Head Covering a Doctrine - Removing The Fog of Religion

Go to content

Head Covering a Doctrine

STUDIES & DOC



Head Covering – A Movement?

Headship
By your servant, Dan Baxley

www.servantsofyahshua.com

2015

There is a small return to the practice of "head covering" among the Christian believers.  I have given two links, below, one a short and interesting study, or rather, introduction to this "movement"?  The Youtube presentation is much longer. Go to either of on these links and you will find out what is being taught and why.  


First, as the author of this website presenting these links should not be mistake as a stamp of approval.  While we may agree in part we do not agree in all the teachings and doctrines of either site.  We should all go where the truth is, but be cautious and realize, truth has to be excised from within pages of possible error.  One truth does not mean everything else is true.  This is where we must "rightly divide the truth".  Satan will tell you a truth and then slip in a lie, and he is very capable in quoting Scripture.  Remember the time of Temptation of our Lord, YaHshua?  Satan came to Him and quoted Scripture in an attempt to get Him to prove Himself and what was our Lord's response?  YaHshua also quoted Scripture and deflected Satan's misuse of the Word of God.  YaHshua did not call Satan a liar because what Satan quoted was true, a truth, but YaHshua saw through this and countered with another truth, a truth that countered the truth Satan tried to use as a temptation.  We should do the same, looking beneath the surface to see the intent and especially when we see an apparent contradiction.  All of that said let's have a look at this business concerning "Head Covering"


To Some this is not new and some have been practicing this instruction their entire religious life, but for others this is new because it has not been taught from the pulpits of the Christian Churches.  The modern climate of men and women among the Christians has been influenced by the secular world in its attempts to make all things equal -- knowingly and unknowingly bring shame on the lay-members of the Christian community under pressure from the world, a world that could care less about your spiritual growth, when is comes to the Christian community.  This teaching about "covering" dramatically places the authority issue in its proper place.  God the Father first, then our Savior, then man, and then woman.


Did you see your minister, or pastor, or prophet or apostle anywhere in this order?  


Men, remember, many women in today’s environment will not find this acceptable and you must know this and accept it -- this is not something to pick a fight over.  Your wife or girl friend may have other ideas, ideas that are hard to overcome but it is for them, not you to decide.  As you read through this study you need to also remember that the example of Headship is stronger and over everything else -- too many apply this to themselves and this is wrong,  The Headship is YaHshua, the Head of all of us -- yes, headship does flow down from YaHshua then to man then to woman, but the goal is YaHshua as our Savior over all.  The Headship is not man over woman, as in master of a slave, but all as servants of the Christ, all are slaves to the Christ, YaHshua -- and over Him is the Father.  The believing woman will want to be right before her Messiah but it may take some time to come to this truth, to be convinced and conflicted to this truth after so many years of worldly indoctrination.  And look at some men, especially in the Hebrew Roots and Messianic movement, using prayer shawls and covering themselves, contrary to the doctrine -- men acting out in their own self interest in a demonstration of holiness that runs counter to the clear instructions -- a man is not to cover his head.    


Married men are to be the head if the household but not the "boss" or the "tyrant" of the marriage union. So, men, be patient, as your Lord is patient with you and pray about it, be the leader you are supposed to be not a double fisted dictator, allow the woman, your wife to follow the Christ willingly.  We are told the prayers of a righteous man avails much, so, go to your knees and be patient and considerate of your wife until our Lord, your head, opens her mind to this.  Everything in its time.  There is an equality in marriage, and this is mostly about marriage, isn't it?  As you will read, Paul makes it clear that while Headship is a standard or the order of things, the one cannot exist without the other, the man cannot exist without the woman and the woman cannot exist without the man -- equal in the flesh.  


The secular influence has done great damage to the Christian Church.  But, do not make this issue a deterrent to your own bible study – do not make this a stumbling in your worship, for it would not be the first time people have taken a physical thing and worshipped it, making more of it than should be made of it -- in a spiritual sense certainly there is a logical order but in the flesh everything is in a state of decay, perishing, awaiting the New Heavens and the New Earth.   


Covering and Headship happen to be a simple practice to honor the Christ and Heaven itself.  This is not designed as an honor for the man more than our Creator -- when the wife prays she does not pray to her husband, does she?  This practice of head covering is not the ruler-ship of men over women but of our Savior over all believers.  The responsibility of men is to be conscious of their responsibility and position to the Messiah, YaHshua.  


