# Are there good theological reasons for men to have beards?



## Pergamum

Is this a matter of personal preference and taste, or are there good theological reasons/principles for men to ordinarily have beards?

And if so, what kind of beard?

What sort of culture will a beardly culture have when contrasted with a culture preferring no beards? Any correlation between beardliness and godliness or manliness?


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## Hamalas

I believe these will answer sufficiently:


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## Contra_Mundum

^ That's funny ^ (above).

Now, I state flatly: I don't think it's any more than a cultural, family, or personal preference.

The Lord told the Jews not to cut the corners of their beards. That was theocracy. That system is gone, abolished.

I suppose an insistence on beards for everyman is a flip-aroo from the older legalism against them. Just another form of legalism. That, and "machismo."

About the only thing the NT says about hair is: nature reveals (to everyone) that women's is their glory; and nature also tells us men should wear their's shorter than the ladies.

Morally, women aren't to make too much of their hair (ostentation is out of place, 1Pet.3:3); it goes with a general modesty appropriate for Christians of either gender (and maybe should be covered on women in worship, depending on how you read 1Cor.11). I don't think specifics of personal appearance gets much biblical mention for the present age.


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## Pergamum

Does it matter at all as far as gender distinction goes?

How about having long hair then? Can we say that beards don't matter, but men shouldn't have long hair?


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## Contra_Mundum

Pergamum said:


> Can we say that beards don't matter, but men shouldn't have long hair?



What does 1Cor.11:14 say?

Is there any comparable statement on beards?


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## Mephibosheth

Alas, I've been shaving for 15 years and can't seem to grow much of anything...


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## Curt

Mephibosheth said:


> Alas, I've been shaving for 15 years and can't seem to grow much of anything...



Stop shaving!


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## Pergamum

Why would Spurgeon call growing a beard natural, manly and Scriptural?

When did growing a beard fall out of fashion? The last 150 years or so in the West? For what reasons? Some workplaces now won't even allow beards.


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## Curt

Pergamum said:


> Some workplaces now won't even allow beards.



A number of years (decades, actually) ago, I was denied a job at a Christian Bookshop for the specific reason that they didn't like beards.


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## Pergamum

Why do more reformed folks have beards and it seems less arminians have beards (a general observation...I am sure you all can name a clean-shaven Calvinist or a bearded Pelagian...)...


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## Zach

Ben, who are the bearded men in that picture, "Bearded men make better Preachers?" The middle one is Spurgeon, correct? And the last is obviously Calvin. But who is the first?


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## chuckd

Pergamum said:


> For what reasons? Some workplaces now won't even allow beards.



I was in the Marines and now work in oil & gas. Both industries do not allow beards because gas masks cannot make a seal against a face with a beard. Mustaches allowed though.


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## KMK

Since a beard is a gift from God, the question should be, "Are there any good theological reasons for shaving your beard off?"


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## hammondjones

Pergamum said:


> Why do more reformed folks have beards and it seems less arminians have beards (a general observation...I am sure you all can name a clean-shaven Calvinist or a bearded Pelagian...)...



[Insert observation here regarding beards and intellectuals.]

Full disclosure: I have a beard.


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## hammondjones

*Early Christian attitudes*

*St Clement of Alexandria*
"The hair of the chin showed him to be a man." St Clement of Alexandria (c.195, E), 2.271
"How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!...For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest—a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275
"This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature....It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.276
"It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man's natural and noble adornment." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.277

*St Cyprian*
"In their manners, there was no discipline. In men, their beards were defaced." St Cyprian (c. 250, W), 5.438
"The beard must not be plucked. 'You will not deface the figure of your beard'." (Leviticus 19:27) St. Cyprian, 5.553

*Lactantius*
"The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength." Lactantius (c. 304–314, W), 7.288

*Apostolic Constitutions*
"Men may not destroy the hair of their beards and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law says, "You will not deface your beards." For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men." Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c.390, E) 7.392. (1)

*Augustine of Hippo*
"There are some details of the body which are there for simply aesthetic reasons, and for no practical purpose—for instance, the nipples on a man's chest, and the beard on his face, the latter being clearly for a masculine ornament, not for protection. This is shown by the fact that women's faces are hairless, and since women are the weaker sex, it would surely be more appropriate for them to be given such a protection." City of God (c. 410) book 22, chapter 24


- from the wikipedia page for beards
sorry for the double post


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## Jake

Zach said:


> Ben, who are the bearded men in that picture, "Bearded men make better Preachers?" The middle one is Spurgeon, correct? And the last is obviously Calvin. But who is the first?



