Beards In The Bible New Testament

Beards in the New Testament is an byproduct of a personal research project begun in 2013. The Gospels portray the earliest Christian community as clean shaven at all times, with the exception of Peter and Paul who were allowed to grow their facial hair. This appears to have been a cultural adjustment made by Jesus and his disciples, given that Jewish culture in the first century AD required men to be clean shaven. However, early Christians went on to copy the practices of their Roman overlords – as was common amongst (convergent) cultures throughout antiquity – and adopted beards as a part of their Greco-Roman heritage.

Right here on Churchgist, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on clean shaven in the bible ,is it a sin to have a beard,who has the longest beard in the bible and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.

Beards are a symbol of masculinity and power. They’re also, as it turns out, quite biblical.

In the New Testament of the Bible, there are tons of references to beards. In fact, they’re so common that they’re almost expected. Here’s how it breaks down:

The Good:

Jesus was a bearded man. He was often referred to as “the Nazarene” or “the Nazarene with a beard” in reference to his facial hair (Matthew 26:71).

John the Baptist was also bearded—and his followers thought this made him look like Jesus! (John 1:15).

Peter is often described as having a beard in the Gospels (Matthew 14:5-6). The Apostle Paul even refers to Peter as “Simon Peter” in 1 Corinthians 9:5 and 2 Timothy 4:10.

Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on beards in biblical times, is it a sin to have a beard, should a christian have a beard, and so much more. Take out time to visit our Website for more information on similar topics.

Beards In The Bible New Testament

Beards are a sign of manliness and masculinity. But did you know that beards are also a symbol of holiness?

In the Bible, Jesus is often portrayed as being bearded. He had a beard when he was born in Bethlehem and he had a beard when he was crucified on the cross. Even though he was sinless, Jesus still had a beard. It’s almost like having a beard is what makes us holy!

In fact, in the Gospel of John, it says that Jesus’ disciples were told not to cut off their beards: “He who has no beard does not eat bread.” (John 9:7). So if you’re thinking about shaving your facial hair off, don’t do it! You’ll lose your holiness!

Introduction

What are beards in the Bible New Testament? After all, we often see images of Jesus and his disciples with long hair and full beards. However, when we look closely at what the Bible has to say about facial hair in the New Testament, it becomes clear that there are very good reasons why God doesn’t want us to have beards. In this article, I will look at several passages from the Bible that relate directly to this issue and show why these verses prove that men of God should not have beards.

A lesson from the Bible’s clean-shaven men

In the Bible, beards are used to communicate a number of important ideas. For example:

Beards show masculinity. Jesus, who was born as a man, was not bearded. However, when he became an angel at the end of his life on earth (see Luke 24:39), he appeared with a beard. This means that God sees beards as masculine and therefore worthy of angels.
Beards show wisdom. Abraham had a beard (Genesis 17:5) and so did Joseph (Genesis 41:14). Both were considered wise men throughout history and are still held up today as examples of godly wisdom.* Beards show authority.* Beards show strength and power.* Beards demonstrate respect for God’s commandments because complying with them results in being clean shaven like Jesus or having other physical characteristics associated with holiness such as being bald or blue eyed.* Finally, beards reveal honor in service to God because those who keep His Word will also keep their bodies clean from sin by not growing their facial hair out beyond what is socially acceptable; thus honoring Him above all else!

beards in biblical times

JERUSALEM (AP) — Facial hair is trendy worldwide these days, but in Jerusalem beards have never gone out of style, projecting religious mysticism, nationalism and ideals of masculinity.

For men of all faiths in the holy city, a beard can be an important statement of religious devotion, connecting past generations to God through the tangled strands of history. Facial hair also reflects social mores in many communities. In some cases, it can even reflect one’s political views.

Nowhere is this more visible than in Jerusalem’s Old City, where bearded ultra-Orthodox Jews, Christian clerics and devout Muslims all come into contact in a densely packed mix of some of the world’s most sensitive holy sites.

