The verse that we are looking at today is I Corinthians 11:14. Please keep in mind that our goal should be to understand Scripture in line with its actual meaning and in agreement with its context. Attaching our own meanings to a verse undermines the authority of Scripture and should be something that we avoid at all costs. Here is what the verse that we are examining today says:
Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?- KJV
This is the verse that is used to try and convince people that guys should not have long hair. One problem up front is that “long” is a very subjective term. Here is how it is usually used in the circles in which I grew up: If a guy’s hair touches his collar or his ear then it is long. But is this interpretation what Paul is trying to teach with this verse? I don’t believe it is. Paul is not setting a steadfast standard or rule; he is giving a generalized principle. This understanding must be the foundation for understanding this passage.
We have to remember that verse 14 is part of the entire passage. And in this passage Paul was stressing the need to differentiate between genders in worship. He was teaching that a women’s hair can be her head covering and that men do not need a head covering in worship. He was not setting a standard of how long or short someones hair should be. Walvord and Zuck suggest that there was no specific hair length in mind only the need to distinguish between male and female.
However, the fact that this verse is not setting a specific and measurable rule or standard is not a license to take this liberty to an extreme. Men’s hair is generalized as short and women’s hair is generalized as long. But to try and make an absolute rule of what is long and what is short is absurd. To refer to a guy as sinful because his hair touches his ears is simply wrong . To hold other people accountable to a standard that doesn’t really exist is ridiculous. To preach sermons on hair length is not preaching the truth of the Bible but one’s own misguided thoughts.
To try and make a steadfast rule from this verse is to twist Scripture into saying something that it doesn’t really say so that it fits your personal predetermined preferences. This kind of action is an abuse and misuse of Scripture.
READ OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Misused and abused Bible verses- part 1- Hebrews 10:25
Misused and abused Bible verses- part 2- Proverbs 29:18
Misused and abused Bible verses- part 3- Proverbs 22:28
Misused and abused Bible verses- part 4- II Chronicles 7:14
Misused and abused Bible verses- part 5- I Thessalonians 5:22
Misused and abused Bible verses- part 6- I John 1:9
thinkingwithpurpose
Excellent point.
A point our pastor made – in the context of this verse, you also need to take into context this was in the first century – close on 2000 years ago. Then and now are different standards, but the same concept.
That does not mean we can ‘do what we will because it doesn’t apply’, but it does say there are standards that apply, but they are related to our current time and place. Also, this was just about hair and head coverings – don’t take it past that!
Drewe
By: Drewe on July 2, 2009
at 12:19 pm