11:3-16 Is this teaching that women should wear a head covering in church?
11:3-16 Is this teaching that women should wear a head covering in church?
No. The head covering Paul is referring to here is long hair. He is not alluding to a veil or shawl as so many in the church believe.
This is confirmed for us in V15 where the literal Greek to English rendering of the verse according to The Interlinear Bible, is as follows:
But if a woman should adorn her hair, it is a glory to her; because the beautified hair has been given to her instead of a veil.
Women have been given long hair as a head covering instead of a veil, not as well as a veil. Sadly this is not highlighted in most bibles, including the KJV, and therein lies the reason for it being a difficult passage to interpret (CP V15).
Power on her head in V10 refers to a woman's long hair as the sign of her subjection to her husband's authority over her (CP V3 with Gen 3:16; Eph 5:22-24 and 1Cor 11:10).
The phrase because of the angels indicates that angels are always present in the assembly, and the divine order must always be observed (CP Eph 3:9-10).
Paul closes the subject of head covering for women in 1Cor 11 with the assertion in V16 that if anyone wants to wear a veil or a shawl, they can, but they are not bound by any church ordinance to do so (CP V16). See also comments on Tit 2:3-5.