Let’s read that verse.  1 Corinthians 11:10 states, “Therefore the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” (NASB).  This portion is dealing with the teaching of the woman having her head covered during the meetings of the church.  While many today dismiss this as either being old fashioned or limited to the city of Corinth at that time, the Bible is clear that a woman should cover her head in the meetings.  To try to limit this teaching to those who were living in Corinth at that time goes against what we read in 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, both theirs and ours.”  Paul later wrote in this same epistle, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 14:37).  This shows us that this teaching is not simply Paul’s words or opinions but is the very commandment of God.

In this portion, as Paul teaches of the woman’s head covering, he gives three reasons why this is the appropriate thing to do:

• In verse 3, we see that the head covering is a symbol of the headship of God, Christ and man. 
• In verses 7-9, we see that the head covering is given to women because of the order of creation. 
• Then, in verse 10, we see that the head covering is because of the angels.  This speaks of the angels’ observance as they look for obedience to the order the Lord has given to His church.

Let’s also consider the words of 1 Peter 1:11-12, “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things THE ANGELS DESIRE TO LOOK INTO.”  Salvation was never offered to the angels, so we learn here that they long to observe and understand more fully the sufferings of Christ and the act of salvation offered to sinful man.  Their “ministry to the heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14) naturally prompts them to wish to understand this mystery of the love, justice, wisdom, and power of their and our God and Lord. They can only know it through its manifestation in the Church, as they personally have not experienced it as we have.

So, in both these portions, we see angels observing believers to see God’s order and man’s submission, and to see God’s loving act of salvation to sinful men.  The Apostle Paul wrote of our Christian existence in 1 Corinthians 4:9, “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”  We also read in 1 Timothy 5:21, “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.”   Yes, the angels watch us to learn.  May we search the scriptures, obey them, and allow the angels of God to observe us in our lives of service and obedience to our loving Lord and Savior.  (CC)  (642.6)