Long hair may be acceptable for men today, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore what Paul was saying to the Corinthians. Pastor John explains why. Well, men should not wear long hair. At least, the apostle Paul says so. Why? Because nature says it’s unnatural. But how does Paul arrive at such a conclusion? Isn’t nature the reason why men can grow long hair in the first place? Today’s question comes from the one and only Dr. Andy Naselli, who asks this. “Hello, Pastor John! Paul argues from ‘nature’ in both Romans 1:26 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: –27 and 1 Corinthians 11:14 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a dishonor to him? –15. In Romans, Paul argues that same-sex passions and intercourse are ‘contrary to nature’ because they fundamentally rebel against God’s created design for sex. In 1 Corinthians, Paul asserts that ‘nature’ teaches that long hair on men and short hair on women are dishonorable. How do you reconcile those two passages? “Is Paul using the word ‘nature’ in the same way? Or is he using the same word in different senses? It’s problematic to see Paul using ‘nature’ in exactly the same way in both passages. If you say they are both only cultural, then that opens the door to same-sex passions and intercourse being okay in other cultures. But if you say that they are both based on God’s created design, then you have to say that long hair on men and short hair on women are always wrong in every culture without exception. And, as a friendly reminder, Jonathan Edwards had long hair!” Episode 1239: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/is-it-wrong-for-men-to-have-long-hair Related Resources: “Would You Attend a Gay Wedding?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UousPa1ks0w “The Christian Debate over Sexual Identity” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYgrJZQjdJI “Is Homosexuality Really the Worst Sin?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbq8F_W1JvQ “What Makes Homosexuality Wrong?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyeiVyf4hYs Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes, http://desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john