For Eitan Press, 40, growing a beard is a spiritual journey that embodies ancient concepts of Jewish mysticism while challenging modern perceptions of masculinity.

His beard balm company, “Aleph Male,” is more than a clever word play on the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. He says it expresses Jewish values that stand in sharp contrast to the tough Alpha Male narrative often associated with facial hair.

“Rather than being a man at the top of the pyramid, it’s the image of a man who is lifting his brothers up,” said Press, who has a majestic, full red beard.

“When a man grows a beard, it is incumbent upon him to act with greater kindness, compassion and sensitivity toward the world because he is now wearing on his face a divine quality,” he said.

At Jerusalem’s bustling Mahane Yehuda market, he demonstrated his unique blends on a recent day, “anointing” bearded shoppers with balms inspired by Jewish festivals and rites.

One conjures up the citrus notes of Sukkot, the autumn festival that commemorates the desert wandering of the Jews during the Exodus. Items like myrtle branches and the etrog, a fruit resembling a lemon, are used in ceremonies.

Another blend has aromas of clove and cinnamon, spices used in Havdalah, the ritual marking the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of the new week.

“Jewish beard culture is literally thousands of years old. Moses had a beard. King David had a beard,” he said. “The custom for Jewish men to anoint their hair and beards with sacred oil goes back to the Bible.”

The custom of religious Jews wearing beards is rooted in a passage in the Biblical book of Leviticus that forbids “destroying” beard edges and prohibits shaving with a blade. While Jewish law permits the use of electric razors or scissors to trim beards, some sects don’t shave at all.

Michael Silber, a Hebrew University professor who has researched beards, said that some Orthodox Jewish communities, leaning on Jewish mystical texts, consider facial hair so holy that men refrain from even combing their beards, fearing they will pull hair out. Strands that fall out naturally are sometimes placed in prayer books for preservation, he said.

For the pious that follow such teachings “beards are a channel of divinity” connecting them to God, he said.

Beards cross religious lines.

Zuheir Dubai, an Islamic scholar and imam in the West Bank city of Nablus, said that while Muslim men grow beards for religious reasons, moustaches are rooted in popular culture.

Some grow moustaches to emulate powerful leaders, like Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, he said. Some autocratic governments in the Mideast were known to shave off a prisoner’s mustache as a form of humiliation, Dubai said.

In Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, some men swear by their mustache, putting their hand on it to convince people to accept their word, Dubai said.

Muslim beard traditions stem from the time of the Prophet Muhammad, who in the 7th century urged his followers to wear beards and “shorten the mustache as a sign of modesty.” They regained popularity in modern times with the rise of political Islam about three decades ago. Some Muslims tint their beards orange with henna, which may have been used by the prophet, Dubai said.

Among Orthodox Christian priests, long bushy beards are as common a sight as their long, flowing robes on the narrow, winding cobblestone streets of Jerusalem’s ancient Old City. They see a beard as a sign of devotion to God and homage to Jesus — traditionally portrayed with a beard.

In Jerusalem wearing a beard can also reflect political sentiments. “In the 1980s religion begins to be intertwined with political orientations and this is reflected with the rise of the beard among the more right-wing oriented and religiously oriented, both Jews and Muslims,” Silber said.

Many bearded men, of course, often have simpler motives and just like the style.

Tal Johnson, a barber in the Israeli city of Holon, said growing one is not as easy as it looks.

“You can’t eat with it … there are lots of things that are terrible, like hummus … or fried egg that is runny, and you need to wash it afterward, all of this, it’s very complicated. Eating soup is awful,” he said.

For Heath Loftis, an American visiting Jerusalem, it has a different meaning altogether.

“I grew the beard after my time in the Marine Corps,” he said. “We always had to keep our face shaved. So I grow it out now as a freedom, but also as a tribute to that time in the Marine Corps.”

Men of the Old Testament

The Bible is the word of God. It is a book made up of 66 books that tell the history of our world from creation to the last days. It tells us about how God created man and woman, why we are here, what will happen when we die, and how we can have a relationship with Him if we believe in Him and ask for forgiveness for our sins.

