Modest Attire Disappearing From the Churches
June 11, 2024
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
“All of this is a matter of the heart.”
In the book Dressing for the Lord we examine many passages of Scripture that deal with the Christian’s dress.
Following is a summary of these biblical principles.
1. The woman’s clothing is to be modest (1 Timothy 2:9-10).
2. The Christian’s clothing is to be sexually distinctive (Ge. 1:27; De. 22:5; 1 Co. 11:14-15).
3. The Christian’s clothing is to be identified with holiness and godliness and not to be identified with anything that is evil (1 Th. 5:22; Eph. 5:11).
4. The Christian’s clothing is to be characterized by separation from the world (Ro. 12:2; 2 Co. 6:14-17; Tit. 2:12-13; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jo. 2:15-16).
5. The Christian’s clothing is to mark him or her as peculiar unto the Lord, as one who has been redeemed from all iniquity and who is zealous for good works (Tit. 2:14).
6. The Christian’s clothing should not cause others to stumble (Ro. 14:21).
7. The older Christians should be an example for the younger (Tit. 2:2-5).
1. The woman’s clothing is to be modest (1 Timothy 2:9-10).
Modesty is described in the New Testament by the words “shamefaced” and “sobriety“ (1 Ti. 2:9), “discreet” and “chaste” (Tit. 2:5), and “a meek and quiet spirit” (1 Pe. 3:4). Modesty is first of all a type of heart that reveals itself in the matter of dress.
The context is how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of God (1 Ti. 3:15). We see that modesty in dress is not a “non-essential” and dress is not strictly a matter of personal preference.
“Modest” is the Greek kósmios, which is also translated “of good behaviour” (1 Ti. 3:2). It means “decent and orderly” and describes “an inner self-control--a spiritual ‘radar’ that tells a person what is good and proper” (The Bible Exposition Commentary). Kósmios also translated “of good behaviour” (1 Ti. 3:2). In 1 Timothy 2:9 it refers to clothing that is not disorderly, clothing that represents good behaviour, clothing that is becoming to, suitable for, proper for a woman who is behaving right according to the principles of God’s Word. The Christian woman should not wear anything whatsoever that would be characterized as NOT of good behaviour.
“Shamefacedness” is the Greek aidós, which “has the idea of downcast eyes” and means “bashfulness, i.e. (towards men), modesty or (towards God) awe” (Strong). It implies “a shrinking from trespassing the boundaries of propriety” (William Hendrickson, New Testament Commentary).
Shamefacedness is exactly the opposite of the cheeky, pert, saucy, impertinent, flippant, insubordinate attitude that the world seeks to develop in women.
The shamefaced woman loves God and is committed to obeying His Word, and this is reflected on her face and in every aspect of her life, including her clothing.
A shamefaced Christian woman will not have the rebellious attitude that says, “Don’t tell me how to dress; I will dress as I please!” She will not be stubborn and sassy. She will not say, “I don’t care what some old-fashioned men say about how I dress; that is their problem; I’m not going to be a weirdo!”
A shamefaced woman will not dress indecently. She will not dress in in a sensual way to attract men’s lust. Jesus warned, “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Mt. 5:26). That warning is addressed to men, but the modest woman will not want to do dress in such a way that men are enticed.
“Sobriety” is from the Greek word sóphrosune, which is also translated “soberness” (Acts 26:25). It means “soundness of mind, self control” (Strong), “habitual inner self-government” (Trench), “the well-balanced state of mind arising from habitual self-restraint” (Ellicott), “moderation of the desires and passions, opposed to all that is frivolous and to all undue excitement of the passions” (Barnes).
Sobriety means not to be drunk, neither with alcoholic beverages, nor drugs, nor any other thing. Many professing Christian teenage girls and young women are drunk with the fashions and fads and ways of the world. They are drunk with television, and Hollywood movies and sensual magazines and pop music and YouTube and social media. The Bible and the things of Christ do not excite them, but they are giddy over what some worldly movie star or pop singer or social media celebrity is wearing and doing, and over the latest vain fashion or hair style or cosmetic.
Sobriety is the opposite of foolish, silly, flippant, careless, intoxicated, shallow, worldly, and vain.
“Broided hair” refers to braiding the hair. This does not mean that the Christian woman should not take care of her hair; it is a warning against spending a great deal of time adorning herself in the manner of the world, of making this her focus in life. We agree with the Barnes commentary, which says: “It cannot be supposed that the mere braiding of the hair is forbidden, but only that careful attention to the manner of doing it, and to the ornaments usually worn in it, which characterized worldly females.”
The mention of “gold, or pearls, or costly array” reminds us that it is God’s will that the Christian woman refuse to display an extravagant, showy, worldly appearance. The goal of this world’s godless fashion industry is to create a haughty, ostentatious, worldly-wise look, as well as a sexual look. The godly woman will reject such fashion and clothe herself and her daughters in “modest apparel.”
The meaning of 1 Timothy 2:9 (“not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array”) is further explained in 1 Peter 3:3, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 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.”
Modest clothing is not the type of clothing that draws undue attention to the wearer or that makes the onlooker think that the wearer is improperly consumed with fashion. Modest attire will not draw undue attention to the woman’s hair and clothes but will draw attention to her character. Those who see her will think about what a godly woman she is rather than what a “sexy” or “fancy” or “fashionable” one she is.
The modest woman “adorns herself with good works” (1 Ti. 2:10).
