Is it a Sin for a Woman to Cut Her Hair?

A common belief of Pentecostal Holiness Churches is that it is a sin for a woman to ever cut her hair at all, even to keep it manageable. They consider this true holiness. Of course, there is no Scriptural basis for that, which I will prove to you from the Bible in this article. In order to do so, let's examine 1 Corinthians 11, looking carefully at the Greek words. I found that in this particular case, the King James Version is the closest literal expression in English of the original language without adding words to smooth it out, although I do not believe the KJV is the best or only inspired version of the Bible. It says:

“For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.” (1Co 11:6)

Paul said it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, so I studied these two words. Here are the Greek word definitions:

• Gr. keirō, 4x: to cut off the hair, shear, shave, Act_8:32 (as a sheep before it’s shearer is silent); Act_18:18 (Paul had his hair cut, for he was keeping a [Nazarite] vow); 1Co_11:6 (2x).
• Gr. xyraō, 3x: to cut off the hair, shear, shave, Act_21:24 (take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads); 1Co_11:5-6.
• One word means to shear and the other means to shave, which are very similar. 
• To shear is a. to cut off the hair from. b : to cut or clip (hair, wool, etc.) from someone or something also : to cut something from shear a lawn. c chiefly Scotland : to reap with a sickle. d : to cut or trim with shears or a similar instrument. Webster’s defines the verb shear as follows: 1. To cut or clip something from the surface with an instrument of two blades; to separate any thing from the surface by shears, scissors or a like instrument; as, to shear sheep; to shear cloth. It is appropriately used for the cutting of wool from sheep on their skins, for clipping the nap from cloth, but may be applied to other things; as, a horse shears the ground in feeding much closer than an ox. 2. To separate by shears; as, to shear a fleece.
• To shave (according to Webster’s Dictionary) means: 1. To cut or pare off something from the surface of the body by a razor or other edged instrument, by rubbing, scraping or drawing the instrument along the surface; as, to shave the chin and cheeks; to shave the head of its hair. “He shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing.” Num 6. 2. To shave off, to cut off. Neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard. Lev 21. 3. To pare close.

Based on the way these two Greek words are used elsewhere in Scripture (not including our text in 1 Cor 11), they are both used in Scripture to refer to cutting off the hair close to the scalp, as Jewish men and woman initially did when they took a Nazarite vow. In the Hebrew Bible, a nazirite or a nazarite (Hebrew: נזיר) is a man or woman who voluntarily took a vow which is described in Numbers 6:1–21. "Nazarite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated". Among other aspects of the vow of separation or consecration to God, the Nazirite would begin the vow by cutting off his or her hair and laying it on the altar, and he or she was not to cut his or her hair for the length of the vow. The act of separation of the hair from the head and offering it on the altar to God was symbolic of the person consecrating or separating himself or herself to God for a period of time. The vow had a definite beginning and end to it. Thus it was voluntary and for a finite period, rather than mandatory and for a lifelong period, except in the case of Samson who was to be a Nazarite from birth until death (Judges 13:7). 

Since both men and women could take such a vow, we see that both the men and women who took the vow would begin by cutting their hair off, and since they would not cut their hair until the vow had ended, then at the end of the vow their hair would be long. Therefore, there is a time for everything, as it says in Ecclesiastes, and in this case there was a time for both a man or a woman to have both a shaven head and long hair, if they chose to voluntarily take the Nazarite vow.

Furthermore, in the context of 1 Corinthians 11, Paul was contrasting the long tresses of a woman’s hair to a man’s short hair. He said it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair, but that it is a woman’s glory to have long hair. “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.” (1Co 11:14-15). 

The whole reason he made this distinction was to teach that a woman ought to have her head covered with a veil when she prays or prophesies. He was drawing a parallel between the nature of things and spiritual things, between hair length and head coverings. He spoke in terms of the natural hair length of men and women, in order to teach a spiritual lesson about a veil or head covering while praying or prophesying, which is a sign or symbol of being under spiritual authority. 

