Christian brothers and sisters..Why do the angels look into this matter?

Blessed is the woman that remembers this; her glory is in being a help to a man, and in submission to her husband or her father. And long hair is the mark of this submission, the mark of this femininity.

When God sends his angels concerning you, and they see short hair, it tempts them into disobedience.

A man should not pray or prophesy with his head covered. That would dishonor his head, says the Scripture. Men instinctively know that it is shameful to wear hats in public service, and reverent men remove their hats when they pray. Likewise, men instinctively know that they ought not to have long hair. A man has short hair, and this symbolizes the fact that he can approach Jesus Christ freely and that he takes the responsibility as the head of his home.

On the other hand, a woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. Now look at verse 15 and you will see plainly that God is not talking about a woman wearing a hat or veil. Verse 15 says: "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." A woman, when she prays, should have a covering, some symbol that marks her as an obedient and surrendered wife or daughter. Her long hair is given her for a covering, and a woman who does not have her head covered in that way dishonors her head. And verse 6 says that it is a shame for a woman to be shorn, and she ought to be covered. This symbolic covering or veil for a woman is long hair. Long hair is a mark of a woman's womanliness in God's sight, and is plainly given her for that express purpose, as verse 15 says.

Because of the angels

In the eleventh chapter of 1 Corinthians we find a remarkable teaching which ought to stir the heart of every woman. The Lord says, "For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels." The word power here means authority. A woman ought to have a symbol of her husband's authority or her father's authority on her head. That is, a woman should wear long hair to indicate that she is submissive to the authority God has put over her. And this special reason mentioned here for a woman having long hair is that angels look on, and for their sakes a woman needs to have long hair.

The angels of God are all about us. People often think of angels as remaining in Heaven and only coming to earth on rare occasions to bring some message. But that is not true. The chief business of the angels is on earth, not in Heaven. Heb. 1:13,14 shows that the angels are not sitting on the right hand of God but "are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" The angels are ministering spirits, sent to wait on us who will one day fully inherit our salvation.

Angels appeared to Jacob on a ladder reaching from Heaven, as the young man slept with his head on a stone, and "behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." Angels whose work is on earth ascend to Heaven evidently to make report, but they descend again to take up their work. When Elisha, the prophet of God, was at Dothan, unseen to other eyes the angels of God made a ring of fire around the city with their "horses and chariots of fire" (2 Kings 6:17). The Lord Jesus says about little children, that "their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). And Psalm 34:7 says that "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

So angels are all round about us. And they are surpassingly concerned about our lives. Our eyes are blinded! We think that the other world, the unseen world and spirit beings are far, far away, but that is not true. And how angels do listen when a woman kneels to pray! For the sake of angels who always are near, Christian women should especially be careful to have long hair--"because of the angels," the Scripture says.

How are angels concerned about a woman's hair? I think that not only would angels be grieved by this mark of rebellion against husband or father and against God, but angels would be tempted, likewise, to rebel.

We know that some angels are fallen. I understand the Bible to teach that Satan himself was Lucifer, an archangel who became ambitious and rebellious and said, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13). He wanted to be like God (Isaiah 14:14), and was not willing to be subject, just as many women want to be equal to their husbands instead of being subject to them. And Satan fell. So a great group of angels fell, too. Rev. 12:4 may suggest that a third of the angels fell. I do not know how many. But actually, these angels are now chained in darkness, awaiting judgment (2 Pet. 2:4). Angels can fall, and in the past angels have fallen into sin.

This is especially sad when we remember that Christ never became an angel and did not die for angels. There is nothing said in the Bible about the redemption of fallen angels. If God has any plans for saving angels, He has not revealed them to us.

What sins did angels commit when they fell? They did not get drunk. They did not commit adultery, for it seems that angels are sexless beings who neither marry nor are given in marriage (Matt. 23:30). We suppose that heavenly angels, accustomed to the beauty and glory of Heaven, are never covetous. No, the sin of angels is the sin of rebellion.

Thus, when a woman with bobbed hair and a rebellious heart comes to pray, angels who are near and see her head and see her heart are tempted to sin; are tempted to commit the sin which such women commit, the sin of rebellion against authority. Because of the angels, every woman should wear long hair and be careful that she does not have a rebellious heart lest she should be a curse to the angels God has sent to be our ministers and guardians.

From this Scripture it becomes evident how hateful is the symbol of bobbed hair to God. And how it reveals the stubborn self-will of the modern woman who is no longer willing to take the place God assigned to godly women. I beseech the reader that if you are a woman you consider how God must feel toward this mark of rebellion, bobbed hair. No wonder that 1 Corinthians 11:5 says that every woman with a bobbed head has a dishonored head. And 1st Corinthians 11:6 says that it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven and that she ought to have a covering. And 1 Corinthians 11:15 says that long hair is given her for this covering.

In all that Jesus accomplished as a man was the only way mankind could be redeemed, because of God’s perfect justice. Remember how, under the Old Law Covenant, it was “an eye for an eye,” and “a tooth for a tooth”? So also, since Adam, a perfect man, lost eternal life for us, Jesus Christ, a perfect man, could redeem it back. Romans, chapter 5:12-15 explains: 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Truly, Jesus Christ, “God with us,” did function as a man on earth. He performed His miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, and promised His disciples, “the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (John 14:12). The disciples were mere men empowered by the Holy Spirit, and yet were promised that they could carry on as Jesus did, giving us the ability to also defeat the enemy with the Holy Spirit empowering us. Jesus truly functioned as a man while on earth, fulfilling all the requirements to redeem us from Adam’s sin.

