Soon after discovering head covering, I went to the internet for more information.
Almost immediately I found K.P. Yohannan’s free e-book, Head Coverings. I devoured it and many articles by Jeremy, the founder of the Head Covering Movement.
But while KP and Jeremy are great at explaining the doctrinal whys of head covering, I was kinda on my own when it came to the hows of head covering.
Enter YouTube.
The one-stop-DIY-video shop where you can figure out how to take off your car’s bumper, watch a TED talk or play a ukulele.
After watching countless head covering tutorials (and making a few myself), I’m sharing my favorite head covering tutorial videos on YouTube.
[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.]
Linus (died approx 76-79 A.D.) was the successor to the Apostle Peter as bishop of Rome.
Linus became bishop of Rome during the latter end of the lives of the Apostle Paul and Peter. He held the office for 12 years and was martyred for his faith. He was an Italian, from the province of Tuscany, the son of Claudia and Herculanus. He was a friend of the Apostle Paul who mentioned him by name in his letter to Timothy:
Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. (2 Tim 4:21)
Eusebius and Irenaeus both identify the Linus mentioned here in Scripture as the same one who became bishop. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia likewise argues that “considering the great rarity of this Greek mythological name as a proper name for persons, we can hardly doubt that here…[in Paul’s letter is] the first bishop of Rome.” 1) Rutherfurd, J. (1915). Linus. In J. Orr, J. L. Nuelsen, E. Y. Mullins, & M. O. Evans (Eds.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Vol. 1–5, p. 1895). Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company.
Read more
References
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↑ Rutherfurd, J. (1915). Linus. In J. Orr, J. L. Nuelsen, E. Y. Mullins, & M. O. Evans (Eds.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Vol. 1–5, p. 1895). Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company.
When a person is convinced of the necessity of head covering they often desire to be in a church that shares those same convictions. It is a good thing when biblical gender roles and the symbol of head covering are celebrated and encouraged. I personally, as the founder of the Head Covering Movement made the conscience choice to join a non head covering church (and I don’t regret it). However, for those who do desire to be in a church that practices this symbol, I’d like to offer help on how to find those churches and some advice if you’re currently a member of another assembly.
The first thing you need to know about finding a head covering church is that this practice will vary assembly-to-assembly. There are a few denominations where this practice is a part of their faith statement but for most it will still be on a church-by-church basis. Read more
In 1 Timothy 2:13-14 and 1 Corinthians 11:7-9, the Apostle Paul appeals to the creation order to explain and defend his teaching on gender roles in the church. Here’s what he says in each passage:
But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. (1 Tim 2:13-14 NASB)
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head… (1 Cor 11:7-10a)
Since both passages appeal to the creation order, consistent treatment is needed. This means Complementarians should affirm that both practices and teachings are trans-cultural.
Dr. Benjamin Merkle (Professor, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) believes in complementarian roles and affirms the truths taught in 1 Timothy 2. However, he believes that head covering was a cultural practice that women do not need to implement today. His paper is a defense for why holding to these two positions is not inconsistent treatment. Read more
The holy kiss is commanded in the New Testament five times by two different authors. 1) See Rom 16:16, 1 Cor 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26, 1 Pet 5:14
This is the greeting we’re told to give one another in Christ. Much like head covering, the holy kiss is a rare sight in the North American church since it’s culturally out of step. We are accustomed to greeting with handshakes and hugs instead. Some object that this is inconsistent treatment of two New Testament practices. How can we insist on head covering yet leave behind the kiss? After all, both are commanded in the New Testament. In this article we’d like to address this objection.
The Difference
While it is true that both practices are commanded in the New Testament, there is a significant difference between them. In his book “Knowing Scripture” R.C. Sproul teaches us when it’s appropriate to fill in the gaps with our cultural knowledge. He says:
Sproul tells us that if something in Scripture has no explanation then cultural knowledge can aid us in understanding why it is mentioned. What he warns against is doing this when the author explains the practice himself. This brings us to the major difference between head covering and the holy kiss. When it comes to head covering, the apostle Paul explains the practice in depth. He appeals to the creation order, nature’s witness and angels, all which transcend culture. In contrast, the holy kiss is never explained, never defended, and has no theological underpinning. Now this doesn’t mean one of theses practices is valid today and the other is not, that’s not the question we’re trying to answer right now. What I am saying is, it isn’t inconsistent to treat them differently because only one of these practices is explained to us with a transcultural foundation. So headcovering can’t be cultural whereas the holy kiss may or may not. Read more
References
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↑ See Rom 16:16, 1 Cor 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26, 1 Pet 5:14
[Guest Author:This article was written by April Cassidy. If you’re interested in guest writing for the Head Covering Movement please contact us.]
Externals are easy. It’s easy to kneel in a position of prayer physically for a few minutes and read a chapter of the Bible each day. It’s easy to go to church every Sunday and sit in a pew. It’s a simple thing to eat a little chunk of bread and drink a sip of wine or grape juice at church during the Lord’s Supper. It’s not even hard to put on a hat or scarf.
Some people think that the externals are all that really matters. If you look like you are doing the right thing, that is enough.
God does want us to obey Him outwardly – but He is even more concerned with the inward motives of the heart. God desires me to obey Him outwardly, yes! Absolutely. But He wants me to obey Him for the right reasons and with the right heart. I can go to church three times per week, read my Bible daily, pray, dress modestly, and even cover my head. These are very good things. In fact, they are commands of God for believing women. But why am I doing these things? It is sobering to consider that it is actually possible to do all of these things and to be far from God or to not even know Him. Read more
The dictionary definition of the Hijab is “a traditional scarf worn by Muslim women to cover the hair and neck and sometimes the face.”1) hijab. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hijab (accessed: December 18, 2015).
The definition itself identifies this as Islamic dress. So the question is, should Christian women use a Hijab to cover their heads when praying and prophesying (1 Cor 11:5-6)?
As we’ve covered already, the passage in 1 Corinthians 11 doesn’t identify any particular style for covering the head. Paul uses a verb to command an action (cover her head) rather than using a noun to indicate a particular style (e.g, put on a hijab). This means the style of covering falls into the category of Christian liberty. So if the question is, “is it biblically permissible to wear a Hijab?”, the answer is yes. However, a second question that should be asked is, “is it wise to do so?” Before we give our opinion, I think it’s important to understand the two main views in this debate. Read more