J. C. Ryle!


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## Zach

Jake said:


> Zach said:
> 
> 
> 
> Ben, who are the bearded men in that picture, "Bearded men make better Preachers?" The middle one is Spurgeon, correct? And the last is obviously Calvin. But who is the first?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> J. C. Ryle!
Click to expand...


I should have known that...


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## Fogetaboutit

> 2 Samuel 10:4-5
> King James Version (KJV)
> 
> 4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
> 
> 5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.




This is the only place in scriptures that I can think of that might support that position.


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## Jack K

What would we say to Native American men, many of whom are biologically unable to grow a full beard? That they just can't be as godly, or manly, as the rest of us?


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## chuckd

hammondjones said:


> *Early Christian attitudes*
> "How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!...For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest—a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275



Is it safe to say this is what St. Clement looked like?


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## Fogetaboutit

Jack K said:


> What would we say to Native American men, many of whom are biologically unable to grow a full beard? That they just can't be as godly, or manly, as the rest of us?



What would you say of women who go bald?

I do not believe there's a solid scriptural case to be made, but it seems that the passage in 2 Samuel is saying that they considered to be beardless to be shamefull, if not they would have shaved the other half. I do not believe this is a doctrine of scriptures but it seemed at least to be a cultural thing for the Jews.


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## Christopher88

As a MAN with a beard, I say let em grow but it's not for all things are permissible, but are they wise?

Here is a fun read

Riches of Grace: The Beard

Edit my picture is not current. I have a full beard now.


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## SolaScriptura

Beards are associated with religious extremism of the conservative variety.

Before you react, think about it. Think about the various religions and sects and which stripes have a culture of beardedness.


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## KMK

SolaScriptura said:


> Beards are associated with religious extremism of the conservative variety.



Ben, are you saying you shave off your beard because you don't want to be associated with religious extremism of the conservative variety? I think it is too late. 


"Whenever I'm about to shave off my beard, I think, 'would an idiot shave off his beard?' And if they would, I do not shave off my beard." -- Brother Schrute


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## Rich Koster

I grew mine because I personally hate shaving. The irritation, bleeding or bite of a worn electric are not something that is beneficial to my disposition at 0400. I have not found anything theologically convincing that full, trimmed or shaved is a matter of personal piety. However, there may be underlying reasons, that are sinful, which inspire a man to do any of the three.


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## hammondjones

SolaScriptura said:


> Beards are associated with religious extremism of the conservative variety.
> 
> Before you react, think about it. Think about the various religions and sects and which stripes have a culture of beardedness.



They are also associated with extreme liberalism. It was not so long ago in parts of South America that having facial hair identified you as a communist.


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## CharlieJ

What separates the churches of the East and West? Beards!

"By the tenth century [beards] had become a painful issue in disputes between the Greek and Latin churches. In the eleventh century Sardinian clergy failing to remove their beards were threatened by Pope Gregory VII with confiscation of property.... Early in thirteenth century in Calabria, where Greek and Latin clergy existed side by side, Joachim of Fiore suggested that their difference was prefigured in scripture by hairy Esau and smooth Jacob." (Henry Chadwick, East and West, 12)


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## Theogenes

For me it's a practical choice, not a theological one. When you live in northern North Dakota a beard helps keep your face warm in subzero temps!
And, BTW, I cut it down to a goatee during the summer months... Beard on!


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## joejohnston3

KMK said:


> Since a beard is a gift from God, the question should be, "Are there any good theological reasons for shaving your beard off?"



