To Cover or Not to Cover ?

[justfaith]

should women or men cover their heads while praying or prophesying?

[Guest shiloh357]

should women or men cover their heads while praying or prophesying?

That is a decision that is between them and God.

[Wildstar]

It's more of a cultural thing in the time of the apostles.  It isn't relevant for us today

[gdemoss]

Carnal things are used to teach spiritual truths it seems to me. Nothing more nothing less.

[justfaith]

We know what the scriptures say.  It is a shame for a man to have his head covered (long hair) when he prays, and it is equally wrong for a woman not to have her head covered (long hair) when she prays.  You either believe and follow the scriptures or you don't.  I don't accept the cultural argument, because if that were the case, then what we read in the Bible isn't the inerrant Word of God.  It is not eternal truth.  It is just a bunch of people writing advise to the church that existed at the time.  I go by what it says, so I believe it is a shame for me to pray or prophesy with my head covered, and that it is wrong for a woman to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered.  I take it at face value. 

So when a man comes before the Lord through the presence of the angels (angels are ministering spirits) they do not expect his head to be covered since he was created in the image and for the glory God. But when a woman comes in the presence of God, she is expected to cover her hair because its her hair that was given her for the glory of man, but now she is before God and reverence and respect is due. Verse thirteen infers it's not decent for a woman to pray with her hair uncovered. She will bring dishonor to her husband which is her leader. (Verse five). 

[Guest shiloh357]

 

We know what the scriptures say.  It is a shame for a man to have his head covered (long hair) when he prays, and it is equally wrong for a woman not to have her head covered (long hair) when she prays.  You either believe and follow the scriptures or you don't.  I don't accept the cultural argument, because if that were the case, then what we read in the Bible isn't the inerrant Word of God.  It is not eternal truth.  It is just a bunch of people writing advise to the church that existed at the time.  I go by what it says, so I believe it is a shame for me to pray or prophesy with my head covered, and that it is wrong for a woman to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered.  I take it at face value. 

So when a man comes before the Lord through the presence of the angels (angels are ministering spirits) they do not expect his head to be covered since he was created in the image and for the glory God. But when a woman comes in the presence of God, she is expected to cover her hair because its her hair that was given her for the glory of man, but now she is before God and reverence and respect is due. Verse thirteen infers it's not decent for a woman to pray with her hair uncovered. She will bring dishonor to her husband which is her leader. (Verse five). 

 

One of the problems in biblical exegesis that we face today is that we fail to understand that in Paul's epistles, some of what we see written on a practical level was written to the particular audience to which it was addressed and is not necessarily applicable for all people for all time.

 

There may be spiritual lessons we can glean from what we read, but we need to be able to separate what was written a advice meant to meet the needs of a given congregation and the time truths it conveys for all people.

 

Corinth was a city plagued by immorality.  It was the most immoral city in the known world in Paul's day.  One aspect of that culture that was very prevalent was male prostitution.  Corinth was a port city and for that reason, male prostitution prospered.  Sex-starved sailors made Corinth's male and female prostitution lucrative industries. 

 

Male prostitutes would wear their hair long and effeminate in order to attract clients.  They would hang out at the piers when sailors would disembark.    So when Paul is talking about long hair being a shame.  That is what the Corinthians would have naturally thought of.  The Corinthians were believers who were saved out of that sex-drenched, immoral culture.  

 

Paul was instructing the men to keep their short.  Obviously, there needed to be a separation of the believers from the prevailing culture and so men were instructed by Paul to cut their hair.  This would also keep them from tempting one another to fall back into the sin of that culture. 

 

As for the women, it was common for the women who were priestesses for the famous oracles of Delphi not far from Corinth and other aspects of the pagan culture, who were coming to faith, to shave their heads and Paul is instructing them to keep their heads covered, likely until their hair can grow back.

 

We tend to forget or in some cases, ignore the fact that these are real letters written to real people in history.  These letters contain personal instructions aimed at specific audience and we need to be able to separate the eternal truths from the vehicle used to communicate them.

[other one]

 

One of the problems in biblical exegesis that we face today is that we fail to understand that in Paul's epistles, some of what we see written on a practical level was written to the particular audience to which it was addressed and is not necessarily applicable for all people for all time.

 

There may be spiritual lessons we can glean from what we read, but we need to be able to separate what was written a advice meant to meet the needs of a given congregation and the time truths it conveys for all people.

 

Corinth was a city plagued by immorality.  It was the most immoral city in the known world in Paul's day.  One aspect of that culture that was very prevalent was male prostitution.  Corinth was a port city and for that reason, male prostitution prospered.  Sex-starved sailors made Corinth's male and female prostitution lucrative industries. 

 

Male prostitutes would wear their hair long and effeminate in order to attract clients.  They would hang out at the piers when sailors would disembark.    So when Paul is talking about long hair being a shame.  That is what the Corinthians would have naturally thought of.  The Corinthians were believers who were saved out of that sex-drenched, immoral culture.  

 

Paul was instructing the men to keep their short.  Obviously, there needed to be a separation of the believers from the prevailing culture and so men were instructed by Paul to cut their hair.  This would also keep them from tempting one another to fall back into the sin of that culture. 

 

As for the women, it was common for the women who were priestesses for the famous oracles of Delphi not far from Corinth and other aspects of the pagan culture, who were coming to faith, to shave their heads and Paul is instructing them to keep their heads covered, likely until their hair can grow back.

 

We tend to forget or in some cases, ignore the fact that these are real letters written to real people in history.  These letters contain personal instructions aimed at specific audience and we need to be able to separate the eternal truths from the vehicle used to communicate them.

 

I never really put that all together before Shiloh...    Thank you.  It's interesting how one can have tidbits of things floating around and never really find the need to make a picture out of them...

[justfaith]

The hair is her covering.  It is not saying she needs to put something over her hair.  It is saying she should have long hair, and the man should have short hair.  Go back and read the passage closely and that is what it says. 

 

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?  But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her:  for her hair is given her for a covering.  1 Corinthians 11:14,15

 

It doesn't say a veil is given her for a covering.  It says her hair is given her for a covering.  I have never understood how people miss this and debate whether or not a woman needs to wear a veil.  That is not the question.  The question is whether or not women should have long hair.  According to this passage, they should, and men should have short hair. 

If ‘covering’ = ‘hair,’ then all men should shave their heads or go bald because the men are to have their heads uncovered. (2) If ‘covering’ = ‘long hair,’

“if a woman will not wear long hair, then she should cut off her hair.” 

To see ‘hair’ = ‘head covering’    

To see it syboilic 

Edited September 30, 2014 by justfaith

[GoldenEagle]

We know what the scriptures say.  It is a shame for a man to have his head covered (long hair) when he prays, and it is equally wrong for a woman not to have her head covered (long hair) when she prays.  You either believe and follow the scriptures or you don't.  I don't accept the cultural argument, because if that were the case, then what we read in the Bible isn't the inerrant Word of God.  It is not eternal truth.  It is just a bunch of people writing advise to the church that existed at the time.  I go by what it says, so I believe it is a shame for me to pray or prophesy with my head covered, and that it is wrong for a woman to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered.  I take it at face value. 

Please clarify where does the Bible say long hair you mentioned in parenthesis?

God bless,

GE

 

[Butch5]

should women or men cover their heads while praying or prophesying?

The woman should cover her head and the man's head should be uncovered.