Did God Define Modesty?
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8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Differences in the law.
The law changed during three dispensations
Moral laws do not change
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
9 In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment;
Has God defined what he means by modest apparel?
adorn means
to arrange
modest means
modest: “observing the proprieties of sex, chaste, decent.”
Genesis 3.
v. 21 - coats of skin = kethoneth
a long, shirt-like garment, generally with sleeves, that covered Adam and Eve from their shoulders to their knees
modesty/nakedness is a part of God’s moral standard and does not change.
42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
Linen breeches (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) is an article of clothing covered from the waist to a little above the knee.
26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.
This would give us an understanding about what is going on in this passage.
3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and will spare no man.
9 In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment;
the word apparel is from a Greek word that means to send down.
“some of the Greek women wore their robes open on each side, from the bottom up above the knee, so as to discover a part of the thigh. These were termed ‘discoverers’ of the thigh; but it was, in general, only the young girls or immodest women who wore them thus”
7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat about him (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea.
Can Apparel Identify One’s Heart?
Can Apparel Identify One’s Heart?
10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
Can wear the attire of a harlot.
27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Men should not be looking at a woman to lust after her (save his own wife).
1 And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come!
If you are dressed immodestly and you cause someone to stumble you have a responsibility in the matter.
If you are dressed immodestly you could cause someone to stumble and that shows that you don’t care about people’s souls.
Don’t be selfish. Think about what you are wearing and whether it promotes godliness or not.
19 And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
This was expensive. Estimated at over 1 million dollars
They had been practicing something that was wrong and instead of giving these valuables away/selling them. They burned them.
Brethren ought to throw out their immodest attire.
Some things may be immodest but could be altered or worn with other things to be made modest. Other things may just have to be eliminated.
Why is this going on in the church?
Tim Kidwell
The only reasons I can think of that a man would allow his family to dress immodestly and visit the sinful environment are: He enjoys the atmosphere himself and will sacrifice his wife and children to feed his lust, or he is not man enough to stand up to his wife and family and insist they dress godly. Neither makes sense for a normal thinking spiritual man.
In times past culture thought it immodest to show calves and ankles.
Describe Bethany church building.
If culture dictates that we must cover more than what God says we follow it to save those who do not understand the truth.
If society says a person is modest by wearing less than God commands, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Someone might say, “This doesn’t affect me.”
2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.
We need to remember:
Just because something doesn't bother you, doesn’t make it right with God.
All are judged by the same standard
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day.
We must pursue righteousness
10 not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world:
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?
Well my sport necessitates that I wear.
Olympics news for the last several years.
Sexualization of athletes
“If an activity calls for a person to violate God’s commands, then a Christian should not participate in it.
Gospel Preachers Responses
Gospel Preachers Responses
Is there a faithful gospel preacher among us who would defend the modem day swimming attire and the beach environment? As a younger preacher in my early thirties, several men who defended this attire and atmosphere challenged me. They considered me still “green” and “wet behind the ears.” These “spiritually-minded” brethren believed we should teach modest attire; but we should not give examples of what is immodest or identify environments that promote immodest attire. They were convinced that if I were to consult older, more seasoned preachers concerning this subject, I would learn that I was only preaching my opinion. Without hesitation I agreed and wrote several well-known gospel preachers. I informed them of the situation and asked for their input considering my conclusions. Here are excerpts from their replies.
Garland Elkins from the Memphis School of Preaching wrote, “You are on solid, and safe scriptural ground when you oppose immodesty. The Bible certainly teaches that immodesty is sinful. There are many defenders of immodesty, but there is no defense. Of course the activity of swimming is not wrong, but the scant bathing suits, and near nudity are indeed wrong. It is wrong to expose one’s nakedness whether in a bathing suit, shorts, or a dress, etc. It is proper to give examples of immodesty.”
E. Claude Gardner, President Emeritus of Freed-Hardeman University wrote, “Some may believe that they can participate in mixed swimming without consequences, but their participation may become a stumbling block to others.”
Buster Dobbs, editor of The Firm Foundation wrote, “Shamefacedness helps define the word modest. It means among other things, bashful. A person who is timid, shy, and easily embarrassed will not expose as much flesh as the average bathing suit bares. Someone asked the question, If today’s swimming attire is modest, how much more would a person have to take off to be immodest? Your position on this question is doubtless correct.”
Leroy Brownlow, minister, writer and publisher wrote, “We know that we are considering a command (1 Tim. 2:9). And we know that the purpose of a command is to apply it and control the conduct of an individual. Why have a command if you don’t apply it? Yet there are those who don’t object to preaching First Timothy 2:9, if you don’t apply it. But if a preacher does not help the people to apply a command what is his job?
Robert Taylor, minister and writer wrote, “You are right in what you preached and they should hold high your hands. You were right to name mixed swimming as a specific example of immodest dress… The families there who participate in such should give it up promptly. Such is not becoming a Christian.”
Johnny Ramsey, minister and teacher for the Browntrail School of Preaching wrote, “I agree with you 100%. What you said and the applications made are needed everywhere. We must apply what we preach on any subject and certainly on modesty in these wicked and worldly days.”
Hardeman Nichols, minister wrote, “Thus, with the two terms, “modest” and “shamefacedness,” this scripture commands modest apparel from a modest heart which is rooted in a character that considers the effect of a Christian’s dress upon others and would always restrain a good person from an unworthy act or appearance. In the light of the language, I believe a mature heart must reach the conclusion that the type of dress and the close proximity of both sexes in the general setting of mixed swimming is forbidden by Christians… . I would not be surprised if some good people do not know how to apply the principles of the Bible to many specific cases of immodesty. Since we live in such an immodest age, it would be easy for one’s sensibilities to be dull…. Does the scanty attire associated with swimming where both sexes are present war against my soul or the souls of others? I think the answer is obvious. Then God begs us to abstain from that attire. That goes for both male and female alike.”
David Pharr, minister, writer, past director of the East Tennessee School of Preaching wrote, “In summary, of course you are right in warning against swimming suits, or anything else, which provoke lust. There are times when such things need to be specifically named…”
Perry B. Cotham, minister, writer, missionary, wrote, “…I realize in our days of loose morals many do not have much modesty, and this is true of many members of the church… The scanty covering of the new ladies’ bathing suit would to me not be very modest… I do not know of any good, faithful gospel preacher who would condone or endorse such a practice.”
V.P. Black minister and writer said, ‘The Bible has much to say about modesty. We are living in an age when the world looks upon modesty as a joke. We as children of God should look upon modesty in the light of the word of God and not in the light of the world. There is not anything wrong with giving examples.”
Winfred Clark, elder, minister, author, wrote, “As to the matter of modesty, there can be no doubt that mixed swimming, males and females, would violate the teaching of First Timothy 2:9. If a swimsuit would not be immodest by Paul’s definition then it would be hard to find a garment that could be called immodest. I am sure you know that Thayer defines apparel as; ‘a lowering a letting down, a garment let down.’ It seems that the background would be that of ladies who went into the fields to work and would raise their dresses and fold them into something like a belt or girdle. Thus Paul would speak of the lowering the garment to cover the nakedness thus exposed. One would surely have a difficult time lowering the modem attire used for swimming.”
20 preachers were written concerning this subject and 19 of them said the same thing.