Biblical Gender Identity: Style (Jayden12 Mobile)

Biblical Gender Identity

Site: Jayden12.com › Rock › Gender Identity › Style (Mobile) - Full Site

Section: Intro ⋅ Single ⋅ Marriage ⋅ Adultery ⋅ Living Together Not Married ⋅ Prostitution ⋅ Cross Dressing ⋅ Homosexuality ⋅ Animals ⋅ Incest ⋅ Self ⋅ Cycle ⋅ Polygamy ⋅ Divorce ⋅ Abortion ⋅ Adoption ⋅ Style ⋅ General ⋅ Conclusions

Disclaimers:

1. This is a mature topic only intended for people who've at least begun puberty. If you are less than 13 years old then I pray you don't have any reason to concern yourself with this yet, and you should ask a trustworthy adult before reading this. (My Family in the Bible page (here) is meant for all ages.)

2. This summary is not intended for general counseling, it is for those who want to know what the Bible says on this topic, and for those who claim the Bible is silent or says the opposite, plus a little commentary to get us started on what it means and how all this fits in a Biblical worldview.

Bible Times Cultural Style

Every human culture has its own style. Style is not the same as doctrine. Sometimes style shows through in scripture, even relating to gender identity. Let's contrast how some local styles are described so that fancy talking people don't confuse us that the preceding definitions of explicit immorality were just styles.

Some Muslim men like to wear turbans. It may be more than fashion, I'm not certain, but the closest thing to a command on the subject in the Bible is in Exodus 28:4. Here God instructs the priests to wear turbans, but since there's a lack of explanation for what a turban is (contrast to the explain of how to build the tabernacle) it was probably already a custom of the time/area. Especially because God only instructs them that it should be linen, not wool (therefore, more valuable material, Exodus 28:39) and clean. There are 16 occurrences of the word "turban" in the NIV (here is a text search, in case you're interested). So here we have a potential dimension of gender expression, but from a Biblical worldview it's not a command to all men, so it's got nothing to do with gender identity nor expression, it's just cultural style (fashion).

Muslim women are expected to wear head coverings. Sometimes entire head or body coverings.¹ I had lunch with a Muslim female friend once, who was wearing one such covering to prevent me from seeing her hair, and when I asked her about it, she said it's even in the Bible that women should wear these. She was referring to 1 Corinthians 11:4-15. So Paul made some comments regarding honor, or more specifically dishonor. Dishonor is certainly bad, but not the same as immorality. When something is described as a capital crime and dishonorable, that's different than when it's just dishonorable. And when something is described for the first time as dishonorable only after Jesus died and resurrected, yet has nothing to do with Jesus, it's more likely to be just a matter of style. Jesus lived somewhere around four millennia after Adam and Eve, and one and a half millennia after Moses. God had plenty of time to tell us He cared about our hairstyle or head covering before Paul came around. So the questions are, does He care, and did He say so? Both Paul and Peter commented on women's hair styles (1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4) which would be pointless if either of them honestly expected women to cover their heads at all times, and is contextual reinforcement that Paul's comments to the Corinthians were more context specific (ethical) than moral. (Remember, morals are universal and absolute, ethics are culture specific and relative.)

Practice judging (discerning) for yourself. Here is every verse in the Bible that mentions hair, and is not just a reference to some specific person's hair or head.

Hair & Head Coverings

Leviticus 13:40-41 hub
Leviticus 14:8-9 hub
Leviticus 19:27 hub
Leviticus 19:32 hub
Leviticus 21:10 hub
Numbers 6:5 hub
Proverbs 16:31 hub
Proverbs 20:29 hub
Ezekiel 44:20 hub
Acts 18:18 hub
1 Corinthians 11:4-15 hub
1 Timothy 2:9 hub
1 Peter 3:3-4 hub

Remember there's a difference between starting our theology with the Bible and using the Bible to defend our own opinions or cultural norms. For context of who that Ezekiel verse was talking to (was it everyone or just a subset of us?) just go back a couple verses to Ezekiel 44:15, or forward to the very next verse: Ezekiel 44:21. Notice those descriptions in Leviticus 19:27, 32 and 21:10 didn't even come close to condemning violators. The text didn't even warn people with an explicit criticism of any kind. These are perfect examples of Leviticus 20:26. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:10-16 are not, because of the explicit criticism/condemnation that goes with them. Style issues are not to be confused with moral issues (2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9).

