The Head Covering
The Head Covering signifies submission to Authority (the Head)
The Headship is Responsible and Accountable
Those who submit are covered (or protected) because they obeyed God by obeying the Head
Men should submit to Christ
Not to do so is to dishonor the Head - Christ
Women who do not submit to their husband dishonor their husband
Every Man has a Head : Christ
Not every woman has a husband
The women (definite article) refers to the wife of a Man
The head of the wife is the husband
The man is the head of the family
The man is responsible for his wife
If the women comes out of her covering, she will be held accountable like the man
Women who do not have a man to cover them are accountable to Christ in the same way that the man is
Women can choose not to exercise this covering or protection
This passages shows that women can pray and prophesy if they are Covered (if they are in submission to Christ)
The garment is merely an outward symbol; the inward is what counts
1Cor 11:1-16
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.
Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is just as though her head were shaved.
If a woman does not cover her head, 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.
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;
neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God.