Uncut Hair

Why Don’t I Cut My Hair…Ever?

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment
Photo by Rana Sawalha on Unsplash

“But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” (1 Corinthians 11:15)

You read that correctly. I don’t cut my hair. Ever. This fact is likely to be quite shocking to you if you have never been taught the biblical significance of a woman’s uncut hair. Before going any further, I want to make certain you understand that I am referring not just to wearing long hair, but uncut hair. The original Greek word here for “long hair” is Komao, which means untampered with long tresses. Or to let one’s hair grow long and unaltered. That being said, my hair hasn’t been cut in 30+ years.

IT’S ABOUT SUBMISSION

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3)

How can hair length be such a big deal? 1 Corinthians chapter 11 isn’t only referring to men and women’s hair. It is referring to submission to spiritual authority. Hair length is simply the symbol of that submission level.

WHY HAIR?

In the same way God chose speaking in tongues as the initial sign of someone receiving the Holy Ghost, so He also chose Hair as the symbol of a person’s submission to authority. The simple truth is He’s God, and He gets to choose. One little known reason, however, is that cutting of the hair, and offering it as a sacrifice to idols has been practiced throughout history. This practice was especially rampant in the city of Corinth at the time of Paul’s writing to the Corinthian Church on the subject.

Neither man nor woman is more important than the other in the Kingdom of God, but God has established a spiritual order. We are expected to remain submitted to that order. A woman’s uncut hair declares that she is willingly submitted to her spiritual authority. If she is is unmarried, her first level of authority would be her father, then pastor and ultimately the Lord. If she is married, then her first level of authority is her husband.

Make no mistake. This teaching isn’t only for women. As much as a woman is instructed to leave her her long, and uncut, a man is instructed to keep his hair cut short. In this way, he declares his submission to the Lord.

APPROACHING GOD IN PRAYER

Paul tells the Corinthians that our hair dictates whether we should approach God in prayer. A man’s head shouldn’t be covered. A woman’s head should be covered. To come before God any other way is a disgrace. This is why you will see many men remove their hats during prayer. You might also see a woman with a cap or veil over her head. Although these actions are done to be respectful of God and His Word, they are done out of context.

This teaching in chapter 11 isn’t referring to a natural covering, but the length of a person’s hair. Scripture teaches us to, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) In order to accomplish this, ladies would never be able to take off their hat or veil, and men would never be able to wear a hat. I much prefer to keep my hair uncut, and thereby be able to approach God at any moment of the day or night.

“Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.” (1 Corinthians 11:4-5)

SIDE NOTE

I’ve had people ask, “If a woman’s hair is her covering, why does she wear it put up, and not hanging down so that it covers more?” Let me reiterate the scripture is not referring to a natural covering, but a spiritual covering. Some women’s hair naturally grows longer or shorter than others. My own hair is not naturally super long, but if it is uncut, regardless of the actual length, I am covered, and living under authority. 

ANGELS ARE WATCHING

”For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” (1 Corinthians 11:10)

The Lord takes the doctrine of a woman’s uncut hair very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that angels take notice of whether we keep it uncut. Women who understand this truth take great care to not even trim their hair, knowing that keeping their hair untampered with adds a level of protection for their loved ones. I feel absolutely certain that many trials, afflictions and dangers have been avoided because I have kept my hair uncut.

”The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” (Psalm 34:7)

DON’T SPEAK AGAINST WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND

I realize this teaching presents in stark contrast to our cultural norm. We are perpetually surrounded by advertisements featuring new hairstyles. The pressure to conform can be overwhelming. Choosing to be a biblical Christian, however, often situates us crosswise with what the world declares is the right way.

Years ago, I was in a store with my young daughter. We were browsing the aisles when a young mother and her little girl walked past us. The little girl had long, beautiful hair, and I complimented her on how pretty it was. I was completely and utterly shocked when the lady replied in a nasty tone, “That’s what happens when you cut it.” I was so shocked by her audacity that I literally could say nothing in that moment.

This mean-spirited lady walked away feeling pretty good about herself, but in no way submitted to spiritual authority. She obviously new enough to realize we didn’t cut our hair, but doubtfully why. Let me make a few points here.

1. Hair grows from the roots, not the ends. Cutting or trimming your hair does not make it grow. It definitely makes it look fashionable, and more acceptable according to our culture. Aren’t we instructed to avoid conforming to the culture around us?

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

2. If you don’t understand a verse, passage, commandment or principle in scripture, it’s much better to simply acknowledge that you don’t understand. God isn’t angry at you for not understanding, although He does expect you to seek to find understanding. Saying you don’t understand is much safer than speaking against, and treading carelessly upon something God has called holy.

THE OPPOSITE OF SUBMITTED

Let me point out that the opposite of being submitted is to be in rebellion. We think of being rebellious as someone who is committing all manner of vile sins. Certainly, as Christians who love the Lord, we would not consider ourselves rebellious. When we choose to disregard a practice that God has ordained to specifically represent submissIon…Is that not rebellion?

