Do Apostle Paul has ordered women of all churches universally to wear head covering or veil whenever they stand in the presence of God? This has been a bone of contention among theologians for a long time. Some say yes and others disagree. We find honorable theologians on both sides. The answer, whatever it may be, does not affect our salvation and eternal life. This is not a fundamental creed.
Still the question is discussed again and again. So I am also contributing to the discussion, though in a very insignificant measure. And I am aware that this study too will not settle the debate forever.
Culture or doctrine?
Apostle Paul is
the only writer who wrote about the veil that women wear in the church. He has
made some scratchy comments on this matter in 1 Corinthians 11: 2-16.
Many theologians
opines that Paul was instructing the local church at Corinth to observe certain
practices of the province. His directions were applicable to the Corinth church
and the churches around it who shared the same social values. Another group of
theologians take Paul’s words as doctrine for churches in all ages and all
places.
Definitely this
topic has two distinct sides. One is local and cultural and the other is
spiritual. If Paul was talking about a cultural custom, it is not applicable to
other churches at a different places where different social values exist.
Social values change from place to place and time to time. In that case, the
local church is free to take a decision on this matter. Paul’s teaching in any
way is not a doctrine for them. It is a direction for taking a decision on such
matters respecting the local customs.
The spiritual aspect
of the argument speaks about the authority of men over women or rather the
governance among men and women. Veil or a head covering becomes an out ward
sign that a women wear to confess publically that she acknowledges the spiritual
authority of men.
There are certain
questions that we have to answer when we discuss this topic. They are:
1.
Was Apostle Paul addressing a local custom?
2.
What should women wear to cover their head – a piece of cloth, a leather
cap, scarf, or a part of the dress that she wore?
3.
Do the women need to cover their head only when they pray and prophecy?
That means they need not wear head covering when they sing or listen to a
sermon.
4.
Whether a woman should wear a veil in the church, public and her house or
in all places? Should she wear a veil when she prays and prophecy in her home?
Progressive revelation of Christian doctrines
The church was
started immediately on the day of Pentecost. It was grown suddenly from 120 to
3120 on that day following a massive conversion of Jews. All the doctrines of a
Christian church was not formed before or on that day. The only doctrine the
church had was what Peter spoke to the people. That was only the beginning.
And the church
grew in number. The doctrines were formed one after another. There was a
gradual or progressive revelation and formulation of the canons. A fine example
is the doctrine that was formed for the gentile Christians in Acts 15. Until
that time, the church did not even thought about whether the gentile Christians
should live according to the Jewish religious practices. But on that particular
day, after a long hot discussion, the Apostles decided and announced the canon
that gentile Christians need not obey the Jewish religious practices.
Later Apostle
wrote about the eating food that was sacrificed to gentile gods. This was a
common practice in the town of Corinth. Here apostle permits gentile Christians
to eat anything if their conscience does not condemn them. For gentile gods are
nothing. Also he warned them to take care of new believers who are weak in
their spiritual perception.
Thus the Church
doctrines were formed and canonized in a progressive manner. It happened
gradually. But once the doctrines were completed, written and closed, no other
teachings are accepted as foundational beliefs.
We should not
form a doctrine or teaching based on a single passage in the Bible. Bible is a
whole and one book. All verses in this book supports each other. They never
contradict one another.
Some passages
may be about a local practice, a direction for an immediate action, a personal
experience. Bible contains history, prophecy, poetry, moral teachings etc.
There are certain passages which teaches the basic doctrines and values of the
Kingdom of God. Doctrines should be formulated based only on those books or
chapters which are dedicated for teaching or revealing the canons of the
church.
The church at
Corinth was one among the first century churches, who were not mature in
Christian perceptive and values. As I told before, it took many years for the
church to receive all doctrines. So Paul is teaching them through his letters
about many matters that they struggled with. Many of the challenges they faced
were from the local customs and practices.
The passage
about head covering in 1 Corinthians 11 was written in about AD 55. Paul was
giving them directions to handle a confusion created in the church by some
women, who were not following certain customs and practices of the local society.
In fact we do not know what exactly the situation was. But the readers of his
letter were well aware of the problem. Since it was a local issue, Paul did not
elaborate on the problem or the situation. So it is difficult for us to clearly
understand everything he speaks here.
