12/5/00


Hair: The Symbol of Authority


Standards. The word has an ugly connotation for many people. Rules. Regulations. Some call them "Holiness Standards". They are rules that a church sets up, telling you how you can dress, what you can say, where you can go, what you can do, and who you can associate with, among other things. Of course, no one likes being told what to do. That is why standards are not popular.

Compton's American Heritage Dictionary defines "standard" as, "A degree or level of requirement, excellence, or attainment. A requirement of moral conduct."

A requirement of moral conduct.

Who's requirement? Someone is making a requirement concerning moral conduct.

Moral conduct is defined to us by the Word of God. The Bible tells us how to live, from the Ten Commandments on up through the Epistles and the beginning of the Book of Revelation. When the Bible instructs us to not commit murder, we obey it. No other requirement concerning murder needs to be made, and yet someone is doing just that. That someone is a Church or Pastor.

When a Church places standards, it is putting requirements on righteous living. (As if to say that living righteously isn't good enough, and additional requirements must be placed on righteousness apart from what the Word of God says.)

Now sometimes standards can be good. Take for example, the speed limit on your local highway. Officials have evaluated that road and determined that it can be navigated safely at a maximum speed of, let's say 70mph. Now taking into consideration the human propensity for speeding, the officials are not going to set the speed limit at 70mph, because anyone going 71mph is going to be unable to successfully navigate the curve ahead and there is going to be a fatality.

So a cushion of latitude is built-in to the speed limit, and it is posted as 55mph. They have just legislated a standard. A requirement of conduct. And, having the best interests of everyone at heart, this is a good standard that has been adopted.

Now the specific rules or standards the Church adopts usually cannot be found in scripture. For example, some Churches rule that a man is not permitted to wear short-sleeved shirts. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that men are forbidden to wear short-sleeved shirts.

Where does it say in the Bible that men are not permitted to wear mustaches or beards?

Where does the Word of God teach that wearing a watch or a wedding ring is a sin?

Where does the Bible dictate that if a man is going to stand before the congregation in a teaching capacity, he must wear a suit and tie?

These standards are not scriptural, although the reason behind the standards sometimes have some basis in scripture.

For example, 1st Timothy 2:8 says, "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety".

Because of this passage, some Pastors have put up fences, or guidelines, to help keep the flock from straying into sin. Immodesty and indecency is evil in God's sight, so to prevent it from occurring, some Pastors have put in place a standard of dress for women, where the skirt must fall to below the ankle, the front of the blouse must reach the neck, and the sleeves must reach the wrist.

Now nowhere in scripture will you find these rules. But the reason behind the rules has a basis in scripture. It is a standard of safety, just like the speed limit. If a woman decides to wear a blouse that has sleeves only to the elbow, and a skirt that ends below the knees, is she being immodest?

Of course not. But she is now doing the equivalent of 60mph in a 55mph safety zone. At 71mph she will crash. Because of this, Pastors do not set the standards at 69mph. They build a cushion into their standards.

You don't allow a three-year old to play within one foot of a busy highway, you set up a safety zone, one such as not allowing the child past the sidewalk. Then, if the child crosses the sidewalk, the parent has a chance of reaching the child before tragedy strikes.

So, while not literally scriptural, standards can be for the good of the flock. Of course, some standards can be based on tradition, having absolutely no basis in scripture whatsoever, and do no good at all, but the point of this study is not to debate the many different standards that are in place in all the Churches of God. The point here, is to define briefly what standards are. Standards are suggested guidelines, not spiritual laws. They are not scripture, and therefore you cannot sin by disagreeing with them. The Pastor is a Shepherd, not a King, and his word is not law. (See the Bible Study, "A Church By Any Other Name") You will not go to Hell because you wear short-sleeved shirts, no matter what you are told. If you are in doubt, then search the scriptures yourself to see if this standard is really God's law. You won't find any such thing.

Hair length has always been thought to be a standard. People have commonly thought that whatever the Pastor decreed was fine for that particular church. In other words, the length of the hair really didn't matter; what mattered was obeying the Pastor.

This is false. Hair length is NOT a standard. It is not an issue in which you are free to choose or reject. It is governed by law from God's Word, and it tells us our hair is supposed to be of a certain length.

We spent a small amount of time discussing this in the Bible Study, "Prayer Warfare 101". I will reprint an excerpt from that study, and then elaborate on it.

