Why women with uncovered heads. Simple Questions
From time immemorial, women have been going to church in headscarves. Even skirts are now considered not as important an attribute as a headscarf - they say that it is better to go to the temple in jeans, but with a headdress, than in a skirt and without it. Why do women cover their heads in church, what is the tradition of wearing a headscarf in church connected with?
The legend of headscarves and skirts in the church
There is a legend about headscarves and long skirts in the church. They say that in ancient world people came to the temple in whatever they wanted. And God was not too pleased.Therefore, God sent a vision to one of the young maidens and said: “If you go to the temple with your head covered and in long skirt, your prayers will be heard, because an Angel will be assigned to you to help. But how else will he recognize you if you are not different from other girls?
As expected, the next day the girl came to the temple in a long skirt and a scarf, and to the question of her friends why she dressed up so strangely, the beauty told about her vision.
Naturally, this wonderful news about the new “church dress code” instantly spread all over the world. And, of course, everyone wanted to have their own Angel and quick answers to prayers, which means that everyone began to come to the temple as expected.
Many centuries have passed since then, but the tradition of going to church in a headscarf and a long skirt has remained. True, now the skirt has become out of honor. Who knows, maybe that's why the prayers of modern girls do not reach the sky so quickly?
This legend is just a comic illustration of a hot topic. But, without a doubt, the tradition of covering one's head in church dates back to ancient times.
And one of the sources of such a tradition is, first of all, the Holy Word of God - the Bible, which Christians are guided by.What the Bible Says About Head Covering
What does the Bible say about head covering and why a woman should wear a headscarf in church?
In the 1st epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church, in chapter 11, it is said that it is indecent for a woman to pray with her head uncovered. Moreover, the wife must have on her head the sign of her husband's authority.
There is also a mention that hair was given to a woman instead of a veil. And they are an honor for her, while for a man long hair- a shame (with which many representatives of the stronger sex will not agree now).
Nevertheless, for a modern woman it is strange to consider a fashionable haircut or even a shave as a shame. Just as it is strange to replace the bedspread with loose hair.
What is the point here? Without a detailed analysis of the text and immersion in the traditions of Corinth, where the letter of the Apostle was sent, it is clearly impossible to understand here.
Why did women in Corinth cover their heads in church?
It turns out there is a simple explanation why some women in Corinth covered their heads in the temple. But this is where the tradition of wearing a headscarf in church came from.During the time of the Apostolic Church in Corinth there was a large temple of the goddess Artemis, containing priestesses of love, with whom any man could enter into a relationship for money. hallmark the priestesses had a shaved head.
Non-professional prostitutes of that time, in order to show their occupation, cut their hair on their temples. Accordingly, if your temples were cut or you were shaved bald, it became clear who you were. It was kind of a sign. women lung behavior.
What did the newly converted Christians with a dark past need to do? When they entered the church, everyone saw that their hair was short or shaved - and by this they not only brought shame on themselves, but also cast a shadow on the whole church.
Knowing what the congregation in Corinth had to deal with, Paul wrote: “Women, let your hair grow, keep your hair cut, and if your hair is in trouble, cover your head so that no one thinks you are a vicious woman.”
It turns out that the whole issue of the biblical passage lies in the characteristics of the territory to which the message was intended. Although, of course, a similar situation could be observed in other areas. Most importantly, the very idea of the origin of the tradition is clear, so that a woman covers her head in church.
Traditions to cover a woman's head
Of course, on modern understanding women's clothing in the church, in addition to the Bible, the tradition of the ancient world also influenced.
In the traditions of the ancient world (Greece, Rome, Byzantium), the headdress was of great importance for women.
First of all, it was necessary to protect against aggressive weather conditions. It is not for nothing that in the hot southern countries and in the desert, women still cover their heads - otherwise they simply cannot be saved.
In addition to protection and comfort, the cloak symbolized maturity, and wearing it was an honor for a woman, while baring her head for a married woman was the greatest shame.
IN ancient Rus' a women's headdress (shawl) was also required. They called him "ubrus". Another scarf was worn under the ubrus, which insulated the head and protected the top dress from pollution. In winter, a hat or fur scarf was worn over the scarf.