Head covering in the Old Testament
In the Old
Testament, High Priests and priests used to wear a head covering while they
minister in the Temple. All priests were male and they had to wear a prescribed
head covering. According to Judges 13: 5, Nazirite did not razor their head. So
they usually had long hair. Paul also observed the Nazirite vow for a time and
after finishing it, he shaved off his head.
There is no
precept in the Old Testament that directs women to wear a head covering in
their house or outside. But they might have been wearing a veil in certain
places according to the local custom. At some places it was a sign of honour
and at another it was dishonor to wear them.
In the story of
Isaac and Rebekah, when she met Isaac for the first time, she suddenly “took a
veil, and covered herself.” (Genesis 24: 65). We are not sure why she did it.
It may be a sign for her virginity or respect for her husband. Or she might
have been obeying a local practice of the land.
Abraham’s
servant met Rebekah, at the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia, near a well. Rebekah
was meeting a stranger there. There is no mention of a veil or head covering
that she wore at that time. And later she travelled with him from her home to
the place of Isaac. We can be certain that she wore no head covering during the
journey. She wore a veil only when she saw Isaac coming to greet them. That
simply means that women wearing a veil or head covering was not a custom at the
city of Nahor and it may be a custom at Isaac’s place.
The Hebrew word
used in this passage for veil is ṣāʿîp̄
(tsaw-eef') which means a
wrapper, shawl, or veil. A wrapper is a long cloth that covered the whole body.
That means Rebekah might have used a long cloth that covered her whole body as
sign of her virginity or respect to her husband or as a local custom.
There is another story which speaks about the
veil in the opposite sense. The story is narrated in Genesis 38.
Judah married a Canaanite woman whose name was
Shuah. Their eldest son was Er. He married another Canaanite women called
Tamar. But unfortunately Er died young. And so according the practice of the
time, Er’s younger brother was appointed to give birth to child by Tamar, as a descendance
of the deceased brother. But he thwarted the plan and he too died. Judah had
one more son, younger to him. But Judah was afraid that the youngest one may
also die if she married Tamar. So Judah send back her to her father’s house at
Canaan.
Meanwhile Tamar came to know that Judah was going
to Timnath for sheep shearing.
Genesis
38: 14, 15
14
So she took off her widow's garments,
covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which
was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not
given to him as a wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.
The Hebrew word for veil in verse 14 is ṣāʿîp̄ . As we have said before the meaning this word is wrapper, shawl, or veil. Verse 15 says that “he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face”.
Here we understand that a veil or a long garment that covered even her face was the dress of a prostitute in that local custom. But surely this was not the meaning of veil in nearby local customs. So customs, dresses, signs and symbols change from place to place. No uniform sign for virginity, faithfulness or submission of woman can be prescribed.
In
Song of Solomon chapter 5 we again see the veil as a symbol of decency and
virginity.
Song of Solomon 5: 7 The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me.
Here the Hebrew word rāḏîḏ (raw-deed) is used for veil. The word means, a cloth that spreads, a veil. That means the Shulamite was wearing a veil that spread across her face and body. The watchmen took away her veil to dishonor her.
In the local custom of the Shulamite, it was a dishonor for an unmarried women to go out of her house without a veil.
New Testament period
As I said before, the scripture never talk about women wearing or not wearing a veil except in 1 Corinthians 11. It was not a matter of dispute or doctrine for the first century church. The church adopted the local custom in these matters, which had no salvific importance.
The early New Testament period was of Roman Empire. Historically it was the continuation of the Greek empire. The Greek empire left massive influence on the culture, religion and life style of the countries under it. Still there were many glaring differences in their culture and practices. Their dressing patterns and religious rites were different. In both Greek and Roman temples there were priests and priestesses. Temples accommodated religious prostitutes also. This caused a socially recognized immorality in those regions.
Usually the Greeks and Romans wore a long garment with certain difference between men and women. But the priests in Roman temples used to wear head coverings. There were many statues throughout empire which depicted Augustus Caesar wearing a head covering. The king’s pictures wearing a head covering were engraved on the Roman coins also. This reminded the people that the king was the religious head of the empire.
Imitating Augustus, men in Rome also used to wear head covering. Imitating the Emperor was a public declaration of their loyalty to the king.
