Ephesians 5v23: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body.
1 Corinthians 11v3: But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

The Scriptures are clear here that God is the head of Christ. Christ is the head of man. Man is the head of woman. Headship is often misunderstood to mean superiority. No true Christian would dare suggest Christ is inferior to God. Headship merely states that Christ is subject to God, we see this in the garden of Gethsemane when He said "not My will but Thine be done". Being subject to someone doesn't mean that you are necessairly inferior to them but that you are doing as they say. Man being head of woman doesn't mean that woman is inferior to man but merely states the two positions. That is man has the position of authority and woman of subjection.

Ephesians 1v22: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church.
Ephesans 4v15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ
Colossians 1v18a: And He is the head of the body, the church ...

This verses tell us that the head of the church is Christ. It is Christ, and Christ alone, that should guide and control the church.

1 Corinthians 11v4-6: Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

The first few verses above, tell us quite clearly that if a man prays or prophesises with his head covered then it is a dishonour to his head [Christ]. Paul goes on to say that if a woman prays or prophesises with her head uncovered then it is a dishonour to man. Just as no Christian man would dare to dishonour Christ by disobeying this, likewise no Christian woman should dishonour man by disobeying this. By dishonouring man in this way she would be going against the headship that God has laid down.

1 Corinthians 11v13-15: Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

These verses taken together with the previous 3 verses, tell us how it is a shame for a woman to be shorn, and her long hair is a glory to her. Likewise it is a shame for a woman to have her head uncovered when praying or prophesising. Similarily, it is a shame for a man to have long hair and therefore he should be uncovered. Hair is the natural covering of the head, whilst a head covering (the Scriptures do not say it has to be a hat) is the Spiritual covering of the head.

1 Corinthians 11v7-10: For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

It has been argued that this doctrine was only for those at Corinth and does not apply to our culture today. Well these verses show that headship goes back to creation, when woman was created from man, to be a help. Therefore as a woman was created from man, so she should "have power on her head". Not only because of God and man but also because of the angels. What do angels have to do with this, I hear you cry. Well the angels up in Heaven watch what goes on down on earth closely. They should see headship in action, with woman being subject unto man. Head-covering being the outward sign to the angels of the inward subjection of woman to man. If a woman prays or prophesises without her head covered, then an onlooking angel would see her taking over man's authority. Likewise a man praying or prophesising with his head covered would be seen to be taking the place of subjection.

1 Corinthians 11v11-12: Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

Before men get to big headed, and woman start flooding in with complaints, we might just look at these two verses. They state clearly that men and women should be a team. Women were created to be a help to men. If men did not need women then women would not have been created in the first place. Before God, men should not be without women and women should not be without men. Both are needed to take their relevant positions. As we saw at the beginning just because God is head of Christ does not mean Christ is inferior to God, likewise woman is not inferior to man just because he is her head.

1 Corinthians 11v16: But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

There are always people who want to argue with Scripture. To such people Paul simply says that neither the apostles nor the churches of God have this custom of man praying or prophesising covered and woman praying or prophesising uncovered. We likewise should not rise to the argument but simply state that the apostles and the churches of the New Testament did not have this custom, so why should we.

Conclusion: headship is not a question of superiority and inferiority but merely of authority and subjection. Just as God is head of Christ so Christ is head of man and man head of woman. A woman having her head covered is the outward symbol of this headship.

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