Why Should a Woman's Head Be Covered? Part 1 of 4

She is a woman created by God (cf. Ps. 139:14). She was born by His command and, someday,
she will die by His command (cf. Eccl. 3:2).  While she is walking on earth, because of the breath
He has given her, she is required to follow His ways (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21).  One day, when her breath
ceases,  as all of ours will, she shall be called before Him to give an account for the time He has
given her here (cf. Heb. 9:27). He expects her to be a good steward with all that He has entrusted
her with (cf. Matt. 25:14-30).

The reason she has her head covered should come entirely from her desire to follow God's
commands.  His Word, the Holy Bible, should direct all her steps (cf. Ps. 119:105).  Many people
today are confused about this issue.  They think that Christianity removes the believer from being
required to obey God's law.  The Apostle Paul tells us, however, that Christians are "under the law
to Christ" (cf. 1Cor. 9:21).  We are to follow God's rules, not to earn our salvation, but to show our
deep love to God in our Saviour Jesus.  Jesus told us that if we love Him, we would keep His
commandments (cf. John 14:15).   This very issue of our obligation of obedience to following
God's law in universal order, is found in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.

In 1 Cor. 11, Paul admonishes the women of Corinth to return to their rightful duty as women (cf.
vs. 9).  You see, at that time, there were false teachers, just as there are today (cf. 2 Pet. 2:1).
They were teaching,  that when a woman became a Christian, she was equal to a man in every
way.  "The laying aside the veil was therefore an expression on the part of the Christian women
that their being assumed as members of Christ's body raised them out of this position of
dependence and subordination." (Marcus Dods- 1890).   They too, like many people today,
thought that becoming a Christian removed them from being under obedience to God's laws of
order in creation.

"...To discard the veil was to renounce her claim to modesty, and to refuse to recognize her
subordination...If the veil were discarded as the symbol of subordination, it must also be discarded
as the symbol of modesty" (Charles Hodge - early 1800's).  "It was regarded everywhere as
dishonourable and improper for a woman to lay aside the appropriate symbol of her sex, and the
emblem of subordination, and to be uncovered in the presence of the man...if she laid aside the
appropriate emblem of her sex and of her subordinate condition, she might as well part with her
hair, which all knew would be dishonourable and improper, that the woman had been created for a
subordinate station, and should observe it". (Albert Barnes - mid 1800's).

The women, Paul was saying, might as well cut the "glory" that God had given her, put off her
modesty and look like a man, if she was to put off the symbol of her created station. "...And that
nature on this subject was a good instructor, and showed that it was uncomely for a woman to
pray with her head uncovered, that her hair had been given her for an ornament and for beauty,
and that, as it would be as improper for her to remove her veil as to cut off her hair, nature itself
required that this symbol of her subordination should not be laid aside in public" (Barnes).
"Cutting off the hair, which is the principle natural ornament of women, was either a sign of grief,
[cf. Deut. 21:12], or a disgraceful punishment.  She assumes the characteristic mark of a
disreputable woman". (Hodge).  You see, the woman's long hair and her covering are symbols of
her created station.

"In order to the harmony of society, there is a gradation of ranks; and social grievances result, not
from the existence of social distinctions, but from their abuse". (Dods).  "That principle is that
order and subordination pervade the whole universe, and it is essential to its being.  The head of
the man is Christ; the head of the woman is the man; the head of Christ is God.  If this
concatenation [order of things] be disturbed in any of its parts, ruin must be the result". (Hodge).
"The sense is, that Christ, throughout His entire work, regarded himself as occupying a
subordinate station to the Father; and that it was proper from His example to recognize the
propriety of rank and station everywhere". (Barnes).  Paul, thus sets out at the very beginning, by
noticing the arrangements that are divinely established, in order to correct the misconceptions of
the Corinthian women.

"Such being the order divinely established (vs. 3), both men and women should act in accordance
with it" (Hodge).  "And the head of the woman is the man.  The sense is, she is subordinate to
him; and in all circumstances - in her demeanor, her dress, her conversation, in public, and in the
family circle - should recognize her subordination to him". (Barnes).  In the woman's daily attire
then, not only in worship, she should wear that which is proper for her created station, otherwise
she..."shows a want [neglect] of proper respect to man - to her husband, to her father, to the sex
in general.  The veil is a token of modesty and subordination...it is the customary mark of her sex,
and that by which she evinces her modesty and sense of subordination.  To remove that, is to
remove the appropriate mark of such subordination, and is a public act by which she thus shows
dishonour to the man.  And as it is proper that the grades and ranks of life should be recognized in
a suitable manner, so it is improper that, even on pretence of religion, and of being engaged in the
service of God, these marks should be laid aside". (Barnes).  This is exactly what the women of
Corinth had done.

