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"With her head uncovered..."

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:5

HEAD COVERING

As far as Paul was concerned, the menfolk should not pray or prophesy with their heads covered. Christ Jesus is the Head and His authority must be acknowledged! However, this was different, for the womenfolk.

“But every woman who prays or prophesies
with her head uncovered dishonours her head,
for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.
For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn.
But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved,
let her be covered.”
1 Corinthians 11:5-6

1. “But every woman who prays or prophesies”

a) The women prayed with the men in the Jerusalem Church (Acts 1:14).

b) A clear example of women who had the gift of prophecy would be the four daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:9).

c) Women were not disallowed to participate in public worship!

2. If the head is uncovered in public ministry

a) Paul declared that she had dishonoured her head.

i) She has dishonoured herself (through her disobedience).

ii) She has dishonoured her head (her husband for he is the head).

b) Comparison

i) To a woman whose head had been shorn.

ii) To a woman whose head had been shaved.

c) Imagery of the past

i) Women who were captured in battles were shorn.

ii) There was no glory in defeat.

iii) It was a mark of shame for the defeated.

iv) It was shame to the country, to the menfolk, and of course to the womenfolk.

3. “If a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn”

a) Paul was very strong in the view expressed here.

b) There may have been women who rejected this word of the Apostle Paul.

c) To those who were resistant, Paul remained firm and resolute.

4. “Let her be covered”

a) It was not Paul’s joy to see anyone shamed.

b) The correction was surely not difficult. All the women needed to do was to have a head-covering!