We see Paul doing the same thing all throughout his epistles, including in 1 Cor 9, where he uses the ox who treads out the grain being entitled to eat the grain as an example to teach that a man who preaches the gospel should make a living from the gospel. We see him use the seed in 1 Cor 15 as an example to teach about natural bodies and glorified spiritual bodies. He also uses the sun, moon, and stars in the natural realm to teach about the glory that is given to different people in the spiritual bodies in the resurrection. So that is all he was doing in 1 Cor 11 by using the example of women cutting their hair off. 

He was not at all saying it is a sin or unholy for a woman to ever trim her hair to keep it manageable or to remove damaged and split ends or to keep it out of her eyes. If a woman never cuts her hair over a period of many years and decades, this becomes very unmanageable and damaged, not to mention that it will be extending below her chin on the front of her head and below her buttocks in back. In some cases, depending on hair type and how fast it grows, her hair would eventually become quite heavy and burdensome on her head, which could cause headaches and neck pain. It would present a number of practical burdens, including regular care to wash and dry it, as well as to tie it up so that it is out of the way. 

For African women, it would become tangled, as that type of hair does, when it is not trimmed from time to time. If an African woman never allowed scissors to touch her hair for her entire life, then it becomes difficult to comb or maintain, because it becomes thick, hard, coiled around itself, and does not grow well.

It is not the heart of God to put a lifelong mandate on all women that they can never allow scissors to touch their hair. If a woman chooses not to ever cut her hair, it should be by her own choice and not because it is a rule placed upon her.

Conclusion

We can learn from Paul’s contrast of men’s and women’s natural hair lengths, however, that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair and for a woman to have her hair sheared or shaved off, as is done in the special circumstance of a Nazarite vow. On the other hand, we learn that it is glorious for a woman to have long hair. We may also safely conclude that it is a disgrace for a woman to wear her hair short as men do, because there must be a distinction between men and women. 

Since the two Greek words in 1 Corinthians 11 for shear and shave are not used in Scripture to refer to merely a light trim of the ends of the hair to keep it manageable and healthy or to slightly shorten it a bit, then we should not conclude from this passage that it is a sin or disgrace for a woman to do so.

Therefore, the NASB translation of 1Co 11:6 accurately conveys the meaning of the original language: “For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.”

For any church or denomination to require all women in their congregations to abstain from ever touching their hair with scissors, saying it is a sin to do so, and calling it “holiness” if she never cuts her hair, is clearly error and bondage. It is nothing more than a manmade rule that has an appearance of wisdom, with its self-imposed worship, its false humility and its harsh treatment of the body, but it lacks any value in restraining sensual indulgence (Col 2:23).

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from King James Version, as well as New American Standard Bible, copyright Lockman Foundation, all rights reserved, used by permission. 

Author's note:  I invite you to also read my articles called Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering? and Refuting the Oneness Christology Heresy. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Refuting the Oneness Christology Heresy

Oneness Christology or Modalism, also known as Modalistic Monarchianism, is a false Christian theology upholding the oneness of God as well as the divinity of Jesus. It contradicts the Scriptural doctrine of the Holy Trinity, also known as Trinitarianism¹, which I have explained in my other article on this blog found at this link. Modalism teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different modes or manifestations of God. In the Western Church, this is called Sabellianism, and in the Eastern Church it is Patripassianism, which are both forms of theological modalism². United Pentecostals hold to this age-old heresy, denying the Trinity. But the following Scriptures prove modalism false.

1.   "Then God (Elohim) said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness," (Gen 1:6). Here it uses the Hebrew word “Elohim” for “God”, which is the plural (more than one) word for God. Elohim is like saying "Gods" because it is not singular.

 

Since the plural word for God (Elohim) is used in this verse and Elohim said, "Let Us (first person plural)" make man in "Our" (first person plural) image, and in "Our" (first person plural) likeness, why does Elohim refer to Himself in the first person plural as Us and Our?

