If a woman wants to, she can display her body immodestly and act seductively even in the most modest of dresses. Some Anabaptist denominations, including the Amish, Old Order Mennonite and Conservative Mennonites, the Old German Baptist Brethren, the Hutterites, and the Apostolic Christian Church; some Pentecostal churches, such as the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, The Pentecostal Mission, the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, and . This is an ethical regulation in the interests of morality. They sit, recline, and prop their legs up in masculine ways. A few articles of female clothing carried somewhat the same name and basic pattern, yet there was always sufficient difference in embossing, embroidery, and needlework so that in appearance the line of demarcation between men and women could be readily detected.14 Even in modern times Wight noted, Among the Bedouin Arabs of Palestine there is great care taken that either sex shall not imitate the other in matters of dress.15. First, some have understood the entire passage to refer directly to hair. Cutting the hair off symbolized disgrace, mourning, and glory departed. We become what we think upon and spend time upon. We are to store up treasure in heaven, not hoard it on earth (Luke 12:33-34). One possible exception might be wedding rings, particularly simple wedding bands. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids (Proverbs 6:25, NKJV). Some things have both functional and ornamental use, such as cuff links, tie clasps, tie bars, watch chains, and brooches. I hope this article helps you understand why I chose to not cut my hair. .Specially(a) opp. Well, I am glad you asked! If so, we could delete I Timothy 2:9 from the Bible as irrelevant. If Paul found immodest clothing in an age characterized by greater modesty of dress than our own, certainly he would consider many styles of clothing today to be immodest. Likewise, swimming in mixed company is immodest. . Using a pleasant smell is the same as using a pleasant color in makeup. This objection ignores the evidence of Scripture itself. My former church showed all but the last part over a series of Thursday evening services. For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11). * Immodest clothing, jewelry, and makeup appeal to the lust of the eyes, which is the second major area of worldliness. Having uncut hair is a sign of submission to God, and gives them "power." This concept is tied together with a whole litany of "holiness standards" that women have to meet in order to be considered saved, and members in good standing in these churches. Without them people can still be clean, neat, attractive, and beautiful. . (2) It demonstrates the churchs submission to Christ. Since man does look on the outward appearance, it is important for Christians to display godliness in outward appearance. The primary reason Christian women choose to wear head coverings during worship is to adhere to the Holy Tradition of the Church. Among the Hebrews neither sex was permitted by Mosaic law to wear the same form of clothing as was used by the other (Deuteronomy 22:5). Today, R.C. . So if I am living a life that speaks of opposing Gods standards for His people, what kind of Christian am I truly being? The Authority of Apostolic Teaching Renewing Your Mind with R.C. . The KJV says putting on of apparel, but the NKJV corroborates the NIV by saying putting on fine apparel. Interpreted this way, the passage parallels I Timothy 2:9 exactly. . In all these injunctions the dominating idea is the avoidance of anything designed merely to promote ostentation, with all its accompanying dangers.1. Reasonable guidelines, then, would be womens dresses over the knee and sleeves to the elbow. Apostolic Women's Standards!!! Why shouldnt a woman try to look nice? Just because a woman wears slacks certainly does not mean she personally has usurped her husbands role or condoned lesbianism. Using this interpretation Romans 13:13-14 would mean, Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness only, not in chambering and wantonness only, not in strife and envying only, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ also. I John 2:15 would mean, Love not the world only, neither the things that are in the world only. I Timothy 3:8 would mean a deacon could be double tongued, given to much wine, and greedy of filthy lucre as long as he was grave also. In fact, to uncover nakedness is an Old Testament idiomatic expression for sex acts (Leviticus 18:6-19). .to the practice of priests at heathen festivals of wearing masks of their gods. (See NKJV, NIV.) It teaches against such sins as pride, selfishness, lust, and malice. In this section, let us assume they are correct. You must not adopt the customs of this world (Goodspeed). It is important for Christians to appear to be holy and godly in front of others. Christians should avoid outward adornment (decoration or ornamentation). I Timothy 2:9 and I Peter 3:3 stand in direct opposition to gold, silver, and precious stones for personal ornamentation; apparently they are always excessive in appearance and cost. Submit a Prayer Request! Other people know us by our fruit (Matthew 7:16-20), which means our entire lifestyle, including actions and appearance. Pretty much, Apostolic standards for women! For example, Davis and Hartzell both have straight hair while the Zeigler women all have curly hair. Are these laws void? Actually this was the signet ring or seal, and served as the personal signature of its owner, and so was not usually worn as an ornament.19 According to The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, finger rings were used to signify rank and seal rings worn on a cord or on the hand were used to seal documents.20 It says the ring worn by the prodigal son had this same general meaning. We seek to be decent, chaste, and proper in dress, specifically avoiding immodest exposure