We have many examples where YaHshua was very patient and loving toward women and in many ways more patient and understanding toward the women in his life than toward the men.  How many time did our Savior come down on women as opposed to the men in His physical walk on this earth?  Never, He held the men’s feet to the fire, so to speak, but was patient and loving toward the women, as the record in the New Covenant Scriptures clearly demonstrates.  Men should follow our Savior’s example, and perhaps you would experience the love they had for YaHshua.  It was women that went to the Tomb first and it was the women that followed after Him even as He was taken to die on the cross for them.  Where were all the men?  Only John is mentioned but the women stood at the cross, tears flowing, and worked to prepare His body for burial and were, as already mentioned, first on the scene following the Resurrection, and it was a woman our Lord first showed Himself to.  Men, our Lord honored women and was gentle with them, so shouldn't we do the same?


Read the following verses then go to the Links, later in this study article, for a deeper study on this subject.   


It is really a matter and teaching of "Headship", covering the head (women) or not (men) is but a part of this teaching and should be understood that way, it is not about men lording it over women and certainly not about women be submissive to all men.  As you will see in the following instruction, as mentioned before, you will not find one word about the Pastor of your church or any other man mentioned – this is between a married man and his wife and THEIR relationship with YaHshua.  


Headship


(1Co 11:1)  Follow my (Paul’s) example, as I follow the example of Christ.

(1Co 11:2)  I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.

(1Co 11:3)  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.

(1Co 11:4)  Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his Head
(The Christ, YaHshua).

(1Co 11:5)  And every woman who prays or prophesies (speaking under inspiration) with her head uncovered dishonors her head (her husband)--it is just as though her head were shaved.

(1Co 11:6)  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.

Paul is not saying we should punish women by shaving their head if they refuse to cover their head while praying or speaking under inspiration.  He is making a point of the seriousness of this and how it is a kind of rebellion and that if, even in an attitude against this teaching, most, if not all, women see the idea of shaving one’s head, among women, is a disgrace and most women abhor the thought – so should they have this same attitude when comes to this teaching.  Of course, evil men would take this as an excuse to defile their women.  Remember, husbands, this is your wife, which is worse, your wife uncovered in prayer of shaven?  No man that love his wife would forcibly shave her head.  The women see the seriousness of this but it has to be a voluntary thing, something to honor all of creation, from the beginning.  

(1Co 11:7)  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.

(1Co 11:8-9)  For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

(1Co 11:10)  For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

"And because of the angels"?  What happened in Heaven that would make this statement relative?  Satan managed to convince a third of the angelic population in the Heavenly realm to ignore this teaching about "position" and "authority" and to rebel against their Creator, the ultimate "authority" over them and then try to take possession of leadership for them-selves.  The meaning for us, especially for women, is that to cover your head during prayer is not just for the married women.  It is a recognition by a woman, single or married, about the Heavenly order of things, paying respect to those Angels in Heaven that did not rebel and try to throw off the rule of Headship in Heaven.  It is an act that not only place things in their proper order but honors those loyal Angels for remaining steadfast and true to the author of their own creation.  


Because of the Angels

UPDATE 2016: I have come to a new understanding about this statement, "...because of the angels ..."  When we look at this in more detail and especially what happened with the woman in the Garden and ultimately recognizing that this teaching is about the level of authority from Heaven down, what do we see?  Our Heavenly Father, then YaHshua the son, then man, then woman, and ----------- then angels.  Read the verses 10-11 again, the "authority" or the "power", is not man over woman, but a "power" the woman is given and the sign is a covering of power or authority the woman has over the angels.  Yes, I know this sounds out of whack for some, after all, being taught how great and wonderful and powerful angels are, how could a mere woman have authority over them?  Well, she can't, not unless these powerful beings allow it, capitulate, in other words, submit, not by their authority but by the Authority of their Creator and our Creator, the one who made them to be ministering spirits to us.  Apparently, as we know, not all of the angels of Heaven were obedient and Satan was able to convince a third of them to rebel -- Rev 12:4.  I actually cover this in more detail in the Q&A section of this website.  Here is a link to that page -- Head Covering  This does not take away from the order of things, as Paul is teaching, it adds to it, giving, what I believe, is Paul's intent.  Remember, we are told that the angels are "ministering spirits", their job is to do their Creator's will and even to care for us -- Heb 1:14 -- why?  Because we are to inherit the Kingdom, all made possible by what our Savior, YaHshua did for us.  This, too, may be one of the reasons that brought Satan into a spirit of rebellion -- he saw what the plan of God the Father was, to create another being that would eventually inherit what Satan an some other angels thought belonged to them, maybe?