+1 

Actually, this is something I have been researching a lot lately and besides the posts already made there was some decent information found in "Federal Husband" by Douglas Wilson. I have sided with the "beards are the better way to go" side of the topic and have had one for several years but know this is something someone needs to answer for themselves as there are many great men without beards who have not seen the light yet!  J/K


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## KMK

> Perhaps context would help me understand their statements better,



I don't know about Spurgeon, but there are many in our day, not on PB of course, who try to imply that it is immoral for a Christian man to let his beard grow. (They are usually teetotalers) We are the ones who are normally put in the position of defending our beards, not the other way around.


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## KMK

> KMK said:
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> Perhaps context would help me understand their statements better,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know about Spurgeon, but there are many in our day, not on PB of course, who try to imply that it is immoral for a Christian man to let his beard grow. (They are usually teetotalers) We are the ones who are normally put in the position of defending our beards, not the other way around.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> And such a position is equally absurd! Them's fightin' words, maybe?
Click to expand...


Yes they are and I think that is why beard wearers are so defensive. It is the same kind of defensiveness us 'necktie wearing' preachers have here in the land of 'Hawaiian shirt wearing' preachers.


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## Andres

hammondjones said:


> For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, *with a hairy chest*—a sign of strength and rule."



Now you've opened up a whole new can of worms....


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## Andres

Sonny said:


> Edit my picture is not current. I have a full beard now.



Let's change that profile pic, brother!


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## Andres

joejohnston3 said:


> Actually, this is something I have been researching a lot lately and besides the posts already made there was some decent information found in "Federal Husband" by Douglas Wilson.



Would you care to share what this information is that you read?


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## Gforce9

KMK said:


> "Whenever I'm about to shave off my beard, I think, 'would an idiot shave off his beard?' And if they would, I do not shave off my beard." -- Brother Schrute



Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..........


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## AThornquist

This is John Weaver's sermon on the "The Beard, its Historical and Biblical Significance". It's interesting, if nothing else!

The Beard, its Historical and Biblical Significance - SermonAudio.com


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## TylerRay

> ...and I cringe each time I read one of them, as it baffles me that otherwise sharp men would say such silly things. Perhaps context would help me understand their statements better...



Spurgeon's is from Lectures to my Students, _On the Voice_:


> When you have done preaching take care of your throat by never wrapping it up tightly. From personal experience I venture with some diffidence to give this piece of advice... If any brother wants to die of influenza let him wear a warm scarf round his neck, and then one of these nights he will forget it, and catch such a cold as will last him the rest of his natural life... If you feel that you want something else, why, then grow your beards! A habit most natural, scriptural, manly, and beneficial. One of our brethren, now present, has for years found this of great service. He was compelled to leave England on account of the loss of his voice, but he has become as strong as Samson now that his locks are unshorn.


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## Alan D. Strange

Joshua:

Yes, of course, you are right: There are no good theological reasons for men to have beards.

Now, the defense of beards against those who would inveigh against them is another matter. That's what I take Spurgeon and others like him to be doing, and Spurgeon to be doing so with a twinkle in his eye. It is interesting that there's been a fundamentalist animus against such in the 20th century. But of course beards are perfectly acceptable. And can even be distinguished, attractive and so forth. That's a fashion observation, however, and not a spiritual one. It's a matter of taste: _de gustibus non disputandum est._

A theological reason to have them, however? I don't think so and any serious attempt to argue for them on such grounds is, as you say, simply "silly."

Peace,
Alan

Reactions: Like 1


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## Pergamum

Alan D. Strange said:


> Joshua:
> 
> Yes, of course, you are right: There are no good theological reasons for men to have beards.
> 
> Now, the defense of beards against those who would inveigh against them is another matter. That's what I take Spurgeon and others like him to be doing, and Spurgeon to be doing so with a twinkle in his eye. It is interesting that there's been a fundamentalist animus against such in the 20th century. But of course beards are perfectly acceptable. And can even be distinguished, attractive and so forth. That's a fashion observation, however, and not a spiritual one. It's a matter of taste: _de gustibus non disputandum est._
> 
> A theological reason to have them, however? I don't think so and any serious attempt to argue for them on such grounds is, as you say, simply "silly."
> 
> Peace,
> Alan





> It is interesting that there's been a fundamentalist animus against such in the 20th century



Why was this so?


