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The Life of the Early Christians  /  Head Covering  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
When discussing *when* the covering should be worn, Bercot notes Paul doesn’t explicitly limit it to church gatherings and points to examples like graveside prayers and later counsel (Apostolic Constitutions) about covering in the streets. If you tried to apply his “safest course” reasoning consistently, what concrete practices would change in your life (private prayer, family worship, public settings), and what heart-motives would need to be confronted as you did?
Another way to ask: Paul doesn’t clearly say the covering is only for church, and Bercot argues the “safest” approach is broader. If you followed that way of thinking, what would you change in daily life (private prayer, family worship, public), and what heart issues would you have to face?

Direct Answer Bercot’s “safest course” reasoning implies applying the instruction whenever one is “praying or prophesying,” not only at church, and perhaps extending modest covering more broadly in public settings as later Christian counsel suggests. The heart issues he raises are fear of people, desire for cultural acceptance, and resistance to God’s order.

Support from Transcript:

  • He asks whether Paul limits it to church and answers, “No, he doesn’t,” noting the surrounding context includes private meals and then later “when you come together.”
  • He argues the headship reason isn’t church-limited: “Is a husband… head… only during church?” and says it “doesn’t really make sense” to limit it.
  • He points to common practice for men outside church: graveside services where “all of the men take off their hats.”
  • He concludes, “the safest course… would be to apply [it] at any time that we are praying or prophesying.”
  • He adds later counsel: Apostolic Constitutions says women should cover “in the streets… [to] avoid being viewed by idle persons.”
  • He connects noncompliance to cultural pressure: the teaching is “politically… incorrect,” and leaders fear opposition.
Discussion Follow-ups What would change for you in private prayer or spontaneous public prayer if you applied it consistently? What reactions (embarrassment, resentment, pride) might reveal whether your concern is God’s honor or people’s approval?

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