Christian and head covering

THE ISSUE OF A HEAD COVERING DURING WORSHIP

Some reasons why some sisters cover their heads and others do not are as follows:

01. Differences in their knowledge of God
02. Differences in consecration
03. Differences in holiness

04. Differences in cultures
05. Differences in settings
06. Differences in environment

07. Differences in climate
08. Differences in weather
09. Differences in ethics

10. Differences in obedience
11. Differences in being under authority
12. Differences in making oneself easy to be led, etc.

The apostle Paul makes it clear that the headscarf on a woman's head during worship is a sign that a woman is under authority. Some say a woman's covering is her long hair.

No. Her long hair is her glory, while the headscarf is a sign that she's under authority before the hosts of heaven, before the hosts of darkness and before men.

So, her headscarf denotes authority while her long hair denotes glory.

The issue of ladies covering their heads during worship is ably explained by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.

He says, "I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you"(Verse 2). Wearing headscarves in prophetic, worship and prayer meetings is a necessary and indispensable Christian tradition. It may not follow weather, climate, education or rationalisation.

"But I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God"(Verse 3). So wearing a headscarf for the lady and wearing none for the man is to recognise and fall in line with this order.

"Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her hea — it is the same as having her head shaved"(Verses 4&5). It's a matter of honour or dishonour.

"For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man"(Verses 6&7). It's a matter of grace or disgrace before men, the hosts of darkness and the angels.

"For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man"(Verses 8&9). It's s matter of divine order and hierarchy.

"It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels"(Verse 10). The headscarf is a sign of the woman's authority. That sign gives her respect before the angels of God. That sign wards off the angels of Satan from her. That sign tells all men that she's under authority.

"Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God"(Verses 11&12). The man without the covering, the woman with the covering is a sign that they're not independent from God. When you're desperately dependent on somebody, you obey him absolutely.

"Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering"(Verses 13-15). Even nature commands it. Our modern world denatures everything and naturalises unnatural things. In our present generation, we're experiencing a denaturing of most natural things.

Your son, John, can wish you goodbye in the morning as he goes to school, only to come back in the evening and shock you by saying, "Mum and Dad, I'm no longer John. I'm no longer a boy. I'm now a girl and, from now onwards, call me Jane!" They call them transgender LGBT rights.

The apostle Paul was writing on headscarves and coverings in the midst of arguments, oppositions and contentions. Many people and brethren didn't accept his teaching. That's why he concluded his treatise, saying, "If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God"(Verse 16).

We Christians are a sub culture within a wider culture. In other words, we're strangers in this world. So let's be IN the world as we are, but not be OF it. Let the world imitate us, and not us imitating the world. We're the light of the world and the salt of the earth, for God's sake.

Finally, judge no one on the issue of headscarves. Don't despise anyone because they don't wear them. Neither should you uphold and spiritualise anyone because they wear headscarves. Let the Scriptures judge. Let God judge them. Commit yourself to everyone's conscience. The apostle finalises it by saying, "Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the Word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God"(2 Corinthians 4:2).

 

MYN, 23:06, 19-11-18, A6, LL