Long Hair a Shame to a Man? 1 Corinthians 11:14

Paul the apostle continued to share concerning God's creation order for “the man” and “the woman” within the church, and he declared this to be the reason that a “woman” in his day should be “veiled” when she “prayed and prophesied”. He told them to “judge in yourselves” as he asked, “is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?”, and in chapter eleven and verse fourteen of First Corinthians, Paul continued his discourse as he asked the Corinthian church members if “it is a shame” “if a man have long hair?”, where we read:

Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

The verse begins, “Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair,...”. Paul began with the words, “Does not even” which means “either so much as” “nature itself” or “the force, laws and order of physical origin the same” “teach you” or “instruct and hold discourse with others in order to instruct them and to deliver didactic discourses to the church members”, “that” or “because and since”, “if a man” which refers to “certainly and surely a male human being” “have long hair” which means “lets the hair grow”. Paul referred to “nature” as he questioned concerning the length of “a man's hair”.

The verse goes on to say, “... it is a shame unto him?” Paul continues with the question, “it is a shame” which means “the long hair dishonors, disgraces and brings vile” “unto him” or “toward the male human being”? Paul referred to “the force of nature” teaching that “long hair” “disgraces and dishonors” a “man”.

When we think through these words from Paul, we may be inclined to wonder how this relates to “men” with “long hair”. “Nature” taught is was natural for a “woman” to have “long hair” and “unnatural” for a man. However, the “Nazarite” vow (See Numbers 6:5) included not cutting the hair even like “Samson” in the Old Testament (Judges 16:17). Jesus Christ desires to save the “eternal souls” of people, and the outward appearance is not “eternal”. For the necessity of “order” and “glory” within the church in Corinth, Paul referenced the “long hair” as worn by the “women” and not by the “men”. Let all who read these words know and understand.

Next time Paul tells the church members “it is a glory to her” “if a woman has long hair”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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