That's what I originally thought (hence my "tongue-in-cheek" qualifying question)! Sorry, Sir.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules-Signature Requirements-Suggestions?

It's how many gophers he can shoot.

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Pastor Jerrold H. Lewis. (Dipl. IT; Assc. A; B.Th; M.Th Candidate, PRTS)
Lacombe Free Reformed Church
"A hot iron, though blunt, will pierce sooner than a cold one, though sharper."

JOHN FLAVEL

My Blog - Click HERE
Our Church site - Click HERE

Are Gophers tasty?

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Michael Daniels
Reformed, RPCNA
Denton, Maryland

As For Me And My House, We Will Serve The Lord

Unum Deum in Trinitate: Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus

Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide - Solus Christus - Soli Deo gloria - Solum psalterium - Lex talionis

I agree with Lane.

In posting the quotes from Clement early this morning I was doing so in jest. We could pull up other pro-beard verses from men like Spurgeon and others that would be equally humorous based solely on the difference in societal norms.

If you're really worked up about it, I suggest you go read the entire chapter from which the quotes come. You can find it in volume 2 of ANF in chapter three book three of The Instructor. Celement is, as Lane suggests, arguing mainly against the confusion of gender roles and secondarily against lavish living that carried with it effeminate overtones. You'd be surprised at how much he actually does quote Scripture and not just the ceremonial law.

Surely no one would argue with the importance of gender roles. We are simply left with the unassailable fact that God has given each gender biological distinctions to remind us that gender roles are important. The beard just happens to be one of the more prominent options for men whether it is utilized or not.

For more info on the history of beards and how World War I changed the American perception of beards, see this article.

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Joe Holland
Associate Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
Kosciusko, MS
---
Mining Grace

No, but they do help you grow a beard!

Back on topic!

So, what would clement do with this?

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~James Helbert~, Wytheville, VA
Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCUS
TheBibleAlone.com / The Edinburgh Inn
"Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” - Zechariah 3:2

Pastor Jerrold,

Excuse meeeeee. But, based on the best critical and exegetical study of Psa 127:5, it has been determined that you are over the quiver quota limit for "arrows." You have been advised by the magisterium of Calvinistic PooBahs to either pay your annual Exceeding the Approved Quiver Quota Surcharge or . . . throw one of them back. Personally, I would suggest the hairy white one on the far right.

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Dennis E. McFadden
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

ROFL

Delmar O'Donnell: Care for some gopher?
Ulysses Everett McGill: No thank you, Delmar. One third of a gopher would only arouse my appetite without bedding it down.
Delmar O'Donnell: Oh, you can have the whole thing. Me and Pete already had one apiece. We ran across a whole... gopher village.

Back on topic . . . I agree with Lane that the point was that men and women should dress differently and appear as members of their own sex. The issue of the bearded lady, while tragic, does not impact the topic under consideration. There are all sorts of genetic deformities and anomalies (from our perspective) that occur in our fallen world. The ratio of estrogen cascading over the fetus, for example, can have profound effects on the development in utero. But, none of that impringes upon how God designed men and women to be or how we are to behave in this fallen world.

Please, Do Post them.......

I'll add one from Spurgeon because I know exactly where to find the reference. I'll see if I can come up with others.

Excuse the length of the quote. I want to include enough so that you would see some the similarities with Clement. In discussing laryngitis and other throat ailments that preachers face, Spurgeon suggests,

In addition to Joe's great quote, here are some for fun.

At 34 years of age was he sacrificed for our sins; he was then hale and strong, although his body may have been emaciated by suffering, and his face more marred than that of any other man yet was he then in the perfection of manhood. Methinks I see him then. His goodly beard flowing down upon his breast, I see him with his eyes full of genius, his form erect, his mien majestic, his energy entire, his whole frame in full development,-a real man, a magnificent man-fairer than the sons of men, a lamb not only without blemish, but with his powers fully brought out. Such was Jesus Christ--a Lamb of the first year-not a boy, not a lad, not a young man, but a full man, that he might give his soul unto us.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1998). Vol. 2: Spurgeon's Sermons: Volume 2.

You cannot measure a man’s grace by the length of his beard, nor by the number of his years.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1998). Vol. 41: Spurgeon's Sermons: Volume 41 .

One of the old Puritans said that some men are born with beards; and, certainly, there are some believers who, almost as soon as they are converted, seem to take great strides, and to make speedy advances, so that they soon become very useful, and are able even to teach things which others only learn after long years of experience.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1998). Vol. 44: Spurgeon's Sermons: Volume 44 .

Yep, one of my friends was an ATI kid and she informed me of this.

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Scott Roper
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA): "A bunch of hippie Calvinists"
Winston-Salem, NC

I don't have a lot of glory left, but I am getting more and more beauty everyday.

Since we are commanded to do all things for the glory of God, I actually think this is a good topic to think about. And the question should not be, "Why should I grow a beard?" because I don't have a choice about that. The question should be, "Why should I shave?"

Perhaps men have perfectly legitimate reasons for shaving, but since the Bible does say something about it, it is a question worth asking.

BTW, how do we come to conclude that the Levitical law against 'marring' the beard was ceremonial? Not arguing, just curious.

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Can one demonstrate how the "marring of the beard law" is extrapolated from the Decalogue (Moral Law)?

If we take the beard law as being moral, we must also do so with the bloody animal law, the no fabric mixture law, etc.

But I am quite a novice and willing to be corrected if warranted.

The separation of male and female clothing is moral and I would place under the seventh commandment.... Deuteronomy 22:5

So why not the beard for the same reason?

And if a man cannot grow a beard? What of the rounding off of the hair?