1 Corinthians 11

Tom Nelson is the Teaching Pastor of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas. He preached on 1 Corinthians 11 a few years ago. He asserted that Charles Hodge's commentary on 1 Corinthians 11 is the best explanation on the passage about head coverings that he has ever found. I just read that paragraph in the commentary so I thought I would provide it.

Here's the passage in question.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 ESV
Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But 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. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

Charles Hodge
Having corrected the more private abuses which prevailed among the Corinthians, the apostle begins in this chapter to consider those which relate to the mode of conducting public worship. The first of these is the habit of women appearing in public without a veil. Dress is in great degree conventional. A costume which is proper in one country would be indecorous in another. The principle insisted upon in this paragraph is, that women should conform in matters of dress to all those usages which public sentiment of the community in which they live demands. The veil in all eastern countries was, and to great extent still is, the symbol of modesty and subjection. For a woman, therefore, in Corinth to discard the veil was to renounce her claim to modesty, and to refuse to recognize her subordination to her husband. It is on the assumption of this significancy in the use of the veil, that the apostle’s whole argument in this paragraph is founded. (p. 205, 1 & 2 Corinthians (Geneva Series of Commentaries))