Page 85 - Sarah's Children

long hair, whether pagan or saint, are giving a testimony to the angels? But how can
a pagan give a testimony to the angels when they do not even understand the witness
they are giving? And knowing nothing about the government of the kingdom of God
it is highly improbable that these women are practicing submission to that
governmental order. This sign that Paul speaks of would seem to be more deliberate
than merely wearing long hair. It is something done with conscious thought, and as
an intentional declaration that the angels understand.

Let me share something with you that the Spirit revealed to me recently that I believe
will be helpful in bringing clarity to this issue. Paul’s discourse on headship and
headcovering conforms to a pattern that he uses in other places as he speaks of
various topics. The pattern that Paul repeatedly demonstrates is to first declare the
issue that he is discussing, and then to use examples from scripture and from nature
to illustrate and add emphasis to his teachings.

Let us look at an example of this pattern from this same letter to the Corinthian
church. In seeing the pattern in which Paul puts forth his instructions to the
Corinthian church, we can come to precisely understand his intent regarding
headcovering. In the following passage on the topic of ministerial compensation,
note that Paul declares his topic at the very beginning and then he uses various
examples to back up his declaration.

I Corinthians 9:3-14
My defense to those who examine me is this: do we not have a right to
eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife,
even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and
Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from
working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who
plants a vineyard, and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock
and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things
according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these
things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle the
ox while he is threshing." God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or
is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written,
because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh
in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too
much if we should reap material things from you? If others share the
right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right,
but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel
of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat
the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have
their share with the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim