1 Corinth 11:1-16 Long or Short Hair?

1 Corinithians 11:1-16 NIV
Here is a very confusing reading. It has been and continues to be debated as to what it actually means. Should men wear short hair and women long? St. Paul asks: "Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has a long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given as her covering."

First off, I'm thinking that most men in Jesus' day wore their hair a bit longer than many today. so what does Paul mean? Is there a length that he considers too long? Is there a length for women's hair that is too short? It is also difficult for me to grasp whether this is from God or Paul for the sake of respect toward local customs. After all, there is the Nazirite vow to consider. Those who made this vow were/are not allowed to cut their hair, as in the case of Samson. Numbers 6:5 says: “During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long." In Leviticus (19:26-27) we read:  “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."

I think that it is important to note that this Paul's discourse on the hair comes immediately following Paul's exhortation to be all things to all people and not to do things that might cause weaker consciences to stumble and fall. It comes in the midst of Paul's exhortations to not do anything that would bring division. Were the Corinthians resorting to arguing about the length of hair others should have rather than sharing the gospel? Is Paul attempting to stop divisions that are brought about by personal customs on length of hair so that they would focus on the more important things; you know, like the gospel? If so, he appears to have possibly made the length of hair even more divisive, as we sometimes still waste time debating it today.

As for me and my weaker conscience, I wear long hair. I don't have much time in my life for that type of vanity. I don't have and am unwilling to give up precious time to groom my hair so that it conforms to the way people around me might think the hair of a woman of my advancing age be. I am not going to a beauty parlor every couple of weeks for a trim or dye. Gray is good. Usually, when people suggest I should cut it my response is something like "Actually I was thinking about natural dreadlocks. It would only take a few days for this mess." After comments like that my family usually says nothing more about my hair for awhile. I think they may fear that I would do it.

Whether we wear our hair long or short makes little difference to our salvation. We are saved by faith alone. As for women wearing a head covering, I confess, I take comfort in Paul's words: "...if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God." (vs 15, 16)

Have a blessed day...

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 18 - Sins of our Parents

 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die." (Ezekiel 18:19-21 NIV)

“You shall have no other gods before me.

 You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:3-6)

 

Whether the children are punished for their parents sins comes up every time we discuss the ten commandments in confirmation classes. Yes, sometimes, the young people, discuss their parents sins! They are not as secret as you might think or hope. Your children know and others know as well. The youth are concerned about your sins; for your sakes as well as for their own. They become especially worried when they hear that they might be punished for something they have not done. I always reassure them that they will not be punished, according to the word we've received through Ezekiel. But, what we have to be careful of is that we do not inherit, by learned behavior, that which is wrong. God has given us His Spirit of Truth, by which we can discern the difference between what is right and what is wrong. We do not have to follow in our parents' footsteps if they have chosen a path which leads us away from God's will for us.

 

Likewise, I think we often tend to blame parents for the sins of their children. Sometimes, the case may be that they have learned these sins from their parents. But, just as often, they may have learned them elsewhere. In today's society there are a lot more adults than parents that children are learning from.

 

Be careful then what we teach our children and our neighbor's children. 

 

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—  “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Eph 6:12)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 15 - "Every head is shaved and every beard cut off."

"Every head is shaved and every beard cut off." (Isa 15:2b NIV)

Today's reading comes at a very fortuitous time. Today, my godson, who will graduate from High School next week, will cut his hair for the first time. His habit has been to wear it in a braid down the middle of his back. I like that braid. But, it is his hair and he can do with it what he chooses.

I, myself have worn my hair long most of my life, except for that pixie cut my mother gave me when I was a teen and that brief period in the early 80's when I got tired of my husband complaining about me not wearing my hair like other women my age - short. He wanted me to look my age! LOL! I had it cut to the length of less than an inch. He hasn't requested I cut my hair since then. The last time I actually had my hair cut was when Maurice, a teen at a correctional facility, was being trained as a barber. I was his first client. That was in the spring of 1998. He cut off about 6 inches. There had been rumors among the boys at the facility that I was a Nazarite because of my long hair and the fact that I do not drink - plus I have a few food issues with things like pork. It makes me ill... so they never saw me eat it. The hair cut was a way to show Maurice that I trusted him enough to give him that much power over me. He was, after all, a young felon, standing behind me with scissors, in a facility where he was not allowed to handle even sharp steak knives. I have trimmed a few split ends since that day. But, nothing more.

Long hair has, in many cultures, been a sign of power and strength. Some cultures cut off the hair of conquered enemies to show their control over them - to shame them even further. It was a sign of great loss - a sign of someone without power. The shaving of the hair or the beard was also used as a sign of the grief experienced from losses incurred during war or even natural death.

In today's reading they are mourning the losses incurred by Moab and so every head is shaved and every beard cut off.

I guess, in a sense, it is fitting that my godson is cutting his hair today. He is making a great transition, from High School into the work force (hopefully) and college which he will enter this fall. He will be taking on even greater responsibilities and he will, as all of the young people graduating, lose contact with many friends. Many things change with graduation. Everyone celebrates! But, even as we celebrate, it is also fitting that we grieve the loss of a childhood as they step out into the world as young men and women with all the responsibilities of an adult.

God's Peace - Pr. J