One of the cultural matters of the New Testament that lingers on to be defined as spiritual imperative is the issue of 1 Corinthians 11..."But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for a covering..." As I discuss in depth in "Those Pesky Verses of Paul" it becomes clear that Paul is not giving a mandate for women to "be covered". One example of why this is true is that it states the hair is a covering...but if it were a covering why is it inferior? Women, just like men are subject to health issues that rob them of their hair. If God demanded such coverings and the Bible is true her hair "was given for a covering" why does it thin and fall out? If the Bible is true, and hair falls out and thins, it becomes clear that something else is meant by the section in 1 Cor. 11. It becomes clear when Paul sums up the whole discussion by indicating that they have no such mandatory veiling customs in any of the Christian fellowships. This verse 16 cannot be talking about being "contentious" because the entire book is written because the church at Corinth was exactly that. The section deals with an issue of women prophesying and praying with heads "uncovered" and whether this was appropriate or if they should continue the Jewish custom of wearing a headcovering in public. The emphasis is on the freedom in Christ and the mutual responsibility of Christians to other Christians.
[Image copyright mah/used with permission]
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