Directly addresses the practice of women wearing head coverings during church gatherings, asserting it as a biblical instruction rooted in divine order and symbolism rather than a mere cultural custom. It explains that the head covering is a sign of authority and submission, reflecting the order where Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of woman, with God as the head of Christ. The message clarifies that this practice is not about female inferiority but about maintaining a God-honoring order in worship, with specific attention to the roles of men and women in public ministry and prayer, and concludes by encouraging believers to embrace this practice as a willing expression of obedience to God and consideration for fellow believers.
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that Mr. Wilson is a young man, but a young man that God has really used in signal fashion in the part of the country where his love is cast. He was commended from an assembly in Pittsburgh and has done a real pioneer job with what was a little group in North Adams and that group has grown and today God has established their a very viable assembly work. God has surrounded this young man with several other young men who are gifted and exercised and burdened and so the preacher who's coming is one who has had real success in the work of the Lord and I'm confident we're in for a very good time.
Be in much prayer about it and pray for him especially. You know these younger men when they come to Park of the Palms They come in fear and trepidation because they know that brethren from all over the country sort of congregate here and they sort of feel that they're a little, it's a little like David and Goliath. I better not carry that comparison too far. But these young men, they need our prayers and I'd like to feel that when he goes away he'll be thanking God that he had the joy of being with us and that we'll be able to really empathize with him and get the word of the Lord from him that it'll be a challenge to our hearts as it has been to the hearts of many in North Adams over a period of several years now I've been praying with him about his father his father is not yet saved has a real burden for his father so if you've got a prayer list it isn't quite complete you'd like to put somebody else on it put Bill Wilson's father on your prayer list will you now we're going to read we're going to read from first Corinthians chapter eleven and
we are not going to stray from this chapter we may make a comment or two concerning other portions of scripture but we're trying to cover a little bit of the ground dealing with what I've called our distinctive what other Christians may well call our peculiarities. It's very peculiar to some believers that Christians should meet every Sunday to break bread in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. They don't understand it because it isn't what they do and so they look upon it as being rather peculiar.
But we believe that it's the teaching of the Word of God and we joy in the privilege and we practice it week by week then there are those who have said concerning baptism and of course many many believers are one with us in teaching the truth of believers baptism but there are lots of Christians who do not baptize and so this may well be listed among our peculiarities one of the things that probably brands us more than anybody else is the fact that when someone comes into the meeting, most of the ladies they find have got head coverings on their heads.
Now this prompts quite a bit of conversation. Now it's happy to be in a congregation, in a local church where Nobody stands up and hits out at other people. We love all the Lord's people. You could be in that little room week by week. We pray for those in our own community who are preaching the word of God and we rejoice at the success of their ministries. We have the privilege of joining with others in the work of God in a community like this and we thank God that so many men are really preaching the word of God Sunday by Sunday in our own community. But I wouldn't imagine that you'd go into one of the churches in town and find so many ladies, even though some of their congregations are much larger than this one, with a head covering upon their heads.
Now the situation is getting to the place where sometimes, perhaps, if you go to visit another church because you have an exercise and you wear a head covering, you feel rather strange. I hope you go and visit other churches sometimes. I would be going and fellowship with other believers sometimes. But you certainly will find yourself a little bit out in left field as far as the head covering is concerned. I want to encourage your heart tonight because I feel that the church down through the centuries has not been so sadly mistaken as many Christians today seem to feel. A generation ago, one would never have entered a church.
and found the ladies uncovered. Now, have they all been wronged down through the years? Has some modern discovery come to light that makes this obsolete? I really don't think so. So tonight, as I promised this morning, I just want to encourage your hearts, and I want to explain to any who may do it and not know why they do it, or who may have some reservations about it, just why it is that we observe this practice. So I'm going to read to you from First Corinthians chapter eleven and I'm going to do what I don't usually do from the public platform.
I'm going to read from another translation, one that I put at the top of the list, the new international version. So that's what I'm going to be reading from only because there are lots of folk in these modern days who say, well, the King James Version is old-fashioned and obsolete and its language is rather confusing sometimes, but this is a modern translation and it's not at all confusing. But now if you like to look it up afterwards, you will find that they have tragically compromised in this translation. They have put a footnote. And that footnote seems to negate what they say in the main translation.
Now, I think that's characteristic of the day and age in which we are living when there's so much catering to convenience. At some point, I'm going to ask Dr. Leifeld how this footnote got into this translation since he worked upon it along with others. I'm going to ignore the footnote. I'm going to go to the translation. And here's how it goes. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings just as I passed them on to you. Now 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.
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head. It is just as though her head was shaved. If 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. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of man, for man did not come from woman, but woman from man.
Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority upon her head. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him but that if a woman has long hair it is her glory for long hair is given to her as a covering now that's a different word in the Greek from the word covered or covering elsewhere in the chapter I think that's important to notice if anyone wants to be contentious about this we have no other practice nor do the churches of God."
Now to me that seems to be very, very clear, and as I said, I chose to read that translation to you because of its clarity. Now if you want to know what the footnote says, then you'll need to get the translation and read it for yourself. But I rather think that there was some pressure brought to bear upon the translators to put a footnote so that ladies who didn't agree with head covering would be able to find a little loophole here. In the chapter, as conscientiously translated, there is no loophole. Now then, obviously you should not feel at all embarrassed because your conscience tells you when you go into a meeting where the people of God have come together, the churches come together, you cover your head you might like to look at this whole chapter and isn't it strange how many times do we read the end of the chapter and how seldom we read the beginning and yet the whole chapter is one and if you read it you'll find this phrase five or six or maybe seven times when you'll come together when you'll come together when you'll come together the the
thought is here believers are being taught about their practices when they gather together as a local church. Now nobody is going to be able to say of the Assembly here that this is a peculiarity of ours and we harp on it. Apart from a remark by one of the speakers, Mr. Ross McConkey, I think it was, I can find no evidence that this topic has been preached on since I preached on it at the conference in So once in nine years really isn't often to have a truth like this presented since it is a position that the assembly takes and a position that the elders subscribe to.
We believe that the Bible means what it says and that the head covering has a place in the church's gathering together. But now you justifiably can ask why. I don't think that God wants us to do things without knowing why we do them. I don't believe God instructs us to do things without having a very real purpose in mind. We know why we come together to break bread. We have a specific purpose in mind. It is meditation upon the person of the Lord Jesus. We know why we baptize and are baptized, because this is an open confession of our belief in the Lord Jesus.
Now, why do we encourage the head covering in the service? And mark you, you know us well enough to know that no one is going to be ostracized or disciplined or taken apart limb by limb. if they do not see what we're trying to point out. But we feel, as I said this morning, duty-bound to make an explanation. Why should any woman, we're recovering on her head and not have it explained to her why this is pleasing to God and God-honoring? It is her right, and we are remiss in that we don't do it a little more often than we do, just to encourage you in the way.
In nineteen seventy three when I was ministering on first Corinthians I looked up my notes and I dared to put a couple of pages of them into my Bible this evening. I was dealing with chapter ten and chapter eleven under four headings. I'm not going to go into great detail here because I want to stay with this chapter as I promised. We talked about the shame of a stubborn Israel in the first thirteen verses of chapter ten. And then we talked about the shame of a superstitious practice in the last part of that chapter ten. We came to chapter eleven, and in the first half of that chapter we talked about the shame of a shaven woman, and in the last part about the shame of a sensual feasting, the prostituting of the Lord's supper to the believer's own selfish end.
where we read the language about when you come together, one is drunken and another is hungry and so on. And so they had taken the Lord's Supper and made it a period of over-indulgence. Now all of these things were grouped together in order that the Church of God might see how important order is to God. If we look at our chapter eleven here, it seems to me that that divine order is presented in verse three. In verses four and five, there is a dishonored head spoken of, in fact, two.
And then in the verses six through thirteen, there is a direct question. And I think perhaps it might be an idea for us to briefly cover that ground again. Now there's nothing new here for you, but let me read the third verse to you. And now I'm reading in the King James Version. But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Now this verse is a positive. And there's a statement here made, the head of the woman is the man. Now I've said this more than once in the past nine years.
I know that this does not put the woman into an inferior position. And it is proven in so much as flanking these words, we have other words. The head of a man is Christ. You say, well, Christ is certainly superior to the man. Isn't it making a man superior to the woman when you say the head of the woman is the man? No, because they follow these words, the head of Christ is God. Now God the Father is not superior to God the Son, and God the Son is not inferior to God the Father.
This is not a matter of inferiority or superiority, it is the matter of divine order. There are people, you know, who feel that the lady is very much cheated in that she has no place in ministry or prayer in a mixed gathering. Now that is an unjustified feeling because, and again I know I must have said this before because I have a firm conviction about it. I believe there's only one reason why the public ministry and leading in prayer has been given to the man And that is so that the woman can be freed for a much more important ministry than the public ministry.
And that is the ministry of home among her children. You know, if a mother who is in such constant contact with her children lives for God and ministers the word of God to her children... brings them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And after all, I know this is also the responsibility of the Father, but he is out of the home most of the time when the children are up. So it falls to the lot of the mother. And God is so jealous of this particular ministry that he says, I don't want anything to interfere with it. The woman is not going to be burdened by the public ministry.
