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Why is the phrase “a symbol of” (1 Cor 11:10) not in the Greek?

Head Covering Questions
Why is the phrase “a symbol of” (1 Cor 11:10) not in the Greek but it’s in my English Bible?

Before we tackle this question let’s take a look at 1 Cor 11:10. It reads:

Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

In many Bibles you will find the phrase “a symbol of” appears in italics whereas the rest of the sentence does not. The reason it appears this way is to let you know that the words in italics have been added by the translators to improve clarity. It’s not that they’re adding words to Scripture, but rather they’re making sure what the author meant doesn’t get lost in translation. This is a necessary process when going from one language to another that should not cause concern. Read more

Covering The Web: Nov 27/13

Covering The Web

Shining a spotlight on the head covering discussion happening worldwide.

  • Campaign encourages head coverings for women (St. Joseph News-Press)
    “Long gone are the days of ladies wearing hats to church. Or are they? If an online campaign has its way, church-going women will soon return to wearing head coverings during worship.”
  • Web Users Want to Know: ‘Why Do Christian Women Cheat, Wear Skirts, Cover Their Heads?’ (The Christian Post: Buzzvine)
    “Popular search engines Google, Yahoo and Bing use what’s called predictive search, and when queried “why do Christian women…” the search engines reveal that online users appear to be most curious about Christian women’s relationship and clothing habits.”
  • The Head Covering: Ordinance or Custom: Part 2 (Bible League Trust)
    Published in The Bible League Quarterly magazine issues #454 (Jul-Sep’13). “…unlike social conventions the ordinances of Christ are not subject to variation or change. They are to be kept, held fast to, taught and passed on, not contended with or argued away. Our calling before God is to obey, to put those ordinances into practice, including the covering and uncovering of the head, and to teach them to our children.”
  • Take the hats off when you pray, boys. (Ryan Douglas Scott)
    “This tradition of men removing their hats goes back further than John Wayne and Roy Rogers. It goes all the way back to Corinthians, in fact. If a man prays having his head covered, he is disrespecting and bringing dishonor to his head, which is Jesus. Now that’s a pretty serious claim.”
Found an interesting link about head covering or biblical manhood/womanhood? Tell us about it here.

What? Me? Wear a Hat? (Sermon)

What? Me? Wear a Hat? Sermon by Rev. David Mook

Preacher: Rev. David Mook | Sermon Length: 37 min | Year preached: 2002
Rev. David Mook is an adjunct professor at Geneva Reformed Seminary, teaching in the field of practical theology. Mr. Mook did undergraduate and graduate work at Bob Jones University, graduating from there in 1976 with a master of arts in Dramatic Production. He served as a faculty member in the speech department at BJU until 1983, when he entered what is now called Geneva Reformed Seminary. He received his master of divinity degree, was licensed to preach, and moved with his family to Phoenix, Arizona, to begin establishing a new congregation for the Free Presbyterian Church. Services began early in 1986 and the congregation was formally constituted by the presbytery in 1995. Mr. Mook has served in a number of capacities in the denomination both as a part of the standing commission of the presbytery for North America and now in the presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. In 2006 he was elected moderator of the presbytery and now serves as its clerk. Mr. Mook and his wife, Mary, have a daughter and a granddaughter.
The inspired Apostle Paul established the truth that the practice of women wearing headcoverings during public worship is not a cultural creation but a submission to the structure of authority that Christ has established in His church. His teaching has the same force as that which follows dealing with the Lord’s Supper.

>>> In addition to streaming this sermon above, you can also download it.

What Did William Tyndale Believe About Head Covering?

Head Covering: Church History Profiles

[Series introduction: This post is part of a series that will examine what certain leaders in church history believed about head covering. Their arguments, choice of language and conclusions should not be misconstrued as an endorsement from us. The purpose of this series is to faithfully show what they believe about covering rather than only selectively quoting the parts we agree with.]

William Tyndale (1494–1536) was an English biblical scholar and foundational figure leading up to the Reformation. Tyndale was educated at Oxford and Cambridge and developed a reputation as a gifted linguist, fluent in French, Greek, Hebrew, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. Influenced by Erasmus and Luther, he translated the New Testament and the Pentateuch from Greek and Hebrew into English—against the wishes of the Roman Catholic Church. Betrayed to the authorities, Tyndale was condemned as a heretic and burned alive in 1536.
William Tyndale

In 1528 William Tyndale wrote The Obedience of a Christian Man, a book which has a special emphasis on how Christian rulers should govern. He addressed various authority positions under the header ‘The Duty of Kings, and of the Judges and Officers’. In this writing he spent a significant amount of time dealing with the abuse and doctrinal errors of the pope and the Bishop of Rochester. It is in the midst of this rebuke that we learn about his view of head covering. Read more

R.C. Sproul Quote Image #3

R.C. Sproul Quote Image #3

Source: R.C. Sproul – Knowing Scripture (InterVarsity Press, 1977) page 110

An Open Letter to Complementarians about Head Covering

An Open Letter to Complementarians about Head Covering

I am a complementarian. This means I believe that while men and women are both created in the image of God and are equals in value and worth; they each serve a different function. In the home, the husband has been given the authority (headship) to lead his wife whereas the wife was created to help her husband and follow his leadership (submission). I believe the authority and submission in the home, pictures the relationship between Christ and His church. I also believe this was God’s original design; a pre-fall masterpiece, not a post-fall disaster.

I am encouraged by the large resurgence of complementarians and the numerous biblical scholars who defend this truth. They uphold male authority and female submission in the home and believe the office of elder (pastor) is for men only.

Within complementarianism, I hold to what is now a minority position. I believe that the functional difference between men and women should be symbolized to both men and angels when the church gathers together for worship. Yes, I believe that head covering (as taught in 1 Corinthians 11) is a timeless, transcultural symbol for Christians under the new covenant. Read more

Covering the Web: Nov 13/13

Covering The Web

Shining a spotlight on the head covering discussion happening worldwide.

  • The Head Covering: Ordinance or Custom: Part 1 (Bible League Trust)
    “Without looking at all the arguments, I believe our understanding of the passage can be greatly helped by focusing on two crucial words, the first appearing at the beginning in verse 2, and the second at the end in verse 16. They are the words ordinances and custom.”
  • Headcoverings (Infertility Mom)
    Jennifer Saake, author of “Hannah’s Hope” (NavPress, 2005) writes on her head covering journey. “That I feel convicted that God is asking me to cover my head in no way makes me any “more spiritual” than the next woman. It simply means that in this one area, I would be in outright rebellion to what God has convicted me if I did not obey what I believe He has called me to.”
  • Why Your Hair Is Not Your “Head Covering” (YouTube / Know Jesus First)
    A video showing why “hair” cannot be the head covering in 1 Corinthians 11 (besides verse 15). If you believe “long hair” rather than just “hair” is the covering we wrote about that here.
  • Head Coverings and Skirts (The Proper ‘Biblical!’ Lady)
    “Because the Bible does not describe a head covering, there is no right or wrong one… I have chosen to wear white bandanas or other types of coverings that when you see them, you know right away what it is.”
Found an interesting link about head covering or biblical manhood/womanhood? Tell us about it here.

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