The issue of whether women should have their heads covered, and men should have their heads uncovered when praying and prophesying, has become one of the most controversial issues in the Christian Church in the last two hundred years. The reason that so many get it wrong and miss the simple point of this passage, is because they do not approach this passage of Scripture with the mind set of making their lives fit the Bible, but rather to make the Bible fit their lives. The first mistake that is made is in assuming that Paul wrote this passage, and the second mistake is in assuming that the warnings in Scripture not to change even one word of God’s Holy and sacred book the Bible do not apply to 1 Corinthians eleven. The Lord Jesus Christ {Being God} spoke these words in Matthew 5:18.                                                                                                                                For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew 5:18.                                                     In Luke 16:17 we read.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. Luke 16:17                                                                                                                                    Now I know that there are those out there who are already taking the stand that I am wrong, because 1 Corinthians is not part of the law, but I would argue that the entirety of God’s Holy and perfect word is God’s law. In 1Corinthians 14:37, God says,                                                                                                                                                                    If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 1Corinthians 14:37.                        Paul in fact did not write this passage or indeed any other passage of Scripture. God wrote all Scripture, Paul merely held the instrument that was used for the writing and the Holy Spirit, {Being God} wrote the Bible using Paul as the means to do so. Paul did not write to the Corinthians, God did. If God meant for the message of 1 Corinthians eleven to cease, don’t you think He would have said so. I challenge anyone to prove from the Holy Scriptures that this is the case. Let us study this passage of Scripture with a heart that is willing to obey God’s commands.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!                      Deuteronomy 5:29.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Psalm 119:33-34.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His {God's} who sent Me. If anyone wants to do His {God's} will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. John 7:16-17.                                                                                                                                                                             When dealing with any Biblical issue the first question a true believer should ask is; what does God say that I should do? The second question a believer should ask is, am I willing to obey God’s Holy Word the Bible without question and without hesitation? A believer’s mindset should always be to make his or her life fit God’s Holy Word the Bible, and not try to make God’s Holy Word the Bible fit his or her life. The key to understanding this, or any passage of Scripture is quite simple, it is to be found in one single word. :OBEDIENCE: So as we study this passage of Scripture let us keep the word obedience firmly in our minds. This passage of Scripture in 1Corinthians 11:1-16 which we are going to study leaves in no doubt that a man should have his head uncovered when he prays or prophesies, and a woman should have her head covered when she prays or prophesies. 

In this teaching we are going to look at 1Corinthians chapter 11:1-16. In the world we live in today this passage of Scripture has become one of the most controversial passages of Scripture among, Born-again Christians, or Bible believing Christians. Now you might wonder why I have placed the statement Born-again Christians or Bible believing Christians in bold and underlined it. Well, the answer is simple, because I want to emphasize this statement and the reason I want to emphasize this statement is also simple. There are many Churches in the world today who claim to be Christians, but many of these Churches are not Christians in the biblical sense at all. For example, the Mormon Church are not Born-again Bible believing Christians, they believe in the teachings of Joseph Smith, and believe in the book of Mormon written by Joseph Smith. The Jehovah's Witnesses are not Born-again Bible believing Christians, they do not believe in, or accept in its entirety God’s Holy Word the Bible. For example, they do not believe in the Trinity, they do not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is God in human form, they do not believe that man has a soul, and so on, and so on, there is in fact a huge amount of Scripture that they do not accept. Then by that standard they just cannot be Born-again Christians or Bible believing Christians. The Roman Catholic Church are not Born-again Bible believing Christians either, they totally disregard and disobey huge portions of Scripture just like the Jehovah’s Witnesses do. There are many more Church’s also that claim to be Born-again Christians or Bible believing Christians but who are absolutely not, but these three are enough to make the point clear that disobedience of God’s word comes at an eternal price. Remember Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of Eden and lost their Eternal lives because of one tiny little act of disobedience, they ate a piece of fruit. But it was not eating the fruit that caused them to be banished from the garden of Eden and lose their Eternal lives, it was the act of disobedience that condemned them. I have heard many say that I do not believe that this or that, or such a small thing will affect my salvation, God would not keep me out of Heaven for such a small little thing. Adam and Eve did not believe that they would be banished from Paradise for their teeny, tiny little act of disobedience either, I mean it was only a piece of fruit. Surely this could not possibly affect their standing with God. I wonder how many times they thought about that in the nine hundred and thirty years that they lived in their physical state, after being banished from the garden of Eden and losing their Eternal state. Please keep these thoughts in mind as we study this passage of Scripture. Let us pray for strength and courage, and the humility to obey Scripture, not for excuses to disobey it. {IN GOD WE TRUST} 

There is a way that seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 16:25.

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18.

And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy for your God. Numbers 15:39-40.

We today have God’s Holy Word the Bible so that we can obey it, not disregard it, and disobey it.

1Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

In verse one we are being encouraged to imitate Paul in the same way that Paul imitated the Lord Jesus Christ, in the way he lived his life for Christ. That which Paul believed in his heart he lived outwardly for everyone to plainly see. Paul was what he believed in his heart, we as believers today are being encouraged to do the same.                                    1Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.                                                                      The question here is this, what did Paul mean by the statement, keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. Logic would dictate that Paul was not talking about cultural traditions as he was of the same place, culture, and traditions as the people he was speaking to and teaching. The answer can only be the Spiritual and scriptural or doctrinal traditions which Paul received from the Lord Jesus Christ at his conversion on the road to Damascus, and his time in Aribia Acts 9:1-19. Galatians 1:11-19.                                        1Corinthians 11:3. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.                                                                   In verse three Paul points out the natural order of things as defined by God. God has authority over Christ, and Christ has authority over man, and man has authority over woman. It is in no way demeaning for Christ to be under God’s authority or for a man to be under Christ’s authority or for a woman to be under man’s authority. This is just a simple matter of obedience to God. You either obey God or you defy God it is that simple.                                                                                                                                                        1Corinthians 11:4. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonours his head.                                                                                                                   Verse four makes it very clear that if a man prays or prophesies with his head covered then he dishonours his head. Meaning if he prays or prophesies with his head covered, he is defying God’s command not to have his head covered.                                                                                                                                                                                    1Corinthians 11:5-6. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.                                                                                               Verses five and six make it equally clear that a woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head, verse six makes it very clear why a woman’s head should be covered. Because a woman’s hair is her glory and the only glory that should be seen when a man or a woman prays or prophesies is the glory of God. Then if a woman’s head is not covered she is displaying her glory alongside the glory of God and defying God’s command to have her head covered.                                            1Corinthians 11:7-10. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.                                                              For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  In verses seven through ten we again see that the will of God or the command of God is that a man should not have his head covered when he is praying or prophesying, the reason given is because man was made in the image and glory of God. When praying or prophesying with his head uncovered a man is publicly proclaiming that he is under God’s authority, and has surrendered his will in obedience to God’s will. Likewise, when a woman is praying or prophesying, she is to have her head covered. The reason given is because just as man was made in the image and glory of God, woman was made in the image of man. When a woman covers her head when praying or prophesying, she is publicly proclaiming that she is under man's authority and under God’s authority and has surrendered her will in obedience to God’s will.                                                                      1Corinthians 11:12. Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.                                                                                                                                                                                                               Then verses eleven and twelve teach us that a man is responsible for to obey God’s commandments for men, and a woman is responsible for to obey God’s commandments for women. This is not now, nor has it ever been an issue of equality, or any kind of cultural tradition or the lack thereof. This is simply an issue of obedience to God’s will. So, ask yourself this question, are you willing to obey God’s commandments and will for your life.                                                                                                                                                1Corinthians 11:13. Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered.                                                                                                      Paul is telling the Corinthian believers that according to God’s commands concerning the order of the Church that they must judge whether it is acceptable or not for a woman to pray with her head uncovered.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1Corinthians 11:14. Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonour to him?                                                                                                                What verse fourteen is teaching us is that a man with long hair goes against the natural order of things. There have been times in history when men have had long hair, but people in general have looked on them with disdain because it just was not normal for men to have long hair. So, you could quite rightly say that their long hair was a dishonour to them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1Corinthians 11:15. But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.                                                                                                               What verse fifteen is teaching us is that when a woman has long hair it is a glory to her and the only glory that should be seen when praying or prophesying is the glory of God. I don’t think anyone can deny that a woman’s hair can be a very beautiful thing, women admire the hair of other women, and men also admire women’s hair, it can be a very eye-catching thing and therefore can and does distract the attention from God by both men and women. When a woman is praying or prophesying the only one who should receive glory is God, not the woman. That is why a woman’s hair or glory should be covered in full surrender to the will and command of God. I truly struggle to understand why such a simple thing seems to be so difficult for people, it is not as if a man keeping his head uncovered or a woman keeping her head covered is going to hurt them or belittle them or make them look bad in anyway, so why is this simple little thing so hard for them to do. I suggest that it is simply because of the sinfulness of their heart.                                          1Corinthians 11:16. But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.                                                                                                        Then in verse sixteen Paul makes it very clear that if anybody disagrees with this command of God. Neither Paul himself nor those who are with him nor any of the Churches of God have any other practice or custom. That when praying or prophesying a man shall have his head uncovered and a woman shall have her head covered in obedience and surrender to the command and will of God. There is a teaching that abounds in many churches today, which states, that head coverings were a cultural thing and only applied to the time and day when God through Paul wrote the book of 1Corinthian’s. This however is a complete lie, this is only thought by those who seek to win popularity, and a place of high standing in the circles where they preach and teach. I would challenge anyone to find any verse or passage of Scripture which teaches or even vaguely implies that this command will cease to apply, or will not have to be obeyed at some time in the future. In fact, you will find it very difficult if not impossible to find any historical document that addresses this particular subject. But even if you did find such a document, when did it become acceptable to use the opinions of mere men or women or secular historical traditions or secular historical documents, or secular books to validate or to invalidate Scripture. Any genuine scholar, be they Christian or non-Christian, will verify that Scripture does not require any outside source to interpret it, either traditional or historical. The Bible is the only book in the entire world that has stood the test of time, it has never been proven to be incorrect, not even in one single word. Why then do some people feel the need, or the desire to disobey or to nullify this tiny little portion of God’s Word. Why do some people find it so hard to obey such a very small command of God. The answer can only be, because of the sinfulness of their hearts. Is it possible I wonder that when a person publicly declares that they believe head coverings do not apply today, that pride stops them from admitting that they are wrong. I would like to ask everyone who believes head coverings do not apply today to do one thing. Search the Scriptures on this matter and if you cannot find any doctrine that states or at the very least indicates that the wearing of head coverings will or has ceased. Then please swallow your pride and admit that you were wrong and let the lady’s cover their heads and the men keep their heads uncovered when praying or prophesying. Remember obey the word of God and not the opinions of men. I would like to encourage all who may read or hear this teaching, that if there is even the smallest possibility that you may be wrong, and you are actually disobeying a direct command of God, then please stop doing so. For God will not hold them guiltless who disobey His Word. May this teaching bless all who read or hear it.