Always Honor God
Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. We should think about others and not about ourselves. However, when you buy meat in the market, go ahead and eat it. Keep your conscience clear by not asking where the meat came from. The Scriptures say, "The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord."
If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from. But if you are told that it has been sacrificed to idols, don't cause a problem by eating it. I don't mean a problem for yourself, but for the one who told you. Why should my freedom be limited by someone else's conscience? If I give thanks for what I eat, why should anyone accuse me of doing wrong?
When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved. 1 You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Rules for Worship
I am proud of you, because you always remember me and obey the teachings I gave you. Now I want you to know that Christ is the head over all men, and a man is the head over a woman. But God is the head over Christ. This means that any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head brings shame to his head.
But any woman who prays or prophesies without something on her head brings shame to her head. In fact, she may as well shave her head. A woman should wear something on her head. It is a disgrace for a woman to shave her head or cut her hair. But if she refuses to wear something on her head, let her cut off her hair.
Men were created to be like God and to bring honor to God. This means that a man should not wear anything on his head. Women were created to bring honor to men. It was the woman who was made from a man, and not the man who was made from a woman. He wasn't created for her. She was created for him. And so, because of this, and also because of the angels, a woman ought to wear something on her head, as a sign of her authority.
As far as the Lord is concerned, men and women need each other. It is true that the first woman came from a man, but all other men have been given birth by women. Yet God is the one who created everything. Ask yourselves if it is proper for a woman to pray without something on her head. Isn't it unnatural and disgraceful for men to have long hair? But long hair is a beautiful way for a woman to cover her head. This is how things are done in all of God's churches, and that's why none of you should argue about what I have said.