By Michael Bunker
editor@lazarusunbound.com
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Headcoverings, or The Veil, Part 2

A Sermon,

Preached on the Second Day

In

SANTA ANNA

March 12, 2008

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. (1Co 11:4-10)

We have shown in the previous part that it was the almost universal practice of women of every culture represented in Corinth when this epistle was written, to cover their heads in some manner. And we have made a point of showing that Paul's intent was NOT that women would cover themselves during prayer or worship – as if it were acceptable (or even a common practice) for them to go uncovered at other times. Neither the context, nor a thorough review of the history, society, and culture allows that interpretation (though I have heard it many, many times from modernist preachers). Rather, Paul was making the point that a woman ought not to uncover herself during prayer and public worship, as was being done by some who had adopted that practice from the pagans. This point, I believe, is where the greatest misunderstandings and deceptions occur in relation to this verse. Please make note of that, and pray about it in your own study of the issue. Out of ignorance of the context, the writing style, and the prevailing culture, many have come to the conclusion that Paul was making a sociological argument – or a cultural one, even though in his introduction to this chapter, Paul places this discourse in the arena of absolute ordinances that he expects the people to obey and keep. Further, he raises the bar even further by making the argument that a woman ought to have “power” (or the veil, or covering) on her head “because of the angels”. We will discuss more about what this statement means particularly in the proper place, but we need to note that Paul nowhere appeals to the culture or to the practice of the surrounding peoples. Had he done so, the liberals (on this issue) would still fail in proving their point, since it is evident by a thorough study of the time, that the Greek women, the Roman women, and the Hebrew women all (with very few exceptions) wore headcoverings, and, as we showed in the first part, this convention was practiced by all Biblical cultures even into our very day. It has been abandoned quite recently, and we did discuss how this abandonment came about. Instead, however, Paul based his argument on universal truths, such as spiritual order, authority, and on nature – all things that are not changed, altered, abolished, or affected by time, place, practice, or culture. It would be quite a ridiculous argument for the liberal to state that at one point angels (either good or bad) might be affected by the woman being uncovered, but that now “Angel-culture” has developed to the point that a woman being uncovered no longer has the same affect. In any case, as we have said, Paul does not rest his argument on such silly and changeable ground. He builds his argument on a much more permanent foundation – that a woman ought to be veiled: