We get some amazing teaching here. Paul says man is the image and glory of God. Now this means that we are God's greatest creation. Since we have such an exalted position they were not to cover their head, as this would indicate that they were not the glory of God. Then he says that woman is the glory of man. Now woman was created out of man, and is the glory of man. This means that she is the one in whom man delights the most. So a Paul said a woman should cover her head to signify that she is the glory of man.
Now, as I said in yesterday's post, I don't believe that the injunction for women's head to be covered is relevant today, as it does not signify anything. However, we should pay attention to the underlying principles.
It is equally important to take verses 6-10 together with 11,12. Some will react to verses 7,8 thinking that Paul is saying man is superior to woman, but then he immediately says in verse 11 woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman. Paul is focusing on the glory of man and woman. Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all different, but all equally God, so man and woman are different, but are equally made in the image of God. In fact, Paul says elsewhere that in Christ there is neither male nor female. Also, man and woman should not be in conflict with each other, but should delight in each other.
We then get back to some instruction on length of hair and more on head covering. While I do not believe that we can apply this directly today, we should consider what our practices today say about what we believe.
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