1Co 11:1 How is this verse a summary of 1Co 8-10? See 1Co 8:13, 9:12,19-22, 10:32-33.
1Co 11:2-7 When praising the Corinthians for holding firmly to the traditions he had delivered to them, what traditions in particular does Paul have in mind? See 1Co 11:3-16, 17-34. Was the former tradition a mere custom without meaning and specific to that particular culture, or did it have some basis in spiritual truth? What was that truth? See 1Co 11:3-7. In the order of headship God the Father is the head of Christ (1Co 11:3); does that mean He is better or superior to Christ? What does this teach us about the headship of man over woman?
1Co 11:4-7 Who does a man disgrace by praying or prophesying with his head covered? Why? See 1Co 11:7. Who does a woman disgrace by praying or prophesying with her head uncovered? Why? See again 1Co 11:7. Is the custom a matter of a woman covering her head all of the time? What is the significance of her covering her head while praying or prophesying? See 1Co 11:10. What does it mean to prophesy? See 1Co 14:3. Does Paul have in mind that women prophesied to the whole church? See 1Co 14:34, 1 Tim 2:12. To whom did they prophesy? See Titus 2:3-5, Acts 21:8-11. What is the connection between a woman’s material head-covering and her hair? See also 1Co 11:14-15. Did Paul believe it was disgraceful for a woman to have short hair? Is it significant that along with their rejection of the headship of men, women have also donned shorter hairstyles?
1Co 11:7-10 What two reasons does Paul give in these verses for the headship of man over a woman? See 1Co 11:8-9. Because of that headship what does Paul argue is necessary for the woman? See 1Co 11:7 & 10. For whose sake does Paul say the woman was created? Was Paul a chauvinist? Though completely contrary to modern thinking, what does this teach us about how a woman will find her greatest fulfillment and purpose in life? See Gen 2:18. What does he mean that a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head because of the angels? See Heb 1:14, John 5:4.
1Co 11:11-12 How do these verses counter the notion that a man’s headship implies he is better or superior to woman? See also 1 Pet 3:7.
1Co 11:13-16 What two final arguments does Paul set forth as to why a woman should not pray to God with her head uncovered? See 1Co 11:15 and 16. How do we know that the head-covering Paul has in mind for a woman to have while praying or prophesying is not the woman’s hair itself? See 1Co 11:6. What does 1Co 11:16 teach us about the matter of a woman’s head-covering being a point of contention even in that day? From the time of the early church in the first century until the 1950s and even into the 1970s women commonly wore a hat or scarf to church to cover their heads; why do you suppose they no longer do so today? See John 12:43; James 4:4. In light of Paul’s arguments, do you think they should? See 1 John 2:15, James 4:17.
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered (akatakaluptos, notice this word has the same root as that used in 1Co 11:6-7, but with the alpha-privative, which changes the meaning from covered/veiled to uncovered/unveiled) while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover (katakalupto) her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover [katakalupto “Let her be veiled (katakaluptesthô). Present middle imperative of old compound kata-kaluptô, here alone in N.T. Let her cover up herself with the veil (down, kata, the Greek says, the veil hanging down from the head).”] her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered (katakalupto), since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with head uncovered (akatakaluptos)? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering [antiperibolaion, “For a covering (antiperibolaiou). Old word from periballô to fling around, as a mantle (Heb 1:12) or a covering or veil as here. It is not in the place of a veil, but answering to (anti, in the sense of anti in Joh 1:16), as a permanent endowment (dedotai, perfect passive indicative).”]. 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.
The quoted material in the square brackets above comes from Robertson’s Word Pictures. Here are the definitions listed for the two different words used for “cover/covering” in the above passage, as found in Friberg’s Greek Lexicon:
15066 katakalupto (1) active cover, veil; (2) middle in the NT, of covering one’s head with a veil veil oneself, wear a veil (This word is only used here in the NT, here are all the instances of this word in the Septuagint—the Greek version of the OT: Gen. 38:15; Exod. 26:34; 29:22; Lev. 3:3, 14; 4:8; 7:3; 9:19; Num. 4:5; 22:5; 2 Chr. 18:29; Sir. 24:3; Hab. 2:14; Isa. 6:2; 11:9; 26:21; Jer. 26:8; 28:42, 51; Ezek. 26:10, 19; 32:7; 38:9; Sut. 1:32; Dan. 12:9; 1 Co. 11:6f).
21502 peribolaion, ou, to, from a basic meaning covering thrown around; (1) as an article of outer clothing mantle, cloak (HE 1.12); (2) as the effect of long hair covering (1C 11.15) (Here are all the instances of this word in the NT and in the Greek version of the OT: Exod. 22:26; Deut. 22:12; Jdg. 8:26; Ps. 101:27; 103:6; Job 26:6; Isa. 50:3; 59:17; Jer. 15:12; Ezek. 16:13; 27:7; 1 Co. 11:15; Heb. 1:12)