Our short study on the topic of hair will help lay the foundation for I Corinthians 11 and the head covering. For us to comprehend exactly what Paul is saying, we must know the setting or context of the church to which he is writing. A lot of people refer to I Corinthians as simply another book of the New Testament, much the same as Mark, Romans, John or Titus. I Corinthians is slightly different; some people say it is a book that shows how the church and a Christian should not be. Now why is that?

Because the church at Corinth was very carnal (sensual) and completely affected by the world around it. It seems like Paul starts off in chapter 1 and deals with problems through the entire book. Many of the people kept their old lifestyle after they had made a profession of faith in Christ. Paul points out the immorality in the church that is worse than the Gentiles, I Corinthians 5. It sounds very much like the lives of church-goers in America today. So let’s look closer at the background of this early church.

In Roman times Corinth was a city of wealth, luxury, and immorality. It had no rivals as a city of vice (beastiality, corruption, perversion, and wickedness). Because it was a center of commerce and business, there was no lack of indulgence. Excessive drinking and drunkenness were a normal thing at Corinth.

False worship abounded in and around the city. They had the temple of Apollo, and many people were devoted to the worship of Poseidon. But their greatest devotion was given to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Her temple had over a thousand “hierodouloi” – priestesses of vice, often referred to as temple prostitutes. Reference, The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary.

As we begin to look into the book of I Corinthians, we find that Paul preached in the synagogue until he met strong opposition from the Jews. He then turned his attention to the Gentiles and used the house of Titus Justus to meet in. The fact that the church met in a person’s home is important.

Some people like Finny Kuruvilla, do not believe that Paul is dealing with the head covering issue within the gathering of the local church, when the saints are joined together. Here is his statement he makes in his book “King Jesus Claims His Church,” page 194. “First, the immediate context of the head covering passage involves eating meals in private homes, 10:27-33. This preceding passage has nothing to do with the meetings of believers.” I am not sure how he is coming up with a statement like that. It seems very clear that it is a problem within the local church. Here are several reasons why.

1- Paul clearly states that he is writing to the church at Corinth. That group of believers met, ate, and worshipped in the home of Justus, Acts 18:6-10.

2- In Acts 12:11-13, Peter knocks at the gate of Mary’s house, where the believers (church) are gathered for prayer.

3- It is believed that II John was written to a group of believers that met in the home of “the elect lady,” II John 1:1

4- In Colossians 4:15, it refers to “Nymphus and the church that is in his house.”

5- Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

In the early church, believers often met in homes for prayer, worship, and fellowship, even as small churches do today. The setting in I Corinthians 11 is referring to a problem or situation within a group of believers, who were gathered together for corporate worship in a home in Corinth. Now why is that fact so important? If you can prove that the problem was inside the private home, in a family setting (not when Christians are gathered for worship), then you can try to require head coverings everywhere! This would be like several religious groups that we already have in our area at the present time.

So what was the meaning of Paul’s comments about the head covering in the local church? The answer to that question is what we are searching for. I hope you will stay with me as we find the answer to that question, and see how it applies to us today. Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com