads. Although Paul does not specifically mention prophesying, which is speaking the Word of God, the general instruction is that women should cover their heads when praying and prophesying.

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

Verse 14: The natural instinct is knowledge that comes from God and is not acquired through learning or experience. If someone lacks the understanding that it is considered disgraceful for a man to wear long hair, then that person lacks spiritual awareness. However, there is one exception where a man is required to have long hair, and that is in the case of a Nazirite vow, where he must refrain from cutting his hair for the duration of the vow. Throughout the Church’s nearly two thousand years of history, cunning demons have introduced depictions of a man with long hair, claiming it to be “the image of the Lord Jesus.” Demons have used the image of a long-haired man wearing a head covering while preaching the Bible, calling it the image of the Lord Jesus, to mock the Lord and deceive millions of God’s people. Who spend money to purchase them and hang them in their homes and gathering places.

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

Verse 15: A woman’s long hair is a natural beauty that God has bestowed upon her. It is considered a covering for her head, enhancing her beauty. However, a woman should have a covering over her long hair when praying and prophesying as a sign of submission to the authority that God has placed over her. Long hair as a beautiful covering and a head covering to demonstrate obedience are different.

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Verse 16: The things that Paul presents in this passage are very clear, and he does not allow anyone to argue against them. When something has been clearly affirmed, there is no room for debate. The Church of God does not participate in disputes over what has been established by the Word of God.

The Word of God affirms that men have authority over women. Men should not cover their heads while praying and prophesying. It is disgraceful for men to have long hair. Women are allowed to pray and prophesy, and although their long hair may add to their beauty, they should cover their heads while praying and prophesying to demonstrate their submission to the authority placed over them and to show respect for the angels.

Father, I pray that You help Your people everywhere understand this truth so that the worship of our sisters is done in truth and they know and willingly cover their heads while praying and sharing Your Word. I also ask that You help Your people everywhere clearly see the deceptive nature of the devil and remove all images of men with long hair and covered heads while preaching the Bible, which are called “images of the Lord Jesus.” I thank You, Father!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
05/17/2023