She should be known for her obedience to God and her service to Jesus Christ, rather than for her extravagance in dress or her devotion to sensuality and pleasure.
The worldly woman focuses on the physical and the sensual and the prideful, while the spiritual woman focuses on the things of God. The worldly woman wants to please herself and to conform to society, while the spiritual woman wants to please God. While the spiritual woman dresses in a proper and respectable and feminine manner, this is not the main focus of her life. Her focus is pleasing the Lord and cultivating godliness. She puts on apparel, but she does not put on immodest apparel.
Again, we see from this passage that the Christian woman’s modesty must come from the inside out. It comes from a sober and shamefaced spirit. It is a matter of the heart, which reminds us that it is not enough to set forth dress standards. Every effort must be made to educate women so that they understand the biblical principles of modesty and know the reason for the church’s standards, and every effort must be made to reach their hearts, to challenge them to surrender themselves wholly to Christ and to live for His glory.
The immodest clothing industry understands these things very well and strives to dress women seductively rather than modestly.
Tight, clinging attire is as immodest as skimpy attire because the woman’s figure is emphasized and accented, and the man’s attention is directed to that which is forbidden outside of marriage. Men are strongly influenced sexually by the eye-gate and are attracted to the woman’s curves. The immodest clothing industry understands these things and strives to dress women seductively rather than modestly.
It is important to understand that tight, form-fitting clothes can be just as sexually disturbing to a man as skimpy clothes.
In the book For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men, Shaunti Feldhahn describes the following situation:
“Another husband with a happy twenty-year marriage described another typical scenario: ‘My wife and I recently went out to dinner at a nice restaurant with some friends. The hostess was extremely attractive and was WEARING FORM-FITTING CLOTHES THAT SHOWED OFF A GREAT FIGURE. For the rest of the night, it was impossible not to be aware that she was across the restaurant, walking around. Our group had a great time with our lovely wives, but I guarantee you that our wives didn’t know that every man at that table was acutely aware of that woman’s presence and was doing his utmost not to look in that direction” (p. 114).
In our survey of Christian men on the issue of women’s dress we found that tight clothing is at least as much of a potential problem for men as skimpy clothing. Most of the men indicated that tight skirts and tight blouses and form-fitting jeans hold a “VERY great potential” for lust.
Consider the following statements:
“I would say the number one problem is any garment that is form fitting, be it jeans, pants, skirt, dress, shirt, whatever. Anything that is tight, no matter how long it is, leaves nothing to the imagination, and that defeats the whole purpose of covering the skin in the first place!”
“You don’t even need to see skin; they provide all the curves.”
Another man said: “I would say the Number One problem is any garment that is form fitting, be it jeans, pants, skirt, dress, shirt, whatever. Anything that is tight, no matter how long it is, leaves nothing to the imagination, and that defeats the whole purpose of covering the skin in the first place!”
“One thing I see in my church is tight clothing. Oh, it may very well be covering but it is revealing the shape in a woman. This can be even more tantalizing to a man.”
“The point is that it is not merely the type of clothing that can trip a man up; rather it is the amount and the level of cling to the body.”
As we have seen, tight pants or skinny jeans were designed by Calvin Klein, a bisexual fashion designer. When his super tight pants appeared in 1974, they sold 200,000 pairs in the first week (“Calvin Klein: A Stylish Obsession,” Entrepreneur, Oct. 10, 2008).
Tights worn as pants were designed by Gianni Versace, a homosexual fashion designer who was murdered by a homosexual in 1997.
Godly women who understand what a temptation tight clothing is for men will be careful to avoid this type of attire.
One man wrote: “When I see a woman in a store in town and she is dressed a certain conservative way, I always think, ‘I bet she is a Christian.’ It says a lot about the character of a woman when she shuns the styles of this world and walks in such a way that she wants to let people know that she is different.”
This is the pilgrim lifestyle that the contemporary churches have rejected.
2. The Christian’s clothing is to be sexually distinctive (Ge. 1:27; De. 22:5; 1 Co. 11:14-15).
The woman’s dress is to be distinctively feminine and the man’s distinctively masculine. The modern unisex movement is in rebellion against Almighty God and His Word, and the Christian should have nothing whatsoever to do with any fashion associated with it. Female pants are a unisex fashion statement and play a central role in the modern unisex movement.
Objections Answered:
Objection No. 1: Deuteronomy 22:5 is part of the law of Moses that has been done away in Christ.
Answer: While we know that the law of Moses is not the Christian’s law, it does contain lessons for Christian living. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul recounts many things from the Pentateuch and concludes, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Co. 10:11). Deuteronomy 22:5 contains a moral principle that is written for our admonition. The principle is that there is to be a clear distinction between how men and women dress.
Paul emphasized this in 1 Corinthians 14:34 when he said, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.” Thus, according to Paul, the law of Moses does speak directly to Christian living in the matter of the created difference between male and female.
Objection No. 2: If we follow Deuteronomy 22:5 today we must also follow Deuteronomy 22:9-11, which says we should not sow different kinds of seeds in a garden or wear garments of mixed fibers.
Answer: Though we do not obey these commandments in the material realm today, we still must follow the principle that they teach in the spiritual realm. By giving these commands God was teaching Israel the principle of separation. Such laws were designed to teach them to “put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Le. 10:10). Deuteronomy 22:9-11, then, reminds the New Testament Christian that he is to separate from everything that is evil and wrong before the Lord. Compare Mt. 6:24; 1 Co. 15:33; 2 Co. 6:14-17; 7:1; Eph. 5:11; 1 Jo. 2:15-16, etc.).