In this Headship teaching the women cover their head in prayer and by this demonstrate their agreement with the Angels of Heaven that this is the true ORDER of Creation.  It is a reminder, even for them and us, of what Satan and his angels tried to do as they threw off their own "covering".   And all of the angels of Heaven said, HalleluYaH, for Satan and his angels have been cast out of Heaven, but woe to mankind for they have been cast to earth.  And the Angels of Heaven did rejoice – because those uncovered rebels were cast out, no longer causing trouble in Heaven.  Read Revelation 12:7-13 for the account of this event.  "For this reason and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head"   -- Why the Women only?  Because it was the woman who fell prey to the Devils temptation in the Garden of Eden.  By this sign of her covering, be it her long hair, as some say, or a scarf, it is recognition of her innocent rebellion and willingness to set things right, unlike the rebel angels.


Reading the previous verses we see this is only when the woman is either praying or speaking under inspiration.  A practice to be followed but not used to make one in the Body of the Christ a lesser citizen of Heaven.  No, for man is from woman -- each needs the other and neither can exist without the other -- the mystery of marriage, a union of two that are as one -- sound familiar?  After all, where does the marriage covenant come from?  Why do pagan, even, practice marriage?  The mystery is answered in Matthew 11:27, the original understanding and then explained further, no longer a mystery.

(1Co 11:11)  In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

(1Co 11:12)  For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everytthing comes from God.

(1Co 11:13)  Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

(1Co 11:14-15)  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.

(1Co 11:16)  If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God.

This verse 16 has been used by many to trash, or disregard what Paul said previously.  Many use this verse to say that all Paul said in the previous instructions are not true, that all he was teaching in the previous verses meant nothing because, after all, they say, the Church has no such doctrine or custom, they say, and is not to be regarded as anything important, they say.  


Paul did not spend all of that time delivering this teaching of Headship just to toss it aside a few verses later.  What Paul is saying, essentially, is that this is the only physical teaching the Church displays.  Some want it to read, "…we have no such practice" but what is he really saying?  He is simply stating a fact, the Church has no other doctrine of the flesh.  No washing of the hands, or instructions or rules about the proper lighting of candles, or how many times to whip yourself, or how to deny yourself food or rest, or how many times a day you should pray, or to any other human display of righteousness, false or otherwise.  And this teaching is not for our benefit only but for the Angels of Heaven as well.   What some were teaching is that by the nature of things, as witnessed in the animal kingdom, that a woman's long hair satisfies the covering issue, as her natural covering.  But, if you must, then go ahead and cover your head further, as a physical act, and if you do so, then remember, this is the only real physical doctrine of the church.    


Paul is saying the Church has no such practice or teaching that it is by nature -- he is actually contradicting those who use that argument.  A tongue in cheek reference and does not contradict what he was clearly teaching in just a few verse previous to this one line.  If it were to be decided, as a thing observed in nature, then where is the headship?  Does the Bull lead the Cow as Head of the herd?  No, in fact the bulls are kept away from the cows until mating.  Does the Bull Elk lead the Cows?  No, the Bull Elk usually follow after the cows in the natural world, taking charge only when mating.  This does not contradict his previous words and teachings as some assume or teach.  Long hair, short hair, the women should cover their head, in prayer, in my opinion, as a sign of authority over the angels, from among whom came the fallen one that deceived her in the Garden.  Still, there is room for the natural covering to be a woman's longer hair growth to that of a man's shorter cut, after all, the context does mention the shorter hair of the man and if a man were to let his hair grow out, then Paul says that is seen by the public and other critics of the Church as shameful thing.  Now we have to argue about what is long hair and what is short hair?  And what about beards?  It never ends, so this is where your own conscience and your spiritual sense should kick in.  If you cannot accept anything else then accept that there is not other physical doctrine in the Church -- as a child of the living God whatever you decide will be to do the right thing, the right thing for you.  We are not all of the same Spiritual age.  As some mature in the Spirit, such things may find a place that is more comfortable and more willing to let other find their own way as the Truth moves them, according to their age.  Small children are not treated the same as their parents or other adults, are they?  

The following links present this subject in greater detail.  Just remember, this single agreement in teaching does not mean we agree in everything others teach.  And please keep in mind this small commentary presented to you by your servant, Dan.


http://www.headcoveringmovement.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2NYRuqBgp8

email comments to: dan@servantsofyahshua.com





Back to content