Austin Tucker

“Does 1 Timothy 2:9 Imply that Ladies Must wear Dresses”

katastolē twisting!

 The greek word katastolē: Strong’s Number G2689, 1. a lowering, letting down 2. a garment let down, dress, attire. (dress as in outfit)

The etymology of the word kata-stolē is two parts. First part Kata can be found at Strongs Greek Number 2596: down from, against, according to, throughout, during.

Stoles (Strong’s Number: G4749 στολή stolē stol-ay’ from G4724; equipment that is (specifically) a “stole” or long fitting gown (as a mark of dignity): – long clothing (garment) (long) robe. ) In fact the word)

There are many references in the Bible where men wear stoles:

Textus Receptus Greek Text

stolh

stole

stolaiV 
Mark 12:38, Luke 20:46

stolai
 Rev 6:11

stolaV
 Rev 7:9, Rev 7:13, Rev 7:14, Rev 7:14

stolhn
 Mark 16:5, Luke 15:22

First of all I 100% agree here with the KJV translators that it means apparel. However to say it means women are to only wear dresses is just a far reach. We must rightly divide the Word and ask a few questions. Who was this written to?, young Timothy and the Gentile Church he pastored. When was this written?, to New Testament Christians during the late-first-to-mid-2nd century. So then how does this apply to their culture, and then, how does this apply to us?

To argue that 1 Tim 2:9 implies that women must wear dresses because that is modest, gives me the right to argue that men should also wear stoles due to them being more modest. If God desires the shape of women to be cover for modesty, then God would also demand that men also should be modest and wear robes. After all that is what Jesus put over His pants! _JUST A JOKE_ We must have a biblical definition of what God says is modest and not a theory based on personal predispositions. (Read: God’s Dress Standard)

So to conclude, both men and women wore stoles. But 1 Tim 2:9 which was written to teach ladies how they ought to conduct themselves in the church. Paul is telling ladies they should be modest and have their stoles down and not girded up as was the practice when men worked in the fields. But remember that the Virtuous Women Prov 31:17 girded her lions with strength and planted a vineyard. The KJV translators were right when they translated modest apparel.

So now the question to apply this verse to us should be what does God call modest.

(Read: God’s Dress Code)

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”.  -I Corinthians 6:20

All Christians ought to desire to glorify God in their body. Both what you wear on it, how your care for it, and what you do with your body ought to bring God glory.

There are only two direct instructions concerning dress code and there are also two principles that should be taken into consideration also.

Modest: God defines the thigh and buttocks as naked.

Exodus 28:42: And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

• Rightly divide the Word here! Who is this written to? For the priest.
• The purpose if you read all the commandments found in Exodus 20 -28 is modesty from all possible movements when serving in the Tabernacle and later Temple.
• It was never commanded for anyone outside the priest hood to wear these undergarments. Nor do historians thank that it ever was the practice of any other group.

Exodus 20:25-26: And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.: God is concerned that they might show their thigh if there are steps to the altar!

Isaiah 20:4: So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

John 21:7: Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. : Peter could have swum easer without the coat! Why aren’t we ashamed to be seen naked by God.

I Timothy 2:9: 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;

• Greek Strong’s # 2689: katastolé is just a let down robe. Etymology of two greek words.
• Kata: Down, or let down.
• Stole: Robe: same word translated four time as a mans garment in the NT.
• Y or é is femine.

The KJV Translators have it right it means modest apparel, not dress.

God requires that the buttocks and the thigh be covered. This is not the opinion of the writer, but a clear precept of the Scriptures.

Gender Appropriate: God does not bless transgender.

Deuteronomy 22:5: ¶The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

• This verse just as 1 Timothy has been often taken out of contents, we must ask the right questions.
• Who was this written to: the OT Jews
• When was it written: NOT TO CURRENT WESTERN CULTURE! Both men and women wore stoles. Thought they were distinctly different in looks and style.
• How does this apply to us. All it tells use is that there are to be distinction between the sexes.

Let dig deeper and look at the old-time commentaries.

Matthew Henry wrote: “The distinction of sexes by the apparel is to be kept up, for the preservation of our own and our neighbour’s chastity, 5. Nature itself teaches that a difference be made between them in their hair (1 Cor. xi. 14), and by the same rule in their clothes, which therefore ought not to be confounded, either in ordinary wear or occasionally. To befriend a lawful escape or concealment it may be done, but whether for sport or in the acting of plays is justly questionable. 1. Some think it refers to the idolatrous custom of the Gentiles: in the worship of Venus, women appeared in armour, and men in women’s clothes; this, as other such superstitious usages, is here said to be an abomination to the Lord. 2. It forbids the confounding of the dispositions and affairs of the sexes: men must not be effeminate, nor do the women’s work in the house, nor must women be viragos, pretend to teach, or usurp authority, 1 Tim. ii. 11, 12. Probably this confounding of garments had been used to gain opportunity of committing uncleanness, and is therefore forbidden; for those that would be kept from sin must keep themselves from all occasions of it and approaches to it.”