of the body before someone of the opposite sex (other than ones spouse). And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments (Ezekiel 23:40, NKJV). Visit LaBreannas personal website Here. Why will they be part of the New Jerusalem? This objection misses the whole point of our refusal to wear gold and jewelry. Here are some questions to consider in making this evaluation: *What is my motive for wearing it? Like women, men are not allowed to wear cosmetics or jewelry other than wedding bands and wrist watches. What is wrong with natural beauty? Furthermore, there is a qualitative difference between smell and sight. This objection also ignores New Testament support for distinction of male and female in appearance. Like that verse, it is an absolute prohibition on elaborate hair arrangement, gold jewelry, and extravagant clothing. If we are to apply its teaching properly in our day, we must understand some of the underlying reasoning. Do I wear it out f pride, show, a desire to be noticed, a desire to provoke envy? Many women of the day arranged their hair lavishly and extravagantly. * Deuteronomy 22:5 does not apply to is today. This objection points to other teachings in the same chapter, such as the prohibition on plowing with an ox and a donkey together (verse 10), the prohibition on mixing wool and linen together in one garment (verse 11), and the instruction to wear fringes on garments (verse 12). (4) In ancient times when coinage was rare, precious stones and metals were important means of saving or giving something of monetary value (Job 42:11). At first, there was some nervousness and embarrassment, covered up by hesitant humor. It is as though she has shaven (cut) her hair. In Isaiah 47:2-3 God considered baring the leg and uncovering the thigh to be shameful exposure of nakedness. It goes on to say that a womans hair is given to her for a covering. It doesn't really bother me to shave once a day, but having to shave twice is too much. We can try to be attractive in these areas, but even here we must take care not to be too elaborate and showy, for both Paul and Peter warned against extravagant hair arrangement and clothing. If I am showing myself as opposed to that by cutting my hair then I am failing to be the Christian I am called to be. Who says a woman is dull and drab unless she wears makeup and jewelry? If so, Paul was teaching Corinthian women to wear veils in public assemblies because this was the proper dress for virtuous women in that culture. Modesty of womans dress is associated with becoming modesty of deportment. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 185. I was shocked at the subtle change in their conduct and the con-duct of men towards them. By her actions and looks she manifests pride, vanity, and a desire to be seen and noticed. ), The Pulpit Commentary, V, 355. We have seen many Old Testament passages that associate jewelry and especially makeup with evil. Transvestite dress is an abomination to the Lord (Deuteronomy 22:5); it is a sterile and perverse hostility to Gods created order.4 He cited Keil and Delitzsch with approval: The immediate design of this prohibition was not to prevent licentiousness, or to oppose idolatrous practices. Theologians have interpreted I Corinthians 11:1-16 in one of two ways. Jesus taught that people could not alter the color of their hair (Matthew 5:36), yet many people today try to prove Him wrong. The Apostolic Church's dress code requires all members of the church to dress modestly. 7Nelsons Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament, Merrill Unger and William White (eds.) Paul exhorted men and women to approach God in holiness, mentioning specific problems each sex had in his day. For whom is she adorning herself? If for others, it is an unjustifiable expression of ostentation or seduction. Since the primary effect of makeup is to highlight sex appeal, we reject makeup as immodest. When they captured it in war, he fashioned it into a gold ephod (sacred garment) to which they offered idolatrous worship. Ladies Wearing Ladies Clothes2.) The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a womans garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God (Deuteronomy 22:5). Using this objection, we could condone these practices today. What kind of witness am I to a world that is lost and dying? It also tells us that to be shaven (to have cut hair) is a shame unto her. We must certainly dress in a manner that would be considered modest for the occasion and in the judgment of our culture. Most of them encourage their members to dress and live modestly, but do not have specific teachings about hair and skirts. Apostolic Pentecostal denominations include the United Pentecostal Church, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and several smaller denominations. If we want to please God and godly people, we will not concentrate on ornamentation of the body but on that of spirit. .Certain men wore a ring on their right hand, or suspended by a cord or chain around the neck. Uncut Hair Is A Covering It goes on to say that a woman's hair is given to her for a covering. Therefore what I have gathered from this is that if a woman cuts her hair, its a shame unto her. What is considered immodest? How does it compare with the time and money I spend for necessities, for others, for Gods church? .Prostitutes went unveiled.1 Therefore, the Christian women of Corinth were not supposed to exercise their Christian liberty to flaunt local custom and dress like prostitutes, adulterers, or un-submissive women. Care should be taken to dress appropriately for the culture and occasion. In reality, I Timothy 2:9-10 describes two contrasting, mutually incompatible lifestyles. There seems to be no clear way to distinguish a finger ring from an earring, a nose ring, or a bracelet. . All attention given to adornment of the body is vain and useless. Other people perceive her as pro-vocative and treat her as such, which reinforces her behavior. The more accurate translation is probably articles of silver and gold. We must ask what practices of the time concerned God enough for Him to inspire this passage. Nature itself teaches us to maintain a clear, visible distinction between male and female (I Corinthians 11:13-15). The Corinthian church was in the middle of a controversy about the roles of men and women and the proper order of authority within the church. . Day 10: Apostolic Beliefs: Our Crowning Glory! .and the use of ornaments may possibly have been involved in the custom.3. 