Quote Originally Posted by alanmolstad View Post
1 Corinthians 11:2
"I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I p***ed them on to you."

This verse lets us know that what we are dealing with is a "tradition" of their culture.
This means that you cant hold this section to be point-by-point still as relevant as it was, (given that this is a different age with different traditions ) but general principles that are behind the tradition should still be worth our study.


1 Corinthians 11:15
"For long hair is given to her as a covering."

So now we know from this verse what this "covering" is that we have been looking at.
Its "long hair" for the girls, and thereby shorter hair for the guys.

This point is confirmed at -
1 Corinthians 11:14
"Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,"

Thus we now understand that the coverings we are dealing with are clearly "long hair" for girls and short hair for the boys.
and that means that when a girl is said to have her head "uncovered" it means to have short hair.
And is also means that when the text says that a man has his head "covered" it is actually just talking about the man having hair that is too long according to the "tradition" held at the time.

Now we look at this next question that Paul asks us to think about -
1 Corinthians 11:13
"Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?"

The context tells us that the answer is clearly "no" to Paul's question.
So this with the verses we have already quoted tells us that for girls the "head uncovered" is the same as "short hair"

And this therefore also means that "head covered" in boys means "long hair'

Now lets move to the next part.


1 Corinthians 11:6
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

So now we have a good understanding of the context of "covering" and we understand what that is talking about...


1 Corinthians 11:5
"But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head"

But who is this "head" that is being "dishonored" ???, because we are reading about it as if the "head" were a person that could be both honored or dishonored????

That answer is seen at -
1 Corinthians 11:3
"and the head of the woman is man"




So that now forms for us the context of what Paul is teaching, in that the "hair of the women is a direct connection to the man that is over her in authority....
Look at her hair, and see the man...Just as you look at the man's hair and see Christ.

But this is not the ending, for Paul still has to get to his point, and that is that when a girl is seen with long hair or short hair it is a direct refection of the 'man" in authority over her, be it her husband or before she married her father.
I like all that I have said on this issue here...
I believe its very true and worth saying....