SINFULLY LONG EYEBROWS Curtis Pugh Bocsa, Romania But it shall ! on th! s!"!nth #a$, that h! shall sha"!

all his hair o%% his h!a# an# his !ar# an# his !$! ro&s, !"!n all his hair h! shall sha"! o%%' an# h! shall &ash his cloth!s, also h! shall &ash his %l!sh in &at!r, an# h! shall ! cl!an( (Lev. 14:9). Nobody has become more divided than Baptists. And no Baptists have become more divided than independent fundamental Baptists but independent soverei!n !race landmar" missionary Baptists are ma"in! !reat strides to#ard ta"in! a#ay the championship from the independent fundamental Baptists in this area$ Let me borro# from Brother %aul&s second letter to the 'orinthians Woul# to Go# $! coul# !ar &ith m! a littl! in my %oll$' an# in#!!# !ar &ith m!( (( 'or. 11:1). ) am !oin! to #rite some stupid thin!s to try to say some very serious thin!s: read on please. No# Brothers #e are missin! out on some !ood preachin! a!ainst some sins that even the independent fundamental Baptists have not yet mentioned. *hree of these sins are mentioned in the verse at the be!innin! of this article. Never mind the historical scriptural settin! for this verse #e +ust #ant to apply it today. Let us e,amine these three terrible sins that pla!ue some of our 'hurches today. *hese three sins are not usually a problem to youn!er men or to #omen at all but only to older men. -irst of all #e need to #arn our 'hurches and our members about sinfully lon! eyebro#s on men. As men !et older their eyebro#s often be!in to !ro# lon!er and must be shorn else these brothers #ill be !uilty of havin! lon! hair$ .hether it is on the head or on the face men must not have lon! hair$ And #e must remind our 'hurch members that they must be careful ho# they remedy this sin. )t is after all a sin for a man to allo# his eyebro#s to be pluc"ed or arched as #omen do for this is an effeminate act +ust as effeminate and sinful as usin! mousse or hair spray or a hair dryer on the hairs of your head$ .hy ) can remember #hen a man #as considered effeminate if he sprayed that stic"y stuff on the hairs of his head or dried them #ith a #oman&s hairdryer$ Listen$ .e have let some thin!s !et by us. .e have let some thin!s slip$ /any preachers of years !one by preached a!ainst men #earin! hair oil and they preached a!ainst the effeminate sinful practice of men partin!

their hair do#n the middle of their heads as #omen do. 0h ho# far #e have fallen in our standards on these and other matters$ .e are allo#in! effeminate men in our 'hurches and some of the pastors are involved in these hideous sins$ No# you have to !o to the ori!inal 1ebre# to find the other t#o sins: you see 2tron! (!ood /ethodist that he #as) in his concordance tells us that the 1ebre# for eyebro#s is actually t#o #ords one meanin! 3hair4 and the other meanin! 3protuberances4 or 3eminent places.4 2o 5od did not mean +ust the eyebro#s in our te,t above but any hairy protuberance that mi!ht be found on the face of a man. *his brin!s us to the second sin of older men: lon! ear6hairs$ .e +ust cannot have

independent soverei!n !race landmar" missionary Baptist men runnin! around #ith sinfully lon! hairs stic"in! out of their ears$ After all it is a shame and a sin for men to have lon! hair$ And the

other protuberance that can be a source of sin is of course the nose and those sinfully lon! nose6 hairs that some brothers sport$ .e must ta"e a stand a!ainst these instances of sinful behavior that are creepin! into our 'hurches$ .e need to hear fiery sermons in our 'hurches on these hot topics$ Lon! hair un6shorn hair is a sin on a man #hether it is on his head or his eyebro#s or his ears or his nose$ 2ome of you may remember a sermon tape that #as circulated a fe# years bac". )t #as a messa!e by the 7ev. 8octor 5.). Barber. *his man #as a !enuine authority on the sub+ect of hair havin! been a barber in the military and havin! obtained his 8octor&s de!ree in 1air6olo!y from 1yles6 Anderson 'olle!e #ay up north some#here. 1e pointed out many !ood thin!s and if ) remember correctly he said that it is not the len!th of the hair only but also that (1) location (() direction and (9) intention are involved. A Baptist preacher can allo# the hair on the side of his head to !ro# to : or 1; inches (or more) in len!th so that if you sa# him #hen he first !ot out of bed #ith that lon! hair do#n over his collar you #ould say that he had sinfully lon! hair. But if that preacher combs that lon! hair up around and over the bald spot on the top of his head it is not a sin because that is #hat some Baptist preachers do. )&m !lad Bro. Barber helped me to understand these important distinctions. .e independent soverei!n !race landmar" missionary Baptists have a lot to learn from our independent fundamental Baptist nei!hbors$ Before ) #as scripturally bapti<ed ) fello#shipped #ith a

!roup of independent fundamental Baptists.

