The following is a response to a friend (AL) of TTGM to a statement made about the covering of a woman’s head when she prays of prophecies. 

Apologist Response to AL

Completed by TTGM – 07.05.2022

AL wrote (AW) on 07.05.2022:
To cover or not to cover. That is the question. 

1. Not cover: God didn’t command it. Paul was discussing the culture, customs, or traditions of his day. People used it for all sorts of reasons in OT but God never called it shameful to wear one and therefore it’s just Paul’s interpretation. Just like long hair and Sampson in OT, Paul suggests something God never discussed. It’s possible this was a custom that was adopted and over time, since it isn’t against any command, it was widely adopted. Paul many times has suggested things that are his own opinion and this could be one of those topics.

2. To cover: Paul discusses Genesis which shows he is not talking about relevance to his culture, traditions, or customs. Women in OT are shown to wear them, especially when they were around someone of authority. Paul says it’s shameful and therefore a man of God couldn’t be wrong in regards to the shamefulness of not wearing one. Just because God didn’t command it doesn’t mean God doesn’t want you to wear one.

Questions????
Why didn’t God discuss this in his law? Why are we now in the NT being told something new? Why does Paul say its a shame to have long hair when Sampson never cut his? Why do you think women in the OT wore them? Why do you think men wore them when mourning? Does God truly think it’s a shame to pray uncovered as a woman when he never said such a thing? Why do Jewish women wear head coverings? 

It’s clear Hebrew women wore head coverings. I want to know why. Is it for respect, modesty, and possibly showing your place in a marriage? Is it a custom or a command? If it is a custom is it still a sin or shameful even though God never said any such thing?

Are we supposed to look at the New Testament through an Old Testament lens, not the other way around? Therefore, I am trying to figure out how Paul came to that conclusion when the Old Testament does not show a basis for it.

TTGM’s Response (TR):
We will make a step-by-step answer to your statements. Please note we will draw references from the KJV as the newer bibles have been corrupted. KJV makes for a more accurate analysis of God’s word. Watch these two videos to understand why.

SHOULD A WOMAN’S HEAD  BE COVERED IF SHE PRAYS OR PROPHECIES?

AW:
God didn’t command it.

TR:
Yes, God did not command women to wear a covering, but they are precepts given in His word that we are to follow; And we are to follow them how? It is written.
(Ps 119:4 [KJV])
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

Q.
How are we to know these precepts?
A.
By studying His word.

* * * * * *
AW:
Paul was discussing the culture, customs, or traditions of his day.

TR:
Where is it written that Paul was in a discussion? Let us look at how Paul began on this subject.

(1Cor 11:1-3 [KJV])
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 3 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.

Again, show us from the word where Paul was in a discussion. What we see in Paul’s epistle is a teacher instructing his students on what God requires them to do. He also pulls his students up in their failings.

* * * * * *
AW:
People used (covering) it for all sorts of reasons in OT but God never called it shameful to wear one and therefore it’s just Paul’s interpretation.

TR:
What are the other all sorts of reasons covering was used for, can you show us the scriptures? 

Show from scripture Paul saying it is his own interpretation. Paul said at one point on another subject that it was him speaking by permission, did he do the same here in 1Cor 11? Why do you think he sought permission then, and again, did he do it in 1Cor 11?

A. 
No, he did not.

* * * * * *
AW:
Just like long hair and Sampson in OT, Paul suggests something God never discussed.

TR:
Where in scripture do you read Paul is making a suggestion?

* * * * * *
AW:
It’s possible this was a custom that was adopted and over time, since it isn’t against any command, it was widely adopted.

TR:
Where do the Jewish customs come from? OR what are Jewish customs based on? OR where do people of the way get their customs from, pagans or from God? 

A.
The Jewish customs and traditions that are seen in scripture come from the Law of God.

* * * * * *
AW:
Paul many times has suggested things that are his own opinion and this could be one of those topics

TR:
Paul was very careful to point out what he wrote. He would use words like permission and then gave his opinion (in his own words). He would only write his own words with permission and he will tell the reader this is what he did. The question is, did he do it when he spoke about a woman’s covering. Again, did Paul state he wrote with permission concerning a woman’s covering in 1Cor 11? 

Was Paul guided by the Spirit of God to write; was he inspired by God? If he was inspired by God, did it not come from God?

* * * * * *
AW:
Paul discusses Genesis which shows he is not talking about relevance to his culture, traditions, or customs.

TR:
Again, was it a discussion? Show where you have come to this conclusion? Again where did the traditions of the people of the Way come from, from God or man? We submit, that people of the Way should only follow the doctrines/commandments/precepts of God. It is written.
(Matt 15:9 [KJV])
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

AND

(Acts 5:29 [KJV])
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

* * * * * *
AW:
Women in OT are shown to wear them, especially when they were around someone of authority.

