Women, Hats, and Hair

1. 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? Women, Hats, and Hair

2. 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.)

3. The Subject of this passage • IS: About headship and how it is recognized and demonstrated in Corinth

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.”

15. 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.