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ABSTRACT
Covering the Hair is a Religious Commandment for Christian Women.

Suleman Samuel Gill

CONCEPT OF VEIL IN CHRISTIANITY

Table of contents
Executive Summary.2 Introduction..3 History...3 Distinction between male and female dresses4 Covering the head and headship principle5 A misconception...8 Why a women should be veiled..8 Conclusion10 Bibliography.11

Executive Summary
In this article, I tried to clear a common misconception is that Muslim women are the only ones who cover their hair. It may be true that Islam is the only religion in which most women follow its directives to cover the hair, but it is not the only religion to have such directives. Since Christianity is the predominant religion in the West, and it is Westerners, including observant Christians, who are often the first to criticize Islam because of the hijab (modest dress, including head covering). Veiling the head (and other body parts) is a Religious Commandment for Christian Women as mentioned in I Corinthians 11:6. God also wants us to guard our sexually as mentioned in Genesis 3:21. Several Godly women used to veil themselves when appearing before a stranger. Examples include, Sarah (wife of Abraham) as mentioned in Genesis 18:10, Rebecca (wife of Isaac) as mentioned in Genesis 24:65 and several others. Reasons for the veiling of a woman are also mentioned in the bible. Veiling to woman is necessary because: It represents a Gods principle (as mentioned in I Corinthians 11:3), the angels are always present around us (as mentioned in I Corinthians 11:10), it provides protection from lustful eyes, it represents church (as mentioned in Ep. 3:10) and it is a threat to Satan. Early church writings and pictures in the earliest Christian art in the catacombs of Rome give clear evidence that Early Christians were very much observant to the commandment of veiling. But now a days, most of the Christian women do not, and many don't take other teachings of the Bible (against pre-marital sex, adultery, etc.) literally either. However, there do seem to be a growing number of Christian women out there who are committed to following the Bible as it is written.

Introduction
What is veil? A veil is an article of clothing or cloth hanging that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. It is especially associated with women and sacred objects. 1. 2. 3. What is the purpose of veil? It is intended to show honor to an object or space. Maintenance of social distance. Communication of social status and cultural identity.

History
It began with the very first man: When Adam and Eve committed the first sin on Earth by eating the forbidden fruit, they realized that they are naked and tried to cover themselves with leaves temporarily. But Later God made them permanent clothing of skin of an animal. But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it (Genesis 3:6). Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves (Genesis 3:7). And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife (Genesis 3:21). God set an example for the upcoming generations by Himself providing, Adam and Eve, the clothing to cover their body when the leaf covering proved to be insufficient which shows that He wants us to guard and protect our sexuality, not promote it.

The tradition continued: Numerous servants of God throughout the Bible followed this tradition. There are several examples given in the Bible about women who used veil themselves before a certain man. Some examples are given below: 1. Sarah (wife of Abraham): An account about Sarah shows us that how she used to herself before a stranger. He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. (Genesis 18:10). Here, it can be seen how she used keep a distance from an unknown person. She didnt appear before an unknown man, instead, she stayed in the tent behind him. 2. Rebekah (wife of Isaac): Same is the case with Rebekah, she also used to cover herself as her mother-in-law (Sarah) used to do, when appearing before someone: And asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself (Genesis 24:65) Rebekah took her veil and covered herself when she saw a certain man coming towards her.

Distinction between male and female dresses

God commanded us not to wear the opposite sexs dress and he strongly dislike the interchange of clothes between both the genders. A woman must not wear mens clothing, nor a man wear womens clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this (Deuteronomy 22:5) In our culture, the basic make of male and female dresses and sometimes even names are also same for example Shalwar Kameez, Kurta, etc. But they can be easily distinguished. Same was the case with Hebrews. Female dresses had fancy designs which covered whole body.
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In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses

and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. (Isaiah 3:18-24) These verses shows us that the Hebrew women used to wear fancy clothes as well as they used to cover their body with cloaks, capes and shawls.