We also know about the existence of kokoshnik and kiki.
Later, the old hats were replaced by hats.
At present, the tradition of covering women's heads has been lost, although there is a tendency to return them, because even on the street you can see women in headscarves. And it is really very feminine and beautiful.
Another conversation is when you are not allowed into the church without a headscarf, explaining this by tradition. And a woman with an uncovered head in church is condemned, and this is considered indecent and unacceptable.
Is it really fair?
Why is the woman in the church wearing a headscarf?
As we said earlier, the need to cover the head was due to the traditions of a particular area and time. In today's world, things are a little different.
Why are women in church wearing headscarves now? Should a woman cover her head in church today?Agree, now no one will say that you are a lady of easy virtue if you cut your hair or even shave. In extreme cases, you will be referred to as a very eccentric person.
We are no longer talking about our grandmothers who cut their hair because it is inconvenient for them to care for long hair.
And if we talk about the sign of power over married woman then now wedding ring plays the role of a cover.
To top it all off, we don't go anywhere and everywhere in headscarves, with the exception of Siberian women. cold winter. Therefore, the meaning of putting on a scarf before entering the temple, in general, is lost.
In addition, God-fearing women also pray at home. Is it necessary to wear a headscarf when praying, where no one can see you? And if you have a great desire to pray somewhere on the road, but there is no headscarf? Is it because of his absence that your prayer will not be answered?
The clergy say that praying with an uncovered head is not a sin; a woman, at her discretion, as a sign of humility, can put on a scarf while saying a prayer at home.
So why is it so obligatory to wear a scarf or scarf on your head in church?
According to the Apostle, a woman's hair is a veil (we are not saying here that instead of a headscarf, it is obligatory to let it go). But, nevertheless, from this statement the conclusion follows that the handkerchief during prayer is not as important for God and for you as, perhaps, for the people around you.
And, of course, we are not calling on you to organize a revolution in a holy place, we are simply trying to draw your attention to things that can be much more important than formal wearing a headdress in church, more important than an uncovered head in church.
If the Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to modern language and according to our culture, what would his words sound like? Perhaps he would tell us about provocative clothes, tons of makeup on the face and demeanor, thanks to which we can easily be confused with frivolous girls?
Is it not reasonable for those who consider themselves believers to dress and behave according to such a high rank? And to do this not only in front of the door of the temple, but also in Everyday life so as not to dishonor yourself and not to anger God.
And whether to wear a headscarf at the entrance to the church is a personal matter for everyone, although, perhaps, it should be consistent with the ideas of the surrounding people in order not to give them reason for condemnation.
Church rule for women
The only strong argument in favor of women needing a headscarf in church is that when we go there, we accept and respect church rules. After all, as they say, they don’t go to a foreign monastery with their charter. And covering a woman's head is a church rule.
So we have explained why modern women cover their heads in church and express own opinion about this tradition. Of course, this is just a point of view, but it has the right to exist.
On our self-development portal we will find many useful information, about that, and .
There are several answers to the question why women cover their heads with a scarf in church. The question itself can be considered insufficiently correct. If there are doubts about this tradition, then it is very easy to move on to other, no less incorrect questions.
Can a tradition become obsolete?
For example, why worship is conducted in this way and not otherwise. Or - why are these attributes used in it, and not some others. Therefore, the first and most correct answer, why is it impossible without a headscarf - because this is the tradition Orthodox Church. And those who accept this faith must follow its dogmas and traditions unquestioningly and not question them.
The opinion about the outdated tradition began from the moment when some clergymen, in the process of increased secularization of the church and attempts to attract as many parishioners as possible, started talking about it.
Some people think that since no one wears headscarves now, then girls and women can come with their heads uncovered. This is motivated by the fact that it is better to visit the temple without a headscarf than not to go there at all.
In some monasteries, at the entrance, visitors are given various types of hats, among which there may be a lace scarf and a snood.
Sometimes, to enter the territory of a temple or monastery, it is enough to throw a hood over your head.