Style Footnotes

Some common terms are Hijab, Niqab, and Burka. Here are links to good summaries:
(return)

Last Modified: Friday, December 08, 2023


	Biblical Gender Identity Site: Jayden12.com › Rock › Gender Identity › Style (Mobile) - Full Site Section: Intro ⋅ Single ⋅ Marriage ⋅ Adultery ⋅ Living Together Not Married ⋅ Prostitution ⋅ Cross Dressing ⋅ Homosexuality ⋅ Animals ⋅ Incest ⋅ Self ⋅ Cycle ⋅ Polygamy ⋅ Divorce ⋅ Abortion ⋅ Adoption ⋅ Style ⋅ General ⋅ Conclusions Disclaimers: 1. This is a mature topic only intended for people who've at least begun puberty. If you are less than 13 years old then I pray you don't have any reason to concern yourself with this yet, and you should ask a trustworthy adult before reading this. (My Family in the Bible page (here) is meant for all ages.) 2. This summary is not intended for general counseling, it is for those who want to know what the Bible says on this topic, and for those who claim the Bible is silent or says the opposite, plus a little commentary to get us started on what it means and how all this fits in a Biblical worldview.

	Bible Times Cultural Style

	Every human culture has its own style. Style is not the same as doctrine. Sometimes style shows through in scripture, even relating to gender identity. Let's contrast how some local styles are described so that fancy talking people don't confuse us that the preceding definitions of explicit immorality were just styles. Some Muslim men like to wear turbans. It may be more than fashion, I'm not certain, but the closest thing to a command on the subject in the Bible is in Exodus 28:4. Here God instructs the priests to wear turbans, but since there's a lack of explanation for what a turban is (contrast to the explain of how to build the tabernacle) it was probably already a custom of the time/area. Especially because God only instructs them that it should be linen, not wool (therefore, more valuable material, Exodus 28:39) and clean. There are 16 occurrences of the word "turban" in the NIV (here is a text search, in case you're interested). So here we have a potential dimension of gender expression, but from a Biblical worldview it's not a command to all men, so it's got nothing to do with gender identity nor expression, it's just cultural style (fashion). Muslim women are expected to wear head coverings. Sometimes entire head or body coverings.¹ I had lunch with a Muslim female friend once, who was wearing one such covering to prevent me from seeing her hair, and when I asked her about it, she said it's even in the Bible that women should wear these. She was referring to 1 Corinthians 11:4-15. So Paul made some comments regarding honor, or more specifically dishonor. Dishonor is certainly bad, but not the same as immorality. When something is described as a capital crime and dishonorable, that's different than when it's just dishonorable. And when something is described for the first time as dishonorable only after Jesus died and resurrected, yet has nothing to do with Jesus, it's more likely to be just a matter of style. Jesus lived somewhere around four millennia after Adam and Eve, and one and a half millennia after Moses. God had plenty of time to tell us He cared about our hairstyle or head covering before Paul came around. So the questions are, does He care, and did He say so? Both Paul and Peter commented on women's hair styles (1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4) which would be pointless if either of them honestly expected women to cover their heads at all times, and is contextual reinforcement that Paul's comments to the Corinthians were more context specific (ethical) than moral. (Remember, morals are universal and absolute, ethics are culture specific and relative.) Practice judging (discerning) for yourself. Here is every verse in the Bible that mentions hair, and is not just a reference to some specific person's hair or head. Hair & Head Coverings Leviticus 13:40-41 hub Leviticus 14:8-9 hub Leviticus 19:27 hub Leviticus 19:32 hub Leviticus 21:10 hub Numbers 6:5 hub Proverbs 16:31 hub Proverbs 20:29 hub Ezekiel 44:20 hub Acts 18:18 hub 1 Corinthians 11:4-15 hub 1 Timothy 2:9 hub 1 Peter 3:3-4 hub Remember there's a difference between starting our theology with the Bible and using the Bible to defend our own opinions or cultural norms. For context of who that Ezekiel verse was talking to (was it everyone or just a subset of us?) just go back a couple verses to Ezekiel 44:15, or forward to the very next verse: Ezekiel 44:21. Notice those descriptions in Leviticus 19:27, 32 and 21:10 didn't even come close to condemning violators. The text didn't even warn people with an explicit criticism of any kind. These are perfect examples of Leviticus 20:26. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:10-16 are not, because of the explicit criticism/condemnation that goes with them. Style issues are not to be confused with moral issues (2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9). Style Footnotes Some common terms are Hijab, Niqab, and Burka. Here are links to good summaries: BBC Channel 4 Learn Religions (return) Last Modified: Friday, December 08, 2023