Commentators of past centuries, who were not prejudiced one way or the other by the current debate on unisex fashion, held that the teaching of Deuteronomy 22:5 is applicable to dress in the Christian life. They warned that to break down the distinction of sexes by removing the differences in clothing would result in much evil. This is exactly what has happened since unisex fashion has prevailed since the 1960s.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): “The distinction of sexes by the apparel is to be kept up, for the preservation of our own and our neighbour’s chastity, De. 22:5. Nature itself teaches that a difference be made between them in their hair (1 Co. 11:14), and by the same rule in their clothes, which therefore ought not to be confounded, either in ordinary wear or occasionally.”
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man ... It being very unseemly and impudent, and contrary to the modesty of her sex. ... neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; which would betray effeminacy and softness unbecoming men ... since in nature a difference of sexes is made, it is proper and necessary that this should be known by difference of dress, or otherwise many evils might follow; and this precept is agreeable to the law and light of nature...”
ADAM CLARKE (1762-1832): “It is, however, a very good general precept understood literally, and applies particularly to those countries where the dress alone distinguishes between the male and the female. ... Were this to be tolerated in society, it would produce the greatest confusion.” ALBERT BARNES (1789-1870): “The distinction between the sexes is natural and divinely established, and cannot be neglected without indecorum and consequent danger to purity (compare 1 Co. 11:3-15).”
JAMIESON, FAUSSET, BROWN (1864): “They were properly forbidden; for the adoption of the habiliments [clothing] of the one sex by the other is an outrage on decency, obliterates the distinctions of nature by fostering softness and effeminacy in the man, impudence and boldness in the woman as well as levity and hypocrisy in both; and, in short, it opens the door to an influx of so many evils that all who wear the dress of another sex are pronounced ‘an abomination unto the Lord.’”
ARNO GAEBELEIN (1861-1945): “The immediate design of this prohibition was not to prevent licentiousness, or to oppose idolatrous practices; but to maintain the sanctity of that distinction of the sexes, which was established by the creation of man and woman, and in relation to which Israel was not to sin. Every violation or wiping out of this distinction--such even as the emancipation of women--was unnatural, and therefore ‘an abomination in the sight of God. Yet today we find a universal movement in the world for the complete emancipation of women, which ignores and even defies the place which the Creator and the Redeemer has given to woman.”
Perhaps you have observed that many of these older commentators cross-referenced the principle of Deuteronomy 22:5 with that of 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul teaches that the woman and the man are to maintain a difference in appearance. “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Co. 11:14-15).
Paul says the distinction in appearance should be maintained because of the created order and the different roles that the man and the woman were designed to fill.
“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (1 Co. 11:7-9).
God made man and woman for different roles on earth.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM” (Ge. 1:27).
Thus, both the Old and the New Testaments teach that it is God’s will for the man and the woman to dress distinctively. One woman made the following important observation:
“People seem to be playing ‘pick-n-choose’ with Old Testament verses. They want the twenty-third Psalm, the hundredth Psalm, and all the OT verses that won’t affect their lifestyle, but then they try to explain away any OT verse that would have any effect on how they live. Well, 2 Timothy 3:16 says, ‘ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and IS PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (http://www.momof9splace.com/modesty.html).
Why would the godly woman want to be identified with a fashion that is so intimately associated with a movement and philosophy that is in rebellion against God’s created order?
Many men of God have observed that the popularizing of pants-wearing by women in the past 50 years has gone hand-in-hand with a shocking decline in female modesty. One pastor wrote:
“I believe it leads to a breakdown of the sexes, causes immorality and contributes to homosexuality. Pants cause a woman to act masculine. Women today do not know how to sit like a lady or to act modestly because of their pants. They no longer bend at the knees, but they bend at the waist, exposing their chest in even a modest garment. They do not sit with their knees together and the ankles crossed.”
Another wrote:
“Are we godlier today than our grandparent’s generation? I think not! They were scandalized by women who wore pants and swimsuits and mini-skirts. Today, those things are commonly accepted among believers and even in churches.”
Another man said:
“I am 68 years old and have been married to a wonderful, modest lady for 49 years. I am appalled at how so many women dress even in church. My mother is 88 years old and worked in the cotton fields alongside my father back when we did it all by hand. I’ve never seen my mother or either of my grandmothers in pants or shorts and they all worked in the fields. Thank God for the example they were to me. By the way, they all washed their clothes by hand and I never saw any women’s undergarments hanging out on the clothes line for all that passed by to look at. This proves that their modesty went far deeper than what they put on their bodies. It was in their hearts.”
While we can’t turn the clock back to a bygone era, God’s people can hold to the old Bible paths and reject the dictates of this shallow, lascivious, and rebellious age.
3. The Christian’s clothing is to be identified with holiness and godliness and not to be identified with anything that is evil (1 Th. 5:22; Eph. 5:11).
If a clothing style is identified with rebellion against God’s laws, with anarchy, with sexual freedom, with blasphemy, with idolatry, with moral decadence, or with any other evil it should not be worn by a Christian. This would prohibit fashions, for example, that have come out of the world of punk and rap, such as long hair on men, tight masculine jeans on women, torn jeans, low-slung baggy jeans, and such. This would also prohibit tattoos with their identification with rebellion and paganism.
