long hair?

[katea]

Jesus will not love you any less if your hair is long or short or by what you wear to church. I really don't think He would care.

 

[frying-pan-addict]

Jesus will not love you any less if your hair is long or short or by what you wear to church. I really don't think He would care.

I don't know how great that argument is. Would Jesus love me any less if I sinned 100 times today? No. does that mean I should/could go out and sin 100 times today? No. Would Jesus love me any less if I had long hair? No. Does that mean I should/could grow long hair? No.

I guess what I'm getting at is any time a Christian picks up a Bible it should be with a heart of "God, how can I submit to your word and recognize how to apply it to my life." it prevents us from "determining" what the Bible says. One puts us submissive under God's word, the other puts us above God's word.

God's word says "does not nature even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a shame unto him." taken with 14 & 15 one could argue that it's not a big deal worth fighting for & probably be right. Others get caught on how long is too long, and other stipulations. I'm more concerned with submitting myself to God's word and recognizing what it is that it says. Also, again the Bible doesn't call it a sin, but a shame.

 

[Nick]

I'm more concerned with submitting myself to God's word and recognizing what it is that it says. Also, again the Bible doesn't call it a sin, but a shame.

I agree. And the shame could be more of a cultural thing anyway. I personally feel that yes, take in what the whole Bible says, but I've got bigger things on my mind such as spreading the gospel and living my life like Christ wants us to than checking to see if my hair might be too long, although I prefer it shorter now. I think that we could easily get too legalistic here.

 

[With LoveSherri]

not a rule its in corithians 1

jason

Read it again.

These verses are not God's commandment to all people for all time, but Paul's advice for the people in Corinth, at that time, for their culture. The beginning of the verses in question (vs 13), Paul himself says "Judge for yourselves".

1. If it is a sin for man to have long hair, God would never have instituted the Nazarite vow. God does not contradict himself. If adultery is a sin, there is no exception. If God hates long hair, he would have hated it on Samson too. End of story.

2. It is funny how people take this one verse about men being shamed for having long hair and forget the rest of the chapter where Paul says women should wear hair coverings. If it is a shame for man to have long hair, it is a shame that woman are not wearing head coverings (veils). Why do we not wear head coverings? Because it is not culturally relevant like it was in Paul's time.

3. In Paul's day it was considered shameful for a woman to have short hair, but that was not always so. In Deuteronomy God told Moses that when they conquered a country and a man found a woman from that country desirable and to marry, the woman should shave her head. In Jewish history, it was common for a betrothed woman to shave her head and wear a wig until it regrew. Hair was considered what was attractive to men and by shaving their heads, it would be a testimony that she only wanted to be attractive to one man. If a man tried to seduce her, she would reveal her short hair and he would be repulsed and see she was betrothed.

4. Historically during Paul's time, the temple prostitutes wore short or shaven hair to advertise their trade. The male prostitutes would wear their hair long. Paul was using his surrounding for his message to the Corinths. Many of the members of that Church Paul was talking to came from that lifestyle and may not have fully cut themselves away from those things. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

5. It is not the cutting of hair that is sinful. It is the image of unisex that offends. In Paul's society it was a shame for men to have long hair. In Modern society, it is not. The social norms have changed. Every scripture has a context both written and historical, and this issue is historical. Long hair is no longer associated with male prostitution or any pagan activity. Men may wear long hair, as long as they do not appear feminine and look like a woman, or vice versa for women.

http://seanorr.com/biblebelt/is_it_chri ... _have_.htm

 

[Nick]

not a rule its in corithians 1

jason

Read it again.

These verses are not God's commandment to all people for all time, but Paul's advice for the people in Corinth, at that time, for their culture. The beginning of the verses in question (vs 13), Paul himself says "Judge for yourselves".

1. If it is a sin for man to have long hair, God would never have instituted the Nazarite vow. God does not contradict himself. If adultery is a sin, there is no exception. If God hates long hair, he would have hated it on Samson too. End of story.

2. It is funny how people take this one verse about men being shamed for having long hair and forget the rest of the chapter where Paul says women should wear hair coverings. If it is a shame for man to have long hair, it is a shame that woman are not wearing head coverings (veils). Why do we not wear head coverings? Because it is not culturally relevant like it was in Paul's time.

3. In Paul's day it was considered shameful for a woman to have short hair, but that was not always so. In Deuteronomy God told Moses that when they conquered a country and a man found a woman from that country desirable and to marry, the woman should shave her head. In Jewish history, it was common for a betrothed woman to shave her head and wear a wig until it regrew. Hair was considered what was attractive to men and by shaving their heads, it would be a testimony that she only wanted to be attractive to one man. If a man tried to seduce her, she would reveal her short hair and he would be repulsed and see she was betrothed.

