2023 Governing Body Update #8 / BEARDS!!!

[truce]

On 2/21/2025 at 7:08 PM, Piano Man said:

Thank you. 😊 

[truce]

On 2/21/2025 at 8:23 PM, Hope said:

NY Yankees catching up with us JW trendsetters! 😄

 

 

I saw this yesterday and thought the same.

[Piano Man]

45 minutes ago, truce said:

Thank you. 😊 

You're very welcome 

[Sheep]

On 2/21/2025 at 3:05 PM, Cool.As.Ice said:

It looks like now that anyone who is clean-shaven are now the rebels…

Okay. So I'm a rebel. I never grew a beard and I have no intention of following the crowd. Having been told face to face by a householder that she refused to talk to JWs with beards, it made up my mind.

 

Sorry.

[Cool.As.Ice]

(1 Corinthians 9:22) 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to people of all sorts, so that I might by all possible means save some.
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=46009022&srcid=share

 

With this in mind, Eric, if I had to shave my beard to gain a Bible student and draw them to Jehovah, I would do it. Beards are a completely personal matter, and what I said earlier was not meant to be taken seriously.

You might want to note the reactions underneath that post; many understood that.

 

If it makes you or certain others feel better without the beard, I say, whatever floats your goat(-ee) 👍.

 

Let me show you another scripture that has somebearing on what we are talking about here. This was a completely different issue, but it was a hot-button topic in early Christianity as beards are now:

(1 Corinthians 7:18-20)

Was any man already circumcised when he was called?+ Let him not undo his circumcision. Has any man been called while uncircumcised? Let him not get circumcised.+ 19 Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing;+ what means something is the observing of God’s commandments.+ 20 In whatever state each one was called, let him remain in it.+
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=46007018&srcid=share

 

I know this is talking about a different issue, but the principles still apply here. In the first century, circumcision was a divisive issue among the early Christians, as quite a few of you here on this forum know. 
 

(Acts 15:1,2) 15 Now some men came down from Ju·deʹan and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you get circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 But after quite a bit of dissension and disputing by Paul and Barʹna·bas with them, it was arranged for Paul, Barʹna·bas, and some of the others to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding this issue.
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=44015001&srcid=share

 

As you also know, the Governing Body of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem finally settled the issue in 49 CE by this declaration:

 

(Acts 15:28) 28 For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you except these necessary things: 29 to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!”
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=44015028&srcid=share

 

Circumcision was no longer a requirement for God’s people, though quite a few felt so strongly about it because of the Mosaic Law.

Beards are a similarly divisive issue among Christians today. There was a widely-held taboo in various parts of the world that Christians should not have beards, as that used to be a symbol of rebellion and such in some places, or whatever.

 

But very recently, Eric, as you know, Jehovah thru the Slave has made it clear that beards are perfectly acceptable for worshippers of Jehovah to wear. It is not about “following the crowd”, but what is exciting is to see that everyone here has moved forward with the chariot and let go of long-held taboos.

 

If you are still in contact with this householder, and depending on your local culture, if it’s still unacceptable to have beards, then you have to avoid stumbling others, as the important thing is leading people to God’s Kingdom. 
 

But generally, for the most part, around the world, It ain’t important if you have a beard. It ain’t important if you don’t have a beard. At the end of the day, as long as it’s not offensive to your local culture and it doesn’t reflect badly on the truth, what difference does it make? The only thing that matters is being obedient to Jehovah.
 

Whether one got circumcised or not, past Jesus’ death in the first century was a personal choice, the apostles and Governing Body back then, completely put that to bed.

 

In the same manner, whether one grows a beard or not is completely up to them. Do whatever you feel is best, brother. I will still love you whether you look like Esau or Jacob 😆.

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Cool.As.Ice

[Sheep]

Thanks Brother Elijah for your comment.

 

Actually, I met this woman while doing street work back before the pandemic (while I was waiting for two other brothers to finish the last door in the territory). She thanked me for not having a beard, and said it scared her once when she saw two male Witnesses outside her door with beards. She didn't know who they were, or what they wanted. So she didn't answer the door. I just told her they wouldn't 'bite,' and encouraged her to speak her mind if she saw some brothers like that again.

 

I don't know her exact address; she only told me the region of the city she lived in. It wasn't our territory. If a brother with a beard happens to call on her sometime, I'm wondering how he would react to the chastisement and the embarrassment that would follow. I was thankful it wasn't me.

Edited 3 hours ago by Sheep

[Cool.As.Ice]

If Jehovah is drawing her and her attitude had changed since then, I believe something can happen.

Edited 3 hours ago by Cool.As.Ice

[Tortuga]

26 minutes ago, Sheep said:

Thanks Brother Elijah for your comment.

 

Actually, I met this woman while doing street work back before the pandemic (while I was waiting for two other brothers to finish the last door in the territory). She thanked me for not having a beard, and said it scared her once when she saw two male Witnesses outside her door with beards. She didn't know who they were, or what they wanted. So she didn't answer the door. I just told her they wouldn't 'bite,' and encouraged her to speak her mind if she saw some brothers like that again.

 

I don't know her exact address; she only told me the region of the city she lived in. It wasn't our territory. If a brother with a beard happens to call on her sometime, I'm wondering how he would react to the chastisement and the embarrassment that would follow. I was thankful it wasn't me.

Wow. Pogonophobia...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogonophobia

[Sheep]

Just now, Tortuga said:

Wow. Pogonophobia...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogonophobia

 

Not really. She said she didn't believe it appropriate for Christians to wear a beard; I think she implied it had something to do with their being associated with rebellion.

 

I'm inclined to agree with her. Whenever I see a story in the news of some violent group threatening someone, the mug shots of the accused almost always have beards! (...January 6, 2021...)