I would say that despite the direction this thread took on the issue, DB's essential view on men with facial hair has remained unchanged since at least 1989. He's not one to flip flop. He's very careful about that. That's why you seldom see him making grand sweeping generalizations either. He makes his points and appears to be honest enough with himself to add plenty of the "
I just dont know" candor to his writings.
"The Bible speaks of beards favorably or neutrally, and
they are a natural part of the male appearance. They are
not inherently evil but are wrong only if associated with
a sinful lifestyle, rebellion, or pride. During the hippie era
they generally did have worldly connotations of this kind,
but as culture removes those associations, we need not
object to them."
Essentials of Holiness, 1989
"Finally, we can use the example of beards and mustaches.
In the 1960’s, men used facial hair to symbolize
rebellion against authority and the acceptance of an
immoral lifestyle. Frequently, the same men wore long
hair, which violates biblical teaching. In some segments
of society and in many conservative churches, beards and
mustaches still carry these negative connotations. If they
create an appearance of evil or a stumbling block in a
society, Christians should not wear them.
We must agree, however, that the Bible does not condemn
them as inherently evil. Many godly men of Bible
days wore beards (
I Samuel 21:13;
Psalm 133:2; Ezekiel
5:1). One prophecy indicates that Jesus probably had a
beard (
Isaiah 50:6). In American society of the 19th century,
beards had no ungodly associations. Many Pentecostal
pioneers of the early 20th century had beards. In
many foreign cultures and among many minority groups,
beards and mustaches have never had and do not now
have negative associations. Perhaps our society as a
whole will revert to the use of facial hair. In light of these
facts, we cannot legalistically condemn facial hair itself as
sinful. We can warn of the attitudes often associated with
it in our culture, but we must be flexible enough to accept
it in times, places, and cultures where these problems do
not exist."
PRACTICAL HOLINESS A SECOND LOOK, unknown
From pelathais' growing database of Apostolic writings.
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