Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11 that the woman “ought” to have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels (verses 7-10). That is an unexpected argument! What do angels have to do with worship?

Paul does not just write about what a wife must do. He also says what a man should not do while he prays or prophesies: “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God” (verse 7)

Tradition and practice⤒🔗

To explain this passage is difficult, not only as a text, but also because of its content. For the content creates tension between tradition and the way we practice it as congregations.

When I say tradition, I do not mean something that we do and should respect, but that we are not bound to. The tradition I refer to is the apostolic testimony. Paul has received that, he passes it on to us, and we are to keep it safe and pass it on to the next generation. We have not only received the institution of the Lord’s Supper (11:23), but also the gospel of the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3). The apostle begins this part of Scripture by pointing to the tradition: “Now I commend you, brothers, because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions, even as I delivered them to you” (11:2). He closes with the remark that this subject does not need to be a point of contention in the churches. That is not his style as an apostle.                                                                                                               

It also is not the style of the churches of God: “…if anyone is contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God” (11:16). So we can talk about how this works in practice, as long as we hold to the tradition (as given to Paul).

Authority←⤒🔗

When you are searching for the meaning of a difficult text, it is good to pay attention to repetition. Paul uses the term “because of” three times in a row in verses 9-10:

• Man was not created for woman
• A woman is created for man
• A  wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels

To start with the latter: a wife ought to have a symbol of “authority” on her head.

The Old Dutch translation calls it “a power.” The word “a” is not in the original text. The word exousia is used. It means “power” as in authorization, authority (HSV). Thus the Lord Jesus as the risen Saviour has been given all exousia, authority, authorization in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). All power, not just a power. That would diminish the glory of Jesus. In the same way the woman who prays or prophesies has to have power, authority on her head. Some later manuscripts visualized this power by not using the word exousia, but kalumma, meaning covering or veil. But we should not get fixated on that picture of a covering.  What is important is that we understand what the symbol is meant to express. The woman covers her head because of the angels. While she prays and prophesies, heavenly glory surrounds her directly.

Creation←⤒🔗

It is different for the man. The first and second time Paul uses the expression “because of” or “for,” he talks about the order that God establishes in creation: that a man is not created for woman, but the woman is created for man. Twice he uses the word “created.” The order that God established in creation is used by Paul from the perspective of the gospel. That is the starting point in 1 Corinthians: “I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God” (11:3). He received his authority from Christ as Christ received his authority from God.                                

Paul again looks at it with a view to the gospel when he uses the word “because of” or “for” three times in these verses. He writes, “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man of woman.” When he says “in the Lord,” he means “in communion with the Lord” (11:11). The Lord in his heavenly glory is the Lord of the angels.

Lord of the angels←⤒🔗

Christ is Lord of the angels. You see that at his birth. There was a multitude of the heavenly host in the fields of Ephratah. After the temptation in the desert, we read, “and behold, angels came to minister to him.”  Christ was crowned with honour and glory, because on the cross he would give up that crown. The Saviour himself said that when he gave himself up to be arrested: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to the Father and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).                                               

Christ, as the Son of man, is Lord of the angels. You can see what that means when you read the first night vision of Daniel. The Son of man is given dominion and honour and a kingdom.  This especially refers to the angels. There are a thousand times thousands and ten thousand times ten thousands. They serve the Father, and so they also serve the Son (Daniel 7). Therefore the Son teaches those who are his not only to pray to the Father but to worship him as well: for “yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

A New Covenant

In the second part Hebrews 12 (verses 18-39) the new covenant is compared to the old covenant. These are the main points of difference. We think of Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, but there used to be a mountain we could touch, Mount Sinai. In contrast to the festive gathering of the firstborn and of those whose names are written in the heavens, we see a people earlier who could not handle a meeting with God.  In the new covenant there is God, the Judge over all, and the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus; in the old covenant there was only Moses, who even had to admit, “I fear greatly and am standing here trembling.” But, most importantly, the blood of the sprinkling, the blood of Christ, speaks of greater things than the blood of Abel did in that time. For Christ is our great High Priest.  He entered the holy places once for all and forever, because he shed his own blood and so he has secured eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:11-22).                                           

Especially when we take note of the new covenant, the images flow together. By coming together with the congregation, you are included in the communion with God. There you are at home, in the heavenly Jerusalem. God is there. He is the God of the heavenly hosts, the angels: tens of thousands!  Long ago, when the covenant was made on Sinai, the Lord came down in fire. The fire is still there in the new covenant. At the end of this passage the apostle even speaks of a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). He is holy. But “for the sake” of Christ, he is “our God.” The Scriptures call him the God of the covenant. This ending is the climax.           

In the new covenant holiness and closeness belong together. It is both adoration and communion.

The Lord’s Supper←⤒🔗

By coming together with the congregation you are included in the communion with God. It was traditionally experienced in the church through the celebration of the Lord’s Holy Supper. It was experienced in the singing of the “Sanctus.” That went back to the experience of Isaiah (chapter 6). For a moment the separation between heaven and earth ceases to be there for him — the separation of what the Nicene Creed calls the visible and the invisible things. That does happen more often in the Bible (for instance, in the book of Revelation). Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up (6:1). The seraphim around his throne called to one another; “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”                                                                                                                      

The Lord’s Supper is the celebration of the new covenant that rests upon the blood of Christ. Because of the atonement of our sins by his blood, we are taken into the communion with God and therefore also with his holy angels. So, “sursum corda”: lift up your hearts. The Form for the Lord’s Supper puts the focus on Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God the Father.

In the Proclamation←⤒🔗

In the Bible the angels are not an autonomous entity as people sometimes think they are, when they talk about an angel sitting on your shoulder. The angels proclaim the glory of God. In the worship service you may stand before him, coram Deo. That happens especially during the proclamation of the Word:

See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For… [he]warns from heaven. (Hebrews 12:25)

What meaning does the worship service have when we consider that in it we are approached by “innumerable angels in festal gathering” (12:22b)?  In Hebrews 12, the apostle says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe” (12:28).  We, and especially our church leaders, should heed that when people want us to be more approachable and more contemporary in church and worship. The worship service should always reflect “Glory to God” in heaven and on earth. This festive gathering is a  delight.

O God, we praise you, we acknowledge you as Lord                                                                          
Eternal Father, you are everywhere adored                                                                                               
Led by the seraphim, the angels praise you rightly:
“O, holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty!                                                                                                  
Both heaven and earth are filled with your majestic splendor.”                                                                  
o you all angels never-ceasing praises render.                                                Hymn 3:1: Book of Praise

Questions for discussion←⤒🔗

1. To participate in the worship service you have to be reverent. How does that look for you and how does it look when you do this together as the Lord’s congregation?
2. In the Old Testament God is often called the Lord of hosts. In the New Testament Christ is the Lord of the angels. In that way the Lord is glorified by adoration and praise. Find examples of that in the Old and the New Testament. What do you learn from them for your personal faith?
3. According to the Bible, what should we say to the angels and what do the angels tell us?