by Pastor Art Kohl
Includes an article by Zana Reichen

Rediscovering New Testament Christian Womenhood Series #2

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:11).

Forward

As with all Bible study, this subject needs to be approached with an open heart and with humility. Also we need to remember that this