I really don’t understand this passage. Paul just isn’t clear. But I’ve had a fresh thought which will come through at the end.
“But I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head – it is the same as having her head shaved. 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. “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.” 1 Corinthians 11:3 -12 NIVUK
Is this about wearing a hat or how we have our hair?
Should men take their hats off to prophesy?
Should women put theirs on to do so?
What does Paul mean with the word ‘head’?
How can this be: ‘the head of Christ is God’? Christ is God.
How can this be: “the woman is the glory of man”? What about the glory of God?
What’s the role of angels in all this?
Is this still appropriate in 2025 to read these verses about man and woman?
Maybe you know exactly what all this means. The head of the woman is man because Paul says so. And with that you mean in a leadership position, the one who has authority. But following that thought, is Christ then not God?
I can’t read this in the way that because man came first in the created order that women are somehow suppressed by God and are second. For both prophesy, both are bringing words from God. “Everything comes from God.” There is mutual dependence of both sexes.
In my travels in other cultures I do see head coverings for women not because of this scripture but because it is the culture. It’s what women do. It’s seen as the beauty of women.
With the immorality creeping into this church maybe, just maybe, Paul is desiring men to be seen as men and women seen as women, especially as God uses them. Don’t mix it up.
Maybe (again) this is one of the first rules of prophesying. Let God speak through your sex. It will be different to the opposite sex but be who you are, don’t change. For the sex that you are brings glory to God.
Maybe.
Missions Paul 