But Greeks usually considered men wearing a head covering as effeminate. It was a shame for men. And they insisted on women to wear a head covering as a symbol of her loyalty and submission towards her husband.
In Green culture, unmarried women were exempted from wearing a veil. Women wore a head covering only when they went out of their house. Widows and prostitutes also did not wear a head covering. Thus in Greek culture, a veil or a head covering was a sign that the woman was married and she lives loyal to her husband. So do not touch her.
There were many tribal groups outside the border of the Roman Empire. The Romans called them barbarians. They considered them uncultured and poor. Men among those barbarians used to have long hair. Men in the Assyrian Empire also had long hair. So in Roman culture, long hair for men was a sign of barbarity.
New Women
There were women liberation movements in the Roman Empire, as we have today. Rome was a vast and rich empire of the time. Their cultural standard equaled to us. Art, philosophy, entertainment, freedom of thought and expression etc. characterized the period. So there were radical women liberation movements also. Historians call them “New Women”.
The proponents of this movement asked for everything that the modern women liberation movement demands. They claimed equal status with men. They were ready to do any work that a man could do. They married, divorced and lived with other men of their choice without marriage. They were unwilling to take care of their children. Economic freedom was their main slogan.
The movement protested against the male authority by tearing away their veils in public and never wore again. They cut short their hair like men. They rejected the male authority over them.
The movement spread throughout the Roman Empire. It had its influence on the women of Corinth also. This of course, created a measure of confusion in the church also. A women without a head covering was considered as a member of the New Women movement. She rebelled against male authority. Moreover, a women without a veil was announcing that she was no more under a man and hence was seeking another partner. It is a dishonor to her husband and men in a broader sense.
So Paul said:
1 Corinthians 11: 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies
with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if
her head were shaved.
The Scripture – 1 Corinthians 11: 2- 16
1 Corinthians
11: 2- 16
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember
me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
3 But I want you to know that the head of every
man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his
head covered, dishonors his head.
5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with
her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her
head were shaved.
6 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.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head,
since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
8 For man is not from woman, but woman from
man.
9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman
for the man.
10 For this reason the woman ought to have a
symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of
woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.
12 For as woman came from man, even so man also
comes through woman; but all things are from God.
13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a
woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a
man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to
her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
Let us start our discussion from verse
2
1 Corinthians 11: 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you
remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to
you.
The Greek word
used in this verse for “traditions” is paradosis
(par-ad'-os-is). The meaning of
this word is transmission, a precept,
ordinance and tradition. The same
word is used for the oral traditions of the Jews.
That means, Paul
is speaking about the oral traditions or precepts that he had transmitted to
them. There were no written Scripture at that time. Doctrines of the church was
taught by the apostles as they were revealed by the Holy Spirit. Oral
traditions were the precepts of the time. For the Jews, they considered their
oral traditions as equal in status with the written scripture.
So what Paul
continue to speak were oral traditions or precepts for the Church at Corinth.
It was not doctrines for the universal church.
1 Corinthians 11: 5 But every woman who prays or
prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the
same as if her head were shaved.
Here Paul is
narrowing his area of argument to “woman who prays or prophesies”. These words
permit women to pray and prophecy in the church. Prophecy during the time was
not always foretelling the future of individuals. Prophecy was revelations about
the value systems of the Kingdom of God. Doctrines of the church were based on
these prophetic revelations. So here Paul is permitting women to speak on
doctrinal issues through prophecy. Since prophecy was a gift and an act of the
Holy Spirit, none could stop women from speaking it. If Holy Spirit is giving a
prophecy to a woman to speak in the church or anywhere else, no one can
prohibit it.
Still, Paul says
that, even when a women prophecy or pray, she should observe the custom
prevalent in the area that are related to honoring the male authority.
But Paul does
not make it clear whether women should wear a veil while praying and
prophesying outside the church. It seems, women were free to follow the local
custom.
Shorn and shaved
1 Corinthians
11: 5, 6
5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with
her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her
head were shaved.
6 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.
There are more
than one interpretations to the words, “dishonors her head” in verse 5. Some
theologians opines that ‘head” is the husband of a married women. Only married
women need to wear a veil. And those who did not wear a veil dishonored her
husband.