Excerpted from "Prayer Warfare 101" -

1st Corinthians 11:3-5,7,10,14,15- Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head-it is just as though her head were shaved. 7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.

Let's read this passage again, and take it one step at a time:

1st Corinthians 11:3-5,7,10,14,15- Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,

The Lord is our Authority, our Master. We need to obey his commands, because He is in charge. We can choose to disobey and go our own way, but this does not negate the fact that God is still in charge, and the wayward will receive punishment as a reward.

and the head of the woman is man,

This is a passage that many women today have a problem with. Women today have been conditioned (and so have men) to believe that they are the equal of men, if not superior to them.
They refuse their God-given role of being in submission, and demand equality, even to the point of becoming the leadership of men, thereby having men in submission to them.
This is a total and complete subversion of the will of God, and is a blatant example of Satan working to twist and change all of the laws God has made, planting seeds of unrighteousness, and unholiness, and evilness.
Those who hold to the scriptures are told to get with the times. They are told that the concept of women being under the leadership of men is old-fashioned, ancient, out-dated, and offensive.
The truth is, the Word of God is unchanging, being the same today as it was yesterday, and so it will be tomorrow.
If God decreed that women were to be in subjection to men, then that is the way it is to be, and it makes not a bit of difference what century we are in. The Word of God will always remain the same.
It makes no difference whether the woman is married, unmarried, or whether her husband is an unbeliever, or has passed away. She is always to be under the authority of a man.

and the head of Christ is God.

Jesus was the Christ. "Christ" means "Messiah". Jesus said that he did not come in his own name, but in His Father's Name. He said that the miracles and the works He did were not accomplished through His own power, but through the power and the authority of His Father.

John 8:25 - So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.

The head of Jesus was God.

So this is the ranking system of authority: The head of Woman is Man. The head of Man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God.

4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.

This is clear enough. A man is not to have his head covered.

5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head-it is just as though her head were shaved.
This is also very clear. A woman is to be exactly the opposite of the man. While he is not to cover his head, the woman is to make sure her head is covered.

7 A man ought not to cover his head,

Again, this is a repeat of what we have already been told. But why is this supposed to be so?

since he is the image and glory of God;

Because the man is symbolic of God Himself. Why isn't the woman allowed to uncover her head?

but the woman is the glory of man.

Because the woman is symbolic of Man. Man is representing God, who is perfect, but woman is representing Man, who is imperfect.

10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.

We see then, that a man is not to cover his head, but that a woman is not to be found with her head uncovered.
What kind of covering are we talking about? Does the Bible explain this? Yes, it says that the woman's covering is her long hair.
If the man is not to cover his head, and the woman is to cover her head, and if the covering itself is long hair, then the woman should have long hair to keep her head covered, and the man is not to have long hair.
This will symbolize the authority between God and His creations, and will please the Lord, for this is how He desires us to live.

Our heads are symbolic of our spiritual authority. It is self-evident that God has no one in authority over Him. He is the Ultimate Authority, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He is our master.
Corinthians explains to us that God desires for this relationship between Himself and His creations to be symbolized by the way we treat our own heads.
A King is the head of a Kingdom, a Governor is a head of state, a Mayor is a head of a city, a man is the head of his wife, and God is the head of us all.
We are to treat our "heads" (our authority figures) with respect, even to the point of symbolizing that honor with regard to the head that sits upon our two shoulders.
Our heads are symbolic of the authority that we acknowledge to be over us.
The Bible says here in Corinthians, that men are the image and glory of God Himself. Men are symbolically representative of God.
Remember, God has no authority above Him, and we are told here that man, representing God, is to symbolize that position of authority by making sure that his head is not covered.
God's power is not covered. It cannot be held down, or suppressed, or extinguished. God's authority is not overshadowed by some other, more powerful God. His authority is not sheltered by another power. It does not require the protection of a higher authority. It cannot be hidden, topped, or overlaid. The head of God is not covered.
Since men represent the authority of God, their heads are not to be covered, either.

On the other hand, women are the image and glory of man, not God. The authority of a woman is Man. She is to be subject to him in all things.
She is not representing God, but rather humanity. As the creations of God, we are subject to Him, and are to submit to Him in all things. God is our Ruler, our Master, our Authority, and our Head.
God may not have any authority that is above Him, but mankind does! Since a woman represents humanity, she is to reflect this power structure by putting a covering over her head.
This is to represent that she acknowledges that her own authority is not supreme, but is in submission to a higher power.
The head of a woman is not free and able to exercise its own authority, but is covered by a higher authority.
Women show that God is their ultimate authority by covering their head.

