WE EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURAL PERSPECTIVE PRESENTING BOTH INTERPRETATIONS – ALSO WATCH PRESENTATIONS (1 to 4). Also, if you do not want to go through the reasoning that is written, you can go to the bottom of the document and read what’s after the heading in RED. Read Apologist’s response to statements/questions made on a woman’s covering. 

The traditional position (pre, during, and post New Testament -= NT) is that women should have a physical covering on their head and it is based on the following text (this is TTGM’s position).
(1Cor 11:5 [KJV])
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

Also, if you say it was the culture of the time, you are incorrect; read how Paul starts the chapter. The entire chapter is dealing with the order of the body that is in Christ. Christ is the head of the man, and man is the head of the woman (again, this is TTGM’s position).
(1Cor 11:3 [KJV])
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

* Covering (veiling) predated the NT period by hundreds of years, so to say it was the culture of the time is incorrect. For example, at the time of Isaac’s Rebeka, she wore a veil to cover her head. For it is written.
(Gen 24:65 [KJV])
For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.

Ask yourself, why would Rebeka cover her head after seeing her head (Isaac)? Watch presentation 2 and it should provide you with the answer.

The NEW position with women removing their covering got its big push in the late 1960s, early 70s, and the following text is used to support their position.(1Cor 11:15 [KJV])
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

TTGM will now compare the two positions in light of the scripture.

Why is it a physical covering?
The following text tells us that a man should not have a “physical” covering on his head when he goes before God. Why? God (Yeshua) is the head of the man. On the other hand, a woman must have her head physically covered when she goes before God. Why? Her head is the man, not God. Also, if you look at the Greek word it is in reference to a veil (not hair as some erroneously teach) – again, see what is written at the bottom of this page after heading in RED.

Why it is not hair?
Note, Paul said every woman. He was not specific to short or long-haired women; he used the word “every” and every means all. Were these women in the text shaven (bald – see text below after heading in RED for shaven)? No, they were women with hair; you only need to look at the last part of verse 5 and verse 6. Pointing it out: Paul said, “for that is even all one as if she were shaven”. In other words, if her head is not covered it would be just like having a bald head (shaven). In verse 6 it is even clearer, Paul is saying if a woman (with hair) is not covered, go let her be shorn (made bald). Also in verse 6, let her be shorn could only mean that she started with hair on her head already.
(1Cor 11:4-6 [KJV])
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered (veiled – see bottom of document), dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered (unveiled – see bottom of document) dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn (indicating she already has hair on her head): but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

If you still hold to the covering being the hair on a woman in the context of verses 4 – 6, to be consistent it would mean that men can only go before God with a bald head. Look at the verse now using your interpretation (hair is the only covering a woman needs).
(1Cor 11:4-6 [KJV])
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head (So if a man has hair he dishonoureth God, so he/man has to be bald to go before God). 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head (so if a woman also has a bald head before God she dishonoureth her head, so she must have hair to be approved): for that is even all one as if she were shaven (this part of the sentence makes no sense because this verse assumes the women have hair; so they are covered without a veil). 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

Should you want to push the stupidity of this doctrine further you must deal with what is long and or short hair, you need to find it in the word what length is approved to be called long. Should you leave it up to man people from different races will indicate different lengths etc etc etc.

To help the people that support no covering for women, answer these questions.
Are the men that go before God shaven or do they have hair?
1 Corinthians 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

Ans:
A. The men are bald
B. The men have hair

Are the women that are uncovered have shaven hair? Again, consider the last part of verse 5 as well as verse 6.
1 Corinthians  11:5-6 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn (meaning? Paul is speaking to women with hair): but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

Ans:
A. The women are bald
B. The women have hair

——-  —- ——

Why is it a physical covering?

Notice the question Paul asked here. Again, the text is clear, this is a physical covering. There is no reference to hair as a covering, Paul is speaking about a physical covering and the question is, is it seen?

