In 1 Corinthians 11, the Bible teaches that a woman’s head is to be covered during times of praying or prophesying. While this teaching is not widespread through the New Testament, it is attested to by the witness of God’s creative order, nature, and angels. Therefore, we believe it to be a teaching the Lord intended for the church of all ages to believe and practice.
The Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 11:3 that God has established an order of headship in the structure of human relationships. He was concerned that the church understood “that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” The divinely appointed order of headship between men and women does not suggest that women are inferior to men. The Bible is clear that both are created in the image of God and, therefore, the most fundamental level of equality exists between them. In the sight of God, men and women exist in complementary, though not identical, roles in life, family, and the church.
The Bible teaches that a woman’s head veiling is a tangible expression of her acceptance of God-ordained headship and her submission to it. To a culture that devalues the God-ordained moral order, wearing a symbol of submission may seem restrictive, but to the Godly woman who treasures the moral order of God in creation and human society, wearing such a symbol is a genuine expression of her desire to live according to the will of God.