Hooded scarf
To what extent does this correspond Orthodox traditions, difficult to understand. The rules of church worship oblige a woman to enter the temple with her head covered. What exactly she puts on her hair is already, as it were, unimportant, the main thing is that they are closed.
The secularization of religion in an attempt to attract parishioners has led to the fact that fasting is considered permissible in a relaxed form, the main thing is going to church.
The same is true of the strict rules of some big holidays, in which the church allowed to perform conditional actions. Although there are predestinations, which until recently it was customary to follow.
The indignation of those who address the obsolescence of headscarves, while covering their heads in church with various substitutes, is incomprehensible. Someone uses a neck tippet, and someone uses a lace scarf, through which the hair is completely visible.
Which scarf to choose for church
Meanwhile, according to church canons, it is predetermined not only what the headdress should be, but also what color to wear on what occasions, how to tie it, and who can wear one or another variety:
- light, white plain or with a small floral border, in a small pattern, can be worn in the temple on holidays;
- any color other than green or black is used for a normal, everyday visit;
- black is worn as a sign of mourning, and plain dark color can and should be worn on days strict fast;
- red is worn at Easter or all the time until Holy Ascension;
- green - befitting only on Palm Sunday and Trinity;
- flowers or small polka dots with a border are usually worn by women serving in the temple.
Don scarves, which are now heavily sold in online stores, are lace and with Swarovski crystals - a thing that absolutely contradicts the very spirit of the established tradition, which is present only in Orthodox religion.
There are special Orthodox scarves(a scarf-hood with ties under the chin, which are put on the head). The ties are sewn on the drawstring.
A headdress worn and tied under the chin usually does not fall off; it can also be worn by a woman who is not used to such an outfit.
You can use any scarf as a scarf, the main thing for a girl is that it does not slip off her head. A traditional church scarf should be of medium size so that it can be tied under the chin, and at the back it covers the hair.
The drop-down does not fulfill the function for which it was originally intended.
Important. It is of great importance precisely, as to the church, that the rest of the secular profanations of custom, admitted modern church in the process of secularization - this is an imitation of tradition, but not quite its observance.
Swarovski rhinestones, used on holidays to show what the price of a hat for going to church, is nothing more than pride. The Christian religion calls to fight against such excesses, condemning such an outfit as one of the unlawful sins.
To understand the tradition that is indirectly called to observe, you just need to understand why in the church women cover their heads with a scarf.
Why do women cover their heads with a scarf in church: the origins and importance of tradition
According to tradition, this tradition was initiated by the Apostle Paul. It dates back to the time of his arrival in Corinth on a preaching mission.
At that time, there was a pagan temple in which the priestesses shaved their heads and gave themselves to the glory of their goddess, thus performing an act of sacrifice.
Some of the priestesses of this temple began to profess the Christian religion. So that no one could reproach them with their past until their hair grows, the Apostle Paul obliged everyone to wear headscarves in the temple.
The second version of the same event is that women with hair showed them as a warning to harlots, and this was a manifestation of pride, because everyone is equal before the Lord.
Another interpretation of the scarf in the church is that the man was created by God in his own image and likeness. Therefore, he takes off his hat or headdress, as a sign of respect before the Creator. A woman, created by God from a man's rib, puts on a headscarf to show her humility and submission to a man.
There are other versions. For example, by covering her hair in the temple immediately after marriage, a woman takes a vow of fidelity, leaving the opportunity to see her hair only to herself. close person- husband.
Not only women, but also girls put on a scarf in church to hide one of the most attractive features of their appearance.
In the Temple of the Lord there should be no sinful thoughts and objects of desire, and therefore it was prescribed to wear skirts to the floor and scarves.
Important. In this case, wearing a lace scarf, a flirty handkerchief with hair straightened out from under it and tied back, makes no sense. He does not hide the ladies' charms, as is the case with a real headdress, but, on the contrary, emphasizes them and attracts attention.
In the case of men, removing the headgear can also be interpreted in different ways. In Rus', the hat was distinctive feature title or position, especially among government officials.
When they took off their headdress, they leveled their social or property status. The removed hat showed everyone that everyone is equal before the Lord.
How justified is it to wear a headscarf in church?
