1 Corinthians 11:1-16 {KJV}
1: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2: Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the
ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3: But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head
of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4: Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his
head.
5: But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered
dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6: For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame
for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7: For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image
and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8: For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9: Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10: For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the
angels.
11: Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without
the man, in the Lord.
12: For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but
all things of god.
13: Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14: Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is
a shame unto him?
15: But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given
her for a covering.
16: But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the
churches of God.
Written in 1991 by David Humpal
Introduction
When my youngest son was in high school, he decided to let his hair grow out. One of his Christian friends quoted to him 1 Corinthians 11:14, "Doth not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" So he came to me and asked me what the Bible taught about men and long hair. This study was the answer to his request.1. Is long hair shameful?
The one time it is mentioned in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 11:14 mentioned above. Is this a command from God? Is this just man’s opinion? What does it mean? It is plain that elsewhere in the Bible long hair is spoken of in a positive manner. Does the Bible contradict itself?
2. The Nazarite vow.
Numbers 6:5 & 7 speak of the Nazarite vows’ requirement of not cutting the hair. Most Nazarites took a vow for 100 days or less, but as the Believer’s Bible Commentary states, "In some rare cases, people were Nazarites for life – e.g. Samuel, Samson, John the Baptist." In fact Judges 16:17 specifically states Samson never had a razor touch his head. Nazarites must have had very long hair but nowhere are they condemned. They were only following God’s command. Would God in one place in the Bible encourage long hair, and then in another place condemn it?
3. Long hair praised.
In 2 Kings 1:8 the messenger’s description of a man with long hair and a leather girdle caused the king to instantly realize it was the prophet Elijah. He must have had long hair indeed. In fact the Hebrew words the servant used to describe Elijah were ba’al sa’ar which means "lord of hair." In 2 Samuel 14:25-26 Absalom’s long hair was praised for its handsome appearance and nowhere is it ever referred to as shameful. In Leviticus 19:27 God commands that men should not cut the hair on the corners of their head (NIV – "temples") or the corners of their beard. In 2 Samuel 10:4-5 Harun shaved off half the beard of David’s servants. The men were so ashamed David told them to wait at Jericho until their beards grew back and then return home. In this case, being clean-shaven was considered shameful! Psalm 133 praises the oil flowing down Aaron’s beard to his collar.
4. Greek word study.
In 1 Corinthians 11:14 the Greek word translated "long hair" is komao which means tresses of hair or locks. It comes from the root word meaning "to take care of" which indicates some kind of preparation to make the hair appear in tresses. Komao appears only three times in the Bible, and all three times are right here in the 11th chapter of 1 Corinthians. The usual word for hair is thrix. It is possible Paul is referring to some pagan practice of fixing the hair in a feminine manner, and this is what he is condemning for men, although condoning for women. Some hairstyles were considered immodest and condemned in 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3. At any rate, Paul would not teach anything contrary to the rest of scripture. The word "shame" is the Greek word "ATIMA," and is also translated "dishonor," "reproach," and "vile."
5. Conclusion.
1 Corinthians 11:13 says, "Judge for yourselves...." and verse 16 seems to imply there was no custom concerning this in the churches. It seems the interpretation is up to each individual depending on the cultural standards of their day. I think the New Bible Commentary sums up best how we should look at this issue, "To dress with decorum is a Christian principle of permanent validity for the outward appearance reflects the inner attitude. How this principle finds expression in detail will vary from place to place and from age to age."
Footnotes:
This study on Should Men Have Long Hair © 1991 by David Humpal. All Rights Reserved. We live in a day and age where the Body of Christ meaning todays church has allowed sin to preach from the pulpits. Not all are guilty of this, but many are. I learned in Bay Ridge Christian Center and most recently thru a prophet sent by the Lord, that prophecy means to speak the Word of God. Simply just that. A prophet is the individual that God uses to speak the Word of God. Scripture says in 2 Peter 1:20-21-
20: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation.
21: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
With this being said, I want to share as per the Lord what the Apostle Paul was addressing in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.
He was addressing the Abominable act of homosexuality as many of todays leaders practice while speaking the Word of God. Many of todays churches has ordained and consecrated homosexual leaders in the House of the Lord. This is the custom not in tradition with God that Paul was addressing at that time, but the application still applies today as many denominations allow leaders to speak the Word of God(prophecy) while dishonoring their heads in practice of homosexuality. In a homosexual union, whether its man and man or woman and woman, one of the two same sexes will take on the appearance of masculinity or femininity in their same sex union. In a homosexual union involving men, one will grow his hair long to appear feminine, and in a homosexual union involving women, one will cut her hair to appear masculine. This is the dishonoring of ones head when speaking the Word of God in a abominable state of lifestyle of homosexuality. Any leader who practices this lifestyle does not have Christ as his Head and dishonors his head while speaking the Word of God in this manner. How amazing is the precision of the Word of God. Receive this for this is from the Lord, for no prophecy is new to man that wasn't already written, thus sayeth The Lord.
Behold, Jesus Christ is coming, are you ready?
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