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## KMK

AThornquist said:


> This is John Weaver's sermon on the "The Beard, its Historical and Biblical Significance". It's interesting, if nothing else!
> 
> The Beard, its Historical and Biblical Significance - SermonAudio.com



I listened to this years ago. I think it was a defense against those teetotaler types I mentioned earlier. If you don't agree with Theonomy you probably won't agree with his sermon. I would imagine that from the Theonomists perspective, his arguments are pretty persuasive. I don't really understand why some Theonomists shave off their beards.


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## Alan D. Strange

Perg:

Why there was a fundamentalist animus against beards in recent decades is an interesting question. I think in general fundamentalists mimicked American business fashions (over against immigrants and other non-Protestants). Beards came to be considered a bad image and bad for business in American public life in the time of the World Wars and even more so in response to the counter-culture of the 1960s and beyond ("we're not hippies!). This is still true. Note what was said earlier about beards in Greek orthodoxy. Fundamentalism maintained an Americanized distinction against all this, hewing to the business suit and the "clean-cut" look of American capitalism. This is not something I've researched and so this answer is impressionistic and to be taken as provisional. 

Peace,
Alan


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## Christopher88

Andres said:


> Let's change that profile pic, brother!



Picture changed. Only about a month into the growth. My mustache hates my face but I grow what I can. 

I use to attend a Baptist college and facial hair was not allowed. That is when my shaving days began. (I always wore a goatee since I could grow) Now years latter I spend my time not shaving and doing better things like making a point of how I love my beard. Hahah, my Fiance' might be mad at that, thou claims she likes my beard.


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## joejohnston3

Andres said:


> joejohnston3 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Actually, this is something I have been researching a lot lately and besides the posts already made there was some decent information found in "Federal Husband" by Douglas Wilson.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Would you care to share what this information is that you read?
Click to expand...


I am in the process of finding the direct info and will post after I get it all together.


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## Peairtach

From a previous thread on the same subject, not long ago: 
http://www.puritanboard.com/f24/why-did-puritans-shave-77289/



> A godly biblical man like Joseph shaved so why shouldn't they.
> 
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> 
> 
> Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.(Gen 41:14,ESV)
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> 
> The biblical injunction about not shaving was part of the ceremonials, maybe to remind them that they were to be holy in soul as well as "holy" in body and/or that they were a kingdom of priests unto God.
> 
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> And the LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, ...........................They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body. They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the LORD's food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. (Lev 21:1, 5&6, ESV)
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
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> You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.
> You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD. (Lev 19:27-28)
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> There's nothing morally wrong with shaving off your beard or your eyebrows!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.( Lev 14:9)
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


The OT idea of holiness included the idea of one's body being, as it were, untouched or unmarred. This idea of something being set apart as holy by being untouched or unmarred by (sinful) human hands or activity comes up elsewhere in the Pentateuch.

If it was _morally_ wrong to shave your beard, why did Joseph do it, and why this ceremonial injunction?

Why didn't the Apostle mention it, since there was lots of shaving in his world?

Hair was given by God for style, taste, fashion, and individuality, as well as for being part of identifying gender. 

The modern - twentieth century - fashion for removing all or most facial hair, may relate to modernism, rationalism,extreme minimalism, with its "tidiness" "clean lines" etc. but that does not mean the person who shaves has a philosophy of modernism, anymore than someone who grows a beard, luxuriant moustache or side burns is a romantic, or is necessarily Reformed or an admirer of the Puritans.


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## Dwimble

Curt said:


> Pergamum said:
> 
> 
> 
> Some workplaces now won't even allow beards.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A number of years (decades, actually) ago, I was denied a job at a Christian Bookshop for the specific reason that they didn't like beards.
Click to expand...


