Has the Church Been Too Strict On Modesty?
Author: Matthew Law is a Bible & psychology major at Freed Hardeman University
Modesty isn't an easy topic. The Bible never gives an overarching guideline for all the ways Christians should be modest, and when we ask "what should Christians wear?" the answer isn't as clear as we might prefer. Modesty is a topic we must discuss because Christians have numerous contradictory beliefs about it.
1 TIMOTHY 2:9-10
The biblical passage most consistently brought up in discussions about modesty is 1 Timothy 2:9-10: "Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God" (scripture references are taken from the Christian Standard Bible). Paul was writing to Timothy making the point that women shouldn't overdress because it's immodest to do so. Paul didn't want women drawing attention to themselves, he wanted them to instead reflect Christ; not only should they reflect Christ, but they should be seen as women professing to worship God. Apparently, if a woman is seeking to draw attention to herself she won't be perceived as a Christian should be.
So, the question must be asked: Why do Church of Christ Christians focus so much on underdressing when Paul specifically wrote against overdressing? It's because overdressing isn't as much of a problem today as underdressing, and if we look at Paul's instructions we notice that his principle is against drawing attention to oneself rather than diverting it towards God. Both men and women must ensure that our wardrobe and actions don't draw attention towards ourselves and away from God.
DAVID & BATHSHEBA
The story of David and Bathsheba is often cited in discussions about modesty. 2 Samuel 11:2 says: "One evening, David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing - a very beautiful woman." This was the point at which the lust in David’s heart began. Lust is a natural response for any man who gazes upon a beautiful naked woman, but does that make it excusable? I would argue it doesn't. Matthew 5:28 says: "But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (I understand that Matthew 5:28 is a New Testament passage, but our goal is to figure out how David's sin with Bathsheba applies today, and we must use New Testament passages to decide right from wrong). A definition of lust is required to help us interpret the passage. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, lust is a “usually intense or unbridled sexual desire.” Taking that definition into account, Jesus was speaking to married men, or men who seek to have sex with married women. This can be assumed because he used the word “adultery” and one can't commit adultery unless one is married or violating someone else's marriage. Therefore, by using the New Testament as a lens, we can know that David sinned by lusting.
2 Samuel 11:4a says: "David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her." Only after reading this verse can a reader gain certainty that David lusted (and not that he simply noticed a beautiful woman). Verse 4 makes it clear that Samuel intended for us to understand David's initial gaze as involving strong unbridled sexual desire.
The question remains: Should Bathsheba’s immodesty be blamed for David's sin? Absolutely not. Jesus affirms in Matthew 5:29a: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away." David should have looked away. David shouldn't have succumbed to the temptation to stare after noticing a naked women. The situation arose because of the ancient Hebrew custom of bathing on the roof. David’s palace stood above the other house which allowed him to see down on Bathsheba’s roof. He should have been prepared to look away at any time if he'd seen a woman bathing. Therefore, men must be ready to turn away when necessary if they're entering a situation where they know there might be undressed women (like the one David found himself in).
Men must do their part and guard their mind in situations that could lead to lust. As far as the woman’s responsibility, they must ensure that what they wear doesn't detract from the attention that should be going to God. When dressing, men and women alike should ask themselves if what they're wearing encourages undesirable attention. If it doesn't, they can continue to wear that outfit without issue because they're not stealing focus away from God.
CAUSING OTHERS TO STUMBLE
Another thing that must be kept in mind is causing others to stumble. Romans 14:13 says: "Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister." If Christians will abide by this verse they must ensure their clothing doesn't cause others to stumble.
Some will still find fault even if one's clothing is generally accepted by society. This problem often emerges in the ultra-conservative side of Christianity where many things are perceived as offensive that actually have no connection to what scripture condemns. Paul wrote in Romans 14:1 that the ultra-conservatives, who then had a problem with eating meat offered to idols, are weak in the faith. However, we must still be weary of their feelings because Paul said that God accepts them (v. 3).
IS MODESTY SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED?
Genesis 3:7 says: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." It's evident that coverings have been required since the dawn of sin. This passage alludes to the idea that it's possible for a person to wear too little clothing, but surely the limits have to be defined by the society in which we live.
There's no "cut and dry" description of what's considered too little clothing other than the commands not to draw attention to oneself or lust (1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 John 2:16). Following society's view of modesty makes a certain kind of sense given these two considerations. A woman certainly shouldn't walk around shirtless just because her society is being effected by the "free the nipple" movement.
