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Head Covering and the Holy Kiss

Headcovering & The Holy Kiss

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:

“If Paul merely told women in Corinth to cover their heads and gave no rationale for such instruction, we would be strongly inclined to supply it via our cultural knowledge. In this case, however, Paul provides a rationale that is based on an appeal to creation, not to the custom of Corinthian harlots.”  2) Quote taken from http://www.headcoveringmovement.com/articles/head-covering-and-hermeneutics-an-excerpt-from-knowing-scripture-by-r-c-sproul

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

1.
↑ See Rom 16:16, 1 Cor 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26, 1 Pet 5:14
2.
↑ Quote taken from http://www.headcoveringmovement.com/articles/head-covering-and-hermeneutics-an-excerpt-from-knowing-scripture-by-r-c-sproul
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Total Heart Change

Total Heart Change

[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

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Should Christian Women Wear the Hijab?

Should Christian Women Wear the Hijab?

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

References

1.
↑ hijab. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hijab (accessed: December 18, 2015).
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Head Covering Advice from Long-time Head Covering Women

Head Covering Advice from Long-time Head Covering Women

Have you ever wished that you could sit at the feet of a woman that has covered for a long time and listen to their experiences with head covering? What kind of questions would you ask? What advice would they give?

We surveyed seven women that have been covering for 10+ years and found so much wisdom that we just had to share it with other head covering women. Though their stories are different in many ways, we wanted to share the similarities in order to encourage you in your walk with head covering.

First Memories of Head Covering

Choosing to obey the Lord’s call to cover your head is only half the head covering battle. Many women faced internal and external opposition from themselves, friends and family during their first moments as a head covering Christian woman.

“I will never forget the utter fear I felt taking a step outside my front door the first day I wore one. Every time I went to a new place, or seen someone who hadn’t seen me cover before it was hard. I knew I would have to have the explanations ready,” Eleanor, who has covered since 2001, says.

Carolyn, a head coverer of 23 years, says a friend asked her if she was cleaning her house the first time she saw her wearing a simple bandana over her head.

Sometimes beginning head covering can be heartbreaking, especially when the opposition comes from family. Mrs. Robinson has covered for 13 years, remembers a conversation between her and her grandmother, a pastor’s wife.

“My grandmother hated it. [She said], ‘Why can’t you let everyone see your amazing hair? You look ridiculous.'”

Despite the obstacles in head covering, there is some time-honored advice for other head covering ladies. Read more

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The Peaceful Wife: A Mainstream Book That Promotes Headcovering

The Peaceful Wife

April Cassidy runs a blog called “Peaceful Wife” where she writes encouragement to women on biblical womanhood. She’s also practices headcovering and shared her testimony with us here. I got an e-mail from April in August 2014 telling me that she had been picked up by a Christian literary agent . Shortly after I heard the great news that her book was going to be published through Kregel Publications. It’s almost a year later now, and her book “The Peaceful Wife” is about to release on January 27th.

Here’s the book description and cover:

The Peaceful Wife

What happens when a woman becomes the wife God desires her to be?

In today’s world, women are often rewarded for having type A personalities. Driven, demanding women achieve higher positions, better salaries, and praise for their ambition. They learn to be confident, take-charge leaders who can handle anything on their own. Yet when it comes to their marriages, those same traits can backfire. After all, no one goes into marriage hoping for a promotion. What is a wife to do?

April Cassidy knows this struggle firsthand. She thought she was a great Christian wife and begged God to make her passive husband into a more loving, involved, godly leader. Instead, God opened her eyes to changes that she needed to make, such as laying down her desire for control and offering genuine, unconditional respect–not just love–to her husband. The Peaceful Wife focuses on Cassidy’s experience and its life-changing properties, providing a template for others to follow.

Cassidy’s conclusions may be as shocking to readers as they were to her, but she backs up her own tale with stories from her blog readers, and also includes recommendations for further study. She walks through baby steps on how to change, addressing questions such as:

  • What is respect?
  • How can you show respect?
  • How is being respectful different from being loving?

In the end, The Peaceful Wife is a powerful path to God’s design for women to live in full submission to Christ as Lord.

One of the things we’re really excited about is that on page 171 she gives positive attestation to head covering. Here’s what she says: Read more

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Why Headcovering is not about Modesty

Why Headcovering is not about Modesty.

Modesty according to one biblical lexicon is “the state of being appropriate for display”. 1) εὐσχημοσύνη, Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.  This is propriety in clothing where our “unpresentable parts are [covered], which our more presentable parts do not require” (1 Cor 12:23-24). It is a command of Scripture to dress modestly (1 TIm 2:9-10). Sexual temptation is a real concern and while Jesus acknowledges that “it is necessary that temptations come” he warns “woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (Matt 18:7 ESV). So if by your dress you’re tempting people to lust, Jesus has strong words for you. Since we are all committed to dressing modestly we must ask is our hair an “unpresentable part” (1 Cor 12:23) and is that why women are to wear a covering over it (1 Cor 11:4-6)? I’d like to argue that Christian head covering is not commanded for modesty’s sake. Here are my reasons why: Read more

References

1.
↑ εὐσχημοσύνη, Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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Head Covering in Trondheim International Church (+Photos)

Head Covering in Trondheim International Church
What follows is an update from Pastor Robin Bassam who shared his testimony with us here. Robin is pastor at Trondheim International Church in Norway.

I am writing to give you an update on our practice of head covering in our church. In September 2014 our church went away for a fellowship weekend where we discussed the subject of Complementarianism and Egalitarianism. As a result our church officially adopted a Complementarian position of leadership which has been written into our Church Beliefs and Values.

In the four weeks leading up to our Church Fellowship Weekend I preached on women’s head covering from 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. As a result of these sermons the leadership of T.I.C. have introduced the following statement regarding women’s head covering in a booklet entitled “What We Believe”:

Head covering for Women: We believe that a woman is required by Scripture to cover her head in any church service where prayer, preaching or teaching is being exercised. This is clearly taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians Chapter 11 verses 1 – 16. There isn’t a single verse in Scripture which cancels the validity of these verses. This teaching is theological, universal and timeless, not cultural, geographically limited or temporary. We believe this is a Biblical requirement for all women (married and single). Although we believe that a woman should cover her head in all TIC Meetings and strongly recommend the practice of head covering, it is not a salvation issue and, therefore, we do not insist on it. Every woman coming to TIC has the choice of whether to cover or not. TIC has very clear and comprehensive teaching on the subject of Women’s head covering and Pastor Robin Bassam’s 65 page head covering Teaching Manual is available to anyone in TIC, on request.

Even though every lady in T.I.C. has a choice, nearly half of our ladies use a head covering; and the practice of head covering is increasing in the church. Read more

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