Hats and hair

Women, Hats, and Hair 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Must women wear a hat or veil when they worship? Is it a sin for a woman to cut her hair? What does this passage teach?

The Subject of this passage
NOT: Women wearing hats or scarfs to a worship assembly
Acts of worship are missing
Assembly is missing
Modern hat vs. the veil of that time
Why give a rule here if they are forbidden later? (Must be veiled when they pray. But in chapter 14, they are forbidden to pray in worship.)

The Subject of this passage
IS: About headship and how it is recognized and demonstrated in Corinth
GOD CHRIST MAN IS THE HEAD OF: CHRIST MAN WOMAN

Words to Study
HEAD - anything chief, prominent, of persons, master, lord – Thayer's Greek Lexicon
VEIL – Greek – katakalupto
Kata – preposition showing movement down, from higher to lower, hang down, down from
Kalupto – to cover, to veil oneself, to be covered
Veil – hanging down and covering the face

Words to Study
VEIL – Greek – katakalupto
Not specific as to color, cloth, composition
Must hang down and cover the face
Moses wore a veil (2 Corinthians 3:13-14)
Man was NOT to wear a covering on his head
A woman without a veil indicated masculinity
A man with a veil indicated femininity

What was the situation at Corinth?
Veil – customary sign of a woman in subjection
Judge in yourselves – v. 13
Is it proper (comely – KJV)? – v. 13
Does not nature teach you – v. 14
We (the church) have no such custom – v. 16
Same with other customs, cultures, times
Foot washing (John 13)
Holy Kiss (Romans 16:16)

What was the situation at Corinth?
A woman without a veil = not in subjection (not married or engaged)
A woman with shaved head = convicted of prostitution
The point was not that they should PUT ON a veil to pray or prophesy
The point was the should NOT REMOVE the veil

What about today, in USA?
Customs change with nations, times, cultures
Man with a wedding band = married
Years ago – red light district = prostitution
Years ago – men removed hat in buildings
Foot washing – travel methods changed
WHAT IF: In USA, a yellow shirt was the sign of a drug dealer? Red purse = prostitute?

Do these rules apply today?
YES if the conditions are met
Hangs down, covers the face
Has the same significance in society
Long hair – is a woman's glory v. 15
This is a covering
Given by God
In absence of a custom – a woman's hair is her covering.

Is the text dealing with custom?
YES – Custom has always had symbols of subjection
FACTS:
Woman has always been in subjection to man
Method of showing it has changed
Principle remains, when customs change

Is the text dealing with custom?
Humility is required – foot washing is not
Friendliness is required – holy kiss is not
Subjection is required – veil is not

SUMMARY
What I have admitted:
There are 2 coverings – veil and hair
In Corinth, the veil was a sign of subjection
What I have objected to:
Binding a custom from another society
Substitution or changing of the text
Reading into the text what is not there

SUMMARY
What I have not said:
That headship is a matter of custom
That roles are a matter of custom
Ruled out the possibility that 1 Corinthians 11 may be applicable today
It is wrong for a woman to wear a hat or veil to worship today

Principles taught:
Woman is subordinate to man
Man is subordinate to Christ
BOTH must show their subordination
Christians must fit into the society where they live – “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Principles taught:
Everyone must recognize his or her place in society and honor it
Sex identity: The distinction between the sexes must be kept clear in dress, hair, behavior, jewelry, hair styles, etc.

Hats and hair

by Manly Luscombe on Aug 13, 2011

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Hats and hair — Presentation Transcript