Why do the angels look into this matter?

Because they wanna know, whatsa matter!!

Seriously, wow you ask some tough questions.

If you read verses 11-16, you find your answer. A woman's hair is sufficient to be that "cover." She need not cover her head with a scarf. Paul then clarifies with, "If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God." Issue solved. Women can do whatever they want with their head cover, or lack thereof.

Peace out.

When a Christian woman wears a head covering on appropriate occasions, this is an evidence of her respect for the headship arrangement that was instituted by God. Christ respects theocratic headship; man and woman are also obligated to do so. The first man, Adam, was not produced by birth from a woman but was created by God. When creating Eve, God used a rib from Adam as a foundation, and God stated that she was to be a helper for Adam. Thus to man, who was produced first, was assigned the position of head. The man does not wear a head covering when ‘praying or prophesying’ because, in regard to headship, man is “God’s image,” having no earthly head in matters relating to his family. However, for a woman to ‘pray or prophesy’ without a head covering would show disrespect for man’s God-assigned position and would shame him. Even the angels, who are members of Jehovah’s wifelike heavenly organization, observe the “sign of authority” worn by faithful Christian women and are reminded of their own subjection to Jehovah.

In order to understand this scripture one must take it in the context that it is written. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16,

3 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.

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

5 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.

6 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.

7 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.

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

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

According to the apostle Paul it is the evidence of the obedience of wives to their husbands, not that men can be tyrants in their home, but leaders. When God created Eve he created her from the rib of Adam so she would not be under his feet, nor from the head so she could be over him, but from the rib so she could walk side by side, equally. Women are to conduct themselves as the angels, who are obedient to God and Him alone. This is not the most popular doctrine of Paul's ministry, but necessary to maintain order and tranquility in the home as God intended.

gatita_63109

Good question - I remember not being allowed to go into our local church without wearing a head covering - and the minister's wife very sweetly and kindly would hand out mantillas at the doorway as you came in.

Now this seems to have fallen away....

This is a VERY cryptic passage. We do not have much in the way of cross-reference, so the most we can do is speculate. So here is my speculation...

Angels are subject to passions. This can be seen with the bar-elohim in Genesis having sexual relations with women in Genesis.

The "sign of submission" is the covering itself. Today, we do not have such an outward showing. We do, however, show our "sign of submission" via our words and attitude. Jesus bent down and washed the disciple's feet as a "sign of servitude". We do not do that today. However, helping one another when in need accomplishes the same thing.

The only "sign" of submission is ones life(ether as good or as bad)... if you, as a wife, accourding to what God has led you to, are in submission as outlined in Ephesions 5:20-33.... then you fulfill your duty to both your husband and to God.

http://www.htmlbible.com/kjv30/B49C005.htm

Sandy, this is a very challenging question because it is not all that clear.

I think that it is explained the clearest that I have seen in this link which I am including. And at the same time I will also include a few statements from me even though I am a layman compared to David Guzik whom I have a very high opinion of for clearly expounding the Holy Scriptures.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/comm_read.p...

Now as I said this is just my view and does not come from a lot of courses, instruction, or commentaries. This comes from the unction I receive in my spirit from the Holy Spirit I believe and hoping that my puny brain can say it right.

Something draws me back in time to The Garden of Eden and the fall of man. Prior to the fall, eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, there was no law, no requiremetns, no statutes, no oracles, no anything placed on man. So something happened as a result of the fall and I think it comes back to this as a result of the fall:

Gen 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Now Paul later brought this back out when he wrote:

1Ti 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, [and] lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

1Ti 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

1Ti 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

1Ti 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

1Ti 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Now in order to understand why the angels desire to look into these things I had to go back to the rebellion which took place in heaven when Lucifer rebelled and one third of the angels with him. Now some of my thoughts on this may sound ridiculous and I can except that, and at the same time they are my thoughts. So here we go.

The angels that rebelled received no mercy from God. God gave them no redeemer. They know that they will be cast into the lake of fire and they have no hope. The angels who remained loyal and took no part in this rebellion know this also. Now I must try and think like an angel and ask you if you were an angel and saw the grace, mercy, longsuffering, patience and love of God which he has shown on a sinful wicked people even to sending forth the Word of God, who created them, to be made flesh and suffer for mankind the way Christ did, wouldn't you want to know why. What does God see in these wretched, sinful, rebellious people that he did not see in us. That is just one question. Then the angels know that these same wretched, sinful, rebellious people because of the wisdom of God through Christ by the Holy Spirit are now different and are more like Christ and now will judge angels and more than likely replace the one third that fell. For it is pretty obvious that God is not going to create more angels as before so what is he going to do with these. We know and the angels know that we are the apple of his eye. And do not forget that angels as ministering spirits are responsible to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. WOW! If I were an angel I would certainly look into this matter, wouldn't you. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Think back on Job and how God handled that when the sons of God came and Satan also. I mean it goes on and on. Anyway that is just some of my thoughts and if I keep thinking on this I will write a book to you.

Keep challenging us with these well thought out questions and may God continue to work through you for this ministry.

Because angels work for God.

the bible is all about context and setting......to isolate a verse and interpret it without factoring in the context and setting and who is saying it is not productive....