THE GLORY COVENANT

I recently had some trouble with my thyroid which required a change in my medication dosage. This lead to a downward spiral of major hair loss. Perhaps after reading this blogpost, you can understand why such an event would cause an Apostolic lady great distress. Many ladies would have immediately cut or trimmed their hair to make it more culturally acceptable. (*Trimming is cutting in small increments.) I, however, have this Glory Covenant that I take very seriously. I desire to be in obedience to God’s Word. I desire to live submitted to spiritual authority. I desire for the angels who are always watching to take note of my submission. I consider being in this Glory Covenant with God a great privilege and joy.

“But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.“ (1 Corinthians 11:15)

IN SUMMARY

Obviously, for the sake of time and space, I can’t cover every aspect of uncut hair in this post. If you have questions, please reach out. As always, I’m more than happy to discuss any topic that I write about.

Warm Regards,

~Pat~

 

Why I Haven’t Cut My Hair In Over a Quarter of a Century

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

As a junior in high school, I had never been introduced to teaching on the New Birth, Holiness, nor the doctrine of Uncut Hair for women. At that time, my hair wasn’t uncut, but it was considered long, hanging all one length, a third of the way down my back, with the exception of “fly back” bangs.

Even though I had worn my hair like this for years, immediately after visiting a Oneness Pentecostal Church for the first time, I had the notion to get my hair cut. Suddenly, I wanted a new look.

I remember sitting in the salon chair after I told the stylist how I wanted it cut with her looking at me in hesitation. She told me how pretty my hair was and tried to talk me out of cutting it off. I continued to encourage her to do her job. She stood with the scissors open against my hair and literally begged me, “Please don’t make me cut your hair.”

I remember the metallic shearing of the scissors as they came together, the dull tug of severing, followed by the slight spring back of blunted ends. Even though I would have never let the stylist know it, something happened in the spiritual realm at that moment. I would not have been able to understand it or explain it at the time even if I had tried, but I can tell you with certainty that something was taken from me in that chair. I felt it leave me just as surely as if it had been spilled out onto the ground.

When I stood up I saw a sight that is permanently etched into my memory. Layers of long, golden hair discarded in a full circle around the now empty chair. I paid for the cut, ran my hands through my now short layers of hair, and plastered on a confident smile as I walked out the door with a heaviness in my heart.

Another incident happened several years later, after I had experienced the New Birth. After being born again, I was eager to embark on a journey of discipleship. I enthusiastically embraced a life of Holiness and spiritual disciplines. When I read and understood the topic of women’s uncut hair in 1 Corinthians 11, I stopped cutting my hair.

It was during this time that a friend from my childhood was passing through and came to stay with us for a week or so. She wore her hair in a very short wedge cut, with the crown of her head a bit longer, gradually getting shorter to the nape of her neck, which she kept shaved.

One day in passing conversation, she commented that she hadn’t been able to get to the hair salon for a while, and the hair on the back of her neck had grown out longer than she liked. Would I mind shaving it for her? Now, mind you, I was completely sold out to the doctrine of women’s uncut hair, and had not cut my own hair in any way for several years at this point. Without even thinking, however, but just trying to be a help, I replied, “Sure.”

It was at that very moment that a searing pain shot through my chest, as if a hot firebrand had been plunged into my heart. I have never felt that kind of pain before nor after, and thankfully, it only lasted a split second. That was all it took to bring me to myself. It was only then that I realized what I had agreed to do, and that it had displeased the Lord.

I turned to her and said, “I am so sorry. I know that I told you I would, but I don’t cut my hair and I can’t cut yours.” Her response was understandable from someone who had never been taught 1 Corinthians 11, “Oh, I’m not wanting you to cut it! I just want you to shave the stubble at the bottom.” But I knew that stubble, if let grow, would be long hair. Beside that, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would be displeasing to the Lord. Again, I told her that I couldn’t do to her hair what the Word of God and my strong conviction restricted me from doing to my own.

I shared with her as much of 1 Corinthians 11 as she was able to receive at that time, but knew that the experience was more for me than her. In His mercy, God had a hair stylist try to talk me out of cutting my hair years before. He, also mercifully sent me a piercing reminder when He knew I had agreed to something in thoughtless haste.

So, just as the title of this articles claims, I haven’t cut my hair in over a quarter of a century, and have no plans to ever cut it. To the world, this may seem like a strange notion, and terribly lacking in any fashion sense. To me, and according to 1 Corinthians 11, my uncut hair is my GLORY, the SYMBOL OF SUBMISSION to spiritual authority, and my SOURCE OF POWER with the angelic host.

*Please see the ACCOMPANYING VIDEO on 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, the biblical teaching of the Doctrine of Uncut Hair as a symbol of submission to spiritual authority.

Your feedback is welcome.

Warm Regards, -Pat Vick