No, women do not need to wear head coverings in church today.
Les Feldick explains that Paul's instruction about head coverings was tied to the culture of the Middle East, where veiled women were protected and unveiled women were associated with prostitutes. Since that cultural meaning no longer applies today, the requirement is not binding on modern believers.
1 Corinthians 11:4-7 — This passage contains Paul's instructions about head coverings, which Les interprets in light of cultural context.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul writes about head coverings, stating that a man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors his head, and a woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. He connects this to the creation order and the angels (verses 3-10). However, the specific instruction is addressed to the Corinthian church in the context of their culture. Paul also commands women to be silent in the churches and to ask their husbands at home (1 Corinthians 14:34-35), and he grounds this in the law. These instructions reflect the cultural and legal norms of that time.
Les Feldick teaches that Paul's instructions about head coverings were culturally specific to the Middle East of that day. In that culture, a veiled woman was protected and not to be touched, while an unveiled woman was open to verbal abuse and attack. Prostitutes were known for going unveiled, so a believing woman appearing uncovered would be misinterpreted. Paul's concern was that believers not give the wrong impression to the world. Les emphasizes that Christianity freed women from the repression they experienced under the Law and in pagan culture. He points out that women are equals in the church and that Paul's instructions were to avoid scandal, not to oppress women. Since head coverings no longer carry that cultural significance in modern society, they are not required today, but the principle of cultural sensitivity remains.
Les explains that in the Middle East, an unveiled woman was open to verbal abuse, snide remarks, and even attacks, while a veiled woman was protected and not to be touched. Prostitutes were known for removing their coverings, so an uncovered woman would be associated with them. Paul used this cultural backdrop to tell women in the church not to appear like prostitutes.
Les stresses that Paul was writing 'in the light of the culture and the day and time in which he writes.' He uses the example of the Old Testament prohibition against women wearing men's clothing, pointing out that in Old Testament times men wore tunics and robes, not pants. This shows that cultural context must be understood, and we should not force cultural instructions onto modern times.
Les strongly denies that Paul was anti-feminist. He says Christianity brought women out of being downtrodden and set womanhood free. He points out that women like Phoebe were entrusted with Paul's letter to the Romans. Paul's instructions were cultural, not a statement of women's worth.
Cultural Meaning of Veiling
Les explains that in the Middle East, an unveiled woman was open to abuse, while a veiled woman was protected, showing the cultural reason behind Paul's instruction.
Prostitutes and Veiling
Les compares the cultural association of unveiled women with prostitutes, reinforcing why Paul urged women to maintain covering to avoid scandal.
Women's Conduct in Church
Les shows that Paul's instructions for women to be subdued and silent were to differentiate them from the brazen prostitutes of the culture.
Why the 12 Disciples Never Preached to Gentiles — Acts 1:8
I remember years ago reading where someone was decrying women wearing slacks. And he went back and used the verse in the Old Testament where it says, "...that a woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man." Good heavens, what did men wear in Old Testament days? Tunics and robes. They didn't wear pants. Now what's a poor woman to do? She can't wear pants. She can't wear a robe.
Christianity's Freedom for Women
Les emphasizes that Christianity brought women to an almost equal level, and that Paul's teachings are cultural and not oppressive.
Tongues, Prophecy & Order in Worship - 1 Corinthians 14:14-40 Explained
That's the way He ordained it. And so all the way up through the Old Testament, yes the woman was, to our way of thinking, almost overly subdued, but nevertheless this is still part of Paul's thinking as he deals with the Corinthian church. That the women were to recognize the fact that the man was still the head of the family, he was the head of the woman, and that she was to be subdued under tho…
What the Bible Really Says About Judging Other Christians
This is what we need today, regardless of what happens down the road prophetically. Here's where we are today. Galatians 6, verse 1. Brethren, so who is he talking to? Believers, see? So brethren, if a man, now we don't want to leave the women out. This is a generic term. Don't think for a minute that the women aren't involved in the Christian church.
Your Body Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit — 1 Corinthians 6:19
When he says it's good for a man not to touch a woman, he's not saying that they shouldn't get involved and get married. But he is saying in the light of these verses in chapter 6, that as believers now, men as well as women have to be careful in their contact with people of the opposite sex in their everyday experiences.
1 Corinthians 11:5-6: But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
This is the direct instruction about head coverings that Les interprets culturally.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35: Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Les references this passage to show Paul's cultural instructions for women in the church.
No, Les Feldick teaches that the head covering was a cultural practice tied to the Middle Eastern context, where veiled women were protected. Since that meaning is gone today, it is not required.
Les says Paul was writing in the light of his culture and time. The principle of not giving unnecessary offense still applies, but the specific practice is not universal.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Said Women Should Cover Their Heads — 1 Corinthians 11