UBF Daily Bread

SPIRITUAL ORDER IN WORSHIP

Passage: 1_Corinthians 11:2~16

Key verse: 3

On Covering the Head in Worship

²I praise you^(A) for remembering me in everything^(B) and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.^(C) ³But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,^(D) and the head of the woman is man,^[a]^(E) and the head of Christ is God.^(F) ⁴Every man who prays or prophesies^(G) with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies^(H) with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved.^(I) ⁶For 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.

⁷A man ought not to cover his head,^[b] since he is the image^(J) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;^(K) ⁹neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.^(L) ¹⁰It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own^[c] head, because of the angels. ¹¹Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.^(M)

¹³Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.^(N)

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 11:3 Or of the wife is her husband
1 Corinthians 11:7 Or ⁴Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” ⁶If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. ⁷A man ought not to have long hair
1 Corinthians 11:10 Or have a sign of authority on her

1. Holding to the traditions (2,3)

Paul gives a brief word of encouragement to the Corinthian church in that they had remembered him and for holding to the traditions he had taught them. Then Paul goes on to the business of correcting the Christians there. First, he wanted them to remember proper spiritual order. God is the head of all things. Everything and everyone submits to him. Christ is the head of the church and every man and woman submits to Christ. Man is the spiritual head of the family, and the wife submits to his authority.

2. On head coverings in the church (4-16)

In those times and in that culture, men had short hair and kept it uncovered in the church. Women wore their hair long and kept it covered. This was done out of reverence to God and for spiritual order. For either to do otherwise was considered shameful. When God's people come before him, we must do so remembering spiritual order. We should honor God in our worship, remembering that all things come from him.

Prayer: Thank you that Christ is our head. Help us to submit to proper spiritual order, especially in our worship.

One Word: The head of all is Christ.