) thou!ht myself a Baptist and #as received amon!

them as a Baptist. ) remember on a couple of occasions meetin! a Baptist pastor from a northern state. 1is church #as #hat ) considered to be a lar!e one of at least 4;; members. 1e had 3biblical standards of separation4 and these #ere enforced as la# in his church. No preacher #as allo#ed to preach in his church if he #ore colored shirts bell6bottomed trousers #ire6rimmed !lasses or facial hair of any "ind. (.ell he obviously made an e,ception for eyebro#s ear hair and nose hair but those issues had not bac" then been e,posed as the !reat sins that they are$) 1e said about those preachers #ho #ear co#boy boots 3) #ouldn&t let a man that #ears =preachin& boots& #al" across my platform.4 1e #ent further > no one could even be a member of his church if they o#ned or rode a motorcycle$ No# this #asn&t some cult > this #as an independent fundamental Baptist church in America and it may still hold to these 3biblical standards of separation4 for all ) "no#. No# Brothers and 2isters #e need to move for#ard in that direction as independent soverei!n !race landmar" missionary Baptists. .e need to ta"e some stron! stands a!ainst these out#ard sins. 7emember ' ) %or the LORD seeth not as man s!!th* %or man loo+!th on th! out&ar# a,,!aranc!, ut th! LOR- loo+!th on th! h!art( (1 2am. 1?:@). 5od may loo" on the heart but man loo"s on the out#ard appearance and #e need to be concerned about #hat man sees$ After all that is more important$ No# let me tal" to you about a delicate matter. ) remember as a boy !ro#in! up in eastern 0"lahoma that there #ere some %entecostal and 1oliness churches that tau!ht it #as a sin for a #oman to shave her le!s or under her arms. No# this is an area that our "ind of Baptists have not even be!un to preach a!ainst$ %robably #e should see to it that the #ives of the pastor and deacons be appointed a committee to inspect the le!s and underarms of the sisters to see if they are in conformity to the 3biblical standards of separation4 that our "ind of Baptists #ill maintain if #e can !et them to ta"e a stand a!ainst these "inds of sin. )f many of our Baptist 2isters #ere to visit amon! the 3repenters4 (3evan!elicals4 includin! Baptists) here in 7omania these 7omanians #ould not thin" that our Baptist sisters are saved. )n 7omania Baptist #omen almost universally #ear a headcoverin! to services #ear absolutely no ma"eup #ear no +e#elry (#ell sometimes a plain #eddin! band and a

#rist#atch are approved) and in some places little if anythin! that mi!ht smell of perfume. 2uch thin!s are re!arded as sinful and #orldly$ Amon! many of these 3repenters4 here it is vie#ed as a sin for ladies to #ear hi!h6heeled shoes because such shoes are desi!ned to accentuate the beauty of a #oman&s an"les and calves. ) have preached in Baptist Anion churches here in 7omania #here the 3biblical standard4 #as that nobody #ore +e#elry > even #rist#atches or #eddin! rin!s > and it #as re!arded as a sin for a man to #ear a nec"tie (because it points to hell). But at the same time every man #ho spea"s from the platform absolutely must #ear a coat$ No# these are real standards and #e need to fall in line Brothers$ *hin" of all the services you have been to and never heard a sermon preached a!ainst these thin!s$ Apon visitin! a fe# years a!o in 2iberia ) learned that the 3Anaffiliated Baptists4 (not the Baptists that have recently become fully independent and #hom some of our 'hurches help financially but the older !roup) have their o#n 3biblical standards of separation.4 ) thin" nec"ties for men and +e#elry are forbidden and ) remember for sure that the men must #ear a certain style of hat #ith a specified brim si<e. Any variation is sinful$ -urthermore 3Anaffiliated Baptist4 #omen are prohibited from eatin! bananas 3because of the se,ual overtones.4 No# #e independent soverei!n !race landmar"