It is clear then, that women, when appearing in public, should be pleased to wear the symbol of
her beautiful created station.  Paul was indicating to the women of Corinth, that they should put
their covering back on.  Throughout history, up until the turn of the century, some form of covering
had been worn. It was an understood symbol and worn at all times in public.  This reasoning came
from the clear understanding of ordained universal stations.  Therefore, the covering should not
be viewed as required for worship services only.  The woman is to remain under authority and
reflect her proper station at all times.  If she puts off her covering (her symbol of subordination),
when leaving church, she would also be discarding her symbol of modesty.  "In like sort he [Paul]
concludeth, that women which show themselves in public and eccesiastical assemblies without
the sign and token of their subjection, that is to say, uncovered, shame themselves.  The
conclusion: Women must be covered, to show by this external sign, their subjection, a covering
which is a token of subjection". (The Geneve Bible, 1602 - notes).

Her place under her husband or father is a secure place ordained by God.  His subjection to God
and her subjection to him, follow God's created universal order.  The man was created first, and
the woman second. (cf. 1 Tim. 2:13).  The man was created as the authority, and the woman as
"an help meet [fitted] for him". (cf. Gen 2:18; 1 Pet 3:1).  This seems quite extraordinary, when
compared to what we are exposed to in our day.  Sadly, our world has strayed far from the
protection of our Creator.

Most Churches today do not understand the importance of this serious foundational issue.  History
itself easily explains the reason for this.  For centuries, a clear understanding  of certain
foundational issues prevailed.  Men in general and educators in particular knew the importance of
knowing the original languages of the Word of God.  In the early 1800's this need was seen as no
longer necessary and therefore removed from our educational systems when Harvard University
was taken over by the Unitarians. Modernistic thinking began to prevail.  This new thinking taught
that man no longer needed to be governed by God's ways, he was fully perfectable through
education. This replaced the tried and true ways of God.  As time passed, the many important
foundational truths, even within the churches, began to weaken and be lost.  In Jeremiah 6:16 we
are told to look back at the old ways, the good ways, and walk therein.  So, to regain God's truth in
our lives, we need to take a serious look at how we reason, and why we do the things we do.

Just because our culture or society puts off, or accepts certain practices, does not mean they are
pleasing to God our Father.  We therefore, are to "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).  The is
the main business of the true Christian,  "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of  Christ."  This is our duty as a Pilgrim-as a soldier, until our death.  The things of the
world, that before took our time, must now be seen as dung for the gaining of the sanctification of
our souls.  Our eyes must be opened to see the danger that we are in...we must look back or we
will continue on the wrong path to destruction.

As this terrible decline of truth occured in the nineteenth century, the woman's emancipation
movement began to increase.  This was not just the move to obtain woman's vote, it was an
outward thrust to set aside the authority structure ordained by God.  Woman wanted to be out
from under her "restraint".  "Rising to prophetic ardour Mrs. Bloomer [early 1800's emancipator]
urged her feminine readers to 'Do just as your impulses move you to do.  What you find a burthen
[burden] in belief or apparel, cast off...fit yourselves for a higher sphere and cease grovelling in
the dirt.  Let there be no stain of earth upon your soul or apparel.'...If we want to study the finer
shades which emancipation effected in the fashions of the last century - evidence of those
impulses which were never wholly stifled - we find them best, perhaps, in the headgear.  The urge
for freedom seems to appear at the top;  the mind striving to get rid of restraint persuades the
head to shake itself free". (Cothes - James Laver).  This move of rebellion, to be out from under
authority, is the same natural desire every woman without the restraint of God's working grace in
her life would have.  We can see through history then, that it only became "uncultural" for the
woman to be uncovered in public around the turn of the century from the risings of the
emancipation movement.  In fact, many of our grandmothers still wore hats by "tradition" in
church, but sadly the biblical heart issue has been lost with the passage of time. The result of this
will always be tradition without foundation.

End of Why Should A Woman's Head Be Covered Pt. 1 of 4

Sower's Seed Reprints
Rt. 3, Box 148 W.
Hempstead, Tx. 77445
E-Mail Address:
SowersSeed@aol.com