You probably don't need to cover your head based on 1 Corinthians

Christ is Lord said:

That is true. However, did you read the article and or listen to the podcast?

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Haven't had time for this particular article. But I've heard things like this before. My problem with them is that if we say passages like this arise out of human understanding, we exclude them from being Gods words.

Aside from the genitalia aspect, and whether or not it is true, there is little doubt that there were (other) cultural aspects regarding women who covered or uncovered their hair.

And/but this is really a significant part of the point: Paul was culturally sensitive, right down to the form of his writing - (to the mixed Jewish-Greek congegration at Corinth, he used both peculiarly Jewish writing styles and structures, while presenting his arguments in the finest tradition of Pericles).

The question is whether we TODAY are to be sensitive to cultural views in various parts of the world. There are huge parts and ethnic groups who still consider it appropriate for women to cover their hair/head - not only in church and in prayer, but generally in public. It is not so long ago that this was the case in North America - indeed there are still groups that maintain this tradition. When we visit Christian brothers and sisters in these cultural setting, should we have the arogant attitude that OUR cultural understanding is superior to theirs, or should we be sensitive to local norms in humility and sensitivity - along the lines of Paul himself, seeking "to be all things to all, for the sake of Christ?"

Sometimes our insistence that OUR views are the RIGHT and TRUE ones is a stumbling block to people seeking a Saviour, and/or a way to express publicly their submission to One who is Lord.

I thought it was because the prostitutes of that day uncovered their heads, so holy women should have their hair covered?

Christ is Lord said:

Absolutely correct. I don’t think head covering is wrong nor do I think it’s wrong not to cover. It’s a matter of conscience

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The context shows it is about Christ being the head of man and man being the head of the woman which were problems Paul had to deal with in the early church and are still prevalent in certain settings today.

Christ is Lord said:

For those of you who don't agree with this theory; I have a question for you in particular the ladies. Do you cover your hair when in church? And if not how you do reconcile what Paul is saying?

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It is not about the hair specifically, it is about women trying to take authority over the man.

Different times. Some women did in that Church and again in that time. I like lol what brother Ricky said "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar".

So no one has to... some do to that I say praise GOD! Its between them and Him.. their God their Father.

Christ is Lord said:

I believe as Christians we've all came across the topic of head covering especially in light of
1 Corinthians 11:13-15. However, I want to bring to light another interpretation of those verses based on scholarship. This is mainly based on a podcast episode by Dr. Michael Heiser here (Naked Bible 86: The Head Covering of 1 Corinthians 11:13-15).

If you don't have time to listen I'll summarize so that we can have a discussion. When Paul implied that it is improper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered it's because Paul had a common view at the time that the hair on a female's head was part of her genitalia. This view is based on the medical understanding of his day. It would be improper for woman to display her genitalia (this case hair) when praying to God in the same way a lot of us don't pray to God when naked.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you. I look forward to your responses

EDIT: I've posted two of the articles that speak to that claim (it being genitalia)

Paul’s argument from nature for the veil in 1 Corinthians 11.13-15: A ball instead of a Head Covering

This reference can be very "academic" so I'll post a summary of the main ideas in a next post.

Note: The reasoning for this view is because of the medical knowledge of the time and can be seen in various medical texts from example, Aristotle, Euripedes and
Hippocrates.

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Meh. Wear one if you want to, don’t if you don’t. If your church requires it, follow their rules. If it doesn’t, you be you.

Christ is Lord said:

I believe as Christians we've all came across the topic of head covering especially in light of
1 Corinthians 11:13-15. However, I want to bring to light another interpretation of those verses based on scholarship. This is mainly based on a podcast episode by Dr. Michael Heiser here (Naked Bible 86: The Head Covering of 1 Corinthians 11:13-15).

If you don't have time to listen I'll summarize so that we can have a discussion. When Paul implied that it is improper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered it's because Paul had a common view at the time that the hair on a female's head was part of her genitalia. This view is based on the medical understanding of his day. It would be improper for woman to display her genitalia (this case hair) when praying to God in the same way a lot of us don't pray to God when naked.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you. I look forward to your responses

EDIT: I've posted two of the articles that speak to that claim (it being genitalia)

Paul’s argument from nature for the veil in 1 Corinthians 11.13-15: A ball instead of a Head Covering

This reference can be very "academic" so I'll post a summary of the main ideas in a next post.

Note: The reasoning for this view is because of the medical knowledge of the time and can be seen in various medical texts from example, Aristotle, Euripedes and
Hippocrates.

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I find these connections to be incredibly obnoxious, naive, and more a reflection of our culture than any one the biblical authors lived in. That is, a culture of relativism rather than one which regards the Word of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit (not the subjective religious mind of individuals) and which exegetes rather than eisegetes the Word.

You suppose the context is your "genitalia" inference, and other such "historical/cultural" contexts are presumed in other places of Paul's writing. Tragically for these views, Paul always gives what his context is for writing such commands. So what is Paul's context for Paul's writing, which precedes and follows the command?

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God...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." (1 Corinthians 11:3, 7)

No mention of genitalia, the Corinth culture, the Corinth church, etc. The same error is made as to why Paul frobid women from teaching and usurping authority over men in 1 Timothy 2:11-14. "It was the culture/church/historical context" and other such nonsense. What does Paul say about Paul's context? "For the women in the church are disruptive"? No. "For the Ephesians don't like this behaviour"? No.

"For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor." (1 Timothy 2:13-14)

It it because of the roles of men and women and upholding those roles. Not culture.

A lot of Orthodox Christian women wear head coverings. I have also an article that talks about the passage mentioned before:
Fr. John Whiteford. Uncovering the Truth: Head Coverings and Revisionist Biblical Interpretation

I cover when I pray and will for services at the synagogue. But probably not at church.

LaBèlla said:

I cover when I pray and will for services at the synagogue. But probably not at church.

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Why if I might ask?

Christ is Lord said:

Paul said that men shouldn't cover their heads and if a man has long hair it's a disgrace to him. See 1 Corinthians 11:14 & verse 7

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The Greek usage of that passage implies long in a feminine way. Many pagans at the time acted very effiminately with jewelry in their hair and that kind of thing. Paul himself grew his hair out when he took a vow later in the epistles.

David Cabrera said:

Why if I might ask?

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Are you asking why I do it or why not in church?