Nature the great teacher

I grew my beard once I was discharged from army. Some churches refused to accept me for the pastorate because of my beard,,,,,,,,,,,yet, they adored Spurgeon????

Cheers,

Jim

 

Is it righteous to be unnatural?

 

Not sure what you mean. It appears that you could be saying that a man's hair should be shorter than a woman's, depending on how a certain group of men define long and short.

Is that what you're saying?

Or are you just saying the verse has no meaning except to follow the cultural norms?

 

That's ok Aaron. I'm not going to push you anymore to answer my question. But if you are unable to say that long hair on a man is a sin, then you need to rethink your position. You know that if you say it's a sin, then you are accusing God of sin, since He commanded it for the Nazarite vow. If long hair is "unnatural" in the sense that you are taking it, then God commanded men to be "unnatural" during their vow. We know this is not true, so that is why we need to look deeper into Paul's meaning of "unnatural".

God Bless.

 

I'm definitely not saying the second.

As to the first option, I am not sure that the definition of short and long has to do with the relationship between the length of the man's and the length of the womans. I am simply not sure. For me, there are three issues in the passage that I am not sure about, at least! First, I know that Paul says "nature" teaches that it is a shame for a man to have long hair. Though I have suggested an answer to how nature teaches this, I am not sure that it is correct. Second, since I am not clear as to how nature teaches this, I am not sure exactly what the standard is that nature teaches for the definition of long. Third, I do not know the exact practice in which the Corinthians were engaged that Paul taught against. Without knowing these things, I am loathe to make a dogmatic application of the verse to this culture.

To be safe, I wear my hair short; shorter than my wife's. If I see a female whose hair is shorter than mine, I go over and pull her hair to see if I can get it out longer. Please come visit me in the asylum if you get a chance!

 

Amy, what you need to do is abandon your uneducated interpretations of the law. The long and short of it is, Paul made a strightforward statement and you don't want to accept it.

 

A very honest and straightforward answer. I want to extol this answer and hold it up as an example of faith.

Notice the simple submission to God's word: (1)He submits his mind first, saying Yes, Paul said, "nature" teaches that it is a shame for a man to have long hair. He believes it and accepts it at face value, though conceding there may be difficulties in fully explaining it.

(2)He yields his members to the best of his understanding: I wear my hair short; shorter than my wife's.

This is a great answer and I say ditto. I'm the same way. I don't fully understand it, but I will yield to it. And if everyone did the same, suddenly the culture would be men: short hair, and women: long hair, except in special situations where honor and decorum are communicated by the opposite.

 

One more note in response to you Aaron. Since I have so many uncertainties about this passage, I do not force my practice on others.

Also, you said:

But Aaron, this is pretty much the cultural norm anyway. Rarely do I see a man with shoulder-length hair and rarely do I see a woman with head shaved.

 

Don't worry. I simply extolled your answer, not you yourself. :wavey:

 

Well I may be uneducated, but I know what grace is. And it's something you sorely lack.


As far as my interpretations of the law, I am educated enough to read that God commanded that men NOT cut their hair during the time they took the Nazarite vow. You are not even willing to discuss that. You are not even willing to answer my question of is it sinful for that man to have long hair. Even Paul took this vow and had long hair. I really wish you explain that to this "uneducated" person. :BangHead:

You are quite the grain of sand in my oyster shell.

 

When I find someone who claims to have all the answers I just remember what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 8:2, 3, "If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him."

 

At times, yes and at other times, no. It is righteous to live the kind of life that only the supernatural power of God enables and delievrs.

 

Hey, I already admitted I don't know the answer, and I have had well over 50 years to study it!

Cheers,

Jim

 

You just can't please everyone. There will always be someone you cannot please. You can have your choice of: short hair, long hair or no hair on your head in combination with your choice of: short hair, long hair or no hair on your chin. Sometimes no hair on top is not a choice but one could have a combination of no hair, and short or long hair on top. Or one could shave their head and have no hair on top and shave their chin creating a look that has no hair on their head and chin.

I wonder which look is biblical. The beard?

 

Then there is short beard, long beard, bushy beard, thinnish beard, shaped beard...........is there no end to stupidity?

I got tired of shaving in cold water and so once out of military, I grew my beard. It beats dragging a razor over tender skin.

Cheers,

Jim