Before looking online for where to buy or how to sew a scarf, you should think about why a headdress is worn in church. This is not a means to demonstrate or emphasize your charms, to attract admiring glances from men or envious women.
Because otherwise going to the Temple does not make much sense. Starting with the denial of one tradition, embedded in religious postulates, then one can easily question the expediency of rituals, vestments of read prayers.
After all, they are used to turn to God. Certain rules of conduct are accepted in any community. Only the most ill-mannered person will come up with the idea of eating on the floor, spitting into a well, refusing respect for elders or depriving children of their care.
Pretty much the same is the case with religious customs dictated by age-old experience, national mentality, heritage of ancestors.
Life has changed, new vehicles, information technology, ways of communication. But for many people, nothing has changed in relation to and turning to God, following religious commandments, church canons and rules. And if a person considers himself a believer, he follows them steadily, without reasoning about expediency.
The tradition of covering one's head in church, this is not a law, but the insistent recommendation of the holy apostle Paul. In accordance with his Epistle to the Corinthians, a man should pray with an uncovered head, and a woman with a covered one. From ancient times, women's hair was considered one of the most expressive elements of female attractiveness, and this was a counterbalance to modesty, one of the signs of which was covered hair.
Even in the pre-Christian era, hetaeras in Greece walked with uncovered hair, and family women had to express belonging to their husband by covering their heads, showing that they belonged to their husband.
Where did the tradition of covering women's heads come from?
According to the instructions of the apostle appearance a believer, regardless of gender, should be restrained and modest, and cannot be a source of temptation or embarrassment. should be in the mood for prayer, expressing respect and reverence for the holiness of the temple and the Liturgy taking place in it. Thus, Christian tradition is the inadmissibility of believing men in the temple in a headdress, and believing women - without a headscarf.
This tradition is based on the statement of the Apostle that Christ is the head of every man, the head of the wife is the husband, and the head of Christ is God. For a man who prays with his head covered puts his head to shame, but a woman who prays with her head uncovered puts her head to shame, equating it with a shaved head. The man is the image and the glory of God, and the woman is the glory of the man, because "the husband is not from the wife and for the wife, but the wife is from the husband and for the husband." The handkerchief is a sign of power over her, this is for the Angels.
The opposite statement is not based on a misunderstanding of the principle of equality of men and women before God. Jesus never discriminated against women during his sermons, and by the way, the same applies to pagans, whom Jesus never discriminated against. In practice, Mary Magdalene was the first to observe the Risen One, and here her advantage, for example, over the Apostle Peter. Before Christ, in the matter of achieving salvation and liberation, the acquisition of the Holy Spirit and the eternal man and woman, they are absolutely equal.
However, the error of some amateur theologians is that equality in Christ is not identical with equality in the flesh. In Christ, in fact, there are no gender and national signs, however, in nature we will all be different, until the very moment of transition into eternity. It is precisely these definite signs that the apostle Paul is trying to draw the attention of the Corinthians when discussing the covering of the head. He's not talking about covering or not covering his head" spiritual man that is in Christ, it specifically refers to human flesh, and it is certainly not yet in Christ.
The idea is that God subjugates all the elements of both the material and the spiritual world, and they (this is the main thing) are ordered among themselves and are in a harmonious system, with a number of levels and subordinations. This system is harmony, and the claims of individual elements of this system for functions that are not characteristic of them lead to disharmony, disturbances and imbalance, and as a result, to its disorder.
With Christ, the idea of unity came to earth, and not the idea of equality, it is it that gives consistency, unanimity and lack of discontent, and while maintaining the individuality of each person, there must be mutual subordination - subordination and a certain system of hierarchy.
