A kippah (plural: kippot), yarmulke, skullcap, or koppel is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfil the customary requirement that the head be covered. It is worn by all men in Orthodox Jewish communities during prayers and by most Orthodox Jewish men at all other times.
1 Corinthians 11:4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head.
Paul was a Jew. Hmmm.
“Husbands are not to cover their heads when they pray.” But this is from a group that normally covers their heads to pray…
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
READ ALSO: JEWELLERY (PART 1)
What Did Paul Mean?
Peter testified that Paul’s letters are hard to understand.
2 Peter 3:15-16 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Doesn’t this mean that we should not just rush through his letters and arrive at careless conclusions? Maybe we should more often pause to consider every word and seek the hidden patterns, to understand the things that were revealed to him at the point of writing.
The man, the woman, and Jesus have their respective heads. Putting this verse beside verse 5, and using the popular understanding of this scripture, does this mean a woman should cover her husband who is her head with a scarf, beret, or hat?
READ ALSO: WHY DO WE MARRY?
The Man and His Head:
The man should not cover his Christ (head). Christ is the express image of the Father in heaven. Altogether lovely. Our beloved. He is the man from above. Why would you put such wisdom and glory under wraps? Reveal Him all you can! Declare His nature from the rooftops! The light of the world cannot be put under a bushel but upon a lampstand. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 11:8 A man ought not to cover his head [Christ] since He is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man.
Hebrews 1:2-3 Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son,… Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person,…sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
CHRIST IS THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD. HE IS NOT TO BE COVERED BY MEN. HE IS TO BE MAGNIFIED IN ALL HIS BEAUTY.
READ ALSO: SHOULD EVERYONE MARRY?
The Woman and Her Head:
The woman should cover her husband (head). He is flawed and falls short in many ways. He is a man from the earth. As a sign of the authority he has in her life as his wife, she should honour her head. His authority over her prevents her from exposing all his shortcomings. No one who hopes to retain their job casually exposes their bosses (authority).
1 Corinthians 11:6 If a woman does not cover her head [husband], 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.
1 Corinthians 11:10 For this cause ought the woman to have authority on her head…
Well, let’s finish thinking it through:
– HAIR PROVIDING COVERING FOR A WIFE, HELPS REVEAL HER GLORY; WOMAN PROVIDING COVERING FOR A MAN, HELPS REVEAL HIS GLORY;
– MAN NOT PUTTING ANY COVERING ON CHRIST, HELPS REVEAL CHRIST’S GLORY;
All this is the wisdom of God. It should be marvellous in our eyes!
READ ALSO: MUST WOMEN COVER THEIR HEADS WHILE PRAYING? (PART 1)