© 09 Colin Melbourne
Hats-off to the LORD
Q: Is it wrong for Christian men to wear hats when worshipping the Lord?
A: Presumably you are asking about the instructions in 1 Co. 11:1-16, that relate to praying and prophesying in fellowship meetings.
It is an interesting contrast to Jewish tradition, where the man’s head must have at least a symbolic covering, a kippah. This is one of the thousands of man-made traditions written in the Jewish Talmud. (Not the Holy Bible).
Yes, of course it is wrong for Christian men to have their heads covered in services. God’s word says so in 1 Co. 11:1-7 KJV;
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. 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.
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 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. 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.
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Removing headgear shows reverence for Christ, and the angels present, when we gather in His Name.
What about the women?
Must all Christian women therefore have their heads covered in services to comply with the same verses?
Normally, but not necessarily.
It depends on the local culture.
Women in ancient Corinth wore, and women in most of the Middle East and Asia today, wear a veil or shawl in public.
It is primarily a cultural sign of feminine modesty; and if married, also shows submission to their husbands. (Who, incidentally, must also submit in the LORD to their wives according to Eph. 5:21 KJV.)
So the Holy Spirit wrote to the Corinthian church that Christian women should observe this local cultural covering, out of respect for their husbands.
Think about it, and you’ll see that in Asian settings, women without their heads covered in public, are viewed as ‘brazen hussies’, available for men, and that would bring shame on themselves and on their husbands.
However, in nations where modesty is not generally recognized by veil-wearing, it would be weird for Christian women to wear a veil wouldn’t it? They would merely appear to be in one of those creepy cults, or belong to some false religion like Islam, or the nuns of the Catholic cult, or shaven-headed Buddhist nuns.
Some genuine Christian fellowships in the West do prefer their women members to wear a token hat, and I would respect that if I worshipped with such a group. It’s their custom, so I’d encourage visiting women to go along with it for the sake of Christ. It’d be unseemly, and ungracious to make a fuss over such a small matter. Wouldn’t it? As rude and insolent as eating bacon sandwiches in front of an Orthodox Jew whilst trying to win him to Christ. Love simply would not do that, would it? (Which is the theme of the fellowship instructions in Acts 15.)
The best summary of these head-covering, hair length, and related silent women verses, is given by Ken Hagin in his marvellous little book, “The Woman Question”. Which should be compulsory reading for all Christians.
The Second Coming
Q: Can you tell me where in the Bible it states that the LORD will “split the Eastern sky” when He returns? A lot of people, even ministers, use this saying, or is this just an expression? Vicki
A: Personally, I’ve never heard anyone use that expression, and it’s not in the Holy Bible. It sounds like a localised paraphrase based upon this verse from the passage describing the Second Coming and Rapture of the saints, Mtt. 24:27 KJV;
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Forked lightning certainly “splits the sky”, and The Messiah will come from the East, “like lightning”; so it is accurate.
The point Christ was making was that every eye will see His Coming from the East to the West, so don’t be led astray by false teachers claiming the Messiah has already returned, and He’s in the desert, Bombay, or Ashby de la Zouch.
Bible bird-spotting
The next verse is fascinating too, it describes the Rapture of the saved.
There’s debate over the word rendered as “eagles” in the KJV, but as “vultures” in the NIV 1984. This provides us with a delightful way of witnessing to Greek speaking people.
Modern Greek is very different from New Testament Greek, but that doesn’t stop us asking what the Greek words for Eagle and Vulture are, then showing them the Greek word used in Mtt. 24:28. It helps if they are ornithologically inclined, but you can easily turn the discussion to their personal salvation.
The first time I tried this was when I went to a chip-shop for a fish-supper in Lancashire, England, and the chippie was a Greek chap. As he fried my battered-cod, I asked him about the Greek word for Vulture.
Initially he thought I was winding him up, but soon warmed to the Gospel.
© 09 Colin Melbourne