 

2.   "I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain." I will proclaim the LORD's decree: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have become your Father. (Psa 2:6-7)

 

Why does Yehova God need to install His King on His holy mountain and declare the King to be His Son and Himself as the King’s Father, if there is no distinction between them at all?  How could this be possible if they are not distinct from one another?

 

3.   For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? (Heb 1:5)

 

Why would the Son say to Himself, “I will be His Father” if He is the Father?

 

4.   “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Mat 10:33)

 

If Jesus is the Father, how will He disown anyone before His Father?

 

5.   Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Mat 26:39)

 

If Jesus is the Father, then why did He have to pray this way to the Father, asking for the Father’s will and not His will, since it makes their wills distinct from each other?

 

6.   Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Mat 28:18)

 

How can the Father give all authority to Jesus unless the Son is another One?

 

7.   “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).” (Mat 27:46)

 

How could Jesus ask why God had forsaken Him if they are exactly the same Person?

 

8.   "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mar 13:32)

 

How can only the Father know something and not the Son unless they are two distinct Persons?

 

9.   Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.'" (Heb 10:7)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why does He present Himself before Himself and tell Himself that He has come to do His own will, and call Himself “My God”?

 

10.  “To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1Ti 1:2; cf., 2 Tim 1:2)

 

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:” (2Ti 4:1)

 

The Father and Son are both referenced in these verses. Why do so, if the Father is the Son?

 

11.  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,” (1Ti 2:5)

 

How can the man Jesus Christ be the one mediator between God and man, if He is the Father? How does He act as a mediator between man and Himself?

 

12.  Read the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17.

 

Why did Jesus pray to the Father in John 17 and many other places if He is the Father, since He would be talking to Himself?

13.  “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (Joh 14:13)

 

How can the Father be glorified in the Son if there is no distinction between them?

 

14.  "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.’” (Joh 14:28)

 

If Jesus is the Father, then why did He say, “the Father is greater than I”?

 

15.  Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (Joh 20:17)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why did He say He was ascending to the Father, and why did He call the Father “My God”?

 

16.  Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (Joh 7:16-17)

 

Why did Jesus say that His teaching was not His own, but that it came from someone else who is the Father, if He were the Father? If He were the Father, wouldn’t His teaching be His own?

 

17.  Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." (Joh 8:14-19)

 

Why did Jesus refer to Himself and the Father as two witnesses, if He is the Father?

 

18.  So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” (Joh 8:28)

 

If Jesus were the Father, how could He do nothing on His own, but only do what the Father has taught Him? That would be the same as saying, I the Son can do nothing on my own but only what I the Father have taught myself. However, doesn’t the fact that Jesus said He could do nothing on His own mean that He relies on One other than Himself, namely the Father? And in saying this, didn’t Jesus teach us that the Father is someone other than Himself?

 

19.  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.” (Joh 8:42)

 

Why does Jesus refer to God who sent Him as someone other than Himself, if He is the Father?

 

20.  “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.” (Joh 12:49)

 

Since Jesus did not speak on His own, but said only what the Father commanded Him to say, why did He refer to the Father as someone other than Himself that was commanding Him what to say, if He is actually the Father?

 

21.  “Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (Joh 14:10)

 

Why did Jesus refer to the Father’s authority as one other than His own if He is the Father?

 

22.  “Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” (Joh 14:24)

 

Why did Jesus say that the words He taught did not to belong to Him, but someone other than Himself, who is the Father, if He were the Father? If He were the Father, wouldn’t the words He spoke be His own?

 

23.  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Act 7:55-56)

 

If Jesus is the Father and the Father is Jesus, then how was Stephen able to see Jesus the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God?

 

24.  “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Col 1:15)

 

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,” (Col 1:19)

Since God, who is invisible to us here on earth, was pleased to have all of His fullness dwell in the Son, who is the image of the invisible God, why would Scripture refer to God and the Son separately if Jesus is both the Father and the Son?

