1 Corinthians 11:1-16
1Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Propriety in Worship
2I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.
3Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. 6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
11In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
The first verse of St. Paul's chapter eleven is the last verse of chapter ten...Christ is our example of how to live...He is our perfect example...His teachings are to make us much better, in fact to be perfect...Jesus even tells us to be perfect, like God is perfect...St. Paul says he himself follows the example of Christ...
He praises the church on Corinth for remembering him in everything and for holding on to his teachings...
In Paul's time and culture head covering was a sign of respect...Women with uncovered hair meant that they were sexually free, and insubordinate to men...Long hair on women during his time was a sign of subordination...A man should not cover his head in certain time in respect to God...Paul also mentions that long hair on man is a disgrace (verse fourteen)...St. Paul felt this respect of hair and head covering needed to be continued in the Corinthian culture and should take place in the churches he started and was involved in...Paul does not tell us that what long hair is, that is what length long is actually long...There are sculptures that show men with long hair (in his time), that maybe Paul did not consider long...But we can deduce that Paul thought women should have longer hair than men...
God created man...The first woman, Eve, came from the first man...Now even though God creates all things, women give birth to both men and women...St. Paul is trying to answer some of the issues of his day, on head covering and hair to the Corinthians...The starting churches had questions...He is trying to make the people better and his churches better...St. Paul felt that there is this permanent relationship with man and God, since we are made in His image...St. Paul wanted us to be humble and respect God...We need some sort of rules to follow when we do things, churches need guidelines on things that were not mentioned by Jesus in the Gospels...St. Paul's examples are good rules to follow...Jesus is the perfect example to follow...