What does the Bible say about Christian Women Covering their Head In Church while praying, and prophesying? Let’s study God’s word on this.
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.
1 Corinthians 11:5-6 KJV
Verses like these above, if not studied properly, may make you think Paul’s writing here was asking every woman to cover their literal head in church with a head scarf. In fact, in the above verses of the scripture, scalf wasn’t even mentioned, but when people read those verses with the lenses of assumption without making, doing, or getting proper bible interpretations, they begin to think that it’s referring to Head and Scalf or pieces of cloth used to cover a female head or hair.
Now you should understand that when Paul spoke about women in the above verses, he wasn’t referring to single ladies.
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children
Titus 2:3-4 KJV
Paul was only referring to women who were married with husbands, asking them to cover their heads; the head they will be covering here isn’t their literal 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.
1 Corinthians 11:5-6 KJV
The key to understanding what head the women should cover here is to study or examine the previous verses that came before this. Let’s examine the previous verses now.
Because verse 3 of the same chapter reveals the head, every woman should cover.
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11:3 KJV
Now, notice what Verse 3 is saying.
Verse 3 tells us that the Head of every woman (married woman) is the Man.
The Man or the husband is the Head of every woman called the wife.
So when Paul writes, asking every woman to cover her head, the head they are to cover is their husband.
The word “COVER” used here is from the Greek word, “katakaluptō”, and it means to cover wholly, to veil completely.
So what was happening in this very church that Paul began to write this to correct them was that a wife would have a problem with her husband at home.
Maybe the husband did something wrong and was at fault. The man’s wife comes to church with a revenge mentality to retaliate and show her husband.
So Paul saw how these women used any opportunity or role given to them by the church to publicly disgrace their husbands in church.
When called upon to prophesy, their prophesies were fleshy; it wasn’t holy spirit inspired.
Imagine them giving a prophecy such as, “MY HUSBAND, MY HUSBAND, YOU HAVE PURSUED AND CHASED TOO MUCH WOMEN ENOUGH, AND YOU HAVE EVEN BROUGHT THEM TO YOUR MATRIMONIAL HOME, IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO REPENT AND AMEND YOUR WAYS SAYS THE LORD.”
THE LORD DIDN’T INSPIRE THEM TO SAY THIS, But because of how pained they were over their husbands’ flaws or shortcomings, they now began to expose his flaws publicly so that he would be shamed publicly.
So, to COVER YOUR HEAD here, according to Paul, will mean Not exposing your husband’s weakness or flaws publicly for everyone to see and know.
So if you raise a prayer point that tries to reveal your husband’s flaws to the whole world or Prophesy in a bid to reveal your husband’s flaws to the whole world, then that’s what PAUL MEANT WHEN HE SAID, IF ANY WOMAN PRAYS OR PROPHESIES HAVING HER HEAD UNCOVERED, SHE DISHONOUR’S HER HEAD.
The Man is the Head of the woman. Head means the man is An authority in the home.
And bible asked us to respect those holding places of Authority. So when you make a move as a woman to expose your Husband sin’s to the whole world, Instead of covering it. Then you should know you dishonor your head; you dishonor your husband.
Even if you feel your husband has certain attitudes or flaws that need changing, there is a right way to go about it. Going to reveal his flaws publicly is not the right move. That’s what PAUL was trying to say here.
And Paul was not writing to the church to tell the women to start doing the practice of tying head scalf during church worship.
So, the practice of women tying head scalf in church during church services is a practice born out of ignorance. The ignorance of not understanding what Paul was actually trying to say in context unless you understand this, and covering your head literally in church for you means it is a form of fashion or culture thing and NOT thinking it’s a form of worship to God.
Written by Pastor Kingsley Jonah
You can reach out to him for questions, counseling, and more via Facebook and WhatsApp +2348107032283
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