As I said, I have defended the covering and so I have no disagreement with your understanding of 1 Cor. 11:4-16. However, the purpose for wearing a covering is based upon pre-cultural creation design and order as verses 7-10 demonstrate and this is the same basis for women's position in the home and in the congregation - precultural and by creative design. Hence, to argue that women should be ordained violates God's creative order and design. His creative design is that they are types of his church as the bride of Christ and the man is a type of Christ and thus the creative order, position of authority and submission is being violated when the woman takes a leadership role over the man in the home and in the congregation.
1. The wearing of a head covering has nothing to do with culture (or, as you say, "pre-cultural ...design."
2. The whole command and issue of wearing a head-covering is irrelevant to a woman being a pastor. That is a completely different subject dealt with in many other passages, an unrelated topic.
Let's consider the topic of the head-covering of a woman.
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and
keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)
--Paul calls this an ordinance. An ordinance is a command. It is the same word that we would use as in city ordinances. They are laws that are to be obeyed, not broken. Paul ends the chapter with the ordinance of the Lord's Supper--a command that we remember to keep on a regular basis. But a head-covering is a command for a woman to keep all the time that she is in a church service.
Throughout the first 16 verses Paul establishes no fewer than six reasons why a woman should wear a head-covering in the church service.
1.
It is to indicate the headship of the man (vs.3-6)
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.
--The head of the woman is the man, even as the head of the man is Christ. This establishes headship. The veil or head-covering is a sign of headship, showing the submission of the woman to the man, which was taught in the Fall, and is so until now. Man and woman are equal, but in the marriage there is order. And man is the head of the house. We have different roles, and man is the head of the house. The head-covering signifies that the woman has taken her proper place in the home, and that the man is the head of the home.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
--A man must have his head uncovered.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
--It is such a shame for a woman not to wear a head covering, that if she is that rebellious her head should be shaven or bald. That is how great the importance of this command is.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. (1 Corinthians 11:3-6)
--The same truth is repeated for emphasis. If she refuses to be covered with a head-covering that let her head be shaven.
Note here that there are two different Greek words used in verses six and five, as compared to verse 15.
In verses 5 and 6 the Greek word is, [FONT="]\"akatakalupto\".
In verse 15 the Greek word is, [/FONT][FONT="]\"peribolaiou,\"
They are both translated "covering." But the first word refers specifically to a head-covering other than the hair, and the second one refers specifically to the hair. If you look in the ASV you would see the difference where in verses 5 and 6 the translation is "veil." Thus the head-covering spoken of in verses 5 and 6 is not hair or long hair. It is definitely a head-covering of some sort.
2.
A head covering indicates God's order in creation. (vs.8,9)
For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. (1 Corinthians 11:8-9)
The man is created first; the woman second.
The head covering is worn to indicate this. It also is somewhat related to headship. But more than that it shows God's order in creation.
3,
The head covering is worn as a sign to the angels. (vs. 10)
For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10)
--Angels have never been redeemed. They don't understand salvation and desire to look into it. Although we may not understand this verse completely it is in the Bible and we must believe it by faith. A woman must wear a head covering because of the angels.
4.
The woman must wear a head covering because of a sense of propriety. (vs.13)
Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? (1 Corinthians 11:13)
Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled? (1 Corinthians 11:13) WEB
--It is the right thing to do. It is not appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled or uncovered. It is like the verse is saying "Have a sense of decency!
5.
A woman must wear a head covering b[/FONT][FONT="]ecause of the natural order of things (the distinction between male & female) and the woman's natural covering. (vs. 14,15)
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. (1 Corinthians 11:14-15)
--Nature itself teaches us this, and in more than one way.
One of the most beautiful things to behold is a woman with long hair.
One of the most ugliest things to behold is a man with long hair done up in a pony tail hanging behind his back.
6.
The sixth reason is it is the practice of all the churches.
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. (1 Corinthians 11:16)
--This, perhaps is the strongest of Paul's arguments.
Paul says: if you are going to be contentious about this matter than go away, we don't want you around. We don't have a custom of being contentious, rather a custom of unity. This is the practice of all of God's churches. There is no dispute about it, no arguing about it; it is an ordinance, a command of God.
These are six solid reasons why a woman should wear a head covering. I don't believe they can disputed. They certainly were not just for the first century, or simply can be passed off as cultural. If this command is cultural then so also is the Lord's Supper which follows immediately after.
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