 

25.  “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49)

 

Jesus referred to Himself in the first person singular as "I", and to "My Father" in the third person, and then to the gift of the Holy Spirit in the third person as "what My Father promised." Why do so, if Jesus is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?

 

26.  “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why did He sit down at the right hand of God the Father in heaven?

 

27.  “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Heb 1:3, cf. Heb 8:1)

 

If the Son is the Father, then why does it say that He is the radiance of God’s glory, and why again does it say He sat down at the Father’s right hand?

 

28.  In Romans 8:11, it says, "God raised Jesus from the dead,"

 

How did God the Father raise Jesus, if Jesus is the Father?

  

29.  “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” (1Co 15:24)

 

How will Jesus the Son hand the Kingdom over to the Father, if Jesus is the Father? How will He hand the Kingdom over to Himself? 

 

30.  “For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’ Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1Co 15:27-28)

 

In 1 Cor 15:27 it says that when God puts everything under the feet of Jesus Christ, that does not include God Himself. God is not putting Himself under Jesus' feet. That is very clear. In 1 Cor 15:28, it says that the Son will be made subject to the Father.

 

Why would Scripture say that God is not under the feet of Jesus and that Jesus will be subject to the Father, if Jesus is the Father, unless they are eternally two distinct divine Persons, with the Father always being the greater than the Son?

 

31.  “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,” (Rev 1:1)

 

Why did God the Father have to give the revelation to Jesus Christ, if Jesus is the Father?

 

32.  “John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” (Rev 1:4-5)

 

Why does it refer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit separately and distinctly if Jesus is all three?

 

33.  “and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” (Rev 1:6)

 

Why does it refer to God as “His God and Father”, if He Himself is the Father?

 

34.  “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father.” (Rev 2:26-27)

 

If Jesus is the Father, why did He need to receive authority from the Father?

 

35.  “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” (Rev 3:2)

 

In this passage, the resurrected and ascended, glorified Christ is speaking. Why the need for Him to call the Father “My God” if He is the Father”

 

36.  “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” (Rev 3:5)

 

Again, how could Jesus acknowledge anyone before His Father and His Father’s angels in heaven, if He is the Father?

 

37.  “The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.” (Rev 3:12)

 

Why did Jesus always refer to the Father as “My God”, even after he was glorified in heaven, if He is the Father?

 

38.  “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21)

 

Why would Jesus say He sat down with His Father on His throne, if He is the Father? Can one sit down beside oneself or with oneself?

 

39.  "The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne." (Rev 5:7)

 

How does Jesus take the scroll from the hand of the One (the Father) sitting on the throne, if Jesus is the Father? Surely He does not take it from His own hand and hand it to Himself.

 

40.  “And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9)

 

Why does the Lamb purchase men for God if He is the Father?

 

41.  “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’"  (Rev 5:13)

 

Why do they specify that their praise is given to both Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, if the Lamb is the Father and the Father is the Lamb?

 

42.  “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’" (Rev 6:15-17)

 

Why do these people seek to hide themselves from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, if the Lamb is the Father?

 

Why do they refer to “their wrath” (plural) if the Lamb is the Father?

 

43.  “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" (Rev 7:17)

 

Why refer to the Lamb and God separately here if the Lamb is the Father?

 

44.  The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." (Rev 11:15)

 

Why would they say it has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, if our Lord and His Christ were not two distinct Divine Persons?

 

45.  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Rev 12:10)

 

Why would it refer to both the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ if there was no distinction between them?

 

46.  “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” (Rev 12:17)

 

Why does it speak separately and distinctly about keeping God’s commands and holding fast their testimony of Jesus, if Jesus is the Father?

 

Two more verses:

47.  “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev 22:1)

 

Why does it say the river of the water of life is flowing from the throne of God and from the Lamb, if the Lamb is the Father and the Father is the Lamb?

 

48.  “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” (Rev 22:3)

 

Why does it say the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, if the Lamb is the Father and the Father is the Lamb?

Closing Words

Three modes of God do not talk to each other and sit beside each other. One mode does not refer to another as His God or as someone other than Himself. One mode does not command another mode to do something or give another mode authority. Modalism does not agree with Scripture and is a false teaching.

The Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, according to Scripture. But the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit; the Son is not the Father or the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. They are not three gods. They are three in One, a triune Godhead, God in three Persons, the blessed Trinity.

¹Wikipedia, Modalistic Monarchianism

²Wikipedia, Sabellianism

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan 2011, all rights reserved, used by permission. The "Trinity Doctrine" graphic may be subject to copyright, used per Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only.

Author's note:  Also see the following related posts:

The Holy Trinity
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Baptized with the Spirit
Holy Fire Baptism
Is Jesus God?
The Name of Jesus

You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Cult of Mormonism -- Part II

In my first post called The Cult of Mormonism, I explained from the Bible why this religion is a cult, which is something I suppose most Christians don't necessarily realize. In this second part to that article, I want to share some facts about Mormonism that I learned from an ex-Mormon. For those who are not aware, the Mormons call themselves The Church of Jesus Christ, the Latter Day Saints (LDS).

Did you know?

The Book of Mormon is the racist Mormon bible of the Americas written by a white man in the nineteenth century. It essentially erases the real history of the indigenous American Indians.

Joseph Smith, the founder of the religion, married 14-year-old girls. His polygamy that Mormons are taught was necessary, non-sexual, and only involving widows, was actually happening between him and teenagers. 

He forced young girls into marrying and having sex with him, and he also married other men's wives by threatening them or sending their husbands off on missions. 

Joseph Smith also committed frauds before he even started the Mormon cult. But Mormons are not told about these things.

There are many other Mormon lies to cover up the violence, rape, and coercion of the early history of the religion, which took a strong stance against desegregation and had ties to the KKK. They teach that Black people will be servants in heaven, and that early Mormons were sealed to their slaves and servants “for time and all eternity” through the temple rituals. 

Even for members it takes years to slowly find out information about the Mormon religion.  This is similar to how Freemasons are slowly indoctrinated.

At age 18, young men go through the temple for the first time in preparation to serve a two-year mission. This is when they find out about temple ceremonies, which are copied from Masonic rituals -- complete with bizarre, cult outfits, and many other bizarre things.

Adults are supposed to attend the temple as often as possible to perform “endowments” for the dead, in which they marry the dead and make promises on their behalf. 

Mormons are taught that in order to reach the Celestial Kingdom — the highest of the three Mormon heavens, they must attend temple, obey all the rules, and sustain their prophets without question. Once they begin to attend the temple, they must always wear special undergarments (i.e., “magic underwear”), and they must swear an oath to never talk to anyone about what happens inside the temple (it used to be a blood oath). 

Later in life, a Mormon man finds out that he will be the god of his own planet once he dies, and his wife will be merely one of his many spirit wives in heaven, who will bear him children and pleasure him throughout eternity. They are also taught that by having sex they renew their temple covenants. 

Their songs, scriptures, doctrines, talks, and the people around them are constantly driving into them that “the church is true” (the most commonly used phrase in Mormon culture).

If any Mormon living in Utah dares to doubt anything, he is considered the delusional one since everyone around him is acting like it’s normal. 

Songs in church include lyrics such as “Follow the prophet / Follow the prophet / Follow the prophet / Don’t go astray”, which are warnings against departing from the teachings of their prophet Joseph Smith that are written in the Book of Mormon.

There are mandatory interviews with male bishops, in which teenage girls are asked sexual questions behind closed doors. This is the main reason child abuse is so high in the church. There in temple they learn that they are to be a spirit concubine to a husband in heaven someday. 

When young people prepare to go inside the temple for the first time to perform their endowments (i.e.,. the ceremonies), they are not allowed to preview the contents of the bag they’re given ahead of time, which is filled with strange cult clothing and garments. 