She is not going to be burdened by leadership in the assembly. She is going to be freed to do the more important work among the young folk. Now I know that there are women who are not married and there are women who have no children. But this does not alter the principle. This is the reason I believe why God has given the public ministry to men. It certainly is not because the woman is inferior. The better ministry has been given to her. So this is the order. The head of the man is Christ.
The head of the woman is man. The head of Christ is God. Now having stated the order in verse three, God goes on to illustrate it with the head covering which is called a sign of authority a sign of authority and the wearing of it is actually an expression of submission now you know what submission means to God you know how the Word of God teaches very very clearly how God pleasing how God honoring how God exalting on the part of the woman is.
It is also part of her ministry. And when she realizes that this is God's order, it doesn't become a burden for her to carry. It doesn't become something unpleasant for her to face. It becomes something that she accepts as before the Lord and joyously accepts. Now it says here, every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. There's the dishonored head for the man. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her head.
Now there's the dishonored head for the woman. Now it's very clear from the chapter why the man is not to cover his head. It says the man is the glory of God. The uncovered head of the man in the church gathering is a demonstration to the angels that the congregation is concerned about the glory of God. The covered head of the woman is a declaration to the angels and to all that the congregation is not concerned about the glory of man. And isn't it striking?
A woman's hair is her crowning glory. When she covers her head, she covers her crowning glory. She covers her own glory. And since we read in the chapter here that the woman is the glory of man, when she covers her head, she not only covers her own glory, but she covers the glory of the man, so that in one act, man's glory, as it involves the male and the female, is obscured. And that's what the picture is. And we do not feel that the modern day and age warrants any change here. We do not feel that the imagery is halted. We do not feel that the angels are any less interested.
We do not feel that the picture has become extravagant and out of date. We certainly do not believe that it was a cultural thing. It is deliberate. Now remember that the Jewish man always covers his head, still does today. He wears a Yamaka on his head. This was a brand new thing for the Christian church. And it was taught. And it was taught clearly. And it was placed in the word of God for us here that we might be instructed and led and that we might have a part in this demonstration of the glory of God and obscuration of the glory of man.
Now, if the male covers his head, his head is dishonored. If the woman uncovers her head, her head is dishonored. Now you'll notice it is associated with two things, praying and prophesying. Now I don't know whether you know what prophesying is. The word itself is explanatory of what prophesying is. It means to publicly expound. To publicly expound. Philip had four daughters which did prophesy. Obviously in the Church of God there is a place for the teaching of women.
But there is no place for the teaching of women in the church gathering where the men are present and the leadership is put deliberately into their hands. But it's interesting to see how that the women are told, the older women, to teach the younger women. There's a place in public ministry for the sister, but not in a mixed company. Now here we would have to go to other scriptures in order to read this in a little more clear and definite fashion. But it seems to us to be the tenor of the Word of God.
And the reason I believe I've already given to you is because of the more important ministry put into the hands of the sisters. But praying is also mentioned here. Praying. Now there are those who insist that this means leading in prayer. And they would say that a woman must cover her head when she stands up to prophesy in a mixed company, or when she stands up to lead in prayer. Very strikingly, the word of God uses in the place where it talks about the men leading in prayer the definite article that isn't used elsewhere. I will that the men pray everywhere, that is lead in prayer.
But since in the meetings, all of the meetings where the churches come together, the sisters pray. And I hope you sisters realize that the tone of the meeting, probably more than any other factor, is set by the prayers of the sisters. When godly women sit in their seats and they quietly respond in their hearts as they are led in prayer, or they listen to the word of God, then in those silent moments they pray. The Spirit of God works in the meetings. We don't have to pray audibly in order to be effective. And I firmly believe that the prayers of the Sisters, for instance, in the worship meeting, in the prayer meeting, in the ministry meeting are not only important but vital.
And this is again a reason why the covered head is taught in the Scriptures when the church is come together. Now when we go to verse six, it says here, if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn, for if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. There are three possibilities here. There's the possibility of a woman with hair. There's the possibility of a woman with hair and a covering on her hair. and there's the possibility of a woman without hair at all now those are the three possibilities and they're very clear in the verse if a woman be not covered if she has hair and she's not covered let her then let her then be shorn that's how clear it is in the verse for if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven then let her be covered so you have a shorn woman You have a woman with hair that's not covered, and you have a covered woman.