Why it is not hair?
Paul was not specific as to if it was bald, short or long-haired women. His question dealt entirely with a woman with an uncovered head. If Paul meant hair his text would read, “is it comely that a woman pray unto God shaven/bald/short hair (not uncovered).
(1Cor 11:13 [KJV])
Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered (unveiled)?

Uncovered in the Greek means unveiled – see meaning below after heading in RED

To help the people that support no covering for women, answer these questions.

If the hair is the covering is Paul saying that these women are shaven (bald)?
1 Corinthians 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? (with no hair)

Ans:
A. Yes these women are bald
B. No these women are not bald, they have hair

——-  —- ——

Again, why it is a physical covering?

Let us now look at the following text. Here you see Paul makes an observation by nature to support why women should have a physical covering by looking at the hair in both men and women (remember his question above in 1Cor 11:13). In other words, if nature teaches us long hair is a covering for a woman should she not too physically cover (a veil as mentioned before) her head and not pray with her head uncovered (again rem verse 13).

Let’s look at it another way:

By nature, our body is covered with skin. What did God do after we sinned? Did He not cover us (our parents)? Does the natural covering by nature stop us from covering our body and head? No, it does not, a woman’s head and her body should be covered when she is praying or prophesying. A man’s body should also be covered but not his head when he approaches God.

Why it is not hair?
Paul is just using this text to observe what nature shows us about women and their hair. The woman has a natural covering given to her by nature and thus spiritually she should have a physical covering as it is representative of her position to God in relation to the man. He is using nature as an analogy.
(1Cor 11:14-15 [KJV])
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering (rem: by nature she has long hair as her covering).

Paul was using an analogy  (1 Cor 11:14-15) – the following was updated to this page on 19.10.2019

Paul was using this statement as an “analogy”. What is an analogy? It is parallel to something you are saying to either confirm or discredit what is being discussed. If you care to read on, I have included Ellicott’s commentary on this verse. He confirms it is an analogy that Paul used from NATURE. He goes on to state, “therefore let her wear a veil”. 
(1Cor 11:15 [KJV])
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: *for her hair is given her for a covering*.

Here is Ellicott’s Commentary on this verse (1Cor 11:15). Ellicott confirms that it should be a veil and not hair.

(15) But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her.—We should follow the suggestions of Nature. If a woman has naturally long hair, which is given to her as a covering for her head, the covering of her head can be no shame to her; *therefore let her wear a veil*. “The will ought to correspond to Nature.”

Who is Ellicott?
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905) was a distinguished English Christian theologian, academic and churchman. He briefly served as Dean of Exeter, then Bishop of the united see of Gloucester and Bristol Visit here to read more about Ellicott.

—-   —–   ——

The verse that is totally ignored is what Paul stated as doctrine (not an analogy). The Greek word he (Paul) used for covered and uncovered meant veil and unveiled. What is a veil? A veil is a physical covering made out of fabric. For over 2000 years (see Gen 24:65 ) up until the early 1970s women wore veils in keeping with this doctrine, then hats and now today nothing – it is written.
(1Cor 11:4 – 5 [KJV])
*Every man* praying or prophesying, having his head covered (covered = means veiled in the Greek), dishonoureth his head. 5 But *every woman* that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered (uncovered = means unveiled in the Greek) dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven (shaven means bald in the Greek).

So answer this question (1Cor 11:4-5):

If the women were not bald (“even” if she were shaven means that they are not bald), why would Paul say, “that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered ?”

1. He was referring to not having a veil (unveiled).
2. He was referring to baldheaded women (to say 2 would mean that you will conflict with the last part of the verse).

Note: In those days it was a shame for women to be bald. Hair was seen as beauty for women.

——-  —- ——
Was the wearing of veils part of the law?

There is nothing written about the wearing of veils in the commandments of the law. There was also nothing written about how two people should get married in the law (you committed to someone, knew them and you were considered married by everyone). In the Old Testament, there are laws and also precepts. What is a precept? It is a principle that was practiced and understood by God’s people. 

