What The New Testament Says About Clothing
By Ian B. JohnsonSurprisingly, The New Testament Says Almost Nothing About Men's Clothing And Gives No Specific Commands About The Style Or Length Of Women's Clothing
What does the Bible say about
clothing? While the Old Testament forbids cross-dressing (Deuteronomy 22.5),
forbids Israelites from wearing garments made of mixed fabrics (Leviticus
19.19; Deuteronomy 22.11), and prescribes particular garments to be worn
by priests while performing temple service (Exodus 28), it does not either
prescribe or proscribe any particular style of clothing for men or women
generally. Neither does the Old Testament anywhere state what length women's
(or men's) clothing must be or prescribe, as laws usually do today, what
particular anatomical parts it must completely and opaquely cover. Although
the law which God gave Moses was impossibly strict, and, indeed, designed
to teach the people of Israel that they could not possibly satisfy God's
demands through their own efforts (Galatians 3), it placed surprisingly
little emphasis on clothing.
But if the Old Testament
gives little guidance regarding what clothing God requires of us, the New
Testament gives even less. Women are instructed only to dress "modestly,"
a term which is never defined and is used in contexts in which it is contrasted
with wearing expensive clothing, gold jewelry and elaborate hair styles
in an effort to impress. These contexts do not draw a contrast between
modesty and indecency, in the modern sense of nakedness or of clothing
which exposes too much of the anatomy. Indeed, the concept of overly-revealing
clothing isn't in view at all. The New Testament gives no instructions
about mens' clothing at all, but instead spiritualizes clothing by indicating
that we can "put on" the Spirit and His fruit like clothing.
1 Timothy 2.9-10, NIV:
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.
1 Timothy 2.9-10, KJV:
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
In this passage, the words translated
"modest," "decency" and "propriety" are very general, relative terms which
do not even suggest an absolute standard. "Modest" is kosmios, a
term which means "decorous," "orderly" or "of good behavior." Similarly,
"decency" ("shamefacedness") is
aidows, a word which literally indicates
downcast eyes and figuratively denotes bashfulness, respect or awe. Likewise,
"propriety" ("sobriety") is sophrosune, which means "soundness of
mind, sanity or self-control." Similarly, the word translated "dress" (katastole)
is derived from the word used to describe the robes worn by men of high
office as a symbol of their authority (stole), and both words are
derived from a verb (stello) which has as its primary definition
"to place in order." The focus of all four words is on maintaining peace
and proper order, not on the length or style of the clothing.
Furthermore, the emphasis
in the passage is a warning against wearing excessive, overly fancy or
expensive clothing, hairdos and jewelry in order to obtain attention or
recognition. The subject of the passage is not the minimum standard for
Christian dress. Nothing in the language of this passage indicates that
a bathing suit is prohibited as "immodest" attire at a beach, a setting
where most people in fact consider it perfectly in order (that is, perfectly
kosmios).
Indeed, from the perspective of the other people actually present at a
nudist resort, a woman's nakedness would be "modest" (kosmios) there.
It is only when one considers the reactions of outsiders who consider the
exposed human body offensive in principle — whether they personally see
it or not — that nakedness at a nudist resort becomes "immodest" and potentially
condemned by this Scripture.
1 Peter 3.1-6, NIV:
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
The real subject of this very
controversial passage is the behavior of Christian wives, which is to be
pure and reverent and is to evidence a gentle and quiet spirit. Feminists
hate this passage, although the hatred tends to be directed toward a rather
simplistic, erroneous reading of it which suggests that God expects women
to be mens' doormats. (Nothing could be farther from the truth.) When clothing
is brought into this discussion, the emphasis is on over-dressing to impress,
not on minimum standards for clothing.
1 Corinthians 11.2-18,
KJV:
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman who prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Now in this I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
This is another one of the most
controversial passages in the entire Bible, for precisely the same reason
as the previous passage. The focus is on the man being the head of the
woman in the same way as Christ is the head of the man and God is
the head of Christ. That the reference is to a husband and wife, and not
to all men being the head of all women, is clarified by Ephesians 5.23-25.
Moreover, as is discussed at greater length in Ephesians 5, "head" does
not mean "dictator"; there is instead to be loving mutual submission, exactly
as exists between Jesus and His Father. Clothing — or, at least, covering
— comes into the discussion because Paul indicates that, as a symbol of
her submission, the woman is to cover her head. However, later in the passage
he speaks as if her hair is that covering. So whether he is prescribing
that women wear hats (or veils?) in church or that they simply keep their
hair long is somewhat obscure. He also appears to prescribe that men keep
their hair short and/or not wear hats (or turbans?), at least in church.
Moreover, since he ties his argument about women covering their head and
men not covering their heads to what "nature teaches" his readers, it is
possible that these prescriptions are also culturally relative and no longer
apply in a culture such as exists in the modern United States. (There is
nothing in our modern culture or in the background of most people in the
United States which informs them that a short-haired woman without a hat
is disgraceful.) This would also fit well with the observation that what
is "modest" depends on the setting, both physical and cultural.
However, The New Testament Does Compare Right Attitudes And The Fruit Of The Spirit To Clothing
In each of the following
passages, clothing is used as a figure of right attitudes or the fruit
of the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 5.5, NASB:
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Luke 8.35, KJV:
Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Colossians 3.9-12, NIV:
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Ephesians 4.22-24, NASB:
That, in reference to your former way of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Ephesians 6.13-15, NIV:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.
Revelation 3.14-18, KJV:
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Revelation 16.15, NASB:
Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.God's Future Act Of Bestowing Resurrected Bodies Upon Us Is Also Called "Clothing" Us
2 Corinthians 5.1-4, KJV:
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Revelation 6.9-11, NASB:
And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed.
Revelation 21.1-4, NIV:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
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