The apostle Paul finds an illustration of this interdependence in human body, in which everyone is in a state of subordination to other members, having equal rights, but also unequal opportunities. The body functions successfully when not the equalization of all members takes place, but the coordinated interaction and unity of each in its place and with its functions. Consequently, equality in a certain respect does not exclude, but presupposes a hierarchy, that is, inequality. Paul writes that the whole body is not an eye or an ear. A married sister, covering her head, shows the surrounding world her submission to the position established by God. And this is a testimony not only for others, but also a sign for the Angels. By observing people, Satan and the fallen angels discover that God has received obedience from people that he did not receive from them, and this shames them. Satan is put to shame not only by Jesus, who submitted to the Father, but also by ordinary handkerchiefs, that is, by people who voluntarily submitted to God's institutions. This is the obedience of the wife to her husband, and the covering of the head is a sign of this state. Satan, on the other hand, is trying to convince women who are not strong in spirit that it is not necessary to cover their heads.
But in doing so, Paul points out that covering the head is a voluntary act. This is where the shame of angels is manifested, in voluntariness, when women, equal to men in terms of grace, in the flesh obey them, giving a sign of their obedience to God's institutions. Therefore, there should be no compulsory ecclesiastical law on head coverings for sisters.
Before touching on research head covering or non-covering by women, it is necessary to pay attention to general principles interpretations of the messages that will help us understand this and many other questions.
First of all, it is important to note that the epistle is a letter from the apostle to a specific local Christian community (as opposed to the Epistles of Peter, John and James, addressed to all Christians). The Apostle Paul received messages through letters or messengers about what was happening in a particular church, about situations and problems in it, and in response to this he sent a letter there in which he wanted to express his instructions for solving and correctly understanding the problems that arose.
Specifically, in 1 Corinthians, Paul wanted to help the church with a number of problems that arose in the Corinthian community. There were quite a few of them: divisions in the community into groups, the center of which was the veneration of a certain authority (1-4 chapters); the sin of incest that arose in the community (chapter 5); litigation between members of the community and fornication with temple prostitutes (ch. 6); questions family life(intimate relationships, divorce, celibacy) (ch. 7); participation in pagan feasts (chapter 8); the authority of Paul's apostleship (ch. 9); order in the community of Corinth: women's headdresses, the celebration of the Lord's Supper, various gifts in the church, speaking in tongues in worship (ch. 11-14); the main hope of Christians is not prosperity on earth, but the resurrection at the Second Coming of the Lord (ch. 15).
Each letter dealt with unique problems in the local community. The epistle is not simply the reflection of an apostle. From the topics and issues that he raises, we can understand what problems were relevant for a particular community. Some of these problems are of a general nature, and some related to the local characteristics of a particular community, and it would be a mistake to apply them to all Christians in all cities and countries.
FEATURES OF CORINTH
Corinth was a special city of the ancient world. He was one of the largest shopping centers through which significant trade routes passed. It was the provincial capital and even vied for some time with Athens for control of the colonies and trade. In it, every two years, an alternative to the Olympic Games was held - the Isthmian Games, which included gymnastic, equestrian, poetic and musical competitions.
The city had two ports, its own colonies and was very expensive to live in. It was filled with people of different nations and peoples.
The main temple of the city in the acropolis was the temple of the goddess of love and fertility Aphrodite, in which there were more than a thousand temple prostitutes who served merchants and travelers. It is worth noting that women of the corresponding lifestyle walked with uncovered heads, moreover, with loose hair. In the culture of the ancient world, Corinth was famous for its wild lifestyle, as a city of fertility cult with its numerous feasts and debauchery. In this regard, even a new word appeared in Greek- "corinth", meaning an unbridled way of life. When a character from Corinth appeared on the stage in Greek theaters, he was, in fact, always drunk, which vividly illustrates the image of this city in ancient Greek culture.
One can imagine the problems faced by a Christian community in this context, which consisted of residents of this city who were accustomed to a certain way of life in Corinth. Therefore, it becomes clear why such problems as association with prostitutes (ch. 6), debauchery that does not cause any reaction from the community (ch. 5), drunkenness at the Supper (ch. 11), and participation in pagan fertility feasts (ch. 8) are relevant for Christians accustomed to living in such a city.
Related to this context is the question of head covering women in the church.
HEAD COVERING
Head covering in public places was considered a common practice in many ancient cultures. To appear without a headdress to a decent woman in public was considered shameful and indecent. It was a similar disgrace for a woman to cut her hair. A woman had to grow her hair all her life and no haircuts were allowed.
