“Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.”

For some, the details are moot if head coverings are non-applicable for today. But all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16); we dare not skim over any of it with a slight nod or condescending smile. There is nothing sophisticated in glossing over this passage. These truths are for “all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2, also 11:16).

Regardless of the diverse ways of applying this passage today, there are sweeping concepts that cannot be overlooked. Six reasons are given in this passage to explain why men shouldn’t have their heads covered and women should. We must point out that this passage speaks equally to men as to women. There are requirements for both. The Corinthians apparently felt a “freedom” to do as they liked, but Paul lays out a carefully reasoned theological argument, with an appeal to an innate sense of things and customary practices of the churches.

The arguments can be identified as follows:

1. Principle of Headship (Theology) – 1 Cor. 11:3–6
2. Rivalry of Glory (Doxology) – 1 Cor. 11:7
3. Order of Creation (Anthropology) – 1 Cor. 11:8–9, 11–12
4. Witness of Angels (Angelology) – 1 Cor. 11:10
5. Testimony of the Intuitive (Anthropology) – 1 Cor. 11:13–15
6. Universal Practice (Ecclesiology) – 1 Cor. 11:16

The first argument can be a bit of a mind-twister with its overlaying metaphors. Essentially it goes like this: the man who is covered, disgraces his metaphorical head, which according to 1 Corinthians 11:3 is Christ. The woman who does not cover her head disgraces her metaphorical head, which is the man (again see 1 Cor. 11:3). The strong impression one gets is that the man represents Christ when the church gathers, and by not wearing a cover he is symbolically giving Christ the glory, rather than disgracefully hiding Christ’s glory. The woman, likewise, by not covering her hair draws attention away from the man, and thus from the man’s head, which is symbolic of Christ. Clearly the head covering could not be simply a woman’s hair, as some suggest from a faulty reading of 1 Corinthians 11:15. That would make no sense in verses 4 and 5.

Lord, help us, Your church, give glory to Christ, symbolically and in reality.