TR:
Yes, women that followed the Way wore a covering. The fact is women up until the feminist movement wore a covering (the feminist main drive started 1965-1975). After the feminist movement succeeded in its agenda the covering came off and women started to take control. We encourage you to look at old pictures before the 60s of women back in the day, look at their heads and you will see what most wore. 

* * * * * *
AW:
Paul says it’s shameful and therefore a man of God couldn’t be wrong in regards to the shamefulness of not wearing one.

TR:
TTGM will put it this way. Paul under the inspiration of God said it is shameful for a woman not to have her head covered. 

* * * * * *
AW:
Just because God didn’t command it doesn’t mean God doesn’t want you to wear one.

TR:
Paul taught us what we should do as he was INSPIRED  by God (1Cor 11).

* * * * * *
AW:
Why didn’t God discuss this in his law?

TR:
God did not discuss everything, it can be seen in the example that the people gave by what is written in His word.  

* * * * * *
AW:
Why are we now in the NT being told something new?

TR:
What is new? Paul was writing to the gentile church and explaining the way of the Way. Paul was a qualified teacher of the Torah and his job was to teach the gentile body how to live in accordance with God’s word.

* * * * * *
AW:
Why does Paul say it’s a shame to have long hair when Sampson never cut his?

TR:
Sampson was a special case. He was given a special power from God that came through his hair and the instruction was if it got cut, his strength would leave him. This instruction was given to one man in the Bible, this made him “special”. 

* * * * * *
AW:
Why do you think women in the OT wore them?

TR:
It showed others that women were under an authority (man=head). It showed this in both the old and new testaments. Again, read 1Cor 11 again if you are not clear. 

* * * * * *
AW:
Why do you think men wore them when mourning?

TR:
Good question. At least they were not wearing them when they were praying or prophesying before God. Read what Moses did when he went before God. It is written.
(Exod 34:34 [KJV])
But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

* * * * * *
AW:
Does God truly think it’s a shame to pray uncovered as a woman when he never said such thing?

TR:
God appointed Paul to be the apostle to the gentiles. God inspired Paul to instruct the Gentiles on how they should conduct themselves before Him. If we disagree with what Paul wrote, we will have to disagree with God. Paul was God’s appointed representative (Apostle) to the gentiles. 

* * * * * *
AW:
Why do Jewish women wear head coverings?

TR:
It could be for all kinds of reasons now. However, Paul in that time explained why in 1Cor 11.

* * * * * *
AW:
It’s clear Hebrew women wore head coverings. I want to know why. Is it for respect, modesty, and possibly showing your place in a marriage? Is it a custom or a command? If it is a custom is it still a sin or shameful even though God never said any such thing?

TR:
Answered already and also read 1Cor 11. 

* * * * * *
AW:
Are we supposed to look at the New Testament through an Old Testament lens, not the other way around? Therefore, I am trying to figure out how Paul came to that conclusion when the Old Testament does not show a basis for it.

TR:
We are to use the new testament to understand the old testament. Someone said, “the new testament is hidden in the old, and the old testament is revealed in the new. 

Western scholars look at the new testament through the eyes of western shaped culture (pagan), this leads many to a gross misunderstanding of God’s word. For example, western teachers teach that God says all foods are good to eat based on what Paul said, so pork is permitted to be eaten. We then have to tell them that Paul was a Jew and pork was never called or considered to be food. It was called unclean flesh etc. If you go into a Jewish supermarket in Paul’s day, you would not see unclean flesh being sold (only in pagan markets). We must understand the Way and follow it. When we follow the Way it becomes our culture OR God’s culture OR a righteous culture. 

CONCLUSION
The statements and questions made by AL (AW) are aimed at disqualifying Paul’s authority on the subject of covering. For example, to say that Paul was “discussing” the topic and writing out of his own mind’s thinking plainly indicates that Paul’s position does not come from God. They ignore the fact that when Paul speaks out of his own mind, he always states he is doing it for the reader to know. He however does not do it when he speaks on this topic of a woman’s covering (1Cor 11). TTGM’s position is that Paul was speaking in the full authority given to him by God that called him to be a minister to the gentiles. Women covered their heads before, during, and after the new testament period. Where did the change start? In the 1970s there was a satanic push that was initiated by the feminist movement to make women “equal” with men. The covering was removed and women took over as the heads of organizations, including the “body” of believers. “O to them” (a woeful warning)  that lead thee (women). It is written.
(Isa 3:12 [KJV])
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead (woman) thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

For more read Should a Woman have her head covered when praying or prophesying 

Another topic of interest, “Should a woman PREACH” – Read Here  |  Watch Here 

We do not approach the word by trying to justify a position, we approach the word to find out what God is saying to us.

Be blessed in understanding.

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