This document discusses head coverings for women based on 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. It examines the biblical text through exegesis rather than eisegesis. Some key points made include: the hierarchy outlined in verse 3 of God, Christ, man, woman; the dishonor/costs incurred if this hierarchy is not followed properly in verse 4-5; and the meaning of "glory" in verse 7 referring to God's glory versus human glory. The document evaluates different views on head coverings and concludes that long hair, not hats or other headwear, serves as a woman's covering as discussed in verse 15. Ellen White's views are referenced, noting women in her day typically wore bonnets or ve

1. Head Covering
1 Cor. 11:1-16.1 Cor. 11:1-16.
[Worship Ministries].
[Thulasizwe Khumalo].

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Introduction
Please read 1Cor. 6:12,20
compare it with 1 Cor. 7:1,8,25,;
1Cor. 8:1; 11:3.
What do you notice in these
verses?
How does Paul move from one
topic to another?
NIV: “NOW…”NOW…” see also KJV

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The Problem:
Discover everybody’s problem in
1Cor. 8:1-2.
– Is this what Peter talks about in 2Pet.
3:16?
As for 1Cor. 11:1-16, what is
everybody’s problem
– We read tradition into this text.
– Express our views and not the Bible’s
as far as this text.

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Attention Areas.
Dr. Peter H.L. Wee lists “reasons”
against and for head covering, here
are a few:
– Ancient custom: “The passage applied
only to the Corinthian women of Paul's day.”
– Nature of head covering: “The head
covering was a veil, completely hiding the
face as well as the head, even the whole
body.” It IS NOT A HAT or any such
equivalence.

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Attention Areas.
– Individual conviction: “This is a
personal matter between the sisters of
the assembly and the Lord.”
– Paul's apparent contradictory
statements: “It seems superfluous and
Paul's statements appear
contradictory.”
– The question of female subjugation or
subjection: “This takes two forms:

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Attention Areas.
• (b) The apparent implication of male
superiority and domination, and women's
subjugation to men, all men, is abhorrent
and appalling to many women, and rightly
so, and in the Church of God this notion
is to be shunned.”
• (a) The passage must refer to married
women only, as only married sisters are
to be subject to their husbands.
Unmarried sisters, therefore, need not
wear head coverings.

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Attention Areas.
Even those who do it, do it for a wrong
reason:
– Uncovering the head is breaking god’s
commands.
– This is a church order.
– It is married women’s wifely subjection to
their husbands, etc.
– I did not prepare/wash/comb my hair.

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Exegesis NOTNOT Eisegesis
Admonition: 1Cor. 11:1.
• Gr. mimeµtai, “imitators.” Our word “mimics” comes
from this Greek word. “Mimic me“Mimic me AS IAS I mimic Christ”mimic Christ”
– Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association) 1978.
• Although they were somewhat slow in following the
self-denying and conciliatory behavior of the apostle,
the Corinthians were, nevertheless, generally carefulthe Corinthians were, nevertheless, generally careful
to observeto observe the rules of Christian conductthe rules of Christian conduct that theythat they
had been taughthad been taught. [NOT TRADITIONS].
– Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association) 1978.

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Exegesis NOTNOT Eisegesis
Commendation: Verse 2
– What are Corinthians commended for?
• Remembering him in EVERYTHING.
• Holding to the teachings “passed” on to them.
• Ordinances. Gr. paradoseis, “rules,” “principles,”
“instructions,” elsewhere translated “traditions” (Gal.
1:14), or, in the singular, “tradition” (Matt. 15:2; etc.).
The word means literally, “things handed over.”“things handed over.” NotNot
Traditions as RSV puts it.Traditions as RSV puts it.
– Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association) 1978.

