I apologize. I didn't replace the restricted link. Here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xcW ... ue&sd=true
As for phrasing it in a paragraph or two, that might be tough. The section on mustaches is about 2/3rds through the booklet (pg 19), you're welcome to download it and share any thoughts. It expands the subject a bit more than I would typically comment here. However, if here would be easier, I can post an excerpt, though for the sake of accuracy and information, it will go beyond a paragraph or two... And unfortunately, without actually the booklet itself, one fails to appreciate the fundamental Scriptural context and examples which demonstrate the Creation- and Gender-Specific testimonies that underlay the acceptance of the beard... Also, being a draft, this does not include bibliographical references.
Excerpted from Given Unto Man
The mustache & objections against it
In view of these things, we now turn briefly to another aspect of the beard which has similarly caused controversy at times among some of those church fellowships which still promote the beard as a mark of gender distinction and/or separation from contemporary culture; this aspect is the extra-Biblical tradition of encouraging or requiring Christian men to wear most of the beard, but not all of it. It is highly relevant for any study of the beard to take a look at the objections and reasons behind this particular tradition, and to reconsider it in the light of the Scriptures to see whether our own choices in this area are in harmony with the design of our Creator!
In a nutshell, this particular tradition expects men to shave off that portion of the beard which grows on the upper lip, commonly referred to as the “mustache”; as a result, there are various Christian groups which have developed different reasons for why they view the mustache as a separate thing from the rest of the beard which God has given to men! From the few references which I have been able to find in history books and the records of corporate decisions by those groups which have historically promoted or required the wearing of the beard, the few objections which can be found are only against the wearing of the mustache alone, rather than against wearing the full beard in its entirety; therefore, it seems that many of the contemporary objections and defenses for the tradition of requiring beards without mustaches have not been Scriptural or historic reasons, but have been significantly later attempts to justify and maintain the tradition, and they should be reconsidered in the light of relevant Scriptures.
There are several reasons given by those who forbid or discourage men from wearing a full beard, and these reasons are worth looking at briefly. The most common objection which is found among such groups has been that mustaches were primarily worn and groomed for fashion throughout history, and therefore mustaches are assumed to be unbecoming for Christian men, even if included with the rest of the beard!
Another objection claims that mustaches (even when included with the rest of the beard) are inconsistent with a public testimony of Christian nonresistance, since mustaches were popular with European soldiers during the formative years of many of the aforementioned church fellowships; and finally, a third defense commonly given for the tradition of promoting the beard without the mustache is that the removal of the mustache is an attempt to provide a visible mark of identity and separation for specific groups of Christians who have committed to taking a stand against contemporary fashions. Unfortunately, while the desired principles behind these objections are worthy ones, each one also stands in contradiction to the design of the Creator.
Unlike the previous objections, there is another objection which attempts to appeal directly to the Scriptures in its attempt to forbid the mustache; this is the (demonstrably) inaccurate claim that lepers were supposedly commanded in the Scriptures to cover their upper lip when they were infected, and the reference to covering the upper lip is presumed to mean the growing of a mustache. The theory behind this claim is that the [hypothetical] wearing of a mustache would have temporarily and visibly set the leper apart from the rest of the congregation; however, the glaring hole in this theory is that women were equally susceptible to leprosy, and they are nearly always unable to grow a true mustache on their upper lip!
The idea that both male and female lepers were expected to grow a mustache is so obviously illogical that it promptly invalidates the premise that the leper’s “lip covering” could have been a mustache! Of greater concern, however, is that the premise of this objection is based upon a demonstrably inaccurate translation of the word “covering” as used in the text in question, and therefore can carry no weight in a serious discussion on whether or not to wear the full beard! Nevertheless, a brief explanation is warranted to clearly demonstrate that this objection is indeed based upon an inaccurate translation of the Hebrew word for the beard on the upper lip, as it is used in Leviticus 13:45 of the King James translation of the Bible!
