INTRODUCTION
Billions of dollars are made every year through the sale of beauty products, fashionable attire and footwear. Multimedia promotions through seductive and enticing advertisements lure the young and the old to purchase things they do not need. As long as the sales go up, not an ounce of conscience will bother these giant retailers who “suck” every cent from the pockets of young naïve girls especially, who think that beauty is skin deep. They must purchase the latest “fashion” to be labelled “cool” and fashionable by their peers. Some have been brainwashed into believing that their parents are ancient dinosaurs who live in the dark ages. There seems to be a chasm between them and their parents. They keep on buying and it seems nothing can stop them from decorating themselves with the latest fashion year after year till the day they die!
The above paragraph ought to describe the world only. Sadly it does not. It is a description of professing Christians as well. The influences of the world over our lives are mind boggling. An emphasis on our appearance is normal. Generally, we all like to look good. However, the difference between looking good and looking like the world is a very fine line. Looking good is God honouring. But looking like the world is carnal and is a sin against God. The duty of the Christian woman is similar to the Christian man’s duty. This is seen in the use of the phrase “in like manner also”. This means that the verb “I will” in 1 Timothy: 8 applies to the Christian woman as well. Just as it is God’s purpose for the Christian man to fulfill the duty of the Christian man, so the Christian woman must fulfill hers. The immediate context of this verse is in the church but it is most applicable to every aspect of her life too. Note the use of “everywhere” in verse 8.
The Christian woman’s duty in verse 9 is focuses on adornment. The word “adorn” means “to arrange in an orderly manner” or “to decorate.” The Greek word for “adorn” is “kos-meo.” The root word in Greek is “kos-mos” from which the English word “cosmetic” originates. “To adorn” is to put something on one’s body for others to see. When a person decorates his home, there is a particular focus or theme. It could be contemporary or country-like, modern or avant-garde. The right kind of furniture is purchased to achieve the desired effect and emphasis, as are the decorations, for others to admire. In the case of the Christian woman, how she “decorates” herself for others to see will be her witness for Christ in this world.
I. DECORATE WITH MODEST APPAREL – The first emphasis is to decorate herself in modest apparel. The Greek word for “modest” is “kos-mi-os” which also has the same Greek root word “kos-mos.” When applied to the apparel, it means an apparel that is “arranged in an orderly manner”, i.e. modest. This word “kos-mi-os” appears only twice in the entire NT. The only other occurrence is in 1Timothy 3:2 which is translated in the KJV as “good behaviour” referring to the person’s orderly arrangement of his behaviour or conduct. In the context of 1Timothy 2:9, it means that the Christian woman’s dressing must be modest. She must not dress in a manner whereby her emphasis is on her physical looks to appeal to the lust of the flesh. Some examples would include dresses, skirts, blouses and pants that are very figure-hugging which draw attention to the body. Very short dresses and skirts also pander to the lust of the flesh and they are to be rejected. Front and back low cut blouses and dresses are designed by the world to inflame the lust of the flesh. Christian women who dress in this manner are carnal because they deliberately draw attention to their bodies for the purpose of inciting the lust of the flesh. Do not confuse drab and unkempt dressing with modest apparel. Modest apparel is also smart and pleasing to the eyes. It is dignified and reflects the inner beauty that the Christian woman has through Christ her Lord.
The fashion of the world is ruled by Satan because he is the prince of this world. The “fashion world” is immoral with the sole purpose to make money. This is not to say that there are no designs out there that are modest. Satan is diabolical enough to know that a mix of modest with immodest apparel makes the deception more palatable for the naïve and the vain! Magazines and movie stars promote and dictate the modern fashion today from the latest hairdo to the latest accessories. The top-to-toe and everything-in-between fashion phenomena is not going away. Christian mothers and fathers must teach and warn their daughters to dress modestly from infancy. If they do not, then they will pay a heavy price when their daughters fall into many other sins of the flesh that accompany immodest dressing. The best way to teach our daughters is to be an example ourselves in the way we dress. Christian mothers who do not dress in modest apparel will be the greatest stumbling block to their daughter. No matter what anyone might say or preach, the “voice” of the mother’s dressing will speak the loudest.