4. The Christian’s clothing is to be characterized by separation from the world (Ro. 12:2; 2 Co. 6:14-17; Tit. 2:12-13; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jo. 2:15-16).
The Christian’s clothing is not to be conformed to anything in the world that is associated with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Examples of fashions that are worldly are indecent female dress styles that flaunt her sexuality and ostentatious fashions that cry, “Look at me.”
5. The Christian’s clothing is to mark him or her as peculiar unto the Lord, as one who has been redeemed from all iniquity and who is zealous for good works (Tit. 2:14).
God’s people are to be separate, peculiar, different, set apart. “Peculiar” is perioúsios, meaning a possession. It describes a people owned by God for His special purposes. It is translated “purchased possession” (Eph. 1:14). The church has been purchased with Christ’s blood (Ac. 20:28). We must bear His stamp. We must stand out from the crowd because we are walking by heaven’s light. We must not fly the world’s flag. When God’s people are no longer peculiar they have compromised the Word of God. We must fear God more than man. We must be more concerned about pleasing God than people. We must not draw back from bearing Christ’s reproach in this wicked world. He said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mr. 8:38). Paul said that if we deny Christ, he also will deny us (2 Ti. 2:12).
6. The Christian’s clothing should not cause others to stumble (Ro. 14:21).
The Bible says that I am my brother’s keeper. Any clothing style that would cause others to lust or that would be a poor example for others to follow should be avoided. We would mention in particular SLIT SKIRTS AND SLIT DRESSES. One purpose for this fashion is to tease men with the flashing effect that is created. Even if the slit is below the knee the effect is very sensual. We once asked a group of young Bible college men if they were tempted sexually by slit skirts, and every one of them admitted that they are. This should speak volumes to Christian women and young ladies to avoid this immodest fashion.
Many women seem to think that the issue of modesty is basically the man’s problem and that if he would keep his eyes to himself that would be the end of the matter.
The fact is that both the man and the woman have a grave responsibility.
Christian men most definitely should keep their eyes in check and say, with Job, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1).
This is not to say, though, that Christian women can dress as they please because they have no responsibility in the matter. If she knows that men are seriously tempted in the matter of sexual lust and if she knows that certain types of dress can cause more problems for men than others, why would a godly girl or woman not want to do everything she can not to cause a potential for stumbling?
As Richard Baxter wrote in the seventeenth century,
“Though it be their [the man’s] sin and vanity that is the cause, it is nevertheless your [the woman’s] sin to be the unnecessary occasion: for you must consider that you live among diseased souls! And you must not lay a stumbling-block in their way, nor blow up the fire of their lust, nor make your ornaments their snares; but you must walk among sinful persons, as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder; or else you may see the flame which you would not foresee, when it is too late to quench it” (Richard Baxter, 1615-1691).
David was a man after God’s own heart, the sweet psalmist of Israel, a man who had determined not to set any wicked thing before his eyes; yet look at what happened to him one evening when he saw a woman bathing on her roof.
Most women don’t properly understand how powerful the visual element is to the man in the realm of sex and sensuality.
One man wrote to say,
“I do believe most women just do not know how men think. Period. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A WHOLE SEGMENT, GROUP, CLASS OF WOMEN, WHO, IF THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD MEN, WOULD CHANGE THEIR DRESS CODE, BECAUSE THEY DO WANT TO PLEASE GOD. ... They just need to understand it’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts set forth to force them in to ‘frumpiness,’ but a desire of godly men to gain their cooperation in helping them NOT lust, and to not be stumbling blocks, because they just want to please God.”
Another man wrote,
“THE BIBLICAL ISSUE OF MODESTY IS BEST UNDERSTOOD BY AN UNDERSTANDING OF DEFRAUDING. No one should take any action whereby he causes desires to be raised in another that cannot be righteously satisfied. ... That our society drenches every inch of media in sexually explicit advertising is a source of much temptation, sadness and concern for this man. Facing that sort of issue with Christian sisters in a church setting is most grievous. I believe the phrase ‘long, loose and lots of it’ should be the motto of Christian women’s apparel.”
7. The older Christians should be an example for the younger (Tit. 2:2-5).
Older women might be able to wear certain clothing styles without causing men to lust, but they need to be examples to girls and to the younger women.
We have considered several biblical tests regarding clothing. In conclusion to this section on unplugging from the world’s fashions we quote the following statement by the late Bruce Lackey about the importance of the heart.
All of this is a matter of the heart. You might get somebody straightened out on the matter of the clothes they ought to wear and they still be just as lost as they were before you met them. Before I talk to anybody about clothes or anything else, the first thing I want to know is what about the heart? Have you been saved? Acts 15:9. Has your heart been purified by faith? Romans 10:9. Have you believed in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead? The first thing I want to know is about the heart and salvation. If you haven’t been saved, it’s not going to help your soul one way or the other to change your clothes. You first have to come to Christ.
If you are saved, it is still a matter of the heart. If I were talking to a Christian about this, the first thing I would want to talk to him about would be the heart. Is your heart right with God? If your heart’s not right with God, you are going to resent every argument and resent anybody even bringing up this discussion.
The Bible talks about the heart. Hebrews 10:22, ‘Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.’
God is talking to Christian people there. And in verses 24 and 25, ‘And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’
Dressing properly is a matter of the heart (Bruce Lackey, “Bible Guidelines for Clothing”).
