1 Cor 11 and hair length

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Samuel Sewall on Wigs

 

[Ravens]

Women with truly long hair are so charming that, in my opinion, it quickly becomes an issue of modesty to keep that hair pinned up, unless they would have broken jaws to accompany them as they travel through life.. Maybe not all people feel this way, but.. hmmmmm..... ;-)

Settle down Beavis.

 

[bookslover]

Settle down Beavis.

And, while we're at it, what's the deal with earrings for men? When they became suddenly OK for men to wear, about ten years ago, the most astonishing thing to me was the number of older guys (guys in their 50s and 60s) who were wearing them.

Whenever I see some dude in his 60s with earrings, I want to ask him, "What!? Have you secretly been yearning your whole life to wear earrings?"

Earrings are for women, and for women wannabes, if you get my drift...

 

[providenceboard]

Earrings are for women, and for women wannabes, if you get my drift...

And Pirates!

 

[CDM]

And, while we're at it, what's the deal with earrings for men? When they became suddenly OK for men to wear, about ten years ago, the most astonishing thing to me was the number of older guys (guys in their 50s and 60s) who were wearing them.

Whenever I see some dude in his 60s with earrings, I want to ask him, "What!? Have you secretly been yearning your whole life to wear earrings?"

Earrings are for women, and for women wannabes, if you get my drift...

 

[jaybird0827]

And Pirates!

Arr, that's 25 you be makin' Matey!

 

[ReformedWretch]

If I grew my hair back and got an earring I would like like a pirate!

 

[BJClark]

Contra_Mundum;

"Nature" eventually eliminates some or all of most men's hair, unlike women. Most men don't like to spend time on their coif, and the one biblical example of a man who did is pretty negative--Absalom. Hair is the "glory" of women, generally.

What about Samson? Didn't he have long hair as well?

 

[Scot]

14Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

I've heard that if a man and a women just let their hair grow naturally without getting it cut that on average a women's hair will grow about a foot longer than a man's.

Could that be the meaning of "Doth not even nature itself teach you"?

I don't see a problem with a man's hair length as long as he's not trying to look like a women.

 

[Croghanite]

Would anyone care to comment on the fact that a Nazarite had uncut hair?
It was not a shame to him was it? I have wondered about this.

1Co 11:14 -
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

 

[ChristopherPaul]

What are your thoughts on how women are to wear their hair in different settings?

Do you think it appropriate for Godly women to wear their hair up in social settings away from their husbands in order to not show off her glory? Or would you say it doesn’t matter? What about church? Is there an argument that woman ought to wear their hair up when assembling to corporately worship God?

Wasn’t there a time when no man would ever see a woman with her hair down unless she was his wife? What are your thoughts on this?

 

[LadyFlynt]

And then there are those that believe a woman's hair should stay down in the simplest of styles (a barrette or braid) so as not to "embroider" the hair (ie., all the curls and do dads). And there are those that cover all the time (not just for assembly) so as not to show their glory to any man, cept their husband.' putting the hair up, throughout time and in many cultures, was also a sign of womanhood...showing that one was of age to be married and it continued into marriage...the difference between the girls and the women.

 

[ChristopherPaul]

And then there are those that believe a woman's hair should stay down in the simplest of styles (a barrette or braid) so as not to "embroider" the hair (ie., all the curls and do dads). And there are those that cover all the time (not just for assembly) so as not to show their glory to any man, cept their husband.' putting the hair up, throughout time and in many cultures, was also a sign of womanhood...showing that one was of age to be married and it continued into marriage...the difference between the girls and the women.

Is there any Biblical principal behind this or would it just fall under wisdom?

 

[LadyFlynt]

More than likely wisdom or an idea of modesty.

 

[satz]

Wasn’t there a time when no man would ever see a woman with her hair down unless she was his wife? What are your thoughts on this?

I have seen some christians take this position, but I am not sure it can be supported with the bible there is any modesty issue per se concerning just the exposure of the hair.

In 1 Cor 11:14 Paul says 'doth even nature show...' which seems to me to imply that the effects of long hair on a man or woman are something that can be seen in nature, ie it should be readily observable.

In verse 13 he tells the Corinthians 'Judge in yourselves...'. Verse 14 connects with verse 13 by saying 'doth not EVEN nature show...' the word EVEN indicates that what he is talking about in verse 14 is a secondary or more extreme example of verse 13. Hence the fact that long hair on a man was a shame but was glorious on a woman was something Paul expected the Corinthians to be able to 'judge for themselves'. I do not believe there is any impropriety per se in the public viewing a woman's 'glory'.

In the two modesty passages in scripture both Peter and Paul condemn excessive attention to the hair, which to me would not make sense if modest women were not even display their hair at all. Note also that the various examples of 'immodesty' given there gold, pearls, expensive clothes, do have a sober and moderate use for christian women, which to me implies there was some broiding or plating of the hair allowed, so long as it did not degenerate into immodest excess. This again, seems to imply it was not wrong per se for women to show their hair.

 

[rwinger61]

In other words,, "short" or "long" are relative. Men are not to "appear" as women, and vice versa.

"Nature" eventually eliminates some or all of most men's hair, unlike women. Most men don't like to spend time on their coif, and the one biblical example of a man who did is pretty negative--Absalom. Hair is the "glory" of women, generally.

Thanks for the comments. I grew up in fundamentalism which does have pretty distinct rules (extrabiblical though they may be) "about how long is long".