This is quite understandable to the inhabitants of Russia. In Rus', this custom also took place. Appearing in public or allowing yourself to be seen by a stranger without a covered head was a shame and disgrace for a woman. This is well reflected in famous word expressing shame and disgrace - “goof off”, i.e. allow yourself to be seen without a covered head, with "plain hair". The generally accepted norms of decency required a woman to have her hair uncut and to cover her hair whenever she went out of the house.
The apostle, referring to this issue, also refers not to the texts of Scripture, but to the realities of culture and the norms of decency. Paul writes: “Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered shames her head, for it is the same as if she were shaved”(1 Corinthians 11:5)
Today, women in most countries, including Russia, can walk down the street and visit public places without a headdress. This is not perceived as indecent behavior, since modern culture does not have such a criterion of propriety.
Moreover, the apostle states that “If the wife does not want to cover herself, then let her have her hair cut; but if a woman is ashamed to have her hair cut or shaved, let her cover herself.”(1 Corinthians 11:6)
Cutting one's hair and going bareheaded were equivalent indecent acts, which is why Paul puts them together. If a woman cuts her hair, then this is the same shame for her as walking with her head uncovered. Today we cut our hair and this applies to both men and women. However, if we want to literally observe the texts of this message, then we must also accept that it is indecent and shameful for a woman to have a haircut. Despite this, the churches are full of Christian women with haircuts and it never occurs to anyone to condemn them for immorality. I want to emphasize once again that both of these actions (uncovered head and haircut), in equally are immoral and shameful from the point of view of ancient culture.
So Paul again and again gives "cultural" rather than divine arguments for this practice: “Judge for yourselves, is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you, ... if a wife grows her hair, it is an honor for her, since the hair is given to her instead of a cover?(1 Cor. 11:13-15)
He refers to "decency", "nature", calls on the Christians of Corinth "to judge for themselves" and not to oppose the generally accepted practice.
In concluding his argument, he relies on the head covering tradition as a final argument: “And if anyone wanted to argue, then we do not have such a custom, nor the church of God”(1 Cor. 1 1:16). Custom, decency, nature - these are the reasons for observing this practice, from the point of view of the Apostle Paul.
Reading his reasoning, we can come to the conclusion that in the community of Corinth, some women, as "free in Christ" from the customs of the world, decided to abandon accepted norms decorum and not to cover your head. The apostle tries to convince them that Christians should not abandon all norms of culture and should be decent people in their society.
This Christian principle still applies today. Obviously, if Christian women look indecent and immoral from the point of view of the culture of the 21st century, then this is unlikely to be consistent with Christian principles. In those Eastern countries, where the generally accepted norm of decency for a woman is to cover her entire body and head, Christian women must also comply with this, so that the name of Christ is not reproached and that they and their faith are not perceived as immoral. That is, in all countries of the world, we, as Christians, must be decent people and not violate the moral standards of society, if this does not contradict the Word of God.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the head covering in the ancient world was not a religious rule, but related to everyday life in society. In all public places, a woman must have her head covered, and accordingly, also in the church. If today's standards of decency in our country required that a woman always cover her head and never cut her hair, then it would be necessary for Christian women to adhere to this, since it would be decent.
Today, Christian women of all continents and countries should be a model of decency and morality for the whole society. But the point is that in different countries these norms of decency are different. Therefore, Christians in different countries are different - faithful to God and faithful to the norms of decency of their society, if they do not contradict the first.
Should women cover their heads in church today? According to Paul, in a culture where this is a mandatory custom for all women, this should be done. In a different culture, this is not necessary. Women around you cutting hair and walking bareheaded and this is not considered immoral and indecent? If so, then you do not need to cover your head, either on the street or in church.
The same question, but from a slightly different angle, is discussed in another material on our site -->
Konstantin Chumakov
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Should I cover my head in church or not? Why is there a difference for men and women?
- QUESTION FROM TATIANA
I can not understand how to act correctly according to the Bible? Many people say that women need to cover their heads in church, and in some churches this is not practiced. And I don't understand why there is a difference for men and women?