Very clear, three possibilities in the verse. Now, I emphasize that because there are those who take the other verse in the chapter, her hair is given to her as a covering, and they say, well, now a woman has a covering. But in the reading, I pointed out to you that's a very different word. In fact, it's a word that one commentator suggests. may well have something to do with a neat and tasteful hairdo. Be that if it may, I don't know whether that's the case or not, but it's only used once in the chapter and in that verse where it says a woman's hair is given to her for a covering. But wherever else we read covered or covering in the chapter it's an entirely different word and it means, I believe, precisely what it says.
God expects a woman to be covered. If she's not covered, then she might as well cut off her hair. That's what the verse says. Now there are two illustrations in verses seven, eight and nine. The man ought not to cover his head, for as much as he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. The man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. And you can see again that here the covering is tied in with the thought of willing and joyous submission to God's instruction.
And the two illustrations are here, the uncovered man, a demonstration of the glory of God, and the covered woman, a demonstration of the obscuring of the glory of both man and woman. or of man as that term embraces both male and female. And then there's an explanation in verse ten. It says, for this cause, that is, what has gone before, the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. It's the thought again of submissiveness, willing surrender to the will of God for this cause, because of a joyous submission.
as well as because of the angels. A woman should have the sign of authority upon her head. Now the angels are looking on, and God from time to time makes mention of that fact. And I think in every instance where it's mentioned, it is meant to have a salutary effect upon our behavior. And here we read, because they are looking on, and because submission is not something that the woman looks upon as odious and unwillingly accepts, but that she joyfully accepts, she wears a sign of authority upon her head.
There's the explanation. Now, when we come down to the verse that ends our section here, it is a little obscure in the King James Version. It says here, if any man seemed to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Now there are those who leap upon this verse and say, well, there it is. If anybody doesn't agree, it isn't binding upon them. But again, our modern translation puts it this way, if anyone wants to be contentious about this we have no other practice this is what we practice and nothing else nor do the churches of God so that it is a modern custom to I was going to use the word permit but that's not the right word to use here It's a modern custom to fail to encourage the woman in a church gathering to wear a covering
on her head. And in the main, I believe it is because there are many who say, I don't like a hat. You know, this little veil has become very convenient, hasn't it? I don't believe a woman has to wear a hat that covers her shoulders in order to be observed by the angels. That's why we have the word sign. She has something on her head as a sign of authority, an indication that she understands what it means and what it stands for and joyfully and willingly for the word, for the, for the person, for the sake of the person of the Lord Jesus.
It is a token, it is a sign, it is a covering. These then are the thoughts that have been going through our minds. I think I mentioned this morning that I had been suggested I might like to write a little article for the bulletin in order to clarify this in the thinking of some who may be confused about it. But I felt it rather than do that because it would only be a very short article and one couldn't deal with it at all adequately and it might add to the confusion, I would like to take a session and just talk about it with you. Now, I realize that sometimes it's not easy to understand these things, but I believe that we have without exception in our gatherings those who at the bottom of their hearts want to honor God and want to please God.
And if this is the way to do it or one of the ways to do it, then they will want to do it. And I believe that there are those who will say, well, I still don't altogether understand it, and I suppose maybe I've been taught other things for many years and I don't yet grasp it. But if it hurts others, For me to be seen in the meeting without a covering, I certainly don't want to hurt the Lord's people. It's not really a big thing for me to do. I will gladly do it. You know, it's a beautiful thing to see the people of God, thoughtful of each other, loving toward each other, concerned about encouraging each other, and concerned about doing what pleases God.
It may be possible that somebody says, Well, I'm still not going to do it. Well, I hope nobody will stay away from the meetings because we have once again mentioned the topic. It may be another nine years before it gets mentioned again. But the fact is I felt you sisters who were so faithful should be encouraged. And I felt too that others who may not understand or may look on and say, now why do these ladies always wear something on their head should get an explanation. And faltering as it may have been tonight, I hope at least it has explained a little to you why we do what we do and take the stand that we do.
But I want to finish, as I started, we don't wish to be critical of anyone. We just pray that God will reveal himself and his will and his way to each individual so that what they do They'll do as unto him, and for his honour and his glory, and for the sake of their fellow believers. Shall we pray together? Our Heavenly Father, we realize that these things are secondary things. There are things that we cherish. Things that we stand on our feet about and stand shoulder to shoulder for, things like the deity of Christ.
Things like the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Things that mark us out as children of God and part and parcel of each other. Then there are other things about which we would not want to be insistent so that believers were sundered from us. And this is why we ask, Lord, that thy spirit shall speak to our hearts through these things, so that as we are exercised, so we shall do what thou dost want us to do. We thank thee, Lord, for everyone who is here tonight. We thank thee, Lord, for all of those whom we feel belong to us as a local church.
We thank thee for every contribution that they make to our well-being. We ask a blessing upon them this evening and ask that they will continue to speak to all of our hearts in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.