Mormons have secret handshakes and rituals in the temple that they've stolen from Freemasonry. 

Mormon missionaries are assigned missionary companions who remain with them at all times, except when using the shower or toilet. They switch companions every so often, but they’re supposed to spy on each other. 

Every male serves a two-year mission, which is mandatory, so every male is thoroughly and completely indoctrinated by the time the two years are up. The females who choose to serve on a mission get equally indoctrinated, but their missions last for 1.5 years. 

During missions, Mormons have to be up at dawn and work until late. They’re on their feet, knocking on doors, and proselytizing the entire time. That’s their life for those two or 1.5 years. 

Many Mormons never find out that all of their efforts are for nothing, or find out the lies, cover ups, and scams of their cult. In fact, most will never discover that their church is actually a cult, which is why it’s so rare for anyone to escape.   

Mormons are brainwashed and told that everyone else is crazy or lying. It doesn’t matter what evidence you show Mormons, even if it’s proof from their own organization or words from their own prophets. They won’t believe you. But some people do escape from the cult, so it’s not impossible to leave or to get out of it. 

Conclusion

The Mormon church is excellent at marketing their religion, so many outsiders assume it’s just a strange religion that focuses on the family. However, it’s not. It’s a dangerous cult that ruins lives, even if the members don’t understand what’s actually happening to them. That's why ex-Mormons deal with high rates of religious-based PTSD, chronic shame, guilt, and a host of other issues associated with leaving a high-demand cult.  

If you have a Mormon friend, don’t let them take you to their church events or try to proselytize you. Don’t affirm their faith. It’s oppressive, harmful, abusive, violent, racist, and proven to be false. It's another gospel, not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Be candid with them, and share resources with them like these two articles I've written. But most importantly, pray for them. Pray that they would know the truth and the truth would set them free.

Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (Joh 8:32,36)

Attribution notice: Scripture quoted from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. The photos are in the public domain.

Author's note:  I also recommend reading The Cult of Mormonism, You Must Be Born Again, Are We Really Little gods?, Scripture Alone, Accurately Handling the Word of Truth, Exposing Heresy, The Rise of Antichrists, The Origin of Sin, Satan, and Secular Music, The Rise and Fall of Lucifer the Musician, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, By Grace Alone, and Righteousness by Faith not Law. You can access the Home page of this blog for more articles on Truth and heresy, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Truth About Ravi Zacharias and His Sexual Immorality

It is with sadness and grief that I am writing today about the late Ravi Zacharias, the famous evangelist and apologetics speaker, who died in May 2020. Many of you will know who he was. but for those who don't, Wikipedia states: 

"Ravi Zacharias (26 March 1946 – 19 May 2020) was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist who founded the RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministry). He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than 40 years. Zacharias was the author of more than 30 books on Christianity... Zacharias was the founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) and [radio] host... He was a lifelong minister of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Keswickian Christian denomination in which he was ordained. Zacharias has been accused of exaggerating his academic qualifications and multiple sources accuse Zacharias of serious sexual misconduct including rape. On 9 February 2021, Miller & Martin, the law firm hired by RZIM to look into these allegations, confirmed their veracity."

In June 2020, shortly after he died, a viewer on Youtube commented on the following video: "He is safely home. What a man. Amazing. RIP." 

That statement completely contradicts Scripture. "Or do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1Co 6:9-11) 

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21) 

At 2:29 in the video, Ravi states, "You cannot show counterfeit if you do not know what the genuine is." He definitely was a counterfeit. Sadly, he was a serial sexual predator, adulterer, exhibitionist, and liar. He had hundreds of photos of women on his phone. One massage therapist whom he saw said that when he had sex with her, she considered it rape. And there is no evidence that he repented before he died, because if he would have done so, it should have been publicly to all his followers, as well as privately to all the people he exploited. 