The Bible says that long hair was given to women for the explicit purpose of covering their heads in this symbolic manner. Hats and veils are not to be used to symbolize this authority. This is the very reason that her long hair was given to her.

Men are to symbolize God himself, by making sure their heads are not covered. In other words, they should not have long hair.

This is not a "church standard", which we are given the freedom to make up our minds about, but a Law of God.
The Bible says that men who pray with long hair are considered disgraceful by God, and women who pray with short hair are equally dishonorable, because they both reject their authority, who is God.
Do not sabotage your own prayers by living in a manner that is displeasing to God. He requires that every man and woman on this earth be a testimony and a witness to Him, by the way they cover their heads.
A woman with short hair is making the statement (whether she realizes it or not) that she has no authority above her, and neither do men. God is not her master, or the master of mankind, and that we answer only to ourselves.
A man with long hair is saying that God is not Supreme. God is not All-Powerful. There is a power that God answers to.

This borders on the blasphemous. Men, if your hair is long, cut it. Women, let your hair grow if it is short.
Do not discredit yourself and deprive your prayers of the good favor of God. Make sure your bodies are living symbols of the Authority of God and Man.


This is all rather clear, that men are to have short hair, and women are to have long hair. God intended long hair to be a covering. He didn't intend for just any length of hair to be a covering, but long hair, specifically.

Men are symbolic of God Himself, who has no covering, or authority that is above Him. Men are therefore, not to have a covering, either. They are not to have long hair.

Women are symbolic of man, or mankind. Mankind is not God. Mankind is not in complete control of his destiny. God is. Mankind is not the ultimate authority in the universe. Since mankind is covered by a higher authority, women are to be representative of that fact. They are to be covered by long hair.

So this is the Law of God, that men are to have short hair, while women are to have long hair.

Now the question is, how long is long, and how short is short?

Well, first let's look at scripture again.

1st Cor. 11:4,5 - Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head-it is just as though her head were shaved.

Compton's American Heritage Dictionary says "dishonor" means, "To bring shame or disgrace upon. 2. To treat in a disrespectful or demeaning manner. An act of disrespect toward something sacred : sacrilege, dishonor, dishonoring, blasphemy, desecration, profanation, violation, profanity, profaneness, impiousness, impiety, irreverence."

If you dishonor someone, you insult them. The Bible says that if a man or woman does not have the proper length of hair, they are insulting God. They are committing sacrilege, and profaning Him!

Consider a situation where a man comes before the Lord in prayer, with long hair. He is insulting God. Do you think that God is going to answer the man's prayers?

Suppose a person walks up to you and insults you, then asks if you will give him five dollars. How likely are you to answer the request? Not very likely, and neither is God.

Our very prayers are affected by the length of our hair!

So how long is long, and how short is short?

The truth of the matter is that we do not know. God did not specify in His Word that long would equal 48 inches and short would qualify at less than 3. I would challenge each person to set his or her own standard. Remember that the length of your hair is very important to the Lord. If it is the improper length, you will be insulting the Lord! So make very sure you are not insulting Him.

I can offer one way of being sure you are not insulting God by your hair-length. Go to an extreme. For example, how long is long? Well, how long would hair have to be, to where no one could ever doubt that it was long? Hair that trailed the floor as you walked could never be considered short, by anyone's standards. No one ever accused Lady Godiva of having short hair.

If no one on earth can look at floor-length hair and say that it is short, then chances are perfect that God will not consider it short, either. Of course, this may be too extreme.

How about hair that is knee-length? I don't know of anyone who would call knee-length hair short. What about waist-length? Could hair that falls to your waist be considered short? I don't think so. It might be shorter than Lady Godiva or Crystal Gale, but it is not short.

What about shoulder-length hair, then? Well, now it becomes subjective. Some might consider it long, but others might not. So while everyone considers waist-length hair to be long, we can't make it any shorter without the length being subjective. If there are people who can raise questions about it, then God may have doubts, as well. Stay with the extreme, and you will know for sure.

Now I'm sure you could find a large number of people to agree with you that hair shorter than waist-length can still be considered to be long. But are we concerned with how people view it, does their opinion count even in the slightest? The only opinion that counts is God's. Would He consider it long? That is what you have to ask yourself. We don't know for sure what measurements God has set. What we do know, is that waist-length hair is not considered short by anyone's standards, and that means chances are great that God approves of it, as well.

