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Church-Only Covering: Re-Evaluating the Best Arguments

This is the second article in a three-part series seeking to biblically answer the question, “When and where am I supposed to wear a head covering?”

Here are the titles of all 3 articles (links will be added when each is published)…

  1. “Covering Beyond Sunday Morning?”
  2. “Church-Only Covering: Re-Evaluating The Best Arguments”
  3. “Covering While Praying or Prophesying: So, Exactly When Is That?”

 

You may view/download a PDF version of this article here.

 

INTRODUCTION

In the eleventh chapter of First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul explained the Christian practice of head covering. The first article in our 3-part series considered the context for when that head covering practice was to occur. It found that Paul taught Christian women to use a covering while praying or prophesying (in other words, while communicating to God or from God). Christian men were to uncover their heads during the same activities.

The article pointed out that Paul did not mention the Sunday morning church service during his instructions about head covering, nor state that the local church gathering was the only location where coverings were to be worn. Instead, he gave clear indications that head coverings were also intended for use beyond the congregational church assembly. Further, Paul’s specific reasons for covering did not exclusively relate to church gatherings. Instead, his reasons for covering applied wherever prayer and prophecy occur.

The article concluded that the Bible provides an open door for the use of coverings beyond the Sunday morning assembly. After all, Christian women often pray outside of church services! However, there is more to this discussion that’s worth examining. Those who advocate for “church-only” covering often base their position on four main arguments. The previous article in this series did not consider or respond to those arguments. It’s only proper that we carefully consider other perspectives, and that’s what this article is all about. Read more

Covering Beyond Sunday Morning?

This is the first article in a three-part series seeking to biblically answer the question, “When and where am I supposed to wear a head covering?”

Here are the titles of all 3 articles (links will be added when each is published)…

  1. “Covering Beyond Sunday Morning?”
  2. “Church-Only Covering: Re-Evaluating The Best Arguments”
  3. “Covering While Praying or Prophesying: So, Exactly When Is That?”


You may view/download a PDF version of this article here.

 

HUMAN QUESTIONS & BIBLICAL ANSWERS1) The main goal of this article is not to outline the full range of situations where a head covering is biblically required. Instead, this article simply argues that the Scripturally intended range of situations includes more than the local church assembly. A future article in this series will further discuss the exact contexts that the Apostle Paul had in mind. The purpose of this article is only to see that although Paul’s instructions about covering are certainly applicable to the Sunday church service, they are not limited to it.

Both the Apostle Paul and the First Century churches promoted the standard use of head coverings by Christian women (1 Corinthians 11:16). However, in our modern era, a follow-up set of practical questions is often asked: “During what times and in what situations does God intend for a head covering to be worn?”2) And similarly: “When and where does God want Christian men to take off their hats?” I believe that there are two primary reasons why these questions often prompt curiosity and confusion.
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References

1.
 The main goal of this article is not to outline the full range of situations where a head covering is biblically required. Instead, this article simply argues that the Scripturally intended range of situations includes more than the local church assembly. A future article in this series will further discuss the exact contexts that the Apostle Paul had in mind. The purpose of this article is only to see that although Paul’s instructions about covering are certainly applicable to the Sunday church service, they are not limited to it.
2.
 And similarly: “When and where does God want Christian men to take off their hats?”

Is Head Covering Related to Spiritual Gifts? A Response to Barry York

“On Headcoverings” is the title of an article published on the reformed blog Gentle Reformation. The essay was written by Barry York, who serves as the General Editor of the blog and president of Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He introduces the question that the article seeks to answer:

From colonial times even up to our fathers’ generation, our culture, which was undeniably influenced greatly by Biblical Christianity, saw women regularly don caps, bonnets, hats, and veils in the church. So it raises the question. Are head coverings necessary attire for the Christian woman?

He answers the question by sharing that his wife does not wear a head covering “because she is not a prophetess.”1) York, Barry. “Why My Wife Does Not Wear a Headcovering.” Gentle Reformation, 29 Apr. 2019, https://gentlereformation.com/2019/04/29/why-my-wife-does-not-wear-a-headcovering/ This is a view that connects head covering to the use of miraculous spiritual gifts, rather than to common prayer or worship. In this article, I provide a response to argue that the context of the head covering passage (1 Cor. 11:2-16) is not related to miraculous gifts but to corporate worship. Read more

References

1.
 York, Barry. “Why My Wife Does Not Wear a Headcovering.” Gentle Reformation, 29 Apr. 2019, https://gentlereformation.com/2019/04/29/why-my-wife-does-not-wear-a-headcovering/

My Husband Doesn’t Want to Go to Church: How Should I Respond?

I Was Unsure What To Do

As my parents’ Ford Ranger rumbled down the dirt driveway – with me at the steering wheel – I struggled within myself about whether or not I was doing the right thing. I was 13 years old and not supposed to be driving on any public roads. This would definitely count as “against the law” – but my mom had told me to do it. I was instructed to drive to the nearby gas station to pick up something she needed. I could have ridden my bike there, but I guess she was in a hurry. 

What should I do? Obey my mom, or obey the law? I prayed for God to help me. Read more

Head Covering and the City of Corinth: An Introduction to Corinth

CONTEXT IS KING

For the last 2,000 years, the Christian practice of head covering has been rooted in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the local church in the city of Corinth. Paul taught, corrected, and exhorted the believers there to live godly lives before the Lord – including the command for women to wear a covering on their heads while praying, and for men to remove any covering (1 Cor 11:2-16).

In his letter, Paul often dealt with both universal and local issues. So, which of those two categories does head covering fall into? The answer often depends on who you ask. But whether the person answers universal or local, both answers often have something in common: they are based on the person’s understanding of head covering in the context of the Corinthian church. In Corinth, was the Christian practice of head covering cultural, or counter-cultural? Let’s take a look at the city of Corinth to learn more about this particular church’s context. Read more

The Modern Christian Head Covering Woman’s Mission

In a world whose refrains are “just be yourself” and “follow your heart,” the woman who chooses to be who God made her to be and to follow God’s Word may be seen as weird and non-progressive. Outright backward. Even a traitor to herself and other women.

These are perilous times (2 Tim. 3:1). Read more

A Husband’s Authority is Limited (He is Not Pastor or King)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Christians got a severe wake-up call to what it looks like when one sphere of authority (the government) takes more power than it has been granted. Some people lost the ability to travel, go to church, work at their jobs, and run their businesses, while others were forbidden from visiting their elderly and dying relatives.

My own government’s actions (in Canada) led many Christians to do a deeper study of Romans 13, a chapter that describes the God-given role of government authority. A close reading of that text, especially in harmonization with other passages, shows that the government does not possess sovereignty over all of life. It has a rightful authority, but it is limited and for a specific purpose.

Just as life is difficult and unstable when living under a tyrannical government, so it is for a wife and children living under the roof of a tyrannical husband. In this article, I will explain the doctrine of “Sphere Sovereignty,” which provides limits on all human authority, including that of the husband. This will show women how, when, and why they can refuse their husband’s leadership when necessary – without being unsubmissive in the Lord’s eyes. Read more

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