In fact, he denied the allegations of sexual misconduct from a Canadian woman that were made public, and he refused to publicly confess his sin. Not only was he unrepentant in that matter, but according to two high-level staff members, he went into a rage when they directly asked for his phone records, since he claimed those records would prove his innocence. Therefore, he evaded all true accountability for his actions, rather than come clean. 

"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth...If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1Jn 1:6,8) 

"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Rev 21:8) 

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Rev 22:14-15) 

Hopefully you can see that, regardless of what you would like to believe, the fact is that he disqualified himself for the prize. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize...No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (1Co 9:24,27) 

And before anyone says we should not judge (as one person has already done), I counsel you to read your Bible, which clearly says we are to judge those inside the church: "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" (1Co 5:9-12) 

There are at least two or three witnesses of his sexual immorality, and ample other evidence to prove that he led an immoral life. Had believers known this, they would have been obligated to avoid any association with him (1 Cor 5:11). 

"The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them." (1Ti 5:24) In this case, his sins are now trailing behind him and could not remain hidden forever.

What a sad ending this was, but certainly a wake up call for every true believer, and a challenge to hold elders accountable. But please don't preach him into heaven in direct contradiction to God's Word, or you make God out to be a liar. 

CBN News published a story about this entitled 'Shocked and Grieved': Ravi Zacharias Ministry Releases Report Acknowledging Founder's Serial Sexual Misconduct. Within the article is a twelve-page report produced by the firm hired by RZIM to investigate the matter (see here). I have read it in its entirety and I caution you that while it is professionally written, it contains graphic details not appropriate for children. As the apostle wrote: "It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret." (Eph 5:12).

I suppose the proponents of "Once saved always saved" (OSAS) will say that nothing Ravi could do could ever affect the eternal security of his salvation. However, the fact is that OSAS is a lie, as I have already proven irrefutably from Scripture, so please don't come against me with that heresy, but rather read the Scriptures I have laid out in my article entitled Eternal Security. You cannot deny the truth of God's Word contained in that post.

At 2:45 in the video, RC Sproul quotes Joel Osteen saying, "I don't care who you are, what you have done, or who you have done it with, God is not angry with you." Immediately afterward, you can see Ravi at 3:13 nervously bouncing his foot up and down during the seconds of silence that followed, certainly knowing in his guilty conscience all the evil he had secretly done. As RC said, Osteen's statement is incompatible with the gospel and the cross of Jesus Christ. After RC said that the wrath of God against sin is incompatible with postmodern Christianity, you can hear Ravi softly whimper a reply to the effect that "That's sad." Yes, it's sad, it's the fruit of OSAS, and it was (unbeknownst to RC) hitting home on Ravi's secret life of sin that he led for several years (perhaps a decade). 

Peter spoke about men like Ravi when he wrote: "With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed--an accursed brood!" (2 Pe 2:14). 

Scripture says, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Heb 13:4). 

Ravi had defended himself against the Canadian woman's allegations by saying he had always been absolutely faithful to his wife to whom he had been married for forty-five years, but we now know that was a lie to cover up his sin.

The Scripture says...and we must "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Heb 12:14)

James wrote: "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." (Jas 3:1). Note that there is a stricter judgment for teachers.

It's too late for Ravi to repent, but for those of us still on earth, it's not too late. Let us all repent of all sin, known and unknown, intentional and unintentional, both sins of commission and sins of omission, our secret sins and the ones that are more obvious, and let us cry out to God for mercy, based on the merits of Jesus' shed blood.

The fact that this has all become public is something God allowed to happen, so that it might be an example for the rest of us, especially ministers, in order to warn us not to set set our hearts on evil things as he did (1 Cor 10:6).

"Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1Co 10:11-13) 

As Paul said, if anyone thinks he stands, let him take heed that he does not fall. A wise elder brother in Christ once told me when I was a young Christian to look upon things like this and say, "But for the grace of God, there go I." In other words, "That could be me, if it were not for the keeping grace of God in my life."