What I mean by following society is that most people simply don't lust the way many church folks assume they do. Most people don't even notice when a girl wears running shorts unless they've grown up within a social subset that believes running shorts are wrong and scandalous. Those are the only kinds of people I've ever heard talk about lusting over running shorts, and even then their definition of lust is too loose in my opinion. They don't actually believe that seeing a girl in running shorts will lead them to strong sexual desire in which they can't stop thinking about having sex with a particular girl. Even the idea of that scenario is preposterous.
Rather than trying to change the majority who don't lust after women in running shorts, the church should focus its attention on changing the minority who shelter themselves to the extent that they can't live within broader society without sinning.
HOW SEPARATE SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE?
I do believe the church should be set apart from the world, but we're doing it wrong if the church is setting itself apart by means of sheltering people from the world. 1 Peter 2:8b-9 says: "They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. But you are a chose race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession so that you may proclaim the praises." (emphasis added). The church is to be set apart from the world by not sinning. However, if the world isn't sinning in something why does the church want to create sin by sheltering our youth to an extreme? I believe the church is doing its youth an injustice by causing them to sin in ways they wouldn't have if they were allowed more contact with the world.
CONCLUSION
I believe this entire issue could be avoided if the church had an exponentially greater reverence for God. If we simply recognized how big he is and how small we are. Personal opinions being perceived as irrefutable facts are among the biggest problems facing the church. I believe many churches have reached this problematic point in their discussions of modesty.
Some of our brethren actually think that wearing running shorts is sinful, but we don't actually read that in scripture. The only sins related to modesty that we read about are lust and pulling attention away from God and towards oneself. We know that running shorts don't involve these two sins unless a specific Christian makes it a problem for themselves.
Exaggerated ultra-conservative opinions about things like running shorts pose a problem for our evangelistic efforts. People can study the Bible for themselves and discover that those opinions and judgments, about running shorts and other common articles of clothing, are not supported by the Bible and shouldn't turn them away from the gospel.
In scripture, we read about the Seraphim covering their faces before God as they call out: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies" (Isaiah 6:2-3). We read that Moses asked to see God’s face, but God said: "You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live" (Exodus 33:18-20). God is a powerful wrathful being. He is loving, but we can't detract from the fact that he created Hell and killed millions of people in the Old Testament because they sinned. This is the God we're going to stand before on Judgement Day. Rather than just concerning ourselves with what scripture teaches, it seems we've decided to make problems for ourselves where there shouldn't be any. The church must escape the ultra-conservative modesty snare and simply seek to do everything scripture commands us.
Modesty isn't an easy topic. The Bible never gives an overarching guideline for all the ways Christians should be modest, and when we ask "what should Christians wear?" the answer isn't as clear as we might prefer. Modesty is a topic we must discuss because Christians have numerous contradictory beliefs about it.
1 TIMOTHY 2:9-10
The biblical passage most consistently brought up in discussions about modesty is 1 Timothy 2:9-10: "Also, the women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God" (scripture references are taken from the Christian Standard Bible). Paul was writing to Timothy making the point that women shouldn't overdress because it's immodest to do so. Paul didn't want women drawing attention to themselves, he wanted them to instead reflect Christ; not only should they reflect Christ, but they should be seen as women professing to worship God. Apparently, if a woman is seeking to draw attention to herself she won't be perceived as a Christian should be.
So, the question must be asked: Why do Church of Christ Christians focus so much on underdressing when Paul specifically wrote against overdressing? It's because overdressing isn't as much of a problem today as underdressing, and if we look at Paul's instructions we notice that his principle is against drawing attention to oneself rather than diverting it towards God. Both men and women must ensure that our wardrobe and actions don't draw attention towards ourselves and away from God.
DAVID & BATHSHEBA
The story of David and Bathsheba is often cited in discussions about modesty. 2 Samuel 11:2 says: "One evening, David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing - a very beautiful woman." This was the point at which the lust in David’s heart began. Lust is a natural response for any man who gazes upon a beautiful naked woman, but does that make it excusable? I would argue it doesn't. Matthew 5:28 says: "But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (I understand that Matthew 5:28 is a New Testament passage, but our goal is to figure out how David's sin with Bathsheba applies today, and we must use New Testament passages to decide right from wrong). A definition of lust is required to help us interpret the passage. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, lust is a “usually intense or unbridled sexual desire.” Taking that definition into account, Jesus was speaking to married men, or men who seek to have sex with married women. This can be assumed because he used the word “adultery” and one can't commit adultery unless one is married or violating someone else's marriage. Therefore, by using the New Testament as a lens, we can know that David sinned by lusting.
2 Samuel 11:4a says: "David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her." Only after reading this verse can a reader gain certainty that David lusted (and not that he simply noticed a beautiful woman). Verse 4 makes it clear that Samuel intended for us to understand David's initial gaze as involving strong unbridled sexual desire.