Women, your hair may not be waist-length, and yet you may still believe that it meets the Biblical requirement of being long. Are you prepared to risk insulting God over it, and having your prayers be ignored? Are you prepared to take the risk of God finding your hair short, and losing your salvation?

You may ask, "Where did the Bible ever cite hair-length as a salvation requirement?" My answer is a very simple one. How long do you think you can insult God and still be allowed into His heaven? He is looking for people who will love Him, not insult Him.

Make sure your hair is long enough so that there is absolutely no doubt that it is long. Do not gamble with your salvation. Justifying your position to others, and having them agree with you does not matter in the slightest, because it is not man's opinion that counts, but God's.

Choose a standard that you believe God is pleased with. In fact, I would advise you to choose a standard in which there is no doubt that He is pleased. Eternity may hang in the balance.

Men, the same goes for you. How short is short? Maybe we should all shave our heads, so that there is absolutely no doubt. However, the scripture doesn't say that you can't have any hair at all, just that you can't have long hair.

So how about hair that is cut at the hairline? That is not long hair by anyone's standards. What about hair that is collar-length? Again, if your hair does not extend past your collar, no one is ever going to accuse you of having long hair.

What about shoulder-length hair? Now it becomes subjective. Some would say it is long, while others would say it is permissible. But why are we seeking the approval of man? It is God who will save or damn our souls! It is God that we need to make sure we do not insult.

You may believe that shoulder-length hair is permissible by God. Are you willing to stake your salvation on it? Are you willing to risk insulting God over it? It would be better to make sure there is no question at all that it's short.

For both men and women, there are lengths which are definitely long and short. The question is, how far away can we get from those certainties, and still be pleasing to the Lord?

My question is, why would you want to find out? There is nothing more important in this life than making sure we are ready for the next life, and if that means I wear my hair a certain way, then so be it.

As Christians, we already deny the desires of the flesh in many other areas. Why should this one be any different? We don't drink alcohol, we don't drink, we don't smoke, we don't fornicate, or lust, or lie, or murder, or steal, or swear, or worship idols. We already do things certain ways because of our love for Christ. Why would we want to make Him Lord of certain areas of our lives, but not all areas? If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all, as someone once said.

If you have to justify the length of your hair to people on this earth, then you may have to justify it to the Lord one day. I'm not willing to take that chance.

Are you?

If it means not insulting the Lord, I will go to the extreme. For men, hair that is collar-length can not be considered long. For women, hair that is waist-length cannot be considered short. I would encourage you to strive toward these extremes, to be certain that you are pleasing the Lord.

Esau did not have any regard for his birthright, and the Lord cursed him for it. I want the Lord to see that I have a high regard for Him, to the point that I will go to extremes to make sure I obtain his pleasure.

One final point: Many women question whether they are allowed to cut their hair, or to trim it.

2nd Samuel 14:25,26 - "In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. 26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head-he used to cut his hair from time to time when it became too heavy for him-he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard."

The Bible talks about Absalom having very long hair. Here, we see that he did cut it from time to time, but that did not cause his hair to then be described as short.

2nd Samuel 18:9 says, "Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going."

Absalom was caught in the tree by his long hair, and this was what caused his death. He was caught by his long hair. The fact that he cut his hair from time to time did not cause it to then be short. It still caused his death. It was still long. (If the act of simply cutting the hair caused it to become short, then someone forgot to tell the tree.)

Also, 1st Corinthians 11:6 says, "If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head."

The Greek word here for "cut" is "keiro", which means "of shearing or cutting short the hair of the head". This is referring to cutting a woman's hair so that it is no longer long, but short. It is not referring to trimming the hair, or cutting it in such a way as to still be long after the cutting has been done.

The Bible does not prohibit women from trimming their hair, or cutting it, so long as by cutting it, they do not make it short.

Again, what is long and what is short? Go to the extreme. My advice is for men to keep their hair above their collars, and for women to keep their hair waist-length, or as long as it will grow.

The important thing to remember is that men's hair is to be short, and women's hair is to be long. The significant thing to remember is that it is up to every individual to set a standard for themselves. The Bible offers no other clarification, other than saying "long", and "short". The critical thing to remember is that God will be insulted if you choose an improper standard. Make sure you choose a standard that He will approve of.

In Christ,

Chad J. McCoy
Dark Savant Ministries

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