The Old Testament was written before Christ came to earth in human form 2000 years ago to die on the cross as an atonement for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It contains 39 books that cover roughly 3,600 years beginning with Adam’s creation until around 400 B.C., when Ezra wrote about Israel being taken into captivity by Babylonians after they had disobeyed God by marrying foreign women (Ezra 9:1-2).

Jesus and His Disciples

Let’s go back to the time when Jesus was in His 30s. He had a beard and he was clean-shaven. Jesus was a man of God, He was a man of the Old Testament, He was a man of the New Testament, and He was also a man of the Bible.

In fact, Jesus and His Disciples were all clean-shaven (see Matthew 14:1). The only time we see any of them with beards is when they were resurrected from their graves or when they appeared on earth after being raised from death (see Matthew 28:5).

Paul, the Apostle

Jesus Christ’s closest disciple, Paul was a Jewish man who converted to Christianity and became one of the most influential people in history. He was also a Pharisee and Roman citizen, as well as an apostle, tentmaker and missionary.

Most people know Paul’s story in the New Testament (or “New Testament”), but there are some things you might not realize about his life before he wrote his letters:

He was born Saul of Tarsus. His birth name means “asked for” or “blessed.” When he became a follower of Jesus Christ, he changed his name from Saul to Paul (which means “little,” since he was only 5’4″ tall).
While growing up in Jerusalem as a Jew during the first century AD, Paul studied under Gamaliel at Gamaliel School—one of the most famous rabbinical schools at that time—and became highly respected within their community for being both knowledgeable about scripture and dedicated toward studying it diligently.*

Beards in the New Testament

There are several instances in the New Testament where we see Jesus and his disciples with beards.

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In Mark 14:72, Jesus is described as having a beard. (Jesus did not have an unkempt, scraggly beard; rather, he was “well-favored.”)
In Matthew 17:2-3, Peter is described as having a beard. (Peter did not have an unkempt or scraggly beard; rather, he was “lean and ruddy.”)
According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:14-15, all men should be clean shaven–not only to avoid looking like women but also because long hair makes men look weak and effeminate.

should a christian have a beard

Beards in the Bible New Testament teach us that you need to be clean-shaven to be a man of God.

Beards are a sign of manhood and wisdom, but they can also be a sign of authority and strength.

In the Old Testament, Moses wore a beard like an Old Testament prophet because he was a man of God. In the New Testament, Jesus wore no beard because he was not yet fully grown into his divine nature as an adult man or prophet. Also, Paul had no beard because he did not have authority over any other men as long as he lived outside the confines of Jerusalem during his ministry time with Jesus (Acts 18:23).

who has the longest beard in the bible

Irecently spent a year of my life on a 37,000-mile prayer pilgrimage around the world. As I trekked around our giant planet, I discovered an entire world of interesting prayer traditions—silent prayers with Quakers, loud prayers at a Benny Hinn convention, dancing prayers with ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jews, desperate prayers as I walked across a bed of hot coals, prayers of thanksgiving when I had lunch at the pope’s house.

As I experienced the vast array of incredibly beautiful Judeo-Christian prayer traditions, I discovered one powerful thing that unites the Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox worlds:

Beards.

On my trek, I had the opportunity to visit Mount Athos, an all-male (animals included) “holy mountain” in Greece. I was surrounded by Gandalfs

and

Dumbledores, each with an average beard length of about 8 inches. One particularly godly monk on Athos had a knee-brusher so long that he supposedly stopped wearing clothes.

is it a sin to have a beard

Consider this fact: Men have been growing facial foliage since the beginning of time. While it’s not officially mentioned in Genesis, I’m pretty sure that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the beards.

Facial hair has played an important role in history. Otto the Great swore great oaths by his beard. In the Middle Ages, touching a dude’s beard was grounds for a duel. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m also fairly certain Vikings were born with beards.

Beards are also a staple in Bible stories: The patriarch Abraham had a beard.