missionary Baptists are a lon! #ay behind these churches. .e need to do some speedy catchin! up$ ) hope you have borne #ith me a little in this 3 %oll$.4 Let me lay aside sarcasm and #rite seriously for a little #hile for that is my intention. ) am sure of one thin!: men and #omen of the best intentions are on both 3sides4 of the separation issues that are in dan!er of dividin! our "ind of Baptists$ ) do not mean to be critical of or to 3put do#n4 anyone but ) fear that 'hristian liberty and love for the Brethren is bein! lost. .hen ) thin" ho# the Lord said B$ this shall all men +no& that $! ar! m$ #isci,l!s, i% $! ha"! lo"! on! to anoth!r( (Bohn 19:9C) ) #onder #hat our testimony is and shall be if our love cannot overloo" a Brother&s differences #ith us on the less #ei!hty matters. 7emember Besus said Wo! unto $ou, scri !s an# Pharis!!s, h$,ocrit!s. %or $! ,a$ tith! o% mint an# anis! an# cummin, an# ha"! omitt!# th! &!ighti!r matters o% th! la&, /u#gm!nt, m!rc$, an# %aith' th!s! ought $! to ha"! #on!, an# not to l!a"! th! oth!r un#on!( (/atthe# (9:(9). A le!alistic hair6splittin! attitude

(pardon the pun) is an enemy of true spirituality in our 'hurches. .e can become so concerned #ith the out#ard appearance that #e for!et #hat is truly important and refuse to !ive a Brother or 2ister time to !ro# in !race and "no#led!e or to honestly differ #ith us. Let me illustrate #ith this story. A visitin! pastor #as bein! sho#n throu!h the ne#ly constructed auditorium of a Baptist church. As the host pastor #as sho#in! him around they came to the ne#ly purchased or!an. *he host pastor proudly announced 3.e don&t allo# any #oman #ho #ears

trousers to play this or!an.4 *he visitin! pastor as"ed a profound Duestion ) believe #hen he said 3.ould you allo# a #oman to play your ne# or!an if she !ossiped 6 maybe +ust a littleE4 No# ) am not !oin! to tell you #hat ) believe about #omen #earin! trousers and men #earin! "ilts or preachers #earin! robes etc. but ) thin" the follo#in! incident spea"s volumes to the point ) am tryin! to ma"e in this article. A old preacher friend no# in !lory told the follo#in! story about a Baptist church in #hich he preached a special meetin!. *hey #ere a small church and stru!!lin! to e,ist. *he pastor too" #hat he believed to be a biblical stand a!ainst ladies #earin! trousers and some of the members too" #hat they believed to be a biblical stand in favor of allo#in! #omen to #ear trousers. As a conseDuence of both parties tryin! to ta"e a biblical stand the church split. No# the church #as even smaller$ 0ne day the deacon&s #ife made a remar" to the pastor&s #ife > she said somethin! about her pa+amas. 2hoc"ed the pastor&s #ife cried out in horror 3Ahmmmmm Fou #ear pa+amas$4 And so the church split a!ain$ ) thin" the old preacher #as ri!ht #hen he said to that pastor in his best North 'arolinian 3)t ain&t nobody&s business #hat my #ife #ears to bed.4 ) remember #hen more than one Baptist church (not our "indE) had neat little si!ns on the church doors tellin! ladies they could not enter if they #ere #earin! trousers$ *hin" about that$ 2ome lost #oman #ho mi!ht not have even o#ned a decent modest dress and #ho #as i!norant of our super6 spiritual 3rules4 is someho# interested in 'hrist and the 5ospel. 2he puts on the cleanest and best trousers she o#ns #al"s up on the steps of a Baptist church and there in blac" and #hite is told she cannot enter to hear the .ord of 5od preached because her clothin! does not meet the 3biblical standards of separation4 held by that church$ .ho do #e thin" #e are$ Listen to me$ *hat lost #oman comin! into your 'hurch or mine in a pair of trousers is N0* !oin! to hurt you compromise