The Greek word
for “head” in verse 5 is kephalē (kef-al-ay). This word denotes the biological head of a person. The word is
not about the husband of a woman. So it is clear that Paul was talking about
the veil that a woman wore or her head.
And also the Greek word for “uncovered” in verse 5 is akatakalyptos (ak-at-ak-al'-oop-tos) which
simply means, not covered. In verse 6 Paul is juxtaposing the “covered” and “shorn or shaved”. The Greek word for shorn
is keirō (ki'-ro) and “shaved” is xyraō (xoo-rah'-o).
They are two different words bearing different meanings. Shorn is cutting short
and shaved is complete removal.
So Paul argued that, if a woman did not want to
wear a head covering in the church, let her cut short or completely remove her
hair. In Corinth complete removal of hair was sign of temple prostitutes. So it
was a dishonor to women. So his alternative is to wear a head covering.
The
story of creation
Now Paul goes on to the story of creation to
validate his arguments about the male authority.
1 Corinthians 11: 7 – 9
7 For a
man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God;
but woman is the glory of man.
8 For man
is not from woman, but woman from man.
9 Nor was
man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
These words seems to argue for a male dominant
society. Here Paul seems to say that men are the image and glory of God and
women are not. Women bears only the glory of men. Or may be, women bears the
glory of God through men as a mediator. But these thoughts are not validated by
the creation story. Because both men and women were created in the image of
God, according to the likeness of Him.
Genesis 1: 26, 27
26 Then God
said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the
cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
The governance of authority in the creation story is actually subtle and complicate. The above verse simply states that humans, both male and female were created by God. In Genesis 2, the creation story is elaborated. It says that God created man first and then woman. They were created on the same day that is the sixth day. God completed all His creations by 6 days and He took rest on the 7th day.
Paul is referring to this order of creation in his argument for maintaining the male authority in the church.
When
Adam saw Eve for the first time he exclaimed:
Genesis 2:23 And Adam said:
"This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called
Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
Adam was proclaiming that Eve is not another person, but she is himself. She is his bone, flesh and blood. That means, though God created woman after man, she was not inferior to Adam. Adam himself declared the equal status of woman. If God would have created woman, from the dust of the earth, as He created Adam, she would have been a different personality. In one way, she is not a totally new creation, she is a part of Adam formed as a separate individual.
Still Eve was not a dependent person of Adam. She was an independent personality. She had the freedom to think, speak and act as she wished. She talked to the serpent, took a decision and acted according to it. She never sought the permission of Adam for it. It was not required.
But we should not miss the fact that it was Adam who gave names to all living and non-living things in this world. Whatever he called them, became their names. He called the woman Eve and it became her name. Naming a person or a creature is exercising authority over them. Adam had the final authority over everything in this world.
This is the subtlety and complexity of authority and governance among male female relationship. They are one and independent. They are equal and not equal in the exercise of authority.
This
is the creation story. The governance became different after they fell into
sin. God said to Eve:
Genesis 3: 16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."
But Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11, was not referring to the state after the fall, he was drawing the attention to the creation story. And the subtlety of the governance seen in the creation does not give a strong support to his argument.
Perhaps,
Paul wanted to validate only the male authority over women. He was arguing that
women should honor the male authority by wearing a symbol of subordination.
That is a head covering in the local custom.
1 Corinthians 11: 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
The meaning of this verse is not clear. We are not sure what Paul mean by saying “because of the angels”. The readers in the Corinth church might have been familiar with this idea about angels.
But definitely angels have no authority over humans. They can perform certain duties on earth, related to humans or others, as and when God authorizes them to do so. They are not humans and have no emotions like us. They neither marry nor beget children. So Paul’s words cannot be interpreted, attributing on angels, any human characteristics, behavior or emotions.
There is no proof in the Bible that women wore head covering when angels appeared to them. Angel appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus when she was in her house, most probably in her bedroom. Usually, women do not wear a head covering in their house, even in the culture that demand it in public appearance. There is no mention of a head covering in that passage.
Long hair and veil
1
Corinthians 11: 14, 15
14
Does not even nature itself teach you
that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
What does Paul mean by “nature”? Does he mean that short hair for men and long hair for women are biological characteristics? Did God created man and woman with short and long hair? This may not be his argument because there is no biological difference in the length of hair between man and woman. Man also can have long hair and women can shorten their hair. And the length of hair is different among women. So short hair for man and long hair for woman is not a law of creation.