Here David writes about the precepts and what we should do with them.
 (Ps 119:4 [KJV])
Thou hast commanded us to *keep thy precepts diligently*.

——-  —- ——
HISTORY

Women covered their head pre, during, and post New Testament times. Before and during the New Testament times women covered their heads with veils, then later hats and now nothing – they work iniquity and are out of step with the instructions of the Holy Ghost. It was the spirit of the feminist movement in the early 70s that infiltrated the church building people and this thinking eventually changed the doctrine of covering (also submission to their husbands went through the door as well). So now what is it we have today? You have every woman allowed to go before God with their head uncovered. It does not matter if a woman’s head is bald, she has short or long hair; all women are allowed to be uncovered (unveiled) in their praying and prophesying. Remember what Paul said, EVERY woman that prays with her head uncovered dishonor her head. It has nothing to do with if she has hair.

Again, it is unlikely that Paul was dealing with women that had no hair on their heads to support the doctrine of no covering on the head. Why? A woman’s glory was in her hair, men loved women with long flowing hair (and still do), and it brought out her beauty. It is only in recent times that women started to cut their hair short and a few will even go as far as being completely bald. This again is a sign of the times.

So consider this last question – for the no cover people.

If they are no or very few bald headed women in the body at Corinth, why would Paul instruct women to cover their head if they already have hair? Think.

****  *  ****

A QUICK UNDERSTANDING

TO PUT THE MISINTERPRETATION OF THE DOCTRINE ON COVERING TO REST; LET US LOOK AT THE ACTUAL GREEK WORDS USED BY PAUL

In verse 5 the Greek word for uncovered is “UNVEILED”

Uncovered in the Greek is – G177 ἀκατακάλυπτος akatakaluptos (a-ka-ta-ka’-lïp-tos) adj.

unveiled.

[from G1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of a compound of G2596 and G2572]

KJV: uncovered

(1Cor 11:5 [KJV]) So this text can also read..
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head “unveiled” (NOT UN-HAIRED OR SHAVEN) dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

If you still do not get it. Let’s look at the word veil

What is a veil? A veil is not hair; it is a piece of fabric that is used to cover your head. 

What is to be unveiled? To be unveiled is to have your veil removed. 

——  ——  ——

In verse 6 the Greek word for cover is to cover wholly, i.e. VEIL

Cover in the Greek is –  G2619 κατακαλύπτω katakalupto (ka-ta-ka-lïp’-tō) v.

to cover wholly, i.e. veil.

[from G2596 and G2572]

KJV: cover, hide

(1Cor 11:6 [KJV]) So this text can also read..
For if the woman be not “veiled“, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

The covering that Paul speaks about is wearing a veil (not hair). This is why in world history; the early christian women wore veils, then later hats and now nothing. Now they are out of step with the word of God.
——  ——  ——

In verse 5 the Greek word for shaven is to be BALD

Bald in the Greek is – G3587 ξυράω xurao (xï-raō’) v.

to shave bald, shave the hair.

[from a derivative of another form of the base of G3582 (meaning a razor)]

KJV: shave

(1Cor 11:5 [KJV])
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven (bald).

Whenever the word shaven is translated in the chapter (Chap 11)  it refers to having the hair removed until your head is bald.

****  *  ****

TTGM: This study is not meant to put down women; it is done to show what the word of God requires. In the Kingdom of God there is order/structure/and law. If we do not obey what the commandments/law of God we work iniquity. To them that say Lord Lord and work iniquity, they will be cast into hell, for it is written.
(Matt 7:23 [KJV])
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

To stay away from iniquity we must keep His commandments (the commandments written in the Torah). Keeping His commandments is being obedient to His word. For it is written. (John 14:15 [KJV])
If ye love me, keep my commandments (Our Lord was quoting from the Torah – READ HERE and look at the reference in RED).

Be Blessed as His Spirit helps you to understand His word.