your spirituality or ruin your testimony$ ()t may hurt your reputation #ith that bunch of le!alistic self6 ri!hteous preachers you run #ith but it #on&t hurt your testimony > and if you don&t "no# the difference bet#een your testimony and your reputation #ith that bunch you may be beyond help$) Brothers and 2isters #e better be careful #hat #e do. ) "no# 5od is soverei!n and that all thin!s are accomplished accordin! to 1is eternal plan > but ) also "no# that 5od uses means to accomplish his ends and so also does the devil. ) am told that the !an!ster 32carface4 Al 'apone attended for a time a Baptist 2unday school #hen he #as a youn! boy. 1e #as so badly behaved that the teacher eventually told him to leave and never come bac". 2ay #hat you #ill ) #ould hate to have been that teacher$ ) "no# 5od evidently never planned the salvation of that !an!ster but it #as not 5od that drove him a#ay from hearin! the 5ospel$ 2omebody (the devil) used the 3means4 (that 2unday school teacher) to run Al 'apone a#ay from a Baptist 'hurch$ /en and #omen are accountable for their actions includin! thin!s they say and do that #ould hinder people even children from hearin! the .ord of 5od$ .hat is the ans#erE 2hall #e continue to divideE )n doin! so #e #ill disrupt the fello#ship that e,ists bet#een our 'hurches and hinder the #or" of 'hurches in missions publications of papers and boo"s schools and institutes and other scriptural #or"s because #e #ill not cooperate #ith those #ho differ #ith us on this very #ei!hty matter i.e. 3the len!th of a man&s eyebro#s.4 By that ) mean that if #e find ourselves in disa!reement on some of the less #ei!hty matters of the .ord of 5od and #e allo# these thin!s to hinder the #or" of 5od #e are bein! used as somebody&s means but ) thin" #e are not bein! used of 5od. ) remember Brother /ilburn 'oc"rell sayin! to me on more than one occasion that the basis of our cooperation as 'hurches in various enterprises is based on t#o thin!s: (1) the doctrine of !race in salvation and (() church truth. *o demand conformity to personal beliefs and preferences so as to ma"e them the basis of fello#ship and cooperation is to !o beyond the 2criptures. 'onsider #hat the 1oly 2pirit had to say in 7omans 14:16(;: 0im that is &!a+ in th! %aith r!c!i"! $!, but not to #ou t%ul #is,utations1 For on! !li!"!th that h! ma$ !at all things'

anoth!r, &ho is &!a+, !at!th h!r s1 L!t not him that !at!th #!s,is! him that !at!th not* an#

l!t not him &hich !at!th not /u#g! him that !at!th' %or Go# hath r!c!i"!# him1 Who art thou that /u#g!st anoth!r man2s s!r"ant3 to his o&n mast!r h! stan#!th or %all!th1 Y!a, h! shall ! hol#!n u,' %or Go# is a l! to ma+! him stan#1 On! man !st!!m!th on! #a$ a o"! anoth!r' anoth!r !st!!m!th !"!r$ #a$ alike1 L!t !"!r$ man ! %ull$ ,!rsua#!# in his o&n min#1 0! that r!gar#!th th! #a$, r!gar#!th it unto th! Lor#* an# h! that r!gar#!th not th! #a$, to th! Lor# h! #oth not r!gar# it1 0! that !at!th, !at!th to th! Lor#, %or h! gi"!th Go# than+s* an# h! that !at!th not, to th! Lor# h! !at!th not, an# gi"!th Go# than+s1 For non! o% us li"!th to hims!l%, an# no man #i!th to hims!l%1 For &h!th!r &! li"!, &! li"! unto th! Lor#* an# &h!th!r &! #i!, &! #i! unto th! Lor#' &h!th!r &! li"! th!r!%or!, or #i!, &! ar! th! Lor#2s1 For to this !n# Christ oth #i!#, an# ros!, an# r!"i"!#, that h! might ! Lor# oth o% th! #!a# an# li"ing1 But &h$ #ost thou /u#g! th$ roth!r3 or &h$ #ost thou s!t at nought th$ roth!r3 %or &! shall all stan# !%or! th! /u#gm!nt s!at o% Christ1 For it is &ritt!n, As I li"!, saith th! Lor#, !"!r$ +n!! shall o& to m!, an# !"!r$ tongu! shall con%!ss to Go#1 So th!n !"!r$ on! o% us shall gi"! account o% hims!l% to Go#1 L!t us not th!r!%or! /u#g! on! anoth!r an$ mor!' ut /u#g! this rath!r, that no man ,ut a stum ling loc+ or an occasion to %all in his roth!r2s &a$1 I +no&, an# am ,!rsua#!# $ th! Lor# 4!sus, that there is nothing uncl!an o% its!l%' ut to him that

!st!!m!th an$ thing to ! uncl!an, to him it is uncl!an1 But i% th$ roth!r ! gri!"!# &ith thy m!at, no& &al+!st thou not charita l$1 -!stro$ not him &ith th$ m!at, %or &hom Christ #i!#1 L!t not th!n $our goo# ! !"il s,o+!n o%' For th! +ing#om o% Go# is not m!at an# #rin+* ut right!ousn!ss, an# ,!ac!, an# /o$ in th! 0ol$ Ghost1 For h! that in th!s! things s!r"!th Christ is acc!,ta l! to Go#, an# a,,ro"!# o% m!n1 L!t us th!r!%or! %ollo& a%t!r th! things &hich ma+! %or ,!ac!, an# things &h!r!&ith on! ma$ !#i%$ anoth!r1 For m!at #!stro$ not th! &or+ o% Go#)( (emphasis added). 2urely this portion of the .ord of 5od has much to say not +ust to the relationships #ithin a 'hurch but to all of us in our inter6'hurch fello#ship and cooperation. /ay 5od help us$