New Testament in a Year

Chapter 11

¹ Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Liturgical Assemblies and Their Problems^[a]

Propriety in Worship^[b]

The Question of Head Coverings. ² I praise you because you remember me in everything and you maintain the traditions just as I handed them down to you.

³ But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ. ⁴ Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings disgrace on his head. ⁵ And any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings disgrace upon her head, for it is just as though she had her head shaved. ⁶ Indeed, if a woman refuses to wear a veil, then she might as well have her hair cut off. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil.

⁷ It is not right for a man to have his head covered, since he is the image of God and the reflection of his glory, whereas woman is the reflection of the glory of man. ⁸ For man was not made from woman, but woman was made from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for the sake of woman, but woman was created for the sake of man.

¹⁰ Therefore, a woman should have on her head a sign^[c] of her dependence, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² Although woman came from man, so does every man come from a woman, and all things come from God.

¹³ The Question of Long Hair. Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled? ¹⁴ Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, he is disgraced, ¹⁵ whereas if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair was given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ However, if anyone wishes to argue further on this point, we have no such custom to do so, nor do any of the Churches of God.