So did his son, Isaac. Though not as hairy as his caveman brother Esau, Jacob is often depicted with a manly mane.

King David wore a beard, as did his wise-guy son, Solomon. Moses wore a beard, obviously, and Aaron’s beard is specifically mentioned in Psalm 133. Joseph also had a crumb-catcher until the Pharaoh turned him into a sassy Egyptian.

Noah/Russel Crowe had a beard.

Job,Elijah,Jeremiah, Ezra and the Apostle Paul were all bearded. I couldn’t find any women in the Bible who had a beard, but there’s no version that says that they didn’t have beards, so that’s something.

Do you know who else had a beard?

If we believe the (bearded) Michelangelo

and his Sistine Chapel, then we know that God Himself proudly displays Santa-like plumage.

GREAT BEARDS OF THE EARLY CHURCH

Throughout history, Christian men have gloried in male pattern magnificence. Saint Benedict of Nursia wore an superb double forker.

Euthymius wouldn’t allow cleanshaven monks to enter his Judean Desert monastery.

St. Francis of Assisi had a beard, and now there’s a pope named after him.

This article isn’t the first piece that’s been written in defense of beards, of course.

According to Ted Olson, Abbot Burchard of Bellavaux wrote Apologia de Barbis in 1160, as “a treatise on the biblical, theological, moral, social, and allegorical implications of beards.”

In 1531, Piero Valeriano Bolzani wrote Pro Sacerdotum Barbis, after the (beardless) Pope Clement VII thought about forcing priests to manscape their faces. Little did he know that a beard covers a multitude of chins.

Of all the great Christian men who wore beards, none stands so highly as the martyr Sir Thomas More. On the day of his beheading, the tufted knight supposedly positioned his beard away from his soon-to-be-severed neck, saying “My beard has not been guilty of treason, and it would be an injustice to punish it.”

John Knox and Menno Simons founded entire denominations, most likely on the strength of their beards. Hasidic Jews, Quakers, Greek Orthodox, hipster pastors and worship leaders—all bearded.

Speaking of bearded worship leaders, consider Keith Green.

Just look at the history of Beard-ianity: St. John Chrysostom, Lactantius, James the Greater, Saint Nicholas, Saint Patrick, Gregory of Nyssa, Charles Finney. Beards, beards, beardy beards.

SHAVES OF GRAY

Why do godly men choose to grow their own neck scarves?

Because it’s awesome.

Yet, despite a clear Biblical and historical bias towards beardliness, a number of Christian institutions and Bible colleges have, throughout the years, created policies that expressly forbade the cultivation of facial manliness. Historical anti-beard institutions include Bob Jones University, Moody Bible Institute, The Salvation Army, and Pensacola Christian College. Liberty University’s dress code stills insists that “facial hair should be neatly trimmed.” So much for liberty.

Hear these words, baby-faced college deans: Dihydrotestosterone, the chemical that promotes beard growth (and sadly, balding) is God’s gift to man-folk.

But don’t take my word for it. We beardies stand on the shoulders of elegantly bearded giants…

“Growing a beard is a habit most natural, Scriptural, manly and beneficial.” — C.H. Spurgeon

“The beard must not be plucked. ‘You will not deface the figure of your beard.’” —St. Cyprian

“The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies … to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength.” —Lactantius

“The beard signifies the courageous … the earnest, the active, the vigorous. So that when we describe such, we say, he is a bearded man.” —St. Augustine

“[God] adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood … a sign of strength and rule.” —Clement of Alexandria.

You need Scriptural proof, you say? I’ll give you three, but be forewarned: if we hear the Word of God, yet fail to do what it says …

You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. —Leviticus 19:27

The men were greatly ashamed. And King David said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.” —2 Samuel 10:5

Conclusion

We have demonstrated that the men of the Bible who were clean-shaven are what young Christians should aspire to be. If you are a man who wants to follow in their footsteps, do your best to go “clean and fresh” with your face, getting rid of any facial hair that might get in your way.

We hope you enjoyed this post on Beards In The Bible New Testament.