Covering the head and headship principle

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man (I Corinthians 11: 3) Man's headship over woman is a relationship for this age, and has its origin in the creation account itself. Man's headship is not just a result of the fall, but was established in the Garden of Eden in that she was created out of man and was a helper comparable to him' (Genesis 2: 18). Eve's sin in the Garden was in one sense her breaking this headship principle by disobeying God and enticing Adam, She thereby overstepped her place as helpmeet, and thus nullified her authority and influence Man's headship over woman is not abolished in the church, because it is an aspect of God's government and this world for the effectual achieving of His purposes. However, in the spiritual realm there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) There is a spiritual equality between the sexes which will continue beyond this age in the full consummation of the kingdom of God after the administrative arrangement of this age has come to an end. Man should not cover his head during prayer Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head (I Corinthians 11: 4). This can only be understood in a figurative sense. Since man is called to reveal the glory of God, he is the image and glory of God (I Corinthians 11: 4) when he prays and prophesies in Christ's name he must do so with uncovered head (as a type of revealing Christ), else he manifests his own glory, thereby putting his head, Christ, to shame. In 2 Cor.3: 13-16, Paul explains that those of the old covenant still have veiled hearts In reading the O.T., just as Moses was veiled to cover God's glory, but that

"when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." Therefore, both literally and spiritually, Christian men no longer had to wear a veil as the Jews of the former covenant. We put our Head, Christ, to shame, if we cover what He has covered with His own blood and glory. Woman should cover her head during prayer And every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled puts to shame her head, for it is one and the same thing with the one shaven. (I Corinthians 11: 5). Today this is only known in the church; the world has no knowledge of it.... Likewise, God's appointment of man as head of woman is also known only in the church today. Today the church alone knows that Christ is the head of man and that man is the head of woman." (Unfortunately, most churches today have completely lost the knowledge of these truths, and therefore women are in leadership and do not cover their heads in the literal or spiritual sense.) This dishonoring is not only the case within the marriage relationship, as to a husband, but to all men. This statement concerning the praying and prophesying of women in public makes it clear that she could 'speak forth publicly', but not in the assembly in such a way as to teach and have authority over man. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9). Prophecy is a public proclaiming, and clearly she is to prophesy at appropriate times. In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams (Acts 2:17) Among the Jews, an adulterous woman was to have her head shaved. According to Findlay, Among the Greeks, only the prostitutes, so numerous in Corinth, went about unveiled; slave women wore the shaven head - also a punishment of the adulterous. Although the cultural context could lead one to think that Paul's directives were meant to be merely a temporary social custom so the sisters would not be identified with the harlots of Corinth, one need only remember the foundational principles which under gird the practice of the woman's veiling and that it is upon these that it transcends social customs throughout the world in any nation or culture. A sister who prays or prophesies without a veil, then, Is rejecting the authority of her head,

man, by rejecting the sign of it, and in so doing is dishonoring God's governmental design arid Word. The woman should be veiled For if a woman be not veiled, let her also be sheared; but if (it is) shameful to a woman to be sheared or to be shaven, let her be veiled (I Corinthians 11: 5). If a woman refused to wear the veil, she should also cut her hair short, a practice which would have been shameful in most cultures throughout most of history until now, when the natural sense of the distinction of the sexes has degenerated and unisexism has become vogue. Shear (kiero) is the word used in shearing sheep; thus it means to cut the hair very short. But since it is a shame for a woman to shave or cut her hair short, as it is her glory, and a badge of her femininity, then she should wear a veil. The word for veil is katakalupto, which literally means 'something hanging down which completely covers'. Why would Paul say that if a woman refused to wear a veil she should then cut off all her hair? Plainly it is because her glory is to be covered, and if she rejects the veil, which serves that purpose, then her hair (glory) should be sheared off. A Christian woman then has the choice of wearing the veil or having her hair sheared like a sheep, which even today is not a popular hair style for women. The word 'also' in this verse shows without a doubt that a covering other than the hair is in view here, and excludes any possibility that he is implying that the long hair is given for her sole covering. Man should not veil his head For man indeed ought not to have the head veiled, being the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man (I Corinthians 11:7) This verse teaches that the veil must not be worn by the man. When a Christian man abandons himself fully to his Head, the Lord Jesus, his own glory is covered in the process and Christ's glory is then revealed (uncovered= apokalupto). The working out of our salvation is this His-life-out-of-our-death principle. For as we put to death the flesh by the Spirit we are releasing the life and light of Christ through our mortal bodies, and are transformed into His Image. Man is the image and glory of God and woman is the glory of man. She represents God most fully as she functions in her place alongside of man, but under his authority, for she was created for man (Genesis 2:20-23) and is his glory. This

certainly doesn't mean that she is some sort of inferior species, but expresses that in this earthly dispensation, although she is his spiritual equal, she is yet called to be subject to man in regards to family, church and social relationships.

A misconception
But if anyone thinks to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the churches of God (I Corinthians 11:7). With full apostolic authority, Paul emphatically states that if anyone is contentious (philaneikos - to love strife) on this matter, they had no such practice in all the churches of God. What practice - veiling, or unveiling? One has to be amazed at the commentators who imply that Paul is in this one verse abolishing all that he has said in verses 1-15. The word translated 'such' here is 'toioutos', which simply means 'such as', and not 'other' as some translations misinterpret. It is soon obvious to anyone studying this passage that 'such custom' is referring to and answering his question in verse 13, "Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with, her head uncovered?'. In the Greek, the grammatical structure of this verse is such in case, number and gender to make it agree only with the pronoun 'yourselves' in verse 13. Thus verses 14 and 15 are a parenthesis between verses 13 and 16, where he appeals to their native sense in the matter of hair length for each sex. Paul proclaims boldly that in every church the sisters wore the head veiling, and he flatly commands them to step in line with universal apostolic practice. Early church writings and pictures in the earliest Christian art in the catacombs of Rome give clear evidence that this was the case.

Why a woman should be veiled?

i) Because of the angels Because of this, the woman ought to have authority on her head - because of the angels (I Corinthians 11:10). The woman ought to have a veiling on because it functions to represent the subjection she shows to her authority, man, and ultimately to God. The veil is meant to represent the inner reality of her relationship with God and specifically with man as her head she has the continuous reminder of what her life should exemplify by it. Rebekah, when she was told that it was Isaac, her future husband, coming across the field to meet her, took a veil and covered herself. (Gen.24:6465). The veiling simply serves to outwardly express the God-ordained fact that in

this age woman is governmentally under man's headship and authority (Gen.3:16 "...he shall rule over you. "). The phrase 'because of the angels', or messengers, has caused much speculation. Most likely this refers to both good and bad angels. The Jews, and Tertullian, among others, saw it as a possible reference to Genesis.6:1-2 where perhaps it was the angels (evil one) who were tempted to doom by the beauty of the uncovered daughters of men. Oriental Jews believed that evil spirits delight in unveiled women and good angels avoid them so as not to be tempted. Certainly there is a measure of truth in much of this. Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14) The simplest explanation is that angels, who themselves are veiled before the throne of the Almighty, and in a relationship of perfect and total submission to Him, are present at all times, and especially during worship, and are shocked at the impropriety of unveiled women in the assembly, who are to be veiled as a sign of their submission to their head. ii) Protection from lustful eyes:

It has become clear by experience to me and to many others that the veiled woman has great protection from the enemy if her heart is in the attitude of the submission which the veiling is symbolizing. Many have been the testimonies of women who were protected by lustful men because the conscience of such men were smitten through the presence of the veiling. iii) Represents Church

Satan and his cohorts hate the head covering because of what it represents; it reminds them and puts them to shame because of their own rejection of God's headship. Faithful, veiled sisters also represent the church, which covers its glory, "...to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places." (Ep. 3:10). What a high calling the sisters have in exemplifying the submissive, obedient church as it reproves the fallen angels! iv) Threat to Satan

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A veiled head is a direct blow to Satan on two primary aspects of his fall pride and rebellion. The veiled head very effectively deals with slavery to hair styles, and may I add, feminine pride. Remember that it was simple pride that turned an angel into a devil. Rebellion also is uniquely Satan's territory. He is a legalist and knows his rights. If you dabble in the occult you must reap the results. Similarly, Sam. 15:22-23 states that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. In other words, even as in the occult, rebellion places you in Satan's legal territory. In 1 Cor. 11, a woman with an unveiled head, or a man wearing long hair, are both employing symbols of rebellion.

Conclusion
There can be no doubt that God expects and commands that every Christian woman wear the head veiling. Any church which claims to be biblical will recognize that the apostles' doctrine is essential to her realization, and that the veiling of women is an aspect of that doctrine. To say this is not to imply that the headship veiling is essential to one's salvation. It obviously is not to be equated in importance with such apostolic teachings as the incarnation, the atonement, etc... However, the veiled head is an important symbol instituted by God to express deeper spiritual principles, as is baptism arid the Lord's Supper. We serve a God who for various reasons has put great emphasis upon symbols and their meaning. The O.T. Is full of types and symbols which point to and prepare for the fuller revelation and reality of the new covenant. Circumcision was a sign of God's covenant with Abraham; baptism corresponds to it. The head veiling serves to remind us that even though we are in a new covenant and have entered into the boundless freedom of Christ, yet God's governmental distinctions which were established in the Garden are yet in force while this creation lasts.

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Bibliography 1. The Holy Bible (NIV, NKJV, NLT) 2. Kamoos-Al-Kitab by F.S. Khair Ullah 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil 4. http://www.fisheaters.com/smallmaryveil.jpg 5. http://www.muhajabah.com/christianveil.htm 6. http://truthinheart.com/EarlyOberlinCD/CD/Doctrine/BeVeiled.ht m 7. http://www.cogwriter.com/veils.htm