The book Dressing for the Lord goes into this subject in great detail. This is available from Way of Life Literature.
https://www.wayoflife.org/publications/books/dressing_for.php
Following is a summary of these biblical principles.
1. The woman’s clothing is to be modest (1 Timothy 2:9-10).
2. The Christian’s clothing is to be sexually distinctive (Ge. 1:27; De. 22:5; 1 Co. 11:14-15).
3. The Christian’s clothing is to be identified with holiness and godliness and not to be identified with anything that is evil (1 Th. 5:22; Eph. 5:11).
4. The Christian’s clothing is to be characterized by separation from the world (Ro. 12:2; 2 Co. 6:14-17; Tit. 2:12-13; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jo. 2:15-16).
5. The Christian’s clothing is to mark him or her as peculiar unto the Lord, as one who has been redeemed from all iniquity and who is zealous for good works (Tit. 2:14).
6. The Christian’s clothing should not cause others to stumble (Ro. 14:21).
7. The older Christians should be an example for the younger (Tit. 2:2-5).
1. The woman’s clothing is to be modest (1 Timothy 2:9-10).
Modesty is described in the New Testament by the words “shamefaced” and “sobriety“ (1 Ti. 2:9), “discreet” and “chaste” (Tit. 2:5), and “a meek and quiet spirit” (1 Pe. 3:4). Modesty is first of all a type of heart that reveals itself in the matter of dress.
The context is how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of God (1 Ti. 3:15). We see that modesty in dress is not a “non-essential” and dress is not strictly a matter of personal preference.
“Modest” is the Greek kósmios, which is also translated “of good behaviour” (1 Ti. 3:2). It means “decent and orderly” and describes “an inner self-control--a spiritual ‘radar’ that tells a person what is good and proper” (The Bible Exposition Commentary). Kósmios also translated “of good behaviour” (1 Ti. 3:2). In 1 Timothy 2:9 it refers to clothing that is not disorderly, clothing that represents good behaviour, clothing that is becoming to, suitable for, proper for a woman who is behaving right according to the principles of God’s Word. The Christian woman should not wear anything whatsoever that would be characterized as NOT of good behaviour.
“Shamefacedness” is the Greek aidós, which “has the idea of downcast eyes” and means “bashfulness, i.e. (towards men), modesty or (towards God) awe” (Strong). It implies “a shrinking from trespassing the boundaries of propriety” (William Hendrickson, New Testament Commentary).
Shamefacedness is exactly the opposite of the cheeky, pert, saucy, impertinent, flippant, insubordinate attitude that the world seeks to develop in women.
The shamefaced woman loves God and is committed to obeying His Word, and this is reflected on her face and in every aspect of her life, including her clothing.
A shamefaced Christian woman will not have the rebellious attitude that says, “Don’t tell me how to dress; I will dress as I please!” She will not be stubborn and sassy. She will not say, “I don’t care what some old-fashioned men say about how I dress; that is their problem; I’m not going to be a weirdo!”
A shamefaced woman will not dress indecently. She will not dress in in a sensual way to attract men’s lust. Jesus warned, “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Mt. 5:26). That warning is addressed to men, but the modest woman will not want to do dress in such a way that men are enticed.
“Sobriety” is from the Greek word sóphrosune, which is also translated “soberness” (Acts 26:25). It means “soundness of mind, self control” (Strong), “habitual inner self-government” (Trench), “the well-balanced state of mind arising from habitual self-restraint” (Ellicott), “moderation of the desires and passions, opposed to all that is frivolous and to all undue excitement of the passions” (Barnes).
Sobriety means not to be drunk, neither with alcoholic beverages, nor drugs, nor any other thing. Many professing Christian teenage girls and young women are drunk with the fashions and fads and ways of the world. They are drunk with television, and Hollywood movies and sensual magazines and pop music and YouTube and social media. The Bible and the things of Christ do not excite them, but they are giddy over what some worldly movie star or pop singer or social media celebrity is wearing and doing, and over the latest vain fashion or hair style or cosmetic.
Sobriety is the opposite of foolish, silly, flippant, careless, intoxicated, shallow, worldly, and vain.
“Broided hair” refers to braiding the hair. This does not mean that the Christian woman should not take care of her hair; it is a warning against spending a great deal of time adorning herself in the manner of the world, of making this her focus in life. We agree with the Barnes commentary, which says: “It cannot be supposed that the mere braiding of the hair is forbidden, but only that careful attention to the manner of doing it, and to the ornaments usually worn in it, which characterized worldly females.”
The mention of “gold, or pearls, or costly array” reminds us that it is God’s will that the Christian woman refuse to display an extravagant, showy, worldly appearance. The goal of this world’s godless fashion industry is to create a haughty, ostentatious, worldly-wise look, as well as a sexual look. The godly woman will reject such fashion and clothe herself and her daughters in “modest apparel.”
The meaning of 1 Timothy 2:9 (“not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array”) is further explained in 1 Peter 3:3, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 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.”
Modest clothing is not the type of clothing that draws undue attention to the wearer or that makes the onlooker think that the wearer is improperly consumed with fashion. Modest attire will not draw undue attention to the woman’s hair and clothes but will draw attention to her character. Those who see her will think about what a godly woman she is rather than what a “sexy” or “fancy” or “fashionable” one she is.
The modest woman “adorns herself with good works” (1 Ti. 2:10).
She should be known for her obedience to God and her service to Jesus Christ, rather than for her extravagance in dress or her devotion to sensuality and pleasure.