Christian parents desire their sons and daughters to marry godly spouses. But if the daughter’s emphasis is carnality and immodesty, she will only attract carnal men. Godly men will look for godly characteristics and carnal men are attracted to the flesh. Godly daughters with godly attributes and who fear God will definitely be a focus for godly men to be their spouses. With godliness, our godly daughters will be able to discern the godly men when God sends them into their lives. Modest apparel must not be worn only on Sundays for church but it must be a way of life. Everywhere she goes, whether it is in the work-place or away on holiday, the Christian woman dresses modestly because she is convicted by what honours her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She bears His Name when she calls herself a Christian and therefore she must ensure that all who look at her sees Christ in her. This is her Christian duty as determined by Christ for her life. She does it obediently and cheerfully and must not allow worldly fashion to dictate how she ought to dress.
II. DECORATE WITH BASHFULNESS AND SELF-CONTROL – The Christian woman does this with shamefacedness and sobriety. The Greek word for “shamefacedness” is “bashfulness.” It literally means that the person looks down with her eyes downcast. She does not look up and stare at the person. Bashfulness is a dead trait in our society. Many girls and women no longer feel shame; they brazenly expose themselves in public. This is evidence that the days of Sodom and Gomorrah are before us. Fornication is a way of life. This level of depravity did not happen overnight. It took decades of re-programming the mindset of women to cause them to lose their bashfulness. God says that Christian women should feel bashful if they ever dress in a manner that is unseemly in public. They are not to parade themselves like a show horse prancing in the market place for buyers to make their bid. They ought also to be ashamed when they see others dress immodestly. Christian women should possess this attribute of shamefacedness.
This godly characteristic is accompanied by “sobriety.” The Greek word for “sobriety” means “to have self-control.” It comes from the root word which means “discreet.” The manner in which a Christian woman dresses begins with her mind. If she thinks and believes that immodesty is fine and not shameful, she would just dress so and flaunt her body without shame. However, the Bible makes in abundantly clear that the Christian woman has self-control. It is within her just judgement as a child of God through Christ Jesus to think modestly and therefore act and live in a manner that is discreet and not worldly. She has a mind of her own that is controlled by the Word of God and not the world. She is guided by her biblical convictions and inner beauty which is godliness that is of great price. She seeks to develop her inner beauty and to let it shine through. She will not allow any immodest dressing to dull the godliness she has received through Christ. She knows that how she dresses can bring shame to the name of Christ which she bears everywhere she goes. This is the self-control that the Bible speaks of here which every Christian woman is charged by God to show forth by the way she dresses.
III. DO NOT DECORATE WITH THESE – The opposite of modest dressing is carnal dressing. From the onset, it is good to explain that there is nothing wrong with braided hair or wearing gold or pearls or costly array. Abraham, in Genesis 24, gave ten camels full of precious jewels, gold, silver and garments to Rebekah as dowry to be Isaac’s wife. The problem is not the putting on of these items but the attention they engender. Note that the immediate context of 1Timothy 2:9 is the place of worship, which is the church. These extravagant items will surely become a distraction. They might be appropriate afor certain functions such as wedding and company dinners but they are most inappropriate for the church. The purpose of coming to church is for worship and prayer. Such fancy accessorizing becomes a sure distraction. John Gill commented rightly when he wrote, “however justifiable such a dress may be at other seasons, the apostle judged it very improper at the time of public prayer, or at the time of public worship; seeing it might swell the heart of the wearer with pride, so as to forget herself and the business she was come about, and draw the eyes of others upon her; and so cause a general inattention. It was a complaint of Chrysostom's many hundreds of years ago, that some who came to public worship, appeared in such a dress, as if they came rather to dance than to pray; such apparel should be avoided.” [Swordsearcher 6.1]
CONCLUSION – Modest dressing must be the hallmark of the Christian woman just as the hallmark of every Christian man is to pray everywhere. She is to dress modestly with bashfulness and self-control. These are virtues that must characterize who she now is in Christ Jesus. The accolades of the world based upon carnal desires and demonstrations of carnality such as fashion shows and beauty pageants are sinful and most damaging to her Christian witness. She shames the name of Christ when she indulges in such sins and practices. May the Christian women in our churches today honour God by dressing modestly, which becomes women professing godliness. Amen.