Angel of Light

A person named Darrel commented on a post by Berean Research called On Discerning Ravi Zacharias: It’s time to say what needs to be said, and he wrote:

"RZ is one of the more sophisticated ‘angel of light’ types. For a man to have no definite statement concerning the questions of our day and still claim to be an 'apologist' is nothing short of fraudulent. His answer to the question: 'Do Christians and muslims worship the same God” bounces back and forth and ends up with the conclusion that the answer is 'complex' while SEEMING to give a straight forward answer, this 'complex' conclusion leaves the door open for one to draw his own conclusion-apart from the Word of God and guided by wishful thinking (in other words, yes they do)."

"He routinely avoids answering pointed questions, which is taboo for all 'apologists', even the fake ones like himself. All of his 'answers' seen thus far are nothing but his own idea of how things ought to be, he cites little to no Scripture (even his fellow frauds make use of the Bible), and his 'gospel' is based on something crudely resembling man’s philosophy of life. RZ opts for today’s 'contextualization' of the Gospel rather than the Holy Spirit’s power to convict men of their sins, in fact finding the word 'sin' in his vocabulary may be a futile search along with 'repentance'."

"Apologetics to RZ is nothing more than a huge, almost eternal DEBATE rather than a clear unambiguous message from God to man: 'Repent and believe the Gospel.' If there is any encouragement be found in his speech, it is fully and only based in the flesh, there is no spiritual food that will nourish, rather you will find only poison. In his pod cast of 1-7-16 we find a short list of his heroes: Billy Graham, Joni-Erickson-Tada, James Dobson, Anne Graham Lotz. Ecumenical heretics all. Yes, there is guilt by association. Listen further to his 12 minute speech of nonsense and you will find him changing the Word to suit his whim and promote his latest endeavor (today is seems to be 'world missions', tomorrow, who knows)."

"For the redeemed to listen to such a man as this is beyond dangerous, it’s lethal to your spiritual life. If there are not huge red flags and alarms going off constantly you may want to determine whether you are saved or not. The Holy Spirit will not leave a child of God in such a cesspool and do nothing to extract him (remember Lot?) so if you enjoy his lies then continue with them at your own peril."

Conclusion

That post and the comment on it written by Darrell were published during the days when Ravi was still alive. While I cannot verify the accuracy of his comments about other people whom he considers to be heretics, I think that Darrell captured some very important points about Ravi.

I found in my research that, just as Darrell described the indirect, "complex" answer that Ravi gave to the question about whether Muslims worship the same God as Christians, I also found the same sort of answering style when asked about Roman Catholicism. I saw a video of a street evangelist in the audience asking Ravi during the Q&A period to advise him on how to address the difficult cases he encounters with Roman Catholics to whom he witnesses on the street. Rather than quote directly from Scripture the truth about the Roman Catholic Church as I have done in my article by that name, Ravi gave a rather ambiguous answer apparently to avoid any criticism from evangelicals or Catholics.

I hope that this article helps to wake up the church to its own apostasy and bring it to repentance, beginning with the big-name, famous ministers that everyone puts upon a pedestal to their own ruin. Please do not put men on a pedestal or make idols out of them. From the least to the greatest, everyone in the Church needs to repent for his own sins and return to the Lord now. I also hope that this helps to highlight the need for serious accountability in the church among all disciples, especially those are preachers and teachers.

Suggested Prayer Points: Pray for yourself that you will not become a castaway like him (1 Cor 9:27), and for the apostate church to be awakened and purified, and for the souls of all the people he defrauded and exploited to be healed, delivered, and saved; and for those who still follow him through his books, sermons, videos, radio programs, as well as his Institute, to disassociate themselves from him completely as the Scriptures command us to do.

Attribution: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note:  I also recommend reading The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Separated from the World, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Holding Fast the Faithful Word, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Exposing Heresy, and Popularity of the Gospel. You can access the Home page of this blog for more articles on Truth and heresy, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org