Are we commanded to cut our hair or not?

[firehill]

I haven't read every post in this thread, so please forgive me if this is a repeat, but . . .

Titus 3:9 says, "Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and

strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless."

(NKJ)

Common give the thread some slack!

Its only foolish because some people insist on reading their own cultural bent into the Word of God. In fact, you will note that most of the silliest arguments about the Bible are based upon someone trying to dictate how how someone's hair should look, or how much jewelry they should wear, or if they should wear make-up or some other non-issue. I can only imagine how stupid we would look to Paul and the other writers of the New Testament if they could see how some Christians have twisted and perverted their teachings about REAL issues into a bunch of silly, iimmature, nonsensical rules about hair or something else equally trivial.

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

I haven't read every post in this thread, so please forgive me if this is a repeat, but . . .

Titus 3:9 says, "Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and

strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless."

(NKJ)

Common give the thread some slack!

Okay, I'm shutting up about his subject now.

[Vickilynn]

I believe arguing/debating over how long or short our hair should be is foolishness.

I too enjoy discussing scripture, but I refuse to argue about it.

Shalom,

You exemplified my point exactly.

If you argue about it, you are arguing! See?

My point is, we can talk and examine this and not argue. At least we should be able to as Christians.

Hair length is a valid question / topic because it's in the Scriptures. We cannot tell people not to discuss it because it's "foolishness", it's not. Only arguing and being contentious about it is foolish. See the difference?

And, the bottom line is of the point of the "foolishness of agruing about the law" is that for those who don't wish to or can't discuss these Scriptural topics without being contentious, then they should not get into these discussions. Simple!

[exrockstar]

Shalom,

I believe it is only foolish when Christians get into disputes about these things instead of simply exchanging and learning from one another in a spirit of grace. There is nothing wrong with examining the Scriptures and talking about what we believe they mean and how to apply them. In fact, we are SUPPOSED to do that and in fact, that can be called "iron sharpening iron."

However, it becomes contentious when we have people insisting their way is the only "right" way and everyone else is wrong and turning discussions into disputes.

I personally love to chat with other Christians about the Scriptures and see nothing foolish in it. However, the foolishness comes in when we dispute and argue and call each other names for simply not agreeing with each other's interpretations of Scriptures.

Beloved, THIS should not be!

I dont reacall reading that someone told someone else to "cut their hair right away."

it's a forum. different places different views.

some are so insistent they are "right" that they should close their browser and look out the window.

maybe go for a walk and get some ice cream at their neighborhood Dairy Queen.

Ice cream usually puts a smile on peoples faces. I cant say I recall anyone eating ice cream with a frown.

If a Christian tells you to cut your hair and you dont believe in it just say "no." ... 3xR0c|<stAr

Edited April 7, 2007 by exrockstar

[Guest shiloh357]

I believe arguing/debating over how long or short our hair should be is foolishness.

I too enjoy discussing scripture, but I refuse to argue about it.

Shalom,

You exemplified my point exactly.

If you argue about it, you are arguing! See?

My point is, we can talk and examine this and not argue. At least we should be able to as Christians.

Hair length is a valid question / topic because it's in the Scriptures. We cannot tell people not to discuss it because it's "foolishness", it's not. Only arguing and being contentious about it is foolish. See the difference?

And, the bottom line is of the point of the "foolishness of agruing about the law" is that for those who don't wish to or can't discuss these Scriptural topics without being contentious, then they should not get into these discussions. Simple!

The problem here, is that those who believe that Paul is setting the bar for men's hair length are not "discussing" it. They are the ones who claim that any other view is wrong.

Hair length is NOT a valid question, because hair length is not the object that Paul has in view in 1 Corinthians. Some people, bcause they are caught up in meaningless, legalistic, carnal, trivial rules refuse to acknowledge that Paul was addressing a issue that is to a large degree foreign to any frame of reference most of us possess. If hair length were a problem, then we would have been given specific instructions on EXACTLY what God considers "long" and "short." He would not have left it up to us to arbitrarily decide. God never spares the details when He gives a command.

Paul was dealing with a much larger issue than hair length. Some people, simply miss the point that Paul is making to Corinthians. They miss the point because they are unwilling or unable to make the necessary distinction between what is relevant in the sense of practical living and what is spiritually relevant. The Bible is 100% relevant from a spiritual standpoint. The entire Bible is given to us to be a means of spiritual instruction, discipline, nourishment and edification. However, not all of the Bible is meant to be lived out by every person of every age. Some biblical commandments are limited in scope with respect to people the command was given to and conditions under which certain commands were to be carried out and obeyed. This is hermeneutics 101.

As I said, we seem to forget that the early Christians did not have complete Bibles to read. They did not have the advantage of reading all of epistles that God inspired to be written. We can read them in all in a day or so. Because of this, it gives the false impression that everything in the Bible is for every person of every age, and that is simply not so.

In 1 Corinthians 11, we have the issue about people showing up drunk to the love feast prior to taking part in the Lord's Supper. We also have the issue of not eating meat sacrificed to idols. These are addressing issues that are simply not something we deal with today, at least not in the west. We do not live in pantheistic societies with temples to the various gods such as existed in Greece or Rome.

This is an area of hermeneutics that is completely lost on many people in the Body of Christ. Many Christians are simply used to seeing the Bible as a single book and not what it really is, and that is that it is a collection of letters and books inspired by the Holy Spirit and written to various peoples in history. We tend to forget that the letter of 1 Corinthians was written to Corinthian Christians, not to Ephesians or Galatians or Colossians. It was not a general epistle like 1 John, but rather, as a more specific , limited audience. We also tend to fail to understand that Paul was in some points giving personal advice and not doctrinal counsel. Some people are apparently, unwilling or unable to make the necessary distinction.

It is on this point that so many disagreements and contentions arise. People making up rules about silly, immature, trival non-issues like hair length, or the length of your dress, or whether you should wear jewelry is a sign of immaturity. The Bible makes no such rules, but people find ways of twisting the Bible to impose their carnal man made rules on fellow believers. Of course, they recoil when someone comes along with a more sound hermeneutic understanding because it makes their rules ineffectual. A sound understanding of hermeneutics is the one of the most effective weapons against baseless, legalistic, unbiblical, immature views.

[Floatingaxe]

Amen and amen!

And that's the name of THAT tune....I hope!

[Eliyahuw]

I do believe long hair is feminine. I also believe this has applications today, as well as in the Corinthian Church. We will simply have to agree to dissagree on this matter.

Long hair is long hair. So what! Doesn't make a man any less of a man to have it long.

I welcome the first one to come see how feminine i am. I'll make sure to leave a masculine impression on them.

[Guest shiloh357]

I have worked around guys with long hair, and "feminine" is the one thing they were not. In fact, they were the polar opposite of anything that looked feminine.

[Guest man]

I do believe long hair is feminine. I also believe this has applications today, as well as in the Corinthian Church. We will simply have to agree to dissagree on this matter.

Long hair is long hair. So what! Doesn't make a man any less of a man to have it long.

I welcome the first one to come see how feminine i am. I'll make sure to leave a masculine impression on them.

You must be really strong.

[Floatingaxe]

I do believe long hair is feminine. I also believe this has applications today, as well as in the Corinthian Church. We will simply have to agree to dissagree on this matter.

Long hair is long hair. So what! Doesn't make a man any less of a man to have it long.

I welcome the first one to come see how feminine i am. I'll make sure to leave a masculine impression on them.