Apparently, here we are talking about the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. In chapter 11, Paul spoke about the need for women to cover their heads when they pray:
“Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered shames her head”(1 Cor. 11.5).
The answer to a similar question has already been given earlier in the material. However, now we will approach this topic from a slightly different angle.
Today in many Christian churches literally understand the words of the apostle and strictly follow his instructions. In a number of denominations, women do not wear headscarves, which raises questions from some believers: what is the right thing to do?
Let's look at the words of the Apostle Paul together.
First of all, remember that Bible verses often cannot be understood as separate independent phrases, that is, taken out of the context of the narrative. All epistles are complete sermons of the apostles and prophets and consist of complete passages - parts of the sermon. Moreover, these passages (parts of the sermon) rarely correspond to the division into chapters, which was adopted centuries after the writing of the books of the Bible. Also, when interpreting Scripture, one must take into account historical and geographical specifics.
In chapter 11 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, from verse 2, Paul begins to edify the Christians of Corinth about the internal church rules of life and behavior. This theme will last until chapter 14 inclusive.
Paul began by explaining “primacy”: the head of the wife is the husband, the head of the husband is Christ, and the head of Christ is God. Not here there is talk about headship, as such, but about who descends from whom, and who performs what role. Jesus the Son is from God the Father, the wife is from the bone of her husband. Husband in Hebrew sounds ish, and wife ishsha, that is, having general part with husband. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that a woman is a "second" class person. On the contrary, Holy Scripture immediately says that both a woman and a man are called God the same way - a man:
“And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female created THEM” (Gen. 1:27)
But the roles of people, as well as those of the persons of the Deity, are different. Christ the Son descended to Earth, that is, he fulfilled the role assigned to Him… Among people, the woman has always been the guardian of the hearth, caring for the household and raising children. The husband, on the other hand, was responsible for the subsistence of the family and carried out a priestly function, since he had more relations with the outside world. However, this neither before nor now does not belittle or belittle the status of a woman before God and her husband. According to the Bible, a woman enjoyed great freedom and respect. She acted not only as a wife, mother and housekeeper, but also as a judge (Deborah), a prophetess (Mariam), a wise counselor (2 Sam. 14:2; 20:16) and even the embodiment of heroism (Esther).
However, there must be order in everything. That is why God leaves a certain primacy to the husband. But this applies, I repeat, to the roles that I have provided for a full-fledged happy marriage Lord. Today there are families where men lie on the couch, and women take on the role of the breadwinner ... Also now there is a feminist movement in the world that advocates for the equality of women. If you are careful and look at the life of such ladies, you can see that they often do not have happy life... Instead of being looked after by a beloved man to bask in his arms, hide behind his broad back ... These ladies themselves play the role of men, but at the same time they lose the joy of being a weak woman, that is, the advantages of the fairer sex. Although, probably, many feminists more than once wanted to find a "real" man in order to become a "real" woman ...
So, having sorted out the roles a bit, we can return to the topic of covering the head again. Paul noted that “every husband praying or prophesying with a covered head shames his head”(1 Cor. 11:4), and he had the opposite requirement for a woman ... It is obvious that cause such instruction lies in the roles.
If you carefully read the entire part of the sermon devoted to covering the head and primacy, it is not difficult to notice that Paul never referred to the Old Testament Scriptures and did not even hint that this decree is from God and refers to His law - the commandments. Instead, Paul looks to nature for argument (vv. 13-15), which is unusual for a theologian of this stature... And he concludes by saying that he simply won't argue on the subject. It seems that this was due to the fact that he simply did not have theological arguments, but he felt that he was thinking correctly.
Indeed, in all the huge Holy Scripture with its numerous commandments (the Jews count 613 commandments in God's law), there is not a single word about prayer with a covered and, accordingly, with an open head, especially in relation to believers of different sexes. At the very least, it is strange that there is no commandment to cover the head, because if it were important, then the Lord would certainly leave such instruction for people. But in Scripture we find a description of the traditions that took place among those peoples.
“The Lord will bare the crown of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their shame”(Isaiah 3:17)
God, warning about punishment, uses here the traditions of the people to whom he addresses, in order to convey His thought to people in a language understandable to people.
