But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God, 1st Corinthians 11:16.
There are very few things more foolish than a church which tries to legislate how its people wear their hair, or how they dress. I liken it to a school nurse who paints all of the children's faces white so that no one can see that they have measles. As a pastor I learn much by how people choose to voluntarily dress.
When I am inviting new people to visit our services, I am sometimes asked what they need to wear. My standard remark is that they need to wear at least their skivvies. (That's underwear to you younger folk.) How attendees choose to dress as they slowly assimilate what is taught here speaks much about what they are hearing and absorbing.
There are few things that a person can do outwardly to change how they feel and how they think. How they dress is one of them. Likewise, how a person dresses affects how others see them. Take a little girl off of a dirty play ground, clean her up and put her in frilly and pretty party dress. It will change her countenance and her behavior.
Many years ago, my son's business failed and he took a job with a temporary agency that helped staff a factory that employed 400 people whenever the work load increased. He was told quickly that he had almost zero chance of ever being hired as a full time employee of the factory. He made the observation that even though it wasn't a written policy, management people wore shirts with collars and everyone else wore t-shirts.
He started wearing collared shirts. The other employees noticed instantly and howled in protest. Management began treating him more deferentially. Eventually, he was not only made a full time employee, but he was made part of the management staff. Keep in mind, had he not done exceptional work, that would have never happened. He also knew that on a busy factory floor that employed 400 people his chances of being noticed were minimal. By working harder and more conscientiously than most, and by dressing with dignity, he greatly heightened the odds of his talents being noticed.
A church that mandates hair length and a dress code does itself a disservice. It is much more difficult to see who is truly growing in grace. When the preaching begins to affect him, that shaggy headed, t-shirt and blue jeans wearing man that has started coming will invariably trim his hair and his beard, and wear a collared shirt. I have watched it over and over. For that reason I never make it a rule.
It has become vogue to stop wearing ties and to purposely dress down in church. You'll note that as a movement, slack clothing started in the contemporary churches. I have occasional attendees who are very convicted that they should never dress up for church. That is their business not mine. Every household needs to establish its own guidelines. How women keep their hair, how men cut their hair, whether or not they wear a covering is entirely up to a man and woman, not to a pastor, or to any church rule.
With that being understood, I am going to weigh in on how I have resolved those issues for myself and for my family. Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?, 1st Corinthians 11:14. If you look at statues of ancient Greeks and Romans, you will see that they kept their hair short. That was not easy to do.
In the 1970s I had an old man from Utah explain what happened many years earlier when his small western town got its first barber. He said that his grandfather was so relieved to see all of those shiny scissors and razor blades that he went in and cut off all of his excess hair and shaved off his beard. He hadn't looked like a mountain man on purpose, he just didn't have the ability to look otherwise.
I am not someone who believes that Jesus had short hair. Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard, Leviticus 19:27. The law of God made a Jew to look like a shepherd in the field. When Israel was strong with God, nations trembled before this nation of shepherds. When they forsook their God, they were a shame to other nations. They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach, Isaiah 30:5.
I am reminded of the conversation between the British General Burgoyne and the American General Gates when Burgoyne handed his sword to the victorious American Army general after the Battle of Saratoga. (I still can't write that without tears and I hope that I never can.) "Are you a general" said a disgusted Burgoyne known as Gentleman Johnny, "you look more like a granny".
"I may be a granny" replied General Gage, "but I just delivered you of 5000 troops". So functioned Israel when their strength was God. Prior to the vail of the temple being rent, a God fearing Jew had the law between himself and God. I do not cover my head with long hair or a hat because Christ is my head, not the law. That is pure symbolism, but it is a symbolism that I like.
I grew up at a time when men removed their hats when coming into a building, during prayer, or during the national anthem. My wife requires visiting men to remove their hats in her house. I back her up in that. I look with dismay at all the men who wear their hats in restaurants and keep them on during prayer or when our flag goes by.
If you are raising a daughter, warn her about men whose identity involves a hat. I'm not talking about a professional identity such as a soldier or policeman, I'm talking about their identity as a person. If a man needs his hat as part of his identity, he is a shallow man.
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven, 1st Corinthians 11:5. How than have my wife and I resolved how she is to wear her hair and how she is to cover herself? That is no one else's business other than my wife's and mine. Nevertheless, as a pastor and his wife, we are looked to for answers.
Like everything else that the Apostle Paul says, he is explaining the Old Testament and applying it for the gentile believer to understand. When the Prophet Isaiah prophesied of the destruction that was to come to Israel's women, he said this; And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty, Isaiah 3:24.
It is a natural desire for women to want well set hair. It was a curse for them to be made bald. We sometimes see women who due to infirmity are bald. We sorrow for them. God gave women their hair for a covering. Why? because Christ is not her head, her husband is. Prior to that, it is her father. But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering, 1st Corinthians 11:14.
What then is meant by 1st Corinthians 11:5 and 6?
1st Corinthians 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
1st Corinthians 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
God's standard for a woman's hair is that she have well set hair. My wife and I have determined what that means in our home. Let every home make their own standard. Like I tell my people, I am not upset because you do not have my standards, I am troubled because you have not made your own standards.
A woman's hair is a glory. But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering, 1st Corinthians 11:15. If a woman will not or cannot have well set hair, let her be shorn or shaven. What is the difference between shorn and shaven? Shaving is done with a razor. A woman who was cured of leprosy was commanded to shave her head. Shorn is the past tense of shear. It is done with shears.
If my wife was to lose her hair through some misfortune, she would cover her head otherwise. The last thing that I am going to do is take her natural glory (well set hair) and cover it to appease some group's sense of holiness. Why, oh why would I cover my wife's glory given to her by God? My wife does not prophesy (other than to tell me what will happen if I drag mud into the house), but she does pray.
Her well set hair is sufficient for God and it is sufficient for me. We have abundant evidence that God hears her prayer and her conscience is free before me and before God. I will end this with our opening verse; But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God, 1st Corinthians 11:16.
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