4. Historically during Paul's time, the temple prostitutes wore short or shaven hair to advertise their trade. The male prostitutes would wear their hair long. Paul was using his surrounding for his message to the Corinths. Many of the members of that Church Paul was talking to came from that lifestyle and may not have fully cut themselves away from those things. "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

5. It is not the cutting of hair that is sinful. It is the image of unisex that offends. In Paul's society it was a shame for men to have long hair. In Modern society, it is not. The social norms have changed. Every scripture has a context both written and historical, and this issue is historical. Long hair is no longer associated with male prostitution or any pagan activity. Men may wear long hair, as long as they do not appear feminine and look like a woman, or vice versa for women.

http://seanorr.com/biblebelt/is_it_chri ... _have_.htm

Yes, context both Biblically, historically and culturally is very important, especially on things like this which can easily be turned into legalism.

 

[frying-pan-addict]

Paul's argument is based on nature... not culture. We see that when he says "does not nature itself teach you..." So you may try to throw the verse out with the "that was for that culture, in that time and that context" card... but again, his argument is based on nature... not culture.

If it was based on culture he would have said something more like: does not culture itself teach you...

So I agree with you... yet I disagree.

 

[Luci]

Hmm how can it be based on nature? If long men on hair was somehow unnatural, then they wouldn't be able to grow long hair on their heads imo
I personally believe that certian things in the bible are culture related rather than universal moral laws for all times and nations and that's why we need to know about the context. With Love, Sherri has already analyzed the subject perfectly here.
I think in the modern "western" world there usually aren't any moral connotations to hair's length [like it used to be with the prostitutes], and it's rather just a matter of personal taste. [I have to say I love long hair on guys, but of course it's not the most important thing].

 

[Kevin Lowery]

I think "With Love, Sherri" summed it up pretty well.
And "luci" is right, nature does not show us that it's un-natural for men to have long hair,
if anything, nature shows us that men are suppose to have long hair, & woman are suppose to have hairy legs, etc. If it was against nature, than we as humans would have to go out of our way to make it happen, but yet it's actually the opposite, we have to go out of the way to NOT make our selves hairy.
You must remember in (1 Corinthians 11: 13-15) Paul's starts off with saying "Judge for yourselves", not "This is the commandments of God". And if we are going to get "legalistic" with Apostle Epistles, than woman shouldn't pray without wearing a veil (1 Corinthians 11:13), and woman should not even speak at all in church (1 Corinthians 14:35), etc.
Oh, and about what "humbleservant" was saying concerning going to church in suits & ties, and being "clean shaven". There is nothing wrong with going to Church in casual wear (as long it's appropriate, not T-shirts with profanity/vulgar images, and not mini skirts & tank tops). As long as what you have on isn't vulgar or sexually enticing to the eye, God doesn't care what you wear to Church, as long as you are praising God & giving worship, God looks at the heart, not your suit & tie, that "suit & tie doctrine" is completely man made & not Biblical. And about being "clean shaven", Jesus had a beard! okay? & personally I think every man should have a beard, or at least some kind of facial hair.
My beliefs are pretty radical Muslim when it comes to facial hair & men.
:amen

(By the way, I had long hair for 7 years of my life)

 

[Pard]

As to the bit about "does not nature itself teach you" Paul is referring to the fact that woman have longer and thicker hair than men and their hair forms a "veil". Men naturally have shorter and thinner hair, that's why we go bald. So yes, he is addressing a natural element here, but at the same time, it was a natural element that the Corinthian church had adopted into their culture. So despite it being natural for men to (eventually) have shorter hair than woman, Paul was addressing a cultural aspect here.

What we ought to take from this is that men should look like men and woman should look like woman (but that is RELATIVE to ones society).

As to shaving and cutting of hair, obviously God wants us to have hair because no matter how much I shave, it always comes back, which is why I stopped shaving a few months ago. The Bible doesn't forbid us from shaving, but going on the fact that it keeps growing back I'd say God wouldn't want us to get that laser hair removal, since it really doesn't grow back after that...

(I have "long" hair, but I am not sure what long is... so, maybe I have short hair!)

 

[Corkille]

Im in agreement with most of the posts here. Dont sweat your hair. If i were you, id keep going! with long hair (well, if you made a vow to God then you best honor it) but show them that you are a blood bought child of God, and you have been crucified with Christ (gal 2:20), and you are an heir to the throne (Rom 8:17). With or without a suit and fresh shave.
And I am a non denom, but I love the Pentecostal church. I know some ppl dont agree with some of the teachings. That goes with EVERY DENOMINATION! :o
Remember that by your fruits you shall be known.

 

[SMOOCH]

the hair thing is a man made preference.. a womans hair was her crown of glory.. i probably quoted that wrong im sure i did but my point is ive never read or heard about the length of a mans hair being a problem