1 Corinthians 11:4, Honour Christ in Worship

1 Corinthians 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

Praying and prophesying (preaching and teaching) expressed here in a public worship setting. William MacDonald observed insightfully, “Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head, that is, Christ. It is saying, in effect, that the man does not acknowledge Christ as his head. Thus it is an act of gross disrespect.”

How did this come about? It can be observed that in Corinth is a melting pot of people – Greeks, Romans, Jews and those of other nationalities. [Hendricksen] The covering of the man’s head — called the capite velato— was commonplace in a Roman religious cult. One explanation was that it helped to reduce the noise of the animals being sacrificed. The statue of Augustus displayed at Corinth showed the emperor with his head covered; similar iconography is found on the frieze of the Ara Pacis (“Altar of Peace”) that he dedicated at Rome. The social elite took an active part in the religious cults of the city by serving as priests, and thus those who had joined the church may have introduced this Roman cultural norm into Christian worship. Thus, Christian worship was expressing not that all were one in Christ but the social divisions of secular society. Praying with a covered head drew attention to the man’s place in Roman society, whereas in Christian worship the focus should be on Christ.¹

 In other words, “Having his head covered. With a veil, or turban, or cap, or whatever else is worn on the head. To remove the hat, the turban, or the covering of the head, is a mark of respect for a superior when in his presence.” [Barnes] Amen.

¹ Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, NewTestament – Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary on the New Testament – Romans to Philemon.