Woman and Prayer

[Jabez]

Me and my wife and children where reading the bible and i was reading in 1 corinthians 11 verses 1-16 i beleive it was.Its about prayer.When a woaman prays must there head be covered?

[Jabez]

can anyone help with this?

[Royo]

I can add only a little.
First, I believe Paul is refering to public prayer only here.
Paul seems to say that she must have her head covered, but also says her long hair is a covering to her.
More important, he also says, "But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God." (verse 16).

This is one I never really sought understanding about, though probably should have.
One thought though. There have been many great men and women of God in history, and I feel that if a woman really needed to cover her head, He would have revealed this to his servants.
Yours in Christ. Roy.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Jabez,

I just finished reading this portion of Scripture. One could also understand this to address respect of that time, respect of that place, and respect of that culture. This might tend to explain verse 16, as it refers to customs.

The covering of a woman's head is still a matter of custom and respect in many Eastern societies. In fact, violation of these customs is still a death sentence in some places. I'm not aware of any Western society where the uncovering of a woman's head is considered to be disrespect.

In our Western society, it is a custom for a man to show respect and remove his hat while prayer is being offered. If my wife and I were in a society where different customs were dictated regarding prayer and respect to Almighty God, we would obey those customs. I would not wish to give anyone the idea that my wife and I were disrespecting Almighty God by their customs.

I hope this helps. If anyone understands this passage of Scripture in a different manner, please jump in.

In Christ,
Tom

[Whitehorse]

Since hair length is mentioned, and many believe this is the covereing being referred to, others feel this is just an example illustrating why a covering is necessary. While it is true that the example about the length of a man's hair versus a woman's hair refers back to creation, most people feel today that the covering is therefore a reference to hair. But I do know of churches where women are required to wear hats, and I know of another woman who drapes a scarf over her head when she prays. I'd have to look into it more before I give my own understanding on it. This is a great question.

[Symphony]

A small sect or group known as The Brethren or The Plymouth Brethren, which have sometimes what they call "bible chapels" in the U.S., practice this custom.  Some kind of covering for the ladies--many wear fashionable hats, some wear just a doily, or piece of folded lace clipped to their hair.  

It's kind of nice, actually, IMO.   But then, I'm always checking out the ladies(hehe).  

One of thier key evanglization verses, at the Brethren, is Romans 10:9-10.

   

 

 

[IrishAngel]

I did a indepth study on this passage of scripture years ago, searching the customs and history of that time period, what the greek definitions are, how it apply`s to us today, and this commentary is the closest to what I learned  as I could find online, (link to complete article below) well worth your time to read, very interesting!

Veiling was a custom in much of the Roman Empire and Paul frequently upheld customs, even when they weren’t laws, just as he does here. In Acts 16:3, Paul saw to it that Timothy was circumcised, not because it was law, but because Paul was culturally sensitive to those he was witnessing to. This is one of the reasons Paul wrote to the Corinthians about veiling. Veiling isn’t a law or a requirement, but Paul admonished the Corinthians to continue in the practice, or else they could have been identified with paganism and become a stumbling block to believers and unbelievers alike. In cultures today that still practice veiling, it is only appropriate for Christians in those societies to continue in their custom.  In cultures that do not veil, no requirement is placed upon them by this passage.

I Corinthians 11 is a complex chapter in the Bible, but it provides great insights into Christian conduct, and it can be understood. Once a person recognizes the core issue that Paul is writing about, it becomes apparent that hair is the least of Paul’s concerns. For that matter, veiling itself is somewhat secondary.

In the early Gentile church, as it is in many cultures today, veiling was a symbol representing submission to authority. By women removing their veils, they (at the very least) were mimicking the rebellious pagan women of their day that removed their veils to show their disdain for male headship.  It is likely that some of the Corinthian women weren't just mimicking a fad, though, but were actually showing their own disdain for male headship. In doing so, they were revealing a rebellion in their hearts toward their husbands and toward God, and rebellion is the very sin that caused one-third of the angels to fall.  While the veil was merely a symbolic custom, the rebellion in the heart that led to rejecting its use was quite real.  Paul's actual concern here is not about hair, or even veils for that matter, but about spiritual authority and the necessity of recognizing it in the Christian life.

http://www.actseighteen.com/Articles/corinthians11.htm

[Royo]

Thank you IrishAngel.
I found what you said very informative.
Bless you in Christ.  Roy.

[Jabez]

Thank you all for the input.I really appreciate it.