Question about 1St. Cor 11:4

DWB

Well-Known Member
1st Cor 11:4 says "Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered, dishonoureth his head".

I recently listened to a Bible study regarding this verse and the lesson was for men to always remove your hat when in prayer or in Church. I would never think of wearing my hat in Church, but one of my favorite prayer times is early in the morning while driving to work and I always have a hat on my head. I hate to think my morning prayers have gone unheard or that I have offended God by not removing my hat. It just never occurred to me. Does anyone have any insight on this verse or whether or not I'm in trouble with the Lord? Thanks!
 

ItIsFinished!

Blood bought child of the King of kings.
1st Cor 11:4 says "Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered, dishonoureth his head".

I recently listened to a Bible study regarding this verse and the lesson was for men to always remove your hat when in prayer or in Church. I would never think of wearing my hat in Church, but one of my favorite prayer times is early in the morning while driving to work and I always have a hat on my head. I hate to think my morning prayers have gone unheard or that I have offended God by not removing my hat. It just never occurred to me. Does anyone have any insight on this verse or whether or not I'm in trouble with the Lord? Thanks!
You are fine in regards to prayer while driving to work and praying . Otherwise legalism would be present.
Now in a public setting where prayers are lifted , Church, revival, funeral ect... I would absolutely not where a hat.
I would also continue reading the next several verses after to get a better grasp at what Paul is speaking about.

Peace in Christ.
 

Andy C

Well-Known Member
I believe as I have been taught, Paul was not referring to the wearing of a hat, but the covering of the head was hair being longer than custom. In the time of his writing, it was customary for men to have hair length to their shoulders, and women wore hair down below their waist - as a norm. So, IMO, the answer is verse 14 below.



1 Corinthians 11:
3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.

6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.

7For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man.

9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.

12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

14Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
 

Andy C

Well-Known Member
Further info from Jack Kelley

Question: I was reading your response about what Jesus looked like, and it reminded me of something I’d read elsewhere about Jesus and long hair. The person cited 1 Cor. 11:14-15. “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.”
If men wore their hair long in the 1st century (as I’ve always believed), then why would Paul say that long hair is dishonorable to a man?


Answer: 1 Cor. 11:14-15 is a relative statement. In Paul’s time women let their hair grow long enough to come down almost to their waist. But men didn’t let their hair grow below their shoulders. Today we think a man with shoulder length hair has very long hair, but in Paul’s day it was the norm. What was dishonoring was for a man to let his hair grow so long it resembled a woman’s hair.

This is similar to the prohibition against women dressing like men and men dressing like women (Deut. 22:5). It was not meant to prevent women from wearing pants to church. Neither sex wore pants in Biblical times. It was a prohibition against “cross dressing”, where women dress to present themselves as men and men dress to present themselves as women.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/long-hair-men/
 

FJP65

New Member
Further info from Jack Kelley

Question: I was reading your response about what Jesus looked like, and it reminded me of something I’d read elsewhere about Jesus and long hair. The person cited 1 Cor. 11:14-15. “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.”
If men wore their hair long in the 1st century (as I’ve always believed), then why would Paul say that long hair is dishonorable to a man?


Answer: 1 Cor. 11:14-15 is a relative statement. In Paul’s time women let their hair grow long enough to come down almost to their waist. But men didn’t let their hair grow below their shoulders. Today we think a man with shoulder length hair has very long hair, but in Paul’s day it was the norm. What was dishonoring was for a man to let his hair grow so long it resembled a woman’s hair.

This is similar to the prohibition against women dressing like men and men dressing like women (Deut. 22:5). It was not meant to prevent women from wearing pants to church. Neither sex wore pants in Biblical times. It was a prohibition against “cross dressing”, where women dress to present themselves as men and men dress to present themselves as women.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/long-hair-men/
Actually the culture was to have relatively short hair for men as the Roman men did.
 
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