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Exegesis NOTNOT Eisegesis.
New Teaching/Ordinance: Verse 3.
– He did not preach the gospel to them
and then leave them to formulate their
own rules of church order and social life.
• Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day
Adventist Bible Commentary,
(Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association) 1978.
– To understand this new principle, look
at the following hierarchical order:

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Verse 3 Continued
GOD
CHRIST
MAN/MALE
WOMAN/FEMALE
GOD
HUMANKIND
ANGELS
OTHER CREATURES
ANIMALS & PLANTS
Psalm 8:5 RSV; NIV (note “r”)

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Hierachy Explained.
Man. Gr. aneµr, “man” as distinguished fromman” as distinguished from
“woman”.“woman”. Three degrees of submission are here
introduced. [1]The man is to acknowledge Christ as
his Lord and Master; [2]the woman, while
recognizing the supremacy of Christ as Lord over
all, is required to acknowledge that in domestic life
she is placed under the guidance and protection of
man; [3]Christ, although equal with the Father (see
Additional Note on John 1), is represented as
recognizing God as head.
– Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association) 1978.
Note that marital status is not introduced here!

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Costs: Verse 4
DISHONOR (Refuse to Accept) {verb}:
– When a man prays with his head covered:
• Christ is DISHONORED (Man refuses to accept Christ as
Lord to him)!
– Pathfinder boys taught to uncover when praying – TO
HONOUR CHRIST!
Remember the admonition (verse 1)
– Follow my example AS I follow Christ’s!
– This has more to do with who CHRIST is to thatto that
individualindividual than what the church or culture/tradition
teaches.
– 1T304 “We may deny Christ in our life by indulging
love of ease or love of self, by jesting and joking, and
by seeking the honor of the world. We may deny Him
in our outward appearance by conformity to the
world, by a proud look or costly apparel.

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The Cost Cont. Verse 5
Women dishonoring men:
– Women are equal to men (WIM)
• For this to be true, the CHURCH must be equal to
CHRIST.CHRIST.
• Christ DID NOT claim equality with God, though equal!
• Women cut their hair = NOT A WOMAN!Women cut their hair = NOT A WOMAN!
– “It is possible that the Corinthian women argued
that in their discharge of spiritual functions such
as prayer and prophesying they should appear
uncovered as did the men (1 Cor. 11:4). Some
may have also reasoned that the liberty of the
gospel (see Gal. 3:28) set aside the obligation to
observe various marks of distinction between
the sexes. Paul exposed the falsity of theirPaul exposed the falsity of their
reasoning.reasoning.” SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY

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The Cost Cont. Verse 5.
– The meaning seems to be, “she might as
well be shorn.” In other words, if aif a
woman wanted to act like a man, shewoman wanted to act like a man, she
ought, in order to be consistent, to cutought, in order to be consistent, to cut
her hair after the fashion of menher hair after the fashion of men.
• The Seventh-day Adventist BibleThe Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary.Commentary.
– Length of the hair not in questionLength of the hair not in question
here!here!

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The Cost Cont. Verse 5.
Men dishonoring themselves & theirMen dishonoring themselves & their
head:head:
– Men wearing LONG HAIR STYLES.Men wearing LONG HAIR STYLES.
– Men wearing dreadlocks like women!Men wearing dreadlocks like women!
Please find other ways by which menPlease find other ways by which men
dishonor christ their head.dishonor christ their head.

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Her Head (Verse 5 Continued).
No marital status discussed so far!
– Any inferred marital status =
eisegesis.
– Had and has nothing to do with
“inferiority” status!
Fashion now dictates short hair for
women.
– Results – catastrophic! (No wonder
most women now have lost hair).
Amos 8:10.

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Verse 6.
Does not imply – OK 2 serve b4
god if shaved!
Does not say: if your hair is long,
then do not cover it!
– Does not say anything about culture
– Says nothing about race either!
Does not comment about hairstyle:
– Braiding not here – 1 tim. 2:9
– No plaiting of hair here – 1 pet. 3:3

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“GLORY” verse 7
What does “Glory” here imply?
– Again we depend on the work by Dr.
Peter H.L. Wee, here, to gether with
our lexicons.
– Let us visit http://
www.web.singnet.com.sg/~syeec/headco
of God.
– Here special meanings of this term:

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“Glory” continued
Doxa means "brightness,
splendour, radiance, magnificence,
fame, renown and honour", but
"glory" is the word best used for it.
It occurs in 1 Cor 2:7, 8; 6:20;
10:31; 11:7,1511:7,15; 15:40,41,43.
The second word translated
"glory" actually means "self-glory"
or "boastfulness".

