What is modesty?

The common question of how people should dress for church is always an interesting subject that gets brought up in many churches.  Some groups say you should come as you are, in whatever attire you are wearing, since Jesus Christ said – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NIV)  On the other hand, others say you should wear your Sunday’s best to church because they say King Solomon inferred that everyone always brought their best before the Lord, with the words – “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops….” (Proverbs 3:9 NIV)  Yet other people in churches say you should wear suits and dresses, as the Apostle Paul taught that women should dress in modesty – “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes….” (I Timothy 3:9 NIV)

How you dress for church may not seem like a big issue.  However, how people dress in church usually has deep roots in how they interpret the Bible and perceive their faith in God.  Unfortunately, over the years, how many people have suffered the repercussions of possibly being alienated away from the Christian faith, after getting shunned away from a church for not wearing the proper attire?  How many people have been treated as second-class citizens in churches for not dressing up when attending church services?  Worse yet, how many have actually been asked to leave churches for the same thing?  Then of course, there are many groups who try to swing the imaginary church pendulum to the other extreme by going completely casual, and inadvertently looking down on people who actually more conservative.

 

In the Old Testament, the Aaronic priests wore sacred garments that set them apart from the people, since the priests were the ones who made the sacrificial offerings to God.  These garments were made out of fine linen, as stated by the following the words of instruction given by the Lord through Moses.

“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, they may serve me as priests.  Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor…. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests.  Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.” (Exodus 28:1-2, 4-5 NIV)

However, as you move onto the New Testament, the purpose for having priestly garments was no longer needed, as the purpose of the priests making sacrifices for our sins was made void, since Jesus Christ made the one-time propitiation for our sins and now serves as our high priest to God.  Thus, you have the reason why the Apostle Paul explains that New Testament believers are to offer their “…bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God….” (Romans 12:1 NIV)  In the book of Psalms, we find King David alluding to this same concept that various forms of our personal worship can sometimes serve as symbolic representations of the elements found in the Old Testament sacrificial offerings.

“Oh Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me.  Hear my voice when I call to you.  Hear my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. (Psalms 141:1-2 NIV)

In reality, believers no longer have to worry about dressing a specific way before making an offering to the Lord, since we have access to God 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through Jesus Christ our mediator.  Basically, we can commune with God each day throughout the week, not just in church…regardless of our attire.  In the book of Matthew, Jesus Christ explains how we should not worry about having clothes to wear, since God even clothes the grasses in the field. (Matthew 6:28-30)  However, James warns against treating poor people, dressed in shabby clothes, indifferently just because they may not wear better clothing and accessories. (James 2:1-4)

 

Obviously, believers should try to avoid wearing attire that detracts from the work of God in their lives, but not necessarily avoiding all nice clothing and accessories.  This helps to explain why the Apostle Paul gave instructions to both Timothy and Peter that women should dress in modesty, or in a manner that conveys good behavior.  Rather, the Apostle Paul emphasized that women’s unfading beauty should come from their inner gentle, quiet spirit.  The Apostle Paul did not prohibit women from taking care of themselves and wearing nicer clothes, jewelry and so on.  Conversely, this does not mean that women should not dress conservatively and put their hair up, if they desire.

“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” (I Timothy 2:9-12 NIV)

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (I Peter 3:3-4 NIV)

In addition, the concept of conveying good behavior was not limited women.  In Chapter 2 of I Timothy the Apostle Paul addressed modesty for women.  However, in Chapter 3 of I Timothy, Paul also included good behavior as one of the standards for being an overseer of a local church.  Likewise, Jesus Christ used an analogy with teachers of the law and the Pharisees in comparison to a dish and cup cleaned only on the outside.  The dishes looked clean on the outside for showing off their appearance only; however, people who took the time to look deeper inside saw nothing but filth.  In the same manner, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees appeared righteous to everyone on the outside, but on the inside they were full of greed and self-indulgence.  Basically, Jesus Christ said that if started by cleaning up the inner parts first, then the outside would have been clean too.

Scripture is clear in that it teaches believers are to dress in a manner that conveys good behavior, or in modesty.  Since there are no specific instructions on the exact type of attire to wear, church leaders should teach believers to wear attire that reflects good behavior and leave the specific standards of dress up to the individual believer, as the Holy Spirit guides him or her.  Overall, the true character of a believer does not stem from the type of clothing or accessories he or she may wear…instead, a believer’s personal testimony becomes evident as God works through his or her life.