The question remains: Should Bathsheba’s immodesty be blamed for David's sin? Absolutely not. Jesus affirms in Matthew 5:29a: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away." David should have looked away. David shouldn't have succumbed to the temptation to stare after noticing a naked women. The situation arose because of the ancient Hebrew custom of bathing on the roof. David’s palace stood above the other house which allowed him to see down on Bathsheba’s roof. He should have been prepared to look away at any time if he'd seen a woman bathing. Therefore, men must be ready to turn away when necessary if they're entering a situation where they know there might be undressed women (like the one David found himself in).
Men must do their part and guard their mind in situations that could lead to lust. As far as the woman’s responsibility, they must ensure that what they wear doesn't detract from the attention that should be going to God. When dressing, men and women alike should ask themselves if what they're wearing encourages undesirable attention. If it doesn't, they can continue to wear that outfit without issue because they're not stealing focus away from God.
CAUSING OTHERS TO STUMBLE
Another thing that must be kept in mind is causing others to stumble. Romans 14:13 says: "Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister." If Christians will abide by this verse they must ensure their clothing doesn't cause others to stumble.
Some will still find fault even if one's clothing is generally accepted by society. This problem often emerges in the ultra-conservative side of Christianity where many things are perceived as offensive that actually have no connection to what scripture condemns. Paul wrote in Romans 14:1 that the ultra-conservatives, who then had a problem with eating meat offered to idols, are weak in the faith. However, we must still be weary of their feelings because Paul said that God accepts them (v. 3).
IS MODESTY SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED?
Genesis 3:7 says: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." It's evident that coverings have been required since the dawn of sin. This passage alludes to the idea that it's possible for a person to wear too little clothing, but surely the limits have to be defined by the society in which we live.
There's no "cut and dry" description of what's considered too little clothing other than the commands not to draw attention to oneself or lust (1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 John 2:16). Following society's view of modesty makes a certain kind of sense given these two considerations. A woman certainly shouldn't walk around shirtless just because her society is being effected by the "free the nipple" movement.
What I mean by following society is that most people simply don't lust the way many church folks assume they do. Most people don't even notice when a girl wears running shorts unless they've grown up within a social subset that believes running shorts are wrong and scandalous. Those are the only kinds of people I've ever heard talk about lusting over running shorts, and even then their definition of lust is too loose in my opinion. They don't actually believe that seeing a girl in running shorts will lead them to strong sexual desire in which they can't stop thinking about having sex with a particular girl. Even the idea of that scenario is preposterous.
Rather than trying to change the majority who don't lust after women in running shorts, the church should focus its attention on changing the minority who shelter themselves to the extent that they can't live within broader society without sinning.
HOW SEPARATE SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE?
I do believe the church should be set apart from the world, but we're doing it wrong if the church is setting itself apart by means of sheltering people from the world. 1 Peter 2:8b-9 says: "They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. But you are a chose race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession so that you may proclaim the praises." (emphasis added). The church is to be set apart from the world by not sinning. However, if the world isn't sinning in something why does the church want to create sin by sheltering our youth to an extreme? I believe the church is doing its youth an injustice by causing them to sin in ways they wouldn't have if they were allowed more contact with the world.
CONCLUSION
I believe this entire issue could be avoided if the church had an exponentially greater reverence for God. If we simply recognized how big he is and how small we are. Personal opinions being perceived as irrefutable facts are among the biggest problems facing the church. I believe many churches have reached this problematic point in their discussions of modesty.
Some of our brethren actually think that wearing running shorts is sinful, but we don't actually read that in scripture. The only sins related to modesty that we read about are lust and pulling attention away from God and towards oneself. We know that running shorts don't involve these two sins unless a specific Christian makes it a problem for themselves.
Exaggerated ultra-conservative opinions about things like running shorts pose a problem for our evangelistic efforts. People can study the Bible for themselves and discover that those opinions and judgments, about running shorts and other common articles of clothing, are not supported by the Bible and shouldn't turn them away from the gospel.
In scripture, we read about the Seraphim covering their faces before God as they call out: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies" (Isaiah 6:2-3). We read that Moses asked to see God’s face, but God said: "You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live" (Exodus 33:18-20). God is a powerful wrathful being. He is loving, but we can't detract from the fact that he created Hell and killed millions of people in the Old Testament because they sinned. This is the God we're going to stand before on Judgement Day. Rather than just concerning ourselves with what scripture teaches, it seems we've decided to make problems for ourselves where there shouldn't be any. The church must escape the ultra-conservative modesty snare and simply seek to do everything scripture commands us.