The worldly woman focuses on the physical and the sensual and the prideful, while the spiritual woman focuses on the things of God. The worldly woman wants to please herself and to conform to society, while the spiritual woman wants to please God. While the spiritual woman dresses in a proper and respectable and feminine manner, this is not the main focus of her life. Her focus is pleasing the Lord and cultivating godliness. She puts on apparel, but she does not put on immodest apparel.
Again, we see from this passage that the Christian woman’s modesty must come from the inside out. It comes from a sober and shamefaced spirit. It is a matter of the heart, which reminds us that it is not enough to set forth dress standards. Every effort must be made to educate women so that they understand the biblical principles of modesty and know the reason for the church’s standards, and every effort must be made to reach their hearts, to challenge them to surrender themselves wholly to Christ and to live for His glory.
The immodest clothing industry understands these things very well and strives to dress women seductively rather than modestly.
Tight, clinging attire is as immodest as skimpy attire because the woman’s figure is emphasized and accented, and the man’s attention is directed to that which is forbidden outside of marriage. Men are strongly influenced sexually by the eye-gate and are attracted to the woman’s curves. The immodest clothing industry understands these things and strives to dress women seductively rather than modestly.
It is important to understand that tight, form-fitting clothes can be just as sexually disturbing to a man as skimpy clothes.
In the book For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men, Shaunti Feldhahn describes the following situation:
“Another husband with a happy twenty-year marriage described another typical scenario: ‘My wife and I recently went out to dinner at a nice restaurant with some friends. The hostess was extremely attractive and was WEARING FORM-FITTING CLOTHES THAT SHOWED OFF A GREAT FIGURE. For the rest of the night, it was impossible not to be aware that she was across the restaurant, walking around. Our group had a great time with our lovely wives, but I guarantee you that our wives didn’t know that every man at that table was acutely aware of that woman’s presence and was doing his utmost not to look in that direction” (p. 114).
In our survey of Christian men on the issue of women’s dress we found that tight clothing is at least as much of a potential problem for men as skimpy clothing. Most of the men indicated that tight skirts and tight blouses and form-fitting jeans hold a “VERY great potential” for lust.
Consider the following statements:
“I would say the number one problem is any garment that is form fitting, be it jeans, pants, skirt, dress, shirt, whatever. Anything that is tight, no matter how long it is, leaves nothing to the imagination, and that defeats the whole purpose of covering the skin in the first place!”
“You don’t even need to see skin; they provide all the curves.”
Another man said: “I would say the Number One problem is any garment that is form fitting, be it jeans, pants, skirt, dress, shirt, whatever. Anything that is tight, no matter how long it is, leaves nothing to the imagination, and that defeats the whole purpose of covering the skin in the first place!”
“One thing I see in my church is tight clothing. Oh, it may very well be covering but it is revealing the shape in a woman. This can be even more tantalizing to a man.”
“The point is that it is not merely the type of clothing that can trip a man up; rather it is the amount and the level of cling to the body.”
As we have seen, tight pants or skinny jeans were designed by Calvin Klein, a bisexual fashion designer. When his super tight pants appeared in 1974, they sold 200,000 pairs in the first week (“Calvin Klein: A Stylish Obsession,” Entrepreneur, Oct. 10, 2008).
Tights worn as pants were designed by Gianni Versace, a homosexual fashion designer who was murdered by a homosexual in 1997.
Godly women who understand what a temptation tight clothing is for men will be careful to avoid this type of attire.
One man wrote: “When I see a woman in a store in town and she is dressed a certain conservative way, I always think, ‘I bet she is a Christian.’ It says a lot about the character of a woman when she shuns the styles of this world and walks in such a way that she wants to let people know that she is different.”
This is the pilgrim lifestyle that the contemporary churches have rejected.
2. The Christian’s clothing is to be sexually distinctive (Ge. 1:27; De. 22:5; 1 Co. 11:14-15).
The woman’s dress is to be distinctively feminine and the man’s distinctively masculine. The modern unisex movement is in rebellion against Almighty God and His Word, and the Christian should have nothing whatsoever to do with any fashion associated with it. Female pants are a unisex fashion statement and play a central role in the modern unisex movement.
Objections Answered:
Objection No. 1: Deuteronomy 22:5 is part of the law of Moses that has been done away in Christ.
Answer: While we know that the law of Moses is not the Christian’s law, it does contain lessons for Christian living. In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul recounts many things from the Pentateuch and concludes, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Co. 10:11). Deuteronomy 22:5 contains a moral principle that is written for our admonition. The principle is that there is to be a clear distinction between how men and women dress.
Paul emphasized this in 1 Corinthians 14:34 when he said, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.” Thus, according to Paul, the law of Moses does speak directly to Christian living in the matter of the created difference between male and female.
Objection No. 2: If we follow Deuteronomy 22:5 today we must also follow Deuteronomy 22:9-11, which says we should not sow different kinds of seeds in a garden or wear garments of mixed fibers.
Answer: Though we do not obey these commandments in the material realm today, we still must follow the principle that they teach in the spiritual realm. By giving these commands God was teaching Israel the principle of separation. Such laws were designed to teach them to “put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Le. 10:10). Deuteronomy 22:9-11, then, reminds the New Testament Christian that he is to separate from everything that is evil and wrong before the Lord. Compare Mt. 6:24; 1 Co. 15:33; 2 Co. 6:14-17; 7:1; Eph. 5:11; 1 Jo. 2:15-16, etc.).
