What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 11:6? If a woman does not cover her head - Paul is addressing public worship (1 Corinthians 11:4–5) where visible symbols matter. - The head covering signals willing submission to God’s created order—“the head of the woman is man” (1 Corinthians 11:3; cf. Genesis 2:18, 21–23). - By removing the covering, a woman would set aside that God-given distinction, just as ignoring modest apparel would in 1 Timothy 2:9–10. - Paul’s logic appeals to propriety before both heaven (angels observe, 1 Corinthians 11:10) and earth (believers watching). she should have her hair cut off - Paul uses a forceful comparison to show how serious the symbol is. - In that culture long hair was naturally feminine (1 Corinthians 11:15), so cutting it short equated with rejecting femininity. - The same shock value appears in Deuteronomy 22:5, where crossing gender boundaries is called “an abomination.” - Paul’s point: neglecting the covering is as jarring as chopping off what marks womanhood. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off - Everyone in Corinth knew the disgrace attached to a shaved female head—often linked to adultery or slavery (cf. Isaiah 3:24). - Because that shame was self-evident, Paul reasons from common sense: if you recoil at the latter, you should equally recoil at worship without a covering. - This logic follows the pattern “how much more” that Jesus used (Luke 11:13), tying an agreed-upon shame to a spiritual one. she should cover her head - The command returns: keep the covering in place during prayer and prophecy (1 Corinthians 11:5). - It protects the testimony of the church, honors male headship (Ephesians 5:23), and mirrors Christ’s own submission to the Father (1 Corinthians 11:3). - Modern settings may differ culturally, yet the underlying principle—public, visible respect for God’s order—remains timeless, just as modesty does across eras (1 Peter 3:3–4). - Application today focuses on clear, outward expressions that reinforce rather than blur God-designed distinctions. summary Paul links the outward sign of a head covering with the enduring truth of created roles. Refusing the sign is as egregious, he argues, as a woman mutilating her natural hair—an act that everyone would call shameful. Therefore, to honor God, respect His design, and guard the church’s witness, women in worship should maintain the appropriate symbol of submission, whatever culturally faithful form that takes. |
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