By the word “nature” Paul might have been referring to the local custom of Corinth. The local custom has prescribed short hair for men and long hair for women.
Taking
Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians as a universal canon some churches
insist on long hair for women. But that is not a correct interpretation of
Paul’s argument. To understand the passage better, let us continue to study
verses 5, 6, 7 and 13.
In these verses, Apostle Paul uses three
different Greek words to say “uncovered” and “covered”.
1 Corinthians 11: 5, 6, 7, 13
5 But
every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head,
for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.
6 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.
7 For a
man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God;
but woman is the glory of man.
13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a
woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
In verse 5 Paul used the Greek word akatakalyptos
(ak-at-ak-al'-oop-tos) for “uncovered”. Paul
used this word two times in verse 5 and 13. We do not find this word anywhere
else in the New Testament.
The Greek word for “covered” is katakalyptō
(kat-ak-al-oop'-to).
We find this word only three times in the New Testament, twice in verse 6 and
once in 7. The word denotes submission to an authority. It has a spiritual
connotation.
1
Corinthians 11: 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her
hair is given to her for a covering.
In verse 15 Paul used another word for “covering”.
It is peribolaion (per-ib-ol'-ah-yon). This Greek word is
found only twice in the New Testament. The other verse is Hebrews 1: 12.
Hebrews 1: 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they
will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail."
Here “peribolaion” is used for cloak. So, it is right to assume
that, the Greek word used for “covering” in 1 Corinthians 11: 15 and for
“clock” in Hebrews has one and the same meaning. The word means, a clock or a long
garment that covers the whole body.
1 Corinthians 11: 15 says that long hair of a
woman is given to her for a covering. The Greek word for “for” is anti
(an-tee). So the verse is:
1
Corinthians 11: 15 But if a woman has
long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her anti a
covering.
The word “anti” means, opposite to, before, instead of, in place of (something). So
Paul was telling that a long hair of woman is like a long garment that covers
her. It is honorable for her. It is given to her by God instead of or in place
of a veil or head covering.
Paul argument is that, if a woman did not wear a
head covering or she has short hair, it is as equal to the social status of a woman
with shaven head. She looks like a temple prostitute. But long hair is given to
her by creation itself instead of a veil. Long hair identifies her as a woman.
That simply means that a woman with long hair need not wear a head covering.
Paul was concerned about maintaining the
spiritual authority of man above woman. They should not obliterate the sexual
difference.
Contention
is not the custom of Churches
1 Corinthians 11: 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such
custom, nor do the churches of God.
This does not mean that all God’s servants or
Churches universally should not involve in arguments with others. Paul was
speaking about a particular problem that the church at Corinth face. He has
pronounced a verdict on it. And now he is advising the church and the
Christians there to adhere with it without any contention. Because no church
anywhere can function challenging the local customs, as long as they do not
violate the values of the Kingdom of God.
So the matter is settled for ever. The women in
the Corinth church should obey the local custom of wearing a veil or long hair.
Because it is a sign of submission to the spiritual authority of men.
Last
words
Paul was actually concerned about the hierarchy
of spiritual authority. He was an Apostle who travelled through many places
where people observed different customs. He knew very well that local customs
demanded different way of dressing. Veil or head covering was a part of
dressing in certain places. It was honorable in some and dishonorable in other
places.
So respecting the hierarchy of the spiritual
authority of man in family and the church was a must for a model church.
Christians should not give a different message to the society contradicting the
local customs. If head covering is a sign of submission to the hierarchy, let
woman wear it.
But today, a head covering worn by a woman has no
such significance. It means nothing else than a tradition followed in some
churches. Most of the women today wear it as a fashion that shows off their
wealth.
A head covering, in the ancient and in the modern
time, has nothing to do with our salvation, justification, sanctification or
glorification.
Once Paul gave these advice to the Corinthians concerning
food offered to idols:
1
Corinthians 8: 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are
we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
The same principle may be applied to the question
of wearing a head covering. Head covering does not commend us to God. Women who
wear a head covering are not better. They are not worse if they do not wear.
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