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“Glory” Continued
The word is kauchaomai meaning
"I glory" or "I boast". It occurs in 1
Cor 1:29, 31; 3:21; 4:7; 5:6; 9:15,16.
“… image & GloryGlory of God;” “… the
gloryglory of man”; “…her glory”. V15
 Please find meaning to this.
Clue is in verses 8&9, see also
Mark 2:27.

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The Purpose
Identity Crisis:
– Women want to be like men, therefore
• They blame it on tradition.
– Men sold out their God-given position,
accept any feminist theories.
“For THISTHIS reason…”, which one?
– “Glory” reason as explained above.
– Since even the lower ranked creatures,
do it, so should our women.

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Evaluation.
Judge for yourself:
– Come to a logical conclusion.
– If this is worth consideration.
Is your hair-style more important?
– Would you rather risk dishonouring God than
covering your head?
– Did anything discussed so far make any sense?
What is important, your appearance or the
presence? (Same applies for men).

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Conclusion.
Long hair = her covering.
– Who has covered, God or woman?
– This is discussed in the previous verse (does not
nature…).
– Glory is not equated with covering.
Long hair distinguishes her as a WOMAN /
FEMALE.
– All along paul has not been building to the thought
of no need of covering.
– Refer to verse 6 on the slides.
Remember: she is NOT represented in the
presence, BUT is IN THE PRESENCE.

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The Famous Reasons
How about Ellen White?
– Should not imitate the world! 1T188b.
– “I was shown that the people of God should not
imitate the fashions of the world. Some have done
this, and are fast losing the peculiar, holy character
which should distinguish them as God's people. I was
pointed back to God's ancient people, and was led to
compare their apparel with the mode of dress in these
last days. What a difference! what a change! Then the
women were not so bold as now. When they went in
public, they covered their faces with a veil. In these
last days, fashions are shameful and immodest. They
are noticed in prophecy. 1T.188.003

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The Famous Reasons
Should be a marked difference…
1T189
– “The small bonnets, exposing the face
and head, show a lack of modesty.
The hoops are a shame. The
inhabitants of earth are growing more
and more corrupt, and the line of
distinction between them and the
Israel of God must be more plain, or
the curse which falls upon world-lings
will fall on God's professed people.”

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The Famous Reasons.
– Also a type of the hats[bonnets]
(available at that time) 1T189m.
– EG White questioned about this:
1T275a.
• “I have frequently received letters of
inquiry in regard to dress, and some
have not rightly understood what I have
written.”

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The Famous Reasons
– In disreguard for the Sabbath: 1T275b.
• “All who have any regard for the Sabbath should
be cleanly in person, neat and orderly in dress; for
they are to appear before the jealous God, who is
offended at uncleanliness and disorder, and who
marks every token of disrespect.”
– Your dress should tell FOR GOD 1T132m.;
133b-134t.
• “Many dress like the world, to have an influence.
But here they make a sad and fatal mistake...I saw
that the words, the dress, and actions should tell
for God.”

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E.G. White Experience.
At her convesion 1T20-21.
– “The same day a sister and myself were taken into the
church. I felt happy, till I looked at the sister by my side,
and saw gold rings on her fingers, and large gold ear-
rings in her ears. Her bonnet was filled with artificial
flowers, and was trimmed with costly ribbon, which
was filled with bows upon her bonnet. My heart felt
sad. I expected every moment that a reproof would come
from the minister; but none came. He took us both into the
church…”
It was her custorm. 1T94-95; 251; LS153.
– “… The first car bell was ringing, as I put on my bonnetas I put on my bonnet. I
looked out of the window,…”
At her time, they didn’t debate whether or not
but kinds. 1T145a.
– “…a dress, a bonnet, an apron, takes their attention;
they must talk with this one, …”

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EG. White experience.
Never prayed without: 2SG189.
– “…I did not as usual, when traveling in
the night, lay off my bonnet,…”
We need to close this subject once
& for all: RH 1888-03, p11.
– “…Are they glorying in the cross of
Christ? No; they are talking of this
fashion, that bonnet, that dress,…”
She DID NOTDID NOT disregard 1Cor. 11:1-
16. WHY DO OUR GENERATION??