11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. Why evaluate self-worth by physical appearance? The skirts of the KJV are robes, as both NKJV and NIV translate. However, this verse does not say God approves of sinful or ungodly appearance, but that He does not evaluate someone by outward beauty or lack of beauty. 3Fred Wight, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands (Chicago: Moody Press, 1953), p. 100. . (7) This is one of Gods methods for maintaining a clear distinction between male and female. He was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. When Judahs daughter-in-law seduced him, she took off her widows garments and put on prostitutes garb (Genesis 38:14-19). Apostolic Pentecostals historically have taught that women should not cut their hair, and that men should keep their hair cut short. Facial hair is a litmus test of spirituality; a litmus test that Jesus would have failed. * I Peter 3:3 is not an absolute prohibition on wearing of jewelry, for then it would prohibit all use of gold and all wearing of clothes. This verse tells women, Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes (NIV). The perceptions others have of us also affect the way we think about ourselves. On one occasion, I observed a group of Pentecostal women putting on makeup for a video production. An individual woman may not see how her particular violation of this principle will cause great moral damage to her, but we must obey God whether we understand His reasons or not. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Sproul. Some things classified as jewelry actually have a valid purpose other than adornment, such as watches. We emphasize simplicity and functional use for things which have a valid purpose other than ornamentation, such as hairstyles and clothes. 6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. Sproul (1939-2017) was known for his ability to winsomely and clearly communicate deep, practical truths from God's Word. .How you dress does affect how you feel! This statement actually insults both God and women. It does not give license to Christians to adorn their bodies in ungodly ways. * Immodest clothing, jewelry, and makeup cater to the pride of life, the third major area of worldliness. We personally do not wear wedding rings because: (1) They are uncomfortably close to other types of jewelry that we avoid based on the New Testament prohibition against wearing gold, pearls, and costly array. Note that there may be other secondary reasons why women . * Immodest clothing, jewelry, and makeup feed the lust of the flesh, which is one of the three major areas of worldliness (I John 2:16). So did Elizabeth Rice Handford in Your Clothes Say It For You, teaching that women should have long, uncut hair while men should have short hair. * The Bible speaks favorably of perfume in the Song of Solomon. They associate themselves with the worlds emphasis on sensuality, its focus on ego, and its blurring of sex roles. Applying principles of Christian liberty, a Christian woman of that day should not have worn a knee-length dress, for this would have brought reproach upon her and her Lord. The word sobriety (KJV) or moderation (NKJV) comes from the Greek word sophrosune, which Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines as soundness of mind, sound judgment, habitual inner self-government with constant rein on all passions and desires. The demons in the maniac of Gadara caused him to tear his clothes off, but when Jesus cast the demons out the man began to wear clothes (Luke 8:26-36). (3) Jewelry w; is used as a wedding token, with the bride and groom adorning themselves for each other (Genesis 24:22, 47; Song of Solomon 1:10-17; Isaiah 61:10; Jeremiah 2:32). If Christians follow worldly fashions, they will often identify themselves with ungodliness. We are called to Let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. The wives of the patriarchs are seen as examples of this deportment (v. 5). (2) We do not wish to appear inconsistent in our stand against jewelry. Spence and Exell (eds. God compared His unfaithful people to an adulteress who adorns herself for her lovers. Why dont you cut your hair? Apostolic Pentecostals teach that women should not cut their hair. Would He wear it? What is wrong with the complexion and hair we inherited? God created them male and female, with distinctive natures and functions.6 Other passages support this teaching. And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. In Gideons day, Ishmaelites and Midianites were distinguished from Israelites by their use of earrings and other jewelry (Judges 8:24-27). Men should not wear attire that is distinctively female, which for Western clothing means dresses and skirts. To implement the purpose behind modest dress, the body should basically be covered, except for those parts which we must use openly for normal living. Whatever tends to obliterate the distinction between the sexes tends to licentiousness; and that the one sex should assume the dress of the other has always been regarded as unnatural and indecent.18. Thanks for watching!READ MY NEW BLOG P. Are the illustrations of the prophets no longer relevant? See disclaimer. .Such tendencies to ostentatious adornment must be resisted by Christian women, and the same applies to the use of jewelry and