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Instructions for Public Worship

I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.[a] A man dishonors his head[b] if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. But a woman dishonors her head[c] if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.[d]

A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory. For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. 10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. 11:3 Or to know: The source of every man is Christ, the source of woman is man, and the source of Christ is God. Or to know: Every man is responsible to Christ, a woman is responsible to her husband, and Christ is responsible to God.
  2. 11:4 Or dishonors Christ.
  3. 11:5 Or dishonors her husband.
  4. 11:6 Or should have long hair.
  5. 11:10 Greek should have an authority on her head.

Head Coverings

I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I handed them on to you.(A) But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man[a] is the head of the woman,[b] and God is the head of Christ.(B) Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head shames his head,(C) but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled shames her head—it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair, but if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. For a man ought not to have his head veiled, since he is the image and reflection[c] of God, but woman is the reflection[d] of man.(D) Indeed, man was not made from woman but woman from man.(E) Neither was man created for the sake of woman but woman for the sake of man.(F) 10 For this reason a woman ought to have authority over her head,[e] because of the angels.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 11.3 Or husband
  2. 11.3 Or wife
  3. 11.7 Or glory
  4. 11.7 Or glory
  5. 11.10 Or have freedom of choice regarding her head