ARE CHRISTIANS TO HAVE A BEARD

Download ARE CHRISTIANS TO HAVE A BEARD

Is it a sin for a man not to have a beard or cut his hair on the sides?

 

Law concerning BEARDS in the Bible:

It is the law of God that defines what sin is (1 John 3:4).  There is no law of God saying you need to wear a Beard but there is a law not to shave or make markings on behalf of the dead! There is a Law of God addressing what not to do with the Beard (Bible verses below).

 

• Do not disfigure/mar beards.  Disfigured – means the beard is not in proportion, no symmetry, spoil the attractiveness of the beard. And this practice done during Israel’s time in Egypt in recognition of the dead.  Lev 19:27-28 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard, ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.

 

• is a sign of shame (2Sa 10:4-5) Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half of their beards (mar/disfigure not their full beards), cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return." 

 

Law concerning HAIR in the Bible (for men):

There is no law of God saying you need to have hair but not to make markings for the dead!  Similar to the beard, those who have hair, they need to keep it well trimmed and do not disfigure it. 

• Do not make a circle of hair on top of the head, like putting a pot on the head and cutting around it.The edge/corners of the head include bother the side burns and the back of the head. Lev 19:27-28 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard, ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.
• Do not make or do anything for the dead with hair, like bald patches & markings.Deu 14:1 "You are the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead.  Jer 16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. 
• And to the Priests: Lev 21:5 'They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 
• The Priests are not to have long hair neither shave their heads but have well trimmed hair Eze 44:20 "They shall neither shave their heads, nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed.” 
  • What is long hair? I suppose when the hair starts to look like a woman then it is too long. 1Co 11:14  Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him.
• What about shaving the head is this a sin? No, other tribes of Israel used to shave their heads at the end of the Nazarene vow including Paul, “having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow” (Acts 18:18).Num. 6:18 “The Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.”
• Did any of the Priest (the lineage of Aaron) ever shave their heads?Yes special occasions, like Ezekiel the prophet and priest (Ezek 1:3) - Ezekiel told by God to shave head and beard as part of a prophecy, Ezekiel 5:1 "And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber's razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair.”

 

Here are some examples of judgement 

• Jer 41:5 that certain men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD. 
• Jer 48:37  "For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; On all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth—

 

Some Objections:

• Question: We need to imitate Yeshua and He wore a beard. Answers: Yeshua also wore a one-piece tunic and sandals too.There is no law stating one must have a beard. 
• Question: This is an important topic and shows obedience. Answer: Obedience based on law of God not the Talmud or by Tradition or Culture of the day.
• Question: It says in the Talmud we must wear a beard. Answer: Yeshua warned people about the leaven of the Pharisees so why go to the Talmud?
• Question: Leaders like Clement and Tyndale support having a beard. Answer: If God told us to wear a beard or not then we should obey but if not, why tell people to have one or not have one!