“When the apostles speak of tradition . . . they’re not talking about human tradition, but they’re talking about that which has been handed over from the apostles to the church. These were not traditions that were to be negotiated, this is God’s tradition.” 1)
Dr. R.C. Sproul Sr., founder, Ligonier Ministries
When we hear the word “tradition” we usually think of it as the inventions of man, which are not found in Scripture. The traditions may be beneficial (or at least not harmful), but because God doesn’t command them, neither should we. When it comes to understanding head coverings we need to ask, is this a tradition or a command? Let’s look at our first verse:
“Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:2)
Though the “traditions” are not explicitly defined, we can safely conclude that head covering was one of them. Why do I believe this? The teaching on head covering (1 Corinthians 11:3–16) is sandwiched between two contrasting statements. In verse 2, Paul says “I praise you” followed by teaching on head coverings. Then in verse 17 he says “I do not praise you,” followed by teaching on the Lord’s Supper and spiritual gifts (which they were misusing). The sentence structure of 1 Corinthians 11 uses verses 2 and 17 as topic headings.
| “I Praise You” (1 Cor 11:2) | “I Do Not Praise You” (1 Cor 11:17) |
| Head Covering (1 Cor 11:2–16) | The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:17–34) |
| Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor 12:1–14:40) |
What immediately follows each of those verses is a teaching on the practices that fit the heading; the first to inform (praise) and the latter to correct (praise not). If head covering was not being practiced by the Corinthians, it would have been addressed under the heading of “I do not praise you.” So it wasn’t that the Corinthians were not practicing head covering. We know they were because Paul said they “held firmly” to it. What they were lacking was “understanding,” meaning they needed more teaching on this topic.
Now before you dismiss head covering as an invention of man, let’s allow the Bible to give us our definition of tradition. The Greek word used is paradosis, which is used in the New Testament thirteen times. It is used eight times by Jesus, and every time He uses it clearly in reference to the “traditions of men.” Paul also uses the term in this way, but not exclusively. Sometimes he uses it in reference to authoritative apostolic teaching. Let’s look at two instances where he does that:
“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions [paradosis] which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition [paradosis] which you received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6)
Did you catch the pattern? When Paul uses paradosis to refer to apostolic teaching, he says it came “from us.” So how do we know if head covering is the tradition of men or of the apostles? Paul doesn’t leave us guessing. In 1 Corinthians 11:2 he says, “I delivered [the traditions] to you.”
This means that the practice of head covering is authoritative apostolic teaching.
To help visualize this, picture yourself opening your mailbox. You receive a dozen different letters, each delivered to you. One particular letter catches your attention because it’s from the Internal Revenue Service. You give special attention to this letter because of whom the sender is. You understand that what they say in that letter has authority because it was given to them by the government. As you read it, you see that they are giving you instructions to fulfill. This cannot be ignored.
In the same way, this letter to the Corinthians is important because it was sent by an apostle with instructions for the church to uphold. This apostle is vested with authority by Jesus to lay the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). More importantly, when he speaks in Scripture, God is speaking (2 Timothy 3:16).
Imagine yourself opening Paul’s letter for the first time. You recognize its importance and start reading. He tells you in this letter that the reason he wrote you is so that you will have “understanding” regarding head covering. He wants you to know what the symbol means, why the churches practice it, and what it communicates when we ignore his instructions. You also see that he gives his praise if we “hold firmly” to teachings like this one.
This article is a reprint of “Apostolic Tradition: Holding to What Has Been Delivered To Us” (chapter 2) in Jeremy Gardiner’s book Head Covering: A Forgotten Christian Practice for Modern Times.
