1 Corinthians 11:4

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head (KJV)

Then: Looking first towards the male, Paul brings up the question of "What should you wear to church?" Paul believed any Corinthian male wearing a cloth covering on his head during a worship service would be perceived as bringing dishonor to Christ and to the Lord. Men had to wear them at other times; non-believers would not be offended by seeing men wearing head cloths outside temples or other places of worship. Contrarily though, in the pagan temples men's heads were covered. Of significance to commentators also is Paul's specific words, "praying or prophesying." These acts of worship are often audible and, if not performed decorously, can be extremely disruptive (Baker, p. 160) to another's worship experience.

Now: Today it makes no difference whether it is church or not, men customarily remove hats when inside a building. Worship and honor do not apply. A major question does remain regarding dishonor. How does the practice of having a covered head dishonor the Lord when, in actuality, dishonor before the Lord stems from disobedience, lack of gratitude, and ignorance as to the identity and existence of the Creator? Baker (p. 160) refers to a question of male/female identity in the worship of God. Paul seems to teach that when bowing before the Lord, a male should reflect that the process of creation was different for the male and for the female. The opposite appearance of wearing or not wearing head coverings is a way to mirror and symbolize the Lord's work in creation.

Extra source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.