Back in my charismatic days (25+ years ago) I considered going to CFNI (Christ for the Nations Institute). They didn't allow beards and your hair couldn't touch your collar--they would actually pull your hair down if it was wavy/curly to make sure it couldn't touch the collar. I guess they figured that beards and collar-touchin'-hair made men look too much like fornicatin' Hell's Angels...or something. After all, we're supposed to be "in the world, not of it," right? I'm sure that when Christ and his apostles expressed those ideas about us not loving the world or being conformed to it, certainly they must have had personal grooming habits fully in mind when they said those things.


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## joejohnston3

joejohnston3 said:


> Andres said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> joejohnston3 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Actually, this is something I have been researching a lot lately and besides the posts already made there was some decent information found in "Federal Husband" by Douglas Wilson.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Would you care to share what this information is that you read?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I am in the process of finding the direct info and will post after I get it all together.
Click to expand...


The issue of beards is covered in "The Federal Husband" on pp. 46-47. I won't type the entire thing, but here are the major points with a few quotes:

- "Although women are to have long hair, there is a sense in which the men are to be, well, hairier. The early church father, Clement of Alexandria, put it somewhat quaintly somewhere, when he said, 'It is therefore impious to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness.' Clement was at war with the widespread practice in degenerate Rome of depilation, or removal of hair from the body. He was at war with the rampant effeminate foppery of his day and waged that war far more consistently than do we. 

"While women have longer hair, which is their glory, men have been gifted with more hair. In particular, men have been given beards. My point here is not that it is a sin or wrong in any way to be clean-shaven, but that the Bible does teach that a beard is a sign of masculine honor. In a culture such as ours, when adrogyny is the order of the day, we should not be surprised to find beards becoming rare, and body shavings become common. Wherever men seek to look like women, a beard mars the effect." (p. 46)

- Bible quotes: David's act in 2 Sam 10:4-5; shaving as a sign of grief in Jer 41:5 and Ezra 9:3; beards spoken highly of, Ps. 133:2; Jesus had a beard, Is 50:5-6; OT prohibition against shaving, Lev 21:5 and Lev 19:27

On the last point, he says, "This is part of the holiness code which was fulfilled in Christ, so we do not say that Christian men must have a beard. This is an issue where Christian liberty must certainly dictate. At the same time, we should remember that God in his kindness has given men the opportunity to make sure no one mistakes their sex, and that a statement of this kind is entirely appropriate in an age like ours. While wearing a beard is not necessary, it is necessary to reject the widespread dislike of beards. Scripturally speaking, a beard is a sign of masculine honor." (p. 47)


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## Mushroom

Well, for the first time since 1993 I've grown a beard, so far a no-shave 2013. Some things I like about it, some I don't. Still on a wait and see basis. Mindy is not too keen on it, but she's tolerating it.


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## Martin

I shaved off my 11 month beard recently and miss him so much  I'm now 2 weeks into a new one.

I struggled with this topic for a while but finally came to peace that there is no Biblical mandates to be bearded thanks to a wise brother on the PB. I just like having a beard.


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## sevenzedek

Do scraggly beards count? My father was an Indian. I wonder if they make beard toupees.


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## jgilberAZ

I've wanted a beard since forever ... don't have the genes for it.


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## thbslawson

KMK said:


> Since a beard is a gift from God, the question should be, "Are there any good theological reasons for shaving your beard off?"



1. Scares my kids thus causing me to be a poor father and not effectively shepherd my children's hearts.
2. Causes me to resemble the redneck down the road, thus possibly confusing others to think I'm a redneck too creating a stumbling block.
3. Scratches my wife's face when we kiss, bad for the marriage and my household order. 
4. Food gets caught in it, so it can be unclean.
5. Looks ugly as sin on me, and sin is ugly! I'm doing all I can to fight sin in my life.


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## Weston Stoler

Chest hair.... thats a different issue


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## Peairtach

Are there even theological reasons for _sometimes removing_ one's beard?

E.g.


> To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (I Cor 9:20-23, ESV)


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