The Misuse of 1 Corinthians 11

Some have attempted to argue, based on 1 Corinthians 11:4–10, that women are not made in the image of God:

“Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” (1 Corinthians 11:4–10, NASB)

This passage is used as a prooftext by some to suggest that only men bear the image of God. This interpretation, however, is theologically reckless and exegetically indefensible. It neglects the immediate context of 1 Corinthians 11, ignores the broader canonical witness (especially Genesis 1:26–27 and 5:1–2), and misunderstands how Paul uses terms like “image” and “glory” throughout his letters.

Before analyzing the Corinthian passage in detail, we must establish a consistent theological framework regarding the image of God—what it is, who it applies to, and how it unfolds across redemptive history.

Genesis and the Image of God

The foundational biblical text for the doctrine of the imago Dei is Genesis 1:26–27:

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26–27, NASB)

Literary and Structural Analysis

Genesis 1:27 is a tightly constructed poetic triad with parallelism and chiasm:

• a. So God created man in His own image
• b. In the image of God He created him
• c. Male and female He created them

Wenham, Mathews, and others observe that the third clause clarifies that both male and female are the referents of “man” (‘ādām). The passage is unmistakably clear: both male and female are created in the divine image.

The Meaning of “Image of God”

Scholars generally group interpretations of the imago Dei into three categories:

1. Structural: The image refers to some feature within human nature, such as rationality, volition, or moral capacity.
2. Relational: The image is realized in the relational dynamics between humans and God or among humans themselves.
3. Functional/Representational: The image entails a calling to represent God and exercise dominion over creation.

The prevailing scholarly consensus affirms the third view. Humans are created to function as God’s vice-regents on earth. Bruce Waltke writes:

“The text is saying that exercising royal dominion over the earth as God’s representative is the basic purpose for which God created man… This is democratized in the Hebrew Bible to include all humanity, not just kings.”

Beale reinforces this view with insights from ancient Near Eastern parallels:

“In the ANE, only kings bore the image of a god, functioning as a living statue or representative. Genesis radically reorients this by making every human a bearer of God’s image.”

This theme is echoed throughout the early chapters of Genesis:

• Genesis 5:1–2: “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.” (NASB)
• Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” (NASB)

Genesis 9:6 grounds capital punishment in the imago Dei. If only men were made in God’s image, the death penalty would not be warranted for the murder of a woman. But the Torah equally penalizes murder regardless of the victim’s sex (Lev. 24:17):

“If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 24:17, NASB)

Theological Implication

The “image of God” thus confers inherent dignity, moral responsibility, and divine representation to all humans—male and female. It is the foundation of human worth and the basis of ethical treatment in biblical law and theology.

Paul and the Image of God in Romans 1

Paul’s argument in Romans 1:18–27 relies heavily on themes from Genesis 1:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness… For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened… and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.” (Romans 1:18, 21, 23, NASB)

“For their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another.” (Romans 1:26–27, NASB)

Allusions to Genesis 1

Paul uses the rare Greek terms arsēn and thēlys for “male” and “female” (v. 26–27), directly echoing Genesis 1:27 LXX. This linguistic choice underscores his intention to invoke the creation order and the imago Dei.

G.K. Beale and Thomas Schreiner both argue that Paul’s language of “image” and “glory” deliberately parallels Genesis 1. Beale writes:

“Paul draws on the idea that all humans were made to reflect the glory of God. In idolatry, they begin to reflect the corruptible images they worship…”

Beale links this distortion of the image to a larger biblical theme: we become what we worship. Romans 1 describes humanity’s fall not merely as moral failure, but as a corruption of their God-imaging purpose.

Redemption and the Image

Paul also teaches that the image is being restored in Christ:

• Romans 8:29: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” (NASB)
• Colossians 3:10: “…and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it.” (NASB)
• 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…” (NASB)

These promises are clearly extended to all believers, male and female. Thus, Paul’s theology presupposes a shared participation in the imago Dei.

What Does 1 Corinthians 11:7 Mean?

“For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” (1 Corinthians 11:7, NASB)

This verse is often misunderstood as denying that women bear God’s image. But the context is clearly liturgical, not ontological.

Ciampa and Rosner’s Interpretation

According to Ciampa and Rosner:

“Paul omits reference to woman as the image of God not to deny it, but to emphasize that she is the glory of man in the worship context… He presumes the woman shares in the image, but the emphasis here is on the dynamics of worship and relational representation.”

Paul is arguing that in worship, only God’s glory should be uncovered. Since man represents God’s glory, his head is uncovered. Since woman represents man’s glory (in the context of origin and purpose from Genesis 2), her head should be veiled in worship.

Paul’s terminology is governed by Genesis 1 and 2, where the man is created first and the woman from him. The woman shares in the divine image (Genesis 1:27), but Paul’s concern in this passage is how glory is visibly manifested in worship.

Paul on the Image Elsewhere

That Paul does not deny women bear God’s image is confirmed in his own writings:

• 1 Cor. 15:49: “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.”
• Col. 3:10: “…renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it.”
• 2 Cor. 3:18: “But we all… are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”

There is no Pauline theology of a male-only image. Rather, Paul assumes a shared anthropology, even while distinguishing roles in worship.

The Function of “Glory” in Worship

Paul’s use of “glory” should be understood in connection to what is proper to reveal in a worship context. Garland explains:

“Paul moves from image to glory, which becomes the key term in 11:7–9 and counterbalances the concept of shame. In worship, God’s glory is to be central. Man’s glory (woman) should be veiled, not because she is less, but because it redirects attention from God.”

Paul’s argument does not reflect inferiority, but liturgical priority. In worship, everything should point to God’s glory, not man’s.

Conclusion: Women Bear the Image of God

1 Corinthians 11 cannot be read in isolation. Genesis, Paul’s theology in Romans and elsewhere, and careful literary analysis confirm:

• Both men and women were created in the image of God.
• Women equally reflect God’s glory and are called to bear Christ’s image.
• Paul’s concern in 1 Corinthians 11 is liturgical propriety, not ontological hierarchy.

The notion that women do not bear God’s image is not only false, it is dangerously misleading. It distorts the doctrine of creation, ignores biblical redemption, and elevates one passage above the whole counsel of God. Rightly understood, the imago Dei is the shared dignity and calling of every human being, male and female, in the unfolding plan of redemption.