Clark wrote concerning Deu 22:  “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man] keli geber, the instruments or arms of a man. As the word geber is here used, which properly signifies a strong man or man of war, it is very probable that armour is here intended; especially as we know that in the worship of Venus, to which that of Astarte or Ashtaroth among the Canaanites bore a striking resemblance, the women were accustomed to appear in armour before her. It certainly cannot mean a simple change in dress, whereby the men might pass for women, and vice versa. This would have been impossible in those countries where the dress of the sexes had but little to distinguish it, and where every man wore a long beard. It is, however, a very good general precept understood literally, and applies particularly to those countries where the dress alone distinguishes between the male and the female. The close-shaved gentleman may at any time appear like a woman in the female dress, and the woman appear as a man in the male’s attire. Were this to be tolerated in society, it would produce the greatest confusion. Clodius, who dressed himself like a woman that he might mingle with the Roman ladies in the feast of the Bona Dea, was universally execrated.”

God command is against cross dressing, written to a difference culture that did not define their genders by pants verse dress. God did not write this to us. Thought it is for us, to show God’s opinion of cross dressing.

Is it worldly?

I Thessalonians 5:22: Abstain from all appearance of evil.

I John 2:15-16: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

II Corinthians 6:17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Is it expedient? There are some styles that I don’t wear for the sake of the lost or the offense of the brethren. i.e. gold chain on a man in the south.

I Corinthians 10:23-24: All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

Conclusion: We must define our dress code only by the Bible, Not culture, phycology, history, opinion, or bias.

Let the Bible be the authority. It would be easer to just draw arbitrary lines, after all this was the practice of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!!!!

• Is it modest in Gods eyes? (Cover you thighs’ and bust!)
  • Ladies dress to make men look you in the eyes. Don’t be a stumbling block! JUST A THOUGHT!
  • It does not magnify what God tells us should be covered.
  • Is it masculine, or feminine? (Gender appropriate) God does not give a direct command to any culture. So this must be examined on an individual culture basis.
    • It is OK for a Scott’s man to wear a kilt, but not an American man a skirt! This is a culture Issue!!!!
    • American culture no longer defines roles by pants, nor do you see such a commandment in the scripture to WESTREN CULTURE.
    • Is this worldly? Does this tell people I belong to God. I have standards. I’m a Christian.
    • Is it Expedient? It may be ok but is it appropriate.
      • Ladies should not wear a skirt to climb.
      • Men should abide to set codes for each event.

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old-time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:”  - I Peter 3:3-5

Husband, are you submitting too?
There is a great misconception going around about what it means for the wife to be submissive to her husband. If you want the true since of what God taught about being submissive, lets start in Genesis 2:23-24,”And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” God’s purpose of submission was to give into each others wills to become one flesh.
They should be in submission to each other 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”
Many men will try to dodge this scripture by claiming that God was only talking about the marital relations! But the very picture of the marital relation is that of oneness and a picture of salvation through the consummation of marriage.
By the way this is the same truth that God uses in Ephesians 5:21, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Do not miss this truth, God sees women equal in His eyes to men Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Yes He has given us different jobs (because of the fall, man became the spiritual leader), but never did he intend for us to turn submission into servitudes, or the call for no accountability for the man. It was not good for man to be alone, without fellowship (Ever wonder why God made Her so she would tell you more than you want to know!), without a help meet for him (She is a help meet, that means hearing her out, not telling her I am MAN!). Accountability is something both husband and wife need and must have, they both have a sin nature.
Ephesians 5:22-31,”Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
Wives should have a Godly spirit toward their husbands (meek and quiet), because every man desires to have respect. Husbands should Love their wives with the same Love that Christ had for the church, because every woman desires to be LOVED. If you both would submit to each other, then you would both get what you desire!
The wife’s will is to submit to that of her husband’s will. But the husband’s will should be that which seeks to fulfill his wife’s desires. Christ’s love is one that, gives everything that is asked for in prayer to His child (above what we think); He blesses, He heals broken hearts, sets captives free, His love (though He is God) called us friends and told all things of His doings to His disciples. His love Husband would have you lose your life (dreams, wants, will) for your wife!!!!!!
This love does not place the wife in the definition of submission that is taught by many false books and bad pastors. But this submission of cleaving together gives you Godly liberty. A oneness that leads to a complete person in Gods eyes. As husbands are to submit to the Lord, and the Father gently leads him, He’s never FORCES them into submission, what makes some men think it’s okay to treat women differently than the Father treats them?