The
Scriptures Decree Modesty In Dress
By Norman Simpson |
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We, of the Church of God in this "evening light," base our practices and beliefs upon the "foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." In baptism, we practice immersion. An account of Jesus' baptism is
clearly given in the latter part of the third chapter of Matthew's
gospel. When He went up straightway out of the water, the heavens were
opened unto Him and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased." The God of heaven put His approval
upon the baptism of His Son in water. Jesus said it was needful for Him
to be baptized, "for Just as we adhere closely to the Scriptures in matters pertaining to
salvation, we also adhere closely to the The New Testament gives several statements pertaining to women's
dress-in the epistle of Paul to Timothy, and the one to Peter. "I
will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn
themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with
broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh
women professing godliness) with good works." (1 Tim. 2:8-10.)
"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that,
if any obey Paul admonishes women to dress according to certain principles: modesty, shamefacedness, thriftiness, and godliness. We interpret modesty to mean decent and respectable. The Christian woman seeks to emulate all the fine virtues of Christian womanhood, so she carefully, prayerfully, selects her attire to conform to the standard which does not expose her body to the public. Modesty implies a reserve about one's self, a freedom from the desire to be noticed or to attract attention. Further, it implies the absence of anything which would incite lust, desire, or impure thoughts. A modest woman is pure, or chaste, in heart and mind, and this purity, or chastity, manifests itself in her manner and in her dress. She is reserved in manner (the Bible calls it ("shamefacedness"), rather than bold and brazen, and her attire brings to mind the virtues and purity of Christ, rather than the attributes of the female form and its implications. The Christian woman deliberately chooses the clothing that will dignify her womanhood without provoking the stares of the opposite sex. She has dedicated herself to the cause of Christ. This manner of dedication avoids superfluous, expensive clothing, and permits only the convenient use of a non-gold wrist watch, but needs no ring to designate her wedlock. The great needs of Christian evangelism and charitable assistance to the needy demand that she deny herself the exorbitance of expensive fads in order that she might practice the Christian virtue of concern for others. Her manner of dressing stems from a heart-felt desire for virtuous, holy, living. Her hair is to be fixed simply, without undue attention and elaborateness, in keeping with 1 Corinthians 11:15, "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering," and 1 Timothy 2:9, "Not with broided [ornamented] hair," and 1 Peter 3:3, ". . . let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting [entwining with ornamentation] the hair." Contrary to this picture of Scriptural womanhood, we have the twentieth century female who tries by every conceivable means, it seems, to flirt with the hazards of indecency. Costumes and apparel which are inclined toward nudity are sought after. The results are demonstrated in a wanton display of semi-nude parades on our public streets. Many public authorities agree that this concentration on body exposure has contributed greatly to the serious problem of immorality which threatens the basic foundation of our home and families. It has also been a cause in inviting serious sexual atrocities. The modern woman also makes a hobby of fashion crazes and style shows. She sets up a contest with her neighbors to see who can own the most expensive jewelry, and who can wear the latest styled clothes, and who travels the farthest to buy the latest creation. The Scriptures teach a great difference between femininity and
masculinity as to dress. In the law given to Moses it was stated:
"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither
shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination
unto the Lord thy God." (Deuteronomy 22:5). The desire to emulate
men in dress has also seriously affected the fine and noble
characteristics of womanhood. Often it takes a second glance to
determine the sex of a person, due to the distorted and strange garb
many women Perhaps some may say that this Old Testament law has been changed due to the inception of the "Grace" Dispensation introduced by Jesus Christ. Let me point out that when the Apostle Paul wished to impress Christian women of the first century about the conduct of womanhood, he used Sarah, the wife of Abraham, as his example: "Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning . . . , but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price, for after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sarah obeyed Abraham. . . ." (1 Peter 3:3-6). We are not out of order in using a Scripture which was written in the Law. We can well go back over the years and learn a spiritual lesson that
sharply rebukes customs and practices of our day. Holy women of old
concentrated on adorning their spiritual lives by developing character
in the heart. This is to be the Christian woman's major concentration in
beautifying herself. Thus, the Apostle Peter used the great dedication
of women of another age to impress the women of the first century with
the need of adorning themselves with "a meek and quiet
spirit." Even though many of the fair sex may utter dissenting
opinion, we are within reasonable and scriptural rights in insisting
that Christian women today need the influential and Holy Here are the guidelines for being Christian examples in dress: 1)
Modesty; (2) Thriftiness; (3) Godliness; (4) Inward adorning; (5)
Shamefacedness and sobriety. It does not appear that the subject of male
attire assumes either the significance or the importance of that
pertaining to a woman. However, in many instances, it may be |