BACK

It would not be unreasonable to consider that the ‘authority’ referred to in 1 Corinthians 11:10 was indicated by the long hair and the covering of it. If the hair was cut off it would have been because there was no covering (verse 6); with the long hair there would have been the covering.

The point does arise again as to whether the injunctions relate to every female or only to those who are either espoused or married. The authority would normally be the husband. It could be said to be the Father if the woman was unmarried (the Father gives his daughter away when she marries), or possibly a Brother if the Father had died or was otherwise unavailable. In verse 5 we have “her own head” spoken of. This would appear to be her husband. It seems to be unreal to say that a woman is to be in subjection to every man - that every man is her head. A single unmarried woman away from home or a widow with no one to support her has not in any real sense a man as her head. One could say that if she wears a covering she is showing that she accepts that she would be subject if she in fact had such a head, that is, a husband. However, this would be reading into the passage more than is actually there.

The reference to the angels is again a matter of dispute. Are these the angels (heavenly messengers) who live in the heavens and who observe in the assembly the all-various wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10) ? Paul refers to himself as a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men (1 Corinthians 4:9). Alternatively, are they responsible persons in the assemblies to whom deference should be paid ? See for instance Revelation 1:20. To whom should we refer the passage ? In the absence of any qualifying words the only safe course is to treat it as applying to all those in the Scriptures called angels. Nevertheless, however we understand the reference to angels it does not affect the practice we are to follow. It does appear though that Paul inserts the reference to angels as a reason for the practice he advocates and we should therefore seek to understand it as it would help us to see the importance of what Paul is saying. It may be noted that Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:21 : “I testify before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels” showing that angels observe what goes on in the assembly. They cannot see into our hearts, but they can see what we do and how we present ourselves; hence the importance of being right outwardly as well as inwardly. A sign on the

NEXT