As we have previously seen, lepers were commanded to wear an artificial covering over/upon their upper lip, most likely to avoid contamination through saliva; we can know with a high degree of confidence that this was an artificial covering rather than a natural part of the beard because the specific Hebrew word which was used in both this passage and others for the upper lip is the word “sapham” (Strong’s, H8222), and it is an explicit reference to the beard on the upper lip (again, contemporarily referred to as the mustache) rather than simply referring to the upper lip itself.
Previously in the same verse, we also read the Hebrew word for a covering: “ata” (Strong’s, H5844); this word distinctly referred to a separate, literal covering (i.e. a wrap, veil, cloth, etc.) which was commanded to be placed on or over the sapham (mustache). By way of immediate context, the use of sapham would have included the same area of the face for female lepers, which again shows that this passage does not suggest in any way that a mustache was being commanded to warn others of the presence of leprosy!
One final point serves to refute this attempt to use Leviticus 13:45 as an objection against the wearing of a full beard: the mustache itself literally cannot be the “covering” mentioned in this passage as it was already present and separately referred to in the immediately preceding text! To suggest otherwise makes absolutely no sense, as it fails to consider both the context and the text of the passage in question! The grammar which is used in this passage (ata and sapham), combined with the context (leprosy and a commanded action), clearly show us that this additional “covering” was a distinctly separate thing from the mustache itself; again, its commanded usage was most likely intended to prevent the transmission of leprosy through kisses, the accidental spraying of infectious spittle or even by breathing upon others. In fact, the purpose of this covering was not dissimilar to the wearing of masks today by those who may have a communicable disease.
For those who are willing to consider the literal text ahead of their own tradition or personal bias, the clear inference from this Scripture (and others) is that the beard which God gave, which His people consistently wore as seen throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, and which He continues to bestow upon men today very clearly included the hair on the upper lip! If this were not so, a distinctly different word would also have been used to describe the “mustache”, and such a word was not used.
Lastly, there are two other concerns which have traditionally been advanced to teach against (or even forbid) Christian men from wear full beards which include the mustache portion thereof. The first of these has been the idea of mustaches being a “fashion” issue, and this is a worthy concern, but surely the abuse of something by others provides no justification for avoiding or forbidding its proper use; secondly, the mustache has been portrayed as having a distinct “military connection” with the mustache, but historical records clearly demonstrate that the wearing of a mustache alone being a practice distinct to soldiers was simply a passing phase, especially in certain European cultures! In view of these concerns, surely it is far better for committed Christians to strive for consistency and Biblical support in their practices, rather than creating distinctive practices simply in reaction to the changing fashions and practices of the contemporary cultures around them!
Submission to the Creator
More importantly, if we find that our choices may be contradict the design of our Heavenly Father or His written Word, are we willing to step back and reconsider those choices, whether as individuals, as congregations, or even as a larger church fellowship or denomination? When Christian men and women make applications toward for the purpose of separation and holy living, surely such choices should always be defined first by the Word of God and those resources which He has provided us with! After all, He created the beard upon men’s faces and around their mouth; therefore, just as ears are part of the head and fingers are part of a hand, the mustache is equally and legitimately a part of the full beard which God gives to men!
As mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 1, there is within many church congregations a natural desire to create practical applications to accomplish a certain level of separation from the broader culture; while things of this nature may not be inherently wrong, Christians do well to consider the very real risk that comes with creating such practices or requirements, especially when such things forbid (and thereby fail to honor) the natural design of our Creator! My encouragement for every brother on this question of the Creator’s natural design regarding beards is to study the subject for yourself; then, as you come to a conviction on how to consistently apply this subject in your own life, have patient charity with brothers who see the issue differently, especially where there may be disagreements, concerns, or even a lack of conviction.
The apostle Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 13 that, though we may have all knowledge or faith, or are even able to prophesy or understand mysteries, absolutely nothing that we do will be of any profit if we fail to extend charity towards others! Jesus told his disciples in John 14 that we will be known as His disciples when people see how we love one another – surely that applies to the practical applications in our Christian walk as well!
