S.G. Norris in 1945: Uncut Hair Offers Special Blessing, Power & Angelic Protection to Women
Posted on 01. May, 2009 by admin in HMH Articles
As early as the PAJC days in 1945, men like S.G. Norris, former president of Apostolic Bible Institute, General Presbyter and author, proposed elements now found in modern-day HMH doctrine.
On pages 3 and 12 of The Pentecostal Outlook, Volume 14, Number 9, September 1945, S.G Norris suggests that uncut hair results in a “special blessing” and power with God because of the angels. He also proposes that women have always been the leaders in prayer and power with God.
Here are a couple of quotes of his “Back to Holiness” article:
Then Paul tells why a woman can either gain power with God by having her hair grow long or why she loses power with God if she cuts or bobs it (Verse 7 of this same chapter 1 Corinth. 11) (pg.3)
But, you women say,why should I leave my hair grow when most all other women are having theirs cut? My answer to you is a wonderful promise of God found in this same chapter we are considering today. First Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 10. Don’t forget that God never asked any of us to pay a price of holiness without offering some grand reward for our obedience, Listen …
“For this cause, or because of this allowing your hair to grow and using your hair as your covering when praying or worshipping at the house of God, then for this cause ought the woman to have power because of the angels.
” Now maybe you never just considered this verse before, but God has angels on this earth not visible to the naked eye, but present just the same, around and near those who far the Lord … the angels encamp around them that fear Him.
So there is a special blessing –a grand reward of power with God and the presence of holy angels around about a godly woman that does NOT cut her hair.
Here is a promise that I wish every woman listening in today would remember. First of all Christ needs you! … the womanhood of any generation that knew God have always been the leaders in prayer and power with God … So women, here is a promise to every godly woman, that you will have power with God because of the presence of angels, providing you use your hair for a covering and not cut it or bob it off. (pg. 12)
Coincidentally, or not, a student under S.G. Norris and ABI graduate (1967), evangelist Lee Stoneking, echoes many of these same sentiments adding in a recent sermon, on Sunday, June 29th, seems to further spiritualize this feminization of the Church to new heights with his claim that women hold the keys to revival with their compliance to the uncut hair doctrine. He also affirms that his interpretation of 1 Corinthian 11:10 is a “glorious” revelation by which a woman owes the authority, or power, to her head through, or because of, the angels and a “higher court”. This power (exousia) that comes through her not cutting her hair leads to a “freedom for the whole Church community.”
Stoneking tells the Memphis congregation that if a woman doesn’t comply to this one commandment we will never have the revival we seek without them … or have freedom in the Spirit without her compliance. He suggests, when women don’t cut their hair there is a depth of power, authority that will “sweep over the entire Church”. He candidly admits males cannot participate in causing this. Sadly, he believes that this potential sweeping revival “all has do with your hair (speaking to women).
The evangelist even goes as far as affirming Freudian psychology that maintains a boy gets his male identity from his mother. He believes that her rebellion will be transferred to him if she cuts her hair. This boy will subsequently sire a generation that is more rebellious than hers all because of her disobedience of this one act related to divine order, according to the preacher.
The most disturbing aspect of this preaching segment is an anecdote used to substantiate this “power”. He tells of a preacher who is unable to find a solution to various problems in the local church until his wife, a week later, offers a solution. He implies this word of knowledge is linked to her uncut hair, not the Spirit. Elder Stoneking tells listeners, “Women walk in a realm the that is absolutely miraculous” because of their uncut hair. One has to wonder if this sign of submission, taught by some, has become a sign of authority rule and superior anointing?
Stoneking, later, in his sermon asks what would happen if Christian women took a cue from witches and New Agers (who associate hair with “cosmic” power and spells). He proposes them taking off their hair pins, letting their hair down and shaking it the wind – asking, “What would we happen if our women did this?” Again seemingly implying that the follicles of women’s hair are linked to being a key to unprecedented revival.
The following is an excerpt of 1996 transcription of a Stoneking message that echoes the 2008 recycling of this doctrine:
Then the Bible goes on to say, “For this cause, ought the women to have power on head because of the angels.” That is a fascinating and intriguing study. “For this cause, ought…” “Ought” in the Greek means to “owe or be indebted”. “For this cause, ought the women to have power.” The word “power” means, “authority, ability, authority, rule”. “…on her head because of the angels.” The word “because” is translated to mean, “through, by or with”. So, if you put it together, what I Cor II:10 is saying, “For this cause ought the women to have power on her head because of the angels.” Therefore, the women is indebted or owes her authority on her head with the angels.
Power. The original meaning is the “ability to perform and act, the right, the authority”. Now, get this, “and the permission conferred upon her by a higher court”.
“For this cause, the women is owing or indebted to the inward power, which is conferred upon her by a higher court with and by the angels.”
The word, “power” comes from the Greek word, I think, “esousa”. It means “as a divinely given authority act” Esousa implies, “freedom for the whole community”.
I have always known in the Spirit, that in our churches and in our homes, where our women did not cut their hair that there was some kind of angelic power and protection that was there continuously, but I didn’t know until this year, until I went to the Greek and dug it out. I didn’t know how really accurate I was. I’ve always felt it in the Spirit, but now I can prove it Biblically, Biblically, that in churches where our women do not cut their hair. It’s not the long and short of it, ladies. It is “uncut”. Don’t tell me you have long hair and then keep trimming the ends so that it doesn’t get any longer than where it is now. That’s not the issue. The issue is not long or short. The issue is “uncut” because in some cultures women’s hair, it does not grow long. So, it’s not long or short. That’s not the issue. The issue is “uncut”.
I have known and now can prove it, spiritually from the Bible, that in our churches, in our homes, where our women, our ladies do not cut their hair there is a kind of angelic protection that flows out from them for the whole Christian community.
Powerful! Powerful!
If a women wants to be free, say, “free”, she lets her hair grow. If she wants to be bound, she does not let her hair grow, but if she allows her hair to grow long, uncut, in compliance with God’s relationship to man, then the church community has a freedom in the Spirit which does not exist without her compliance. I’ve watched this year. I know some men that are powerful in the Spirit. Powerfully used by God. But, I’ve watched a couple of them, even this year, they came up against a problem and they could not find an answer to. They couldn’t come to any kind of an answer, but the wife, who is in the background, usually, they had never cut their hair. One day he walked in just twisting his hands, one of them in particular, and she came to him and she said, “This is the answer here.” And she mapped out an answer that was so perfect, he staggered at the wisdom in it. Do you know why she got a hold of that and he didn’t? Because ladies, among us, who do not cut their hair are entangled with angels and the wisdom and power of angels that men are not connected to and they cannot be connected to it.
Only eternity will reveal how many times in our homes and in our churches, where our women have not cut their hair, only eternity will reveal how many times an angel of the Lord has stepped out and pulled a child back from oncoming traffic. How many times your husband, on the way to work, suddenly and angel stepped between him and an oncoming car. Only eternity will reveal that.
If these extrabiblical musings don’t emasculate men in the Church, further, I don’t know what does. If you have short hair and feel powerless after reading these things … don’t buy it. What is proposed is an example of hermeneutical gymnastics.
Most importantly, one cannot marginalize, also, the inherent dangerous flirtations with replacing the power, anointing and authority of the Holy Spirit, idolatry, and angel worship these teachings can lead to.