Commentators of past centuries, who were not prejudiced one way or the other by the current debate on unisex fashion, held that the teaching of Deuteronomy 22:5 is applicable to dress in the Christian life. They warned that to break down the distinction of sexes by removing the differences in clothing would result in much evil. This is exactly what has happened since unisex fashion has prevailed since the 1960s.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): “The distinction of sexes by the apparel is to be kept up, for the preservation of our own and our neighbour’s chastity, De. 22:5. Nature itself teaches that a difference be made between them in their hair (1 Co. 11:14), and by the same rule in their clothes, which therefore ought not to be confounded, either in ordinary wear or occasionally.”
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man ... It being very unseemly and impudent, and contrary to the modesty of her sex. ... neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; which would betray effeminacy and softness unbecoming men ... since in nature a difference of sexes is made, it is proper and necessary that this should be known by difference of dress, or otherwise many evils might follow; and this precept is agreeable to the law and light of nature...”
ADAM CLARKE (1762-1832): “It is, however, a very good general precept understood literally, and applies particularly to those countries where the dress alone distinguishes between the male and the female. ... Were this to be tolerated in society, it would produce the greatest confusion.” ALBERT BARNES (1789-1870): “The distinction between the sexes is natural and divinely established, and cannot be neglected without indecorum and consequent danger to purity (compare 1 Co. 11:3-15).”
JAMIESON, FAUSSET, BROWN (1864): “They were properly forbidden; for the adoption of the habiliments [clothing] of the one sex by the other is an outrage on decency, obliterates the distinctions of nature by fostering softness and effeminacy in the man, impudence and boldness in the woman as well as levity and hypocrisy in both; and, in short, it opens the door to an influx of so many evils that all who wear the dress of another sex are pronounced ‘an abomination unto the Lord.’”
ARNO GAEBELEIN (1861-1945): “The immediate design of this prohibition was not to prevent licentiousness, or to oppose idolatrous practices; but to maintain the sanctity of that distinction of the sexes, which was established by the creation of man and woman, and in relation to which Israel was not to sin. Every violation or wiping out of this distinction--such even as the emancipation of women--was unnatural, and therefore ‘an abomination in the sight of God. Yet today we find a universal movement in the world for the complete emancipation of women, which ignores and even defies the place which the Creator and the Redeemer has given to woman.”
Perhaps you have observed that many of these older commentators cross-referenced the principle of Deuteronomy 22:5 with that of 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul teaches that the woman and the man are to maintain a difference in appearance. “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Co. 11:14-15).
Paul says the distinction in appearance should be maintained because of the created order and the different roles that the man and the woman were designed to fill.
“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (1 Co. 11:7-9).
God made man and woman for different roles on earth.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM” (Ge. 1:27).
Thus, both the Old and the New Testaments teach that it is God’s will for the man and the woman to dress distinctively. One woman made the following important observation:
“People seem to be playing ‘pick-n-choose’ with Old Testament verses. They want the twenty-third Psalm, the hundredth Psalm, and all the OT verses that won’t affect their lifestyle, but then they try to explain away any OT verse that would have any effect on how they live. Well, 2 Timothy 3:16 says, ‘ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and IS PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (http://www.momof9splace.com/modesty.html).
Why would the godly woman want to be identified with a fashion that is so intimately associated with a movement and philosophy that is in rebellion against God’s created order?
Many men of God have observed that the popularizing of pants-wearing by women in the past 50 years has gone hand-in-hand with a shocking decline in female modesty. One pastor wrote:
“I believe it leads to a breakdown of the sexes, causes immorality and contributes to homosexuality. Pants cause a woman to act masculine. Women today do not know how to sit like a lady or to act modestly because of their pants. They no longer bend at the knees, but they bend at the waist, exposing their chest in even a modest garment. They do not sit with their knees together and the ankles crossed.”
Another wrote:
“Are we godlier today than our grandparent’s generation? I think not! They were scandalized by women who wore pants and swimsuits and mini-skirts. Today, those things are commonly accepted among believers and even in churches.”
Another man said:
“I am 68 years old and have been married to a wonderful, modest lady for 49 years. I am appalled at how so many women dress even in church. My mother is 88 years old and worked in the cotton fields alongside my father back when we did it all by hand. I’ve never seen my mother or either of my grandmothers in pants or shorts and they all worked in the fields. Thank God for the example they were to me. By the way, they all washed their clothes by hand and I never saw any women’s undergarments hanging out on the clothes line for all that passed by to look at. This proves that their modesty went far deeper than what they put on their bodies. It was in their hearts.”
While we can’t turn the clock back to a bygone era, God’s people can hold to the old Bible paths and reject the dictates of this shallow, lascivious, and rebellious age.
3. The Christian’s clothing is to be identified with holiness and godliness and not to be identified with anything that is evil (1 Th. 5:22; Eph. 5:11).
If a clothing style is identified with rebellion against God’s laws, with anarchy, with sexual freedom, with blasphemy, with idolatry, with moral decadence, or with any other evil it should not be worn by a Christian. This would prohibit fashions, for example, that have come out of the world of punk and rap, such as long hair on men, tight masculine jeans on women, torn jeans, low-slung baggy jeans, and such. This would also prohibit tattoos with their identification with rebellion and paganism.
4. The Christian’s clothing is to be characterized by separation from the world (Ro. 12:2; 2 Co. 6:14-17; Tit. 2:12-13; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jo. 2:15-16).
