Should A Woman Cut Her Hair?

Could the length of someone's hair be important to God? This may seem like a strange question at first but before you decided not to even look at it I would like to suggest that we consider some verses. Let's start with;

"If a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him... If a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her for a covering." 1 Corinthians 11:14-15

In the Bible, divinely appointed symbols are used to represent holy things. For example, the night that Jesus was betrayed He gave His disciples bread to eat and a cup to drink. He said that the bread represented His body and the cup His blood ( 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). While these are only symbols they represent things that are so holy that those who do not properly respect them they are " guilty of the blood and body of the Lord" ( 1 Corinthians 11:27).

God has chosen for the length of a man or a woman's hair to symbolize their relationship to Him and their submission to the authorities that He has set up over them. This truth is presented in 1 Corinthians 11: 3-16.

The subject of this passage of scripture is authority : " The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man;" (verse 3). This verse provides the basis for the scriptures that follow about head coverings. "Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head" ( Verse 4). Christ is mans head. It is Christ who is dishonored if a man prays or prophesies with a covered head. "But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven" (verse 5). The man ( husband or father) is the head of the woman ( wife or daughter). It is then the man who is dishonored if a woman prays or prophesies with an uncovered head. This dishonor is the same as if her head were shaven. Not only is it a shame if the woman is shaven, but it is equally a shame if she is shorn (cut from the Greek word keirō). "For is 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" (verse 6). The word "shorn" is simply the past participle or "shear" which means "to cut". This is the meaning of the Greek work keiro, from which "shorn" is translated.

So then what is the theological basis of this teaching? "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, for as much as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man" (verse 7). God has chosen that a man's uncovered head reflects His image and glory in a man and that a woman's covered head reflects the glory of man. This reflected glory is based on the order the God set up at creation. "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for woman; but the woman for man" (verses 8-9).

The next verses talk about their importance in the spiritual realm. "for this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels" (verse 10). Angels are spirits. It is not just the physical realm that the authority represented by the length of hair is important; but even the angels take note of a someone's obedience or disobedience in this area.

After setting up the divine order of creation and authority the passage goes on to again state that men and women are equally important to each other and of equal value in God's kingdom (verses 11-12).

Paul when he was writing this believed the church at Corinth would naturally understand the teaching on this subject: "Judge for yourself: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?" (verse 13). He did not seem to think that this should come as a surprise to Christians, for the lesson of clear distinction between male and female in this matter is even taught within nature: "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair it is a shame to him? But if a woman have long hair it is a glory unto her: for her hair is given her for a covering" (verses 14-15). The words "have long hair" in these verses are translated from the Greek work komao, which means " to let the hair grow". The word "hair" in verse 15 in the phrase " her hair is given to her for a covering" is translated from the Greek word kome, which refers to uncut hair. This further explains verse 6, which declares it to be a shame if a woman's hair is shorn (cut) or shaven. Her long, uncut hair is a glory to her, for is symbolic of her loving submission to her husband or father. On the other hand, it is a shame for a man if he allows his hair to grow uncut. For a man to cut his hair reflects his outward submission to Christ; uncut hair on a man is an outward show of rebellion of his inward rebellion to Christ.

The passage concludes with, "But if any man seem to contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God" (verse 16). Contention is always the result of pride (Proverbs 13:10). If an man proudly argued against the teaching, he needed to realize that none of the churches of God had a custom of allowing men to pray or prophesy with their heads covered with long, uncut hair. Nor did they allow women to pray or prophesy unless their heads were covered with long, uncut hair.

The sincere person who's biggest desire is to please God will want to obey His Word in every respect. He will partake of the Lord's Supper with the greatest reverence, because these symbols represent the body and the blood of Christ (verse 20). A man will cut his hair and a woman will allow hers to grow, because these symbols represent their relationship to God and to their God-given authorities.