On Covering the Head in Worship: 1 Cor 11:2-16, pt 12

“It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.”

This is, perhaps, the part of this already poorly understood passage that is shrouded most in mystery. Paul’s second reason given for the practice of covering the head in worship is simply: “Because of the angels.” That’s it!

Let’s remember that because Paul had spent a year-and-a-half with the church in Corinth, they would certainly have understood what he meant by “because of the angels”. Not only would they have heard him teach in person, but they would have seen Paul himself practicing what he instructed them about in this letter to them. “Because of the angels” would probably have been more of a reminder to them than a new teaching of Paul.

And let’s also remember this, even if we cannot say with certainty two-thousand years later what exactly he meant by this mysterious phrase: If Paul is using angels as a reason in support of this principle of headship and its corresponding practice of head-covering, then we can be sure that, once again, he cannot here be arguing based on culture*. Our cultural situation has no bearing on the existence of angels. Therefore, to say “because of the angels” is to make a culture-less statement.

Yet I will present an explanation for this second reason given by Paul that seems to make sense of both the heart of this passage and a broader context of Scripture, considering other biblical truths about angels and their relationship to the Church. For now, I’ll close this post by including some of these relevant passages. These are not supposed to represent all passages in the Bible regarding angels, or even regarding angels’ relationship to the Church, but serve as passages in support of one possible understanding of Paul’s phrase in 1 Corinthians 11:10, “because of the angels”. These will set the stage for the following post.

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)

“We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.” (1 Corinthians 4:9b)

“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling–these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” (Jude 6)

“[God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…” (Ephesians 3:10)