I have been all over the headcovering issue since the early 2000's. It's been a long, hard journey, because let's face it: the head covering teaching is only in ONE place in the Bible, and that's 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. That's it. It's not corroborated in any other book in the Bible.
I've had years of not head covering, and of head covering. When covering, what with, and how much of the head or hair is to be covered? These are not stipulated anywhere in the Scriptures, either. Elsewhere in the New Testament, it talks about women keeping modest hair styles - not expensive ones, etc. If women's hair styles are discussed in two places in the New Testament, but head covering is discussed only once in the New Testament, and not at all in the Old Testament, then perhaps the head covering section isn't a command, and is something we need to consider may have been only geographical, and for a certain time and culture.
Clearly, the original recipients of this letter to the church in Corinth knew what the head coverings looked like, and how much they were to cover. We don't have that practice in our modern culture. In Corinth, the pagan women would normally wear veils in public to show that they were married, much as now both men and women wear wedding rings to show that we are married.
In the pagan temple, the married women would remove their head covering, and dishevel their hair during the pagan worship. Meanwhile, men normally didn't head cover, but when praying or prophesying in the pagan temple, they'd put a shawl over their heads.
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is generally saying that we shouldn't hold Christian church the way the pagans hold their temple rituals. Christians are to be set apart from the world.
Now some would argue that the wife is to cover her head, because her husband is her head, as per:
"But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman {wife} is man {husband}, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved." 1 Corinthians 3:5 NIV 2011
So, a woman should cover her physical head, because her husband is her spiritual head, right? What does 'spiritual head' mean? Contrary to what the patriarchalists would have us to believe, the ancient Koine Greek at that time did not use the word "head" (Greek - kephale) to mean 'authority.' It meant "source," or "origin of."
You may be thinking okay, so how does that change anything with what the above verses say? It doesn't, really. The above verses are stating that since woman came from man (man is the source/origin/start of woman) then the woman is to cover her head. The difference is that head is not 'authority,' it is 'source.'
As we have seen over and over again, the Bible defines itself. It often reiterates the same thing in synonymous words, to help ensure that we get the lesson. We have that same principle here in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. If we read further, it again says why the woman is to cover her head:
"For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels." Verses 8-10 NIV 2011
1) The woman is to cover her head because woman came from man. Man is the head - which means source. Eve came from Adam's side.
2) The woman's covering her head gives her authority over her own head. This is likely referring to the woman praying and prophesying in church:
"But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved." - Verse 5 NIV 2011
To prophesy means to tell words from God to others. We see prophecy and teaching being used interchangeably in several places in the New Testament, such as:
"not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come." -2 Thessalonians 2:2 NIV 2011
According to the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition:
"But [on the other hand], the one who prophesies [who interprets the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching] speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation." -1 Corinthians 14:3 AMPC
1 Corinthians 11:5 teaches that women can prophesy, which includes teaching the Word of God. The false teacher Jezebel, spoken of in the book of Revelation, was called a false prophet, who taught the church false teachings. She was reprimanded not for teaching the church, but for misleading the church by teaching wrong things.
In 1 Corinthians 11:10, the headcovering symbolizes the woman having authority over her own head, so that she too can teach/prophesy, and pray in church. The second part of that verse says "because of the angels." This also ties in with the woman's authority over her own head. This is referring to a bit earlier in 1 Corinthians, where Paul wrote regarding authority and angels:
"Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" -1 Corinthians 6:3 NIV 2011
Women have authority on their own heads so that they can pray and prophesy in church, and also because they, along with men, will judge angels.
So far, it looks like the woman is to cover her head, but look at the very next verse, which begins with the word 'nevertheless:'
"Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman." Verse 11 NIV 2011
And then the next verse refers back to the source - head of verse three, but in synonymous language, to make sure the reader understands:
"For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God." Verse 12 NIV 2011
Ancient Greek held "source" as very important. A prevalent Greek teaching was that man was made from God, and the earth was a utopia, where men somehow had male children, and there were no women. Then, the gods became angry, and to punish men, Pandora was created - the first woman. She brought nothing but trouble, anguish, and problems.
Some ancient Greeks believed and taught that women weren't made by God like men were, but that women were crafted together from animal bones and other parts. Women were viewed as just above slaves in that society. The highest form of "love" was considered that of homosexual love between two males. This is partially why 1 Corinthians 7 instructs both the husband and the wife to not withhold from one another sexually.
In our 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 passage, Paul is focusing so much on head - source, because he is driving home the point that women are not a blain on the earth, who were made from animal bones and are to torment men.
We see the first/original sources in verse 3. Let's review that:
"But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." Verse 3 NIV 2011
Notice the order. This is the order of first appearance on earth.
First, God through Christ created man - Adam.
Second, woman (Eve) was made from the side of man (Adam)
Third, God begat Jesus Christ in a human body, to become the Saviour.
Notice that after our 'nevertheless' verse, sources are revisited:
"For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God." Verse 12 NIV 2011
Yes, woman originally came from man, as Eve from Adam's side, but every single man after that came from women, via childbirth. And both men and women come from God, as both are in His image, as per Genesis 1:27.
This is telling us that while Adam was the source of Eve, men aren't the source of women since after that. God is the source of both men and women. So we thus come to the very next verse:
"Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?" Verse 13 NIV 2011
We can decide for ourselves. If a woman is lead to head cover, then she should. Otherwise, since her ultimate head/origin is God, she can claim that, and not cover.
A woman can also claim a head covering given to her by nature, as per the next two verses:
"Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering." Verses 14-15 NIV 2011
Two things to point out in the Greek for the above verse 15:
1) The Greek word underlying the above "as" is "anti," which literally means "in the place of." This means the woman's long hair is given to her naturally, in the place of a head covering.
2) The Greek word underlying "covering" in the above verse is different than the word for "covering" in all the verses preceding it. In the preceding verses, covering is the Greek 'katakaloopto,' which means "veil." The word 'covering' in verse 15 is the Greek word 'peribolaion,' which literally means a cloth or clothing covering, such as a shawl or robe.
Verse 15 is saying that nature provides women long hair, and that long hair can be used in the place of (anti) the cloth head covering (peribolaion) women were putting on their heads.
This section on head covering ends with:
"If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God." Verse 16 NIV 2011
The NRSV is more accurate to the Greek in this verse. It says:
"But if anyone is disposed to be contentious—we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God." Verse 16 NRSV
The church has no custom regarding head covering. As per verse 13, we are to judge for ourselves to cover or not. Meanwhile, as per verse 15, long hair is given in the place of the cloth covering. Verse 12 teaches us that God is the actual source/head of both man and woman. Therefore, her authority upon her own head, as per verse 10 is up to her. She already has the same authority as man to pray, prophesy/teach, and to judge angels in the future. She may be covered symbolically, via following the Word of God and being separate from the world, or she may don a cloth veil if she would like to, or simply wear her hair long.
