1 Timothy 2

"Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works” – 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Uh oh…

Quickly let me explain why this isn’t exactly what it seems.

In first century Roman culture something resembling modern radical feminism rose in approval. Quickly it influenced Christian women to follow suit. One of the many things it explicitly encouraged women to do was to dress immodestly.

SO…

Given the context and the approval of jewelry elsewhere in scripture (Song 1:10-11), we believe it best to not read Paul’s words as an absolute restriction of “gold or pearls”. He is simply calling women to use good judgment and modesty when they dress and to emphasize acts of service rather than their outward appearance.

With secular voices screaming, “do what feels right for you”, “live for yourself” we still need to learn from this scripture in our context today. The way we dress can say a lot about what we value (guys and girls), and modesty is one way we can reject the idols of unrealistic physical perfection, and sex that our culture worships.

SPENCER ROTH | Pastoral Intern

Spencer is newly married to his beautiful wife Peyton. Spencer attended Texas A&M for two years before moving to Birmingham, Alabama to serve as an intern for a year in the worship ministry at the Church At Brook Hills. He currently serves as our Worship Leader and as Pastoral Intern.