Basic HTML Version
What Paul. taught is this: as man is the head of
woman, 1t is improper for men to have a covering
in
a
religious service as a s·ymbol of subjection (I Cor. 11:4).
The only exception was long hair in the Nazarite vow, a
token of subjection to· God for a special time (Num.
6:5).
Men are otherwise commanded: "Doth not even nature itself
teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame
unto hl.m.?" (verse 14). Men wearing long hair, a fad With
the younger generation, are effeminate and no effeminate
man shall inherit God's Kingdom! But what about a woman?
"But if a woman have lfng hair, it is a glory to her: for
her HAIR is given
~
or acovering" (verse 15) .
Notice! Paul, under inspiration, speaks of LONG
HAIR as the "covering," or veil. The Greek word for
"covering" in
v~rse
15
means "veil.
11
See
the
margin of the
R1ng James Version. So the covering is not some hat, or
piece of cloth.
--
Paul does not say
that
women must wear something
over their hair. Instead, he says: "Doth not even nature .
itself teach you, that ... i:f a woman have Fang hair, lt
is a glory to her: for her hair is given her or a-covering."
Because
11
long hair" is mentioned, some
are
afraid
to cut their hair at all. The text doesn't read uncut hair;
it reads only "long hair.
11
Long hair is an indication that
a woman
is
~lling
to be in subjection to a man, and that
she acknowledges the special need for protect1.on by angels -–
beyond the ordinary protection which angels give to men
(verse 10). Hair, cut £ong
eno~h
to look feminine and
honorable, is appropria e. AboU:
sED~
length, or-ranger,
is a satisfactory standard. If a woman weare her hair so
short that
it
looks like a man's, then she ought
~be
shorn
or shaven -- the symbol of a :fallen woman.
To be "shorn
11
(verse 6) means to be closely clipped.
Some small sects contend that any cutting or hair means to
be shorn. 'l'h1s is untrue. 'Properly cut long hair is not
shorn
hair.~ere
is no Bible command anywhere
agains~utting
hair withi.n the length which looks
femin~e
and honorable.
Many
women today are, however, wearing their ha1..r
too short. They are not allowing their . hair to be
11
a covering
11
(verse 15). It is a woman's long hair that is her covering -–
not some piece or cloth to hide a
manni~moaern
hair-do!
LETTER ANSWERING DEPARTMENT
Coprr lsht 19' 8 • ll.ad;o Church of God