A distinctive feature of life in the East is the modest clothing of women covering almost the entire body. A special role given to the headgear. So it was in the past, and so it remains to this day. This is not about the hijab, but about covering the head. Decent women of the East could not leave the house with their heads uncovered, that is, with their hair loose. And vice versa, getters and public women at pagan temples, including in Corinth, walked with loose hair. I would like to note that this was not only in the countries of the East. And in Russia, it was not decent for women to take off their headdress or loose their hair outside the house, they had to be at least gathered in a bun with a scarf or ribbon woven into it. Hence the expression “to goof off” - to be disgraced, disgraced, remaining among the people with an uncovered head.
Now I think it's clear why Paul insisted on women wearing head coverings in the prayer meeting where they pray and prophesy (preach). Church meetings were public place and not a house. And therefore, when some ladies, having dreamed about the preached freedom in Christ, “there is no longer ... male, nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28), began to neglect the norms of morality accepted in society, and despite the opinions of others, they began to take off their hats, then they met with the opposition of Paul! What was the apostle defending here by forbidding such behavior for women?
Everything is very simple. Paul preached to people of different nationalities and different faiths, and in spreading the Gospel he tried to be closer to people, without violating their foundations, as far as it did not contradict the law of God. A little earlier than the passage we are examining, he wrote to the Corinthians:
“I was like a Jew to the Jews, to win the Jews; to those under the law he was as under the law, in order to gain those under the law; for those who are strangers to the law - as someone who is strangers to the law, - without being a stranger to the law before God… I do this for the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:20-23)
That is, Paul took into account the mentality of the people to whom he wanted to tell about God. Imagine a situation that today a young girl, wearing a light beacon and short shorts, her hair down to the waist, will come to one of the countries of the East and will walk the streets talking about Jesus Christ.
Such a picture can be seen on the streets of European cities ... But in the East, this girl is in trouble. And of course, her sermon about Christ will not be heard. Moreover, these people will harbor a dislike for Jesus, who allows young women to dress in such an inappropriate way. Such examples can be continued for a long time, recalling the peculiarities of the life of the peoples of Africa, Asia, etc. Each locality has its own traditions and its own concepts of what is beautiful, decent, and what, on the contrary, is immoral. And of course, it is difficult for a person to quickly change the mentality - the views with which he grew up and lived for decades ... Therefore, Paul urged to take into account the culture of the people when bringing the Gospel to them, but within the framework of the law of God “not being a stranger to the law before God”.
By forbidding the women of Corinth to take off their head coverings in the congregation, Paul shows that Christians do not need to reject the standards of social decency, even if they are not based on the direct word of God. That is, Christians are not free from moral norms and should be an example and a model in the environment where they live, so that as much as possible more people lead to God and save. If Christians are perceived in society as “uncivilized” people, rebels who trample on generally accepted values, then neither the church nor God will benefit from this, however, just like these people themselves. It is not difficult to understand that a person will then be listened to when, from the point of view of society, he will be a high example.
Now, as for the head coverings by men... Talking about these texts, one thing is clear - we do not have complete information about this situation. But, apparently, the readers - Christians of Corinth understood the apostle well. Apparently, at that time, there was some secular or religious dispute about this. Perhaps Paul was against the introduction by the Jews of the tradition, in addition to those established by the Holy Scriptures, praying, covering his head with a tallit or a kippah. The problem of Judaism is that believers supplemented the written law of God with the oral law, which they put on a par with the revelations of God Himself. Therefore, Paul, as taught by Jesus and the prophets, was against traditions added to Scripture. And when Christians began to adopt such a religious cult from the Jews, probably considering the head covering to be God's law, Paul opposed this.
So, we can conclude: speaking of the headship and difference between the robes of a man and a woman, the apostle had in mind the order in the community and in the family of believers. Paul wanted Christians to be a model for the Gentiles around them, propagating in particular the biblical ideal of community and family relationships. The apostle also explained that customs, traditions and cultural characteristics that do not contradict the commandments of God should not be rejected by believers, without naturally overshadowing the law of the Lord.
Konstantin Chumakov, Valery Tatarkin
