1 Corinthians 11:15

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Paul is instructing Christian women to wear a headcovering when they pray or prophesy, and Christian men to not wear a headcovering when doing the same.

3 But I want you to understand that [a]Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of [b]Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head

Does "man is the head of a woman" mean "the husband is the head of the wife"? And for a wife to pray or prophesy without a covering on her head disgraces her head, which is her husband? If it doesn't mean this, then what does it mean? How would it apply to an unmarried woman?

Unmarried women can certainly wear a headcovering.

I'm unmarried. If I don't cover my head when I pray, how then will I disgrace my husband (which I don't have)?

Years ago, either here, or on nFCF, or on FCF, we had an interesting discussion about this. Brother Bassett and I were discussing the Nazarites in particular and it's relation to Paul's statement that if a man have long hair it is a shame to him. I have no idea where that discussion is located, but it was very enlightening, imo. By having uncut hair, a Nazarite became a 'gazing stock' so to say. Similarly to when people wore sackcloth and ashes, it was out of the ordinary. By taking a Nazarite vow, a man devoted himself to God and became an 'aberration' of sorts compared to the surrounding society, thus picturing that being devoted to God meant being out of the ordinary, an outcast of sorts. I really wish I knew where that discussion was, it delved into Bible, history, culture, etc.

But I'm more specifically asking about women who take a nazarite vow and are instructed to shave their head when the vow is complete. Numbers 6: 1-21 NASB

[B]When a man or woman makes a [a]special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to [c]dedicate himself to the Lord, 3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. 4 All the days of his [d]separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.5 ‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

There were other men in the OT who did not cut there hair for months on end and it had nothing to do with a nazarite vow. I don't believe they had become "gazingstocks" because of their long hair.

2 Samuel 14:25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels[a] by the king's weight.

1Co_11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Paul gave a teaching and an instruction about the proper way to do something. If anybody wanted to contend against his instruction, he had a final appeal, that neither him and his ministry team, nor any of the churches of God, had any such custom as would be contended for by the contentious one in opposition to Paul's teaching.

Jesus regularly opposed those who taught as doctrine the traditions and commandments of men. The apostolic churches followed Christ and His apostles. Christ led his apostles to teach, and their teachings were indeed the teachings of God. They laid down 'ordinances' or traditions that were to be followed, and which were independent of 'cultural customs' of the day, and which had the seal of God's approval. The Pharisees had their own traditions, but those traditions usually led people into ways to violate the written commandments of God. There is a Pharisaic halachah, and there is the halachah of Christ, delivered by his apostles.

Paul's instructions regarding headcovering during prayer and worship were contrary to the culture of the day. Among the Gentiles, some men and women both practiced covering, whereas some practiced uncovered prayer and worship. And some practiced a divided custom, where men and women had opposite practices (usually men being covered and women being uncovered). Jewish women were covered at all times anyway, and usually would not be allowed to offer prayer or to prophesy (sing?) in the synagogue. So again, Paul's teachings were contrary to EVERYBODY'S 'cultural customs'.

The church has it's own customs, it's own culture, that is often completely independent of any secular custom or culture of the day (or any day, for that matter).

1Co_11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.


2Th_3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

There is such a thing as apostolic tradition, handed down by the apostles, recorded in the New Testament, that the churches of God are expected to follow.

What do you mean by "church customs" specifically?