costly clothing. The Israelites fulfilled this ceremonial law physically, but today we fulfill the principle spiritually. Sproul Christianity Is every part of the Bible inerrant? In the Old Testament, God used abundant hair to symbolize perfection, strength, glory, and separation for a holy purpose. As Fred Wight stated, Peter and Paul condemned an elaborate braiding of womens hair. Standard. The Bible also shows that certain types of clothing can be particularly associated with adulterous behavior. Many men prefer for their wives or girlfriends to wear dresses, particularly on special occasions, because they look and act more feminine this way. 20Dress and Ornaments, The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962), I, 871. Gods character never changes, and neither does His love for righteousness or hatred of sin. . Dr. Brown points out that while the word "long hair" kme () occurs in the NT only in 1 Cor. In addition, we should avoid low necklines, sleeveless dresses or shirts, very tight clothes, very thin clothes, and slacks on women because they immodestly reveal the feminine contours of upper leg, thigh, and hip. However, many people use even wedding rings to satisfy their desire for expensive, showy ornamentation. The spirit of Esther stands in contrast to this. * I Timothy 2:9 uses an idiomatic expression, which does not mean to avoid all outward adorning, but only to emphasize inward adorning more. Under this view Paul meant, Do not adorn yourselves on the outside only, but adorn yourselves inwardly also. However, no major version translates the passage in this way. Again, we're looking at Apostolic women's standards! * The Christian is to be a good steward of the blessings God has bestowed, including financial blessings (Luke 16:10-13). According to the holy magic hair doctrine, if a woman cuts her hair, she loses her identity as an "apostolic woman," loses authority in the spiritual realm, and puts herself and her family at risk. This suggests that clothes should cover the torso and upper limbs. We are to abstain from all appearance of evil (I Thessalonians 5:22). Per-fume helps to mask, eliminate, and replace unpleasant body odors caused by bacterial activity and perspiration. Many modern Christians ignore Paul's teaching on . My hope for those of you reading this article who question why Apostolic women dont cut their hair is that it helps you understand we are doing as a sign of obedience to our miraculous God. Some Apostolic Pentecostals churches allow women to wear some form of pants outside of church as long as they are specifically designed for women. When heathen Queen Jezebel tried to seduce Jehu so that he would not execute her, she used makeup and ornamentation. Even in very strenuous activities there are ways to protect both modesty and femininity. Skirts may be required by employers as part of their dress code policies. Dress, The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 227. The same implication appears in I Timothy 2:9-12. We recognize gems and metals as beautiful things created by God for our visual pleasure and for many practical uses. But it does not attempt to catalog all sins. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb (Exodus 33:4-6). When David saw Bathsheba bathing, he yielded to the temptation to commit adultery (II Samuel 11:1-5). 8 teaches men to lift holy hands in prayer, without wrath or doubting. They put on the uniform of the devils team. Posted on June 23, 2012 by passionatepentecostal. Like most Pentecostals, they do not use alcohol or tobacco. At this point, let us consider a number of objections to the teaching on adornment and dress. * Deuteronomy 22:5 really means a woman should not wear a soldiers clothing and vice versa. This objection alleges that the Hebrew word for man in this verse should be rendered soldier. The word is geber instead of the more common wordish. According to Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon, geber means a man. In applying the foregoing scriptural concepts, we can draw several important biblical principles and make practical applications for our day. God does not want Christians to live in slavish conformity to worldly fashions and thus to identify with worldliness. Perfume has always been considered part of a chaste, modest womans attire in a way that makeup has not. I know that some of you are like well this is one passage and whats it matter if my cut hair brings me to shame. Hair arrangement also has other functions such as neatness and convenience. It signifies to Him our attitude, lifestyle, and choice of identity. In short, appearance both reflects and to a large degree determines what we are in the eyes of self and others. INDIANA BIBLE COLLEGE | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. * The Christian is to exhibit self-control and moderation in all aspects of life (I Corinthians 9:25; Galatians 5:23). .Does she put on a scanty skirt because she reels provocative, or does the skirt bring out her feeling 01 seductiveness? A sign posted in an Orthodox Jewish district of Jerusalem provides an interesting definition of modesty or womens dress: Passage permitted only to women dressed modestly! They base this teaching on 1 Timothy 2:9-10, which says, "I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.". Judahs signet and bracelet was actually a seal with its cord (Genesis 38:18, NKJV and NIV). Dell Markey is a full-time journalist. -Natalie Her many lovers gave her bracelets and crowns, but God warned that all her jewels would be stripped away in judgment (Ezekiel 23:26, 42). To be modest, shame-faced, and sober is the opposite of wearing gold, pearls, elaborately ornamented hair, and costly clothing. Pentecostal Christianity has more than 700 denominations. Some say out-ward appearance is irrelevant because, Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (I Samuel 16:7).
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