The Christian’s clothing is not to be conformed to anything in the world that is associated with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Examples of fashions that are worldly are indecent female dress styles that flaunt her sexuality and ostentatious fashions that cry, “Look at me.”
5. The Christian’s clothing is to mark him or her as peculiar unto the Lord, as one who has been redeemed from all iniquity and who is zealous for good works (Tit. 2:14).
God’s people are to be separate, peculiar, different, set apart. “Peculiar” is perioúsios, meaning a possession. It describes a people owned by God for His special purposes. It is translated “purchased possession” (Eph. 1:14). The church has been purchased with Christ’s blood (Ac. 20:28). We must bear His stamp. We must stand out from the crowd because we are walking by heaven’s light. We must not fly the world’s flag. When God’s people are no longer peculiar they have compromised the Word of God. We must fear God more than man. We must be more concerned about pleasing God than people. We must not draw back from bearing Christ’s reproach in this wicked world. He said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mr. 8:38). Paul said that if we deny Christ, he also will deny us (2 Ti. 2:12).
6. The Christian’s clothing should not cause others to stumble (Ro. 14:21).
The Bible says that I am my brother’s keeper. Any clothing style that would cause others to lust or that would be a poor example for others to follow should be avoided. We would mention in particular SLIT SKIRTS AND SLIT DRESSES. One purpose for this fashion is to tease men with the flashing effect that is created. Even if the slit is below the knee the effect is very sensual. We once asked a group of young Bible college men if they were tempted sexually by slit skirts, and every one of them admitted that they are. This should speak volumes to Christian women and young ladies to avoid this immodest fashion.
Many women seem to think that the issue of modesty is basically the man’s problem and that if he would keep his eyes to himself that would be the end of the matter.
The fact is that both the man and the woman have a grave responsibility.
Christian men most definitely should keep their eyes in check and say, with Job, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1).
This is not to say, though, that Christian women can dress as they please because they have no responsibility in the matter. If she knows that men are seriously tempted in the matter of sexual lust and if she knows that certain types of dress can cause more problems for men than others, why would a godly girl or woman not want to do everything she can not to cause a potential for stumbling?
As Richard Baxter wrote in the seventeenth century,
“Though it be their [the man’s] sin and vanity that is the cause, it is nevertheless your [the woman’s] sin to be the unnecessary occasion: for you must consider that you live among diseased souls! And you must not lay a stumbling-block in their way, nor blow up the fire of their lust, nor make your ornaments their snares; but you must walk among sinful persons, as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder; or else you may see the flame which you would not foresee, when it is too late to quench it” (Richard Baxter, 1615-1691).
David was a man after God’s own heart, the sweet psalmist of Israel, a man who had determined not to set any wicked thing before his eyes; yet look at what happened to him one evening when he saw a woman bathing on her roof.
Most women don’t properly understand how powerful the visual element is to the man in the realm of sex and sensuality.
One man wrote to say,
“I do believe most women just do not know how men think. Period. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A WHOLE SEGMENT, GROUP, CLASS OF WOMEN, WHO, IF THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD MEN, WOULD CHANGE THEIR DRESS CODE, BECAUSE THEY DO WANT TO PLEASE GOD. ... They just need to understand it’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts set forth to force them in to ‘frumpiness,’ but a desire of godly men to gain their cooperation in helping them NOT lust, and to not be stumbling blocks, because they just want to please God.”
Another man wrote,
“THE BIBLICAL ISSUE OF MODESTY IS BEST UNDERSTOOD BY AN UNDERSTANDING OF DEFRAUDING. No one should take any action whereby he causes desires to be raised in another that cannot be righteously satisfied. ... That our society drenches every inch of media in sexually explicit advertising is a source of much temptation, sadness and concern for this man. Facing that sort of issue with Christian sisters in a church setting is most grievous. I believe the phrase ‘long, loose and lots of it’ should be the motto of Christian women’s apparel.”
7. The older Christians should be an example for the younger (Tit. 2:2-5).
Older women might be able to wear certain clothing styles without causing men to lust, but they need to be examples to girls and to the younger women.
We have considered several biblical tests regarding clothing. In conclusion to this section on unplugging from the world’s fashions we quote the following statement by the late Bruce Lackey about the importance of the heart.
All of this is a matter of the heart. You might get somebody straightened out on the matter of the clothes they ought to wear and they still be just as lost as they were before you met them. Before I talk to anybody about clothes or anything else, the first thing I want to know is what about the heart? Have you been saved? Acts 15:9. Has your heart been purified by faith? Romans 10:9. Have you believed in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead? The first thing I want to know is about the heart and salvation. If you haven’t been saved, it’s not going to help your soul one way or the other to change your clothes. You first have to come to Christ.
If you are saved, it is still a matter of the heart. If I were talking to a Christian about this, the first thing I would want to talk to him about would be the heart. Is your heart right with God? If your heart’s not right with God, you are going to resent every argument and resent anybody even bringing up this discussion.
The Bible talks about the heart. Hebrews 10:22, ‘Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.’
God is talking to Christian people there. And in verses 24 and 25, ‘And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’
Dressing properly is a matter of the heart (Bruce Lackey, “Bible Guidelines for Clothing”).
The book Dressing for the Lord goes into this subject in great detail. This is available from Way of Life Literature.
https://www.wayoflife.org/publications/books/dressing_for.php
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