Topic(s): Women, Worship

Bob Prichard

Paul wrote to the Christians of Galatia, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). There is no doubt that wherever Paul preached, he emphasized the true equality of men and women in Christ. This apparently brought about a problem in the church in Corinth, which Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. He said, “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 . . . Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?” (1 Corinthians 11:5-6, 13).

There is no doubt that Paul was teaching the women of the church in Corinth that they were to be veiled, as was the custom of their culture. The wearing of the veil showed that the woman was in submission to the man. He advised them, “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. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head” (1 Corinthians 11:3-4). Paul speaks of the order established by the Father, that Christ is in subjection to God the Father, man is in subjection to Christ, and the woman is in subjection to the man. “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God” (1 Corinthians 11:11-12). The man and woman are dependent on each other, each being necessary.

It seems that the particular problem at Corinth was that certain Christian women were taking their equality in Christ to the point that they were refusing to honor or follow the local custom of women wearing a veil. History tells us that this behavior, of not wearing a veil, would imply to the people of Corinth, that these Christian women were prostitutes. Thus Paul was concerned that in refusing to follow the accepted custom, they would offend many and bring reproach on the church. They would also be showing the people of Corinth that they were not in submission to the authority of their husbands.

Paul’s teaching here concerned a local custom which Paul was not establishing, but was nonetheless endorsing. While wearing a veil indicated submission in Corinthian culture, it does not in our day. The wearing of a hat or veil by Christian women today is not wrong, but is not necessary, because it does not show submission. It is meaningless in relation to submission today. It falls in the same category as Romans 16:16, which says “Salute one another with an holy kiss.” The “holy kiss,” wearing a veil, or washing the feet of a guest, were all simply customs of the day, not designed to be bound on Christians today.