Note 14 at 1 Cor. 11:16: Despite Paul's warning to the contrary, many people have become contentious about this issue of whether men and women should pray with their heads covered and what is the proper length of hair for each gender. This was not the point that Paul was making (see note 1 at v. 3, p. 917).

Paul simply drew on a custom of the day to illustrate that he (Paul) was not anybody's spiritual head. They (men and women) were under submission to Christ and women also should submit to their husbands. That was it. That was his point. He was not trying to establish a dress code for all ages.

People who have tried to use these scriptures to freeze the length of men's hair styles to those of the 1950's are misapplying these scriptures. The scriptures never specified how short short was. According to writings of the first century, the typical Jewish man's hair length was to his shoulders. This would be unacceptable to those who use these scriptures to be contentious.

Likewise, religious groups who use these scriptures to get women to wear doilies or other coverings have missed the point. No one is better off if they do these things and no one is worse off if they don't. This was a custom of Paul's day that he used for illustration, not a commandment from the Lord.

Believers are free to observe their own customs in these matters as long as they do not preach these customs to others as law. Believers who understand the true meaning of Paul's teaching here should not criticize other believers who have missed the point and are "hung-up" on the illustration. These are not pivotal doctrinal points.