There was no need for false modes-ty between husband and wife, for they were one flesh. . If we are to apply its teaching properly in our day, we must understand some of the underlying reasoning. In light of the context, it is unlikely that she simply arranged her hair in a modest manner. * Immodest clothing, jewelry, and makeup appeal to the lust of the eyes, which is the second major area of worldliness. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. So if I am living a life that speaks of opposing Gods standards for His people, what kind of Christian am I truly being? Holy Magic Hair: How Fundamentalist Christianity Gets Women To The greater masculinity in dress and conduct helps to confuse societal, familial, and sexual roles. 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). The Teaching of Paul: Is Divorce Compatible with Church Office? . However, there must be a minimum of modesty that is absolute. . ), The Pulpit Commentary clearly states the teachings of Deuteronomy 22:5 and dispels the foregoing objections: That which pertaineth to a man; literally, the apparatus of a man, (including, not dress merely, but implements, tools, weapons, and utensils). Judahs signet and bracelet was actually a seal with its cord (Genesis 38:18, NKJV and NIV). If clothing is modest and if there is a clear differentiation between male and female, the precise style of clothing in a particular culture is not important. We can give many examples: dress and hairstyle of hippies in the 1960s, Mao suits of the Communist Chinese, use of uniforms by many organizations, business clothes, clothing of ethnic groups, similarity of dress among teenagers, dress of rock stars and fans, styles worn by homosexuals, clothing worn by prostitutes, and fads and fashions in general. We must never use dress to promote immodest conduct, and no degree of external modesty can cover up an immodest, lustful spirit. However, we reject the notion that it takes cosmetics to make a woman attractive. If we interpret I Peter 3:3 to refer to all hair arrangements, all wearing of gold, and all wearing of clothing, then obviously it is not an absolute prohibition. ), The Pulpit Commentary, V, 355. A preoccupation with outward adorning invests time and energy in something that simply is not profitable. It could only be due to the larger principle of sex distinction in dress. According to Thayers Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, aidos means a sense of shame, modesty, and reverence. True adornment in the sight of God and godly men is holiness of spirit, not physical beauty. Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, making a jingling with their feet, therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will uncover their secret parts. We must ask what practices of the time concerned God enough for Him to inspire this passage. If their primary purpose is functional use, not ornamentation, nothing is wrong with using them in moderation. Both toleration and caution are necessary in this area. Originally, God created their bodies with glory and beauty. Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shone unto him? * 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. The primary reason Christian women choose to wear head coverings during worship is to adhere to the Holy Tradition of the Church. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. One possible exception might be wedding rings, particularly simple wedding bands. Where did they get this jewelry originally? He points out the early church's interpretation regarding Paul's use of komo () and kme () is uniform! . Using a pleasant smell is the same as using a pleasant color in makeup. This objection ignores the evidence of Scripture itself. The clothing they made was inadequate; God had to cover them with garments made from animal skins (Genesis 3:21). In all these injunctions the dominating idea is the avoidance of anything designed merely to promote ostentation, with all its accompanying dangers.1. The New Testament affirms that effeminate men will not inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10). (Riverside, Cal. 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 does mention per-fumes favorably, but it always mentions makeup unfavorably. Again, in Hosea 2:13, God likened His unfaithful people to an adulterous woman who wore jewelry: She decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.. Without exception, the Bible always associates the use of makeup with wicked women. These things breed pride and vanity, building up the human ego. Verse 5, however, is manifestly part of the moral law: (1) God designed it to prevent certain moral evils such as blurring of sexual roles and homosexuality. 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. * Our culture now accepts the use of makeup; the negative connotations of makeup no longer exist. Perhaps society does not associate makeup with harlotry as it used to, but does this mean God no longer thinks of those associations? * The Old Testament descriptions of wicked women who wore makeup also describe those women doing accept able things such as washing with water and wearing colored clothing. Many acceptable things can be done by an evil person or can become evil only because of an evil motive. (5) The few passages that do mention jewelry in a favorable light are symbolic of blessings or spiritual treasures and do not endorse personal ornamentation (Proverbs 1:9; 25:12; Song of Solomon 5:14-15; Ezekiel 16:11-13; Malachi 3:17). When a woman begins to wear a new article of jewelry, such as a ring, often her behavior and attitude will change noticeably. 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. However, when all women in society wear slacks, the distinction between male and female blurs. Rather, He wants Christians to be identified clearly as such even in outward appearance. 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. 12John Leo, The Comeback of Womanly Wiles, Time Magazine, January 30, 1984, p. 82. When an entire society abandons Gods law, then the consequences become more obvious. Who says a woman is dull and drab unless she wears makeup and jewelry? .Judges 5:30.16 Nelsons Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament says, The root meaning to be strong is no longer obvious in the usage of geber, since it is a synonym of ishA geber denotes a male, as an antonym of a woman. 17 It also says the word appears sixty times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Are these laws void? Clothing has many other uses besides adornment, such as modesty, warmth, and protection. This argument is not valid because chapter 22 contains laws against adultery (verse 22), rape (verses 23-27), and incest (verse 30). Many men prefer for their wives or girlfriends to wear dresses, particularly on special occasions, because they look and act more feminine this way. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, aischros is defined as that which is opposed to modesty or purity.. They gave all their jewelry to God, to be melted down and used in construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:22). When Jacob went back to Bethel to renew his relationship with God, he disposed of all the idols and earrings belonging to his family (Genesis 35:1-7). Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. The Israelites fulfilled this ceremonial law physically, but today we fulfill the principle spiritually. Thanks for watching!READ MY NEW BLOG P. In applying the foregoing scriptural concepts, we can draw several important biblical principles and make practical applications for our day. Answer. Anyone who "really gets saved" is expected to shave, while growing facial hair out signifies backsliding. Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or cost-ly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works (I Timothy 2:8-10, NKJV). This suggests that clothes should cover the torso and upper limbs. We must carefully evaluate their use if we use them at all. "Kome" is the Greek noun translated "hair" in the phrase "for her hair is given her for a covering" (v. 15). They received jewels of silver and gold from the Egyptians (Exodus 11:2). We become what we think upon and spend time upon. * As the preceding discussion indicates, our dress is an important statement to God. We reject extreme luxury and ostentation in all areas of life. I was shocked at the subtle change in their conduct and the con-duct of men towards them. * The Christian is not to love the things of the world (James 4:4; I John 2:15). The KJV of 1611 used the word shamefastness, meaning to be stedfast in modesty. Hair - APOSTOLIC INFORMATION SERVICE Why shouldnt a woman try to look nice? When David saw Bathsheba bathing, he yielded to the temptation to commit adultery (II Samuel 11:1-5). 10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Pretty much, Apostolic standards for women! Women should not wear attire that is distinctively male, which for Western clothing means trousers, slacks, or pants. Paul exhorted men and women to approach God in holiness, mentioning specific problems each sex had in his day. Christians are called to live a life holy and acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11). What you wear affects your performance. We obey this teaching for the following reasons derived from that passage: (1) It demonstrates the wifes submission to the husband. This passage tells us that if a woman refuses to wear a covering. Verses 10-12 teach the principle of separation. How does it compare with the time and money I spend for necessities, for others, for Gods church? The answer may vary somewhat depending on culture, society, station in life, and occasion. . 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. However, this material may freely be used for personal study or purposes. Finally, the heart must be modest and motives pure. In this case, it comes from Apostolic Pentecostals' beliefs about baptism. If for her husband, he should be more interested in her inner beauty, and any physical display should be in private for his eyes only. As one reference states, The veil was the distinctive female wearing apparel. Do all of Paul's words have apostolic authority or are there exceptions? We must not only be right in the sight of God, we must appear right in the sight of all mankind (Romans 12:17; II Corinthians 8:21). ////////////////////* Don't forget to pick up some AWESOME Yapa Apparel! 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. What's an Apostolic Christian and why is Kim Davis's hair so long It goes on to say that a womans hair is given to her for a covering. Perfume could possibly play a small part in seduction (and should not be Ko used), but it has only a fraction of the power that im-modest dress, makeup, and ornaments have to attract attention, accentuate sensuality, and encourage lust. Well, I am glad you asked!