1 Timothy 2:9
9 In like manner [hosautos] also, [kai] that women [gune] adorn [kosmeo] themselves [heautou] in [en] modest [kosmios] apparel, [katastole] with [meta] shamefacedness [aidos] and [kai] sobriety; [sophrosune] not [me] with [en] broided hair, [plegma] or [e] gold, [chrusos] or [e] pearls, [margarites] or [e] costly [poluteles] array; [himatismos] KJV-Interlinear
9 Likewise, I want women to adorn
themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair
and gold or pearls or costly garments; NASB
The Bible is one long
sequence of parables, which give us real world examples of spiritual
principles.The roles of men and women
in society are often brought up in order to teach doctrinal principles.
Remember that the Bible
must be interpreted within its entire context, and not just by the mention of a
couple of verses.
Gal. 3:28
28 There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor
female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. NASB
Therefore in the
spiritual life all people are equal with respect to their being saved and in
Christ s family. All believers are not equal with respect to their spiritual growth,
for obvious reasons.Some choose to grow
up and some do not.
So, with respect to
this passage, many have tried to settle this issue with respect to the role of
women in society, from outside the content of the Bible, but using the Bible as
their basis.And this is an error and
misuse of doctrine.
Here the inner beauty
and inner attitude of the woman (or any person) is more important than their
outward appearance. And in the world
who among the sexes spend more time on their outward appearance? Well, the woman does, and that too is
obvious.
So, this bit of
instruction may be directed toward women, but it applies to men as well. The principle is one of attitude and
priority, rather than ego and vanity.
The transition here
from men to women carries the same message, namely one of holy hands. Remember what that phrase meant? A spiritual lifestyle verses a carnal
lifestyle.
And the word likewise,
hosautos, means in similar manner. Paul did not refer to the manner of the male
dress, but his spiritual status, so the spiritual status topic continues, only
now the example is of women.
The word for adorn, kosmeo, means to put in order, to arrange.
The word for clothing
or apparel, katastole, is a reference to the total
package, not just an item of clothing or two, but the entire person.
Shamefacedness, aidos, refers to modesty verses distracting.
Sobriety, sophrosune, refers to self confidence, self control,
poise, the manner of ones personality.
Broided
hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, refers to items that are over and
above the norm.Vanity of accessorizing
to an extreme, or decorating so as to transfer attention from the person to the
external wrappings.
Paul does not create
rules for what you can or cannot wear, nor does he restrict styles or
preferences of dress or accessorizing.
There is nothing wrong with the female accessories.
Remember that the key
word in these two verses is likewise. The
subject is in the emphasis of ones spiritual inner
self, not on ones outer self.Men do not
be selfish and pray for only those you like.
Women do not live your life based on emphasizing your external body.
Both are to live there
life with holy hands, likewise.
Holy hands and proper adornment come from the content, arrangement, of
the soul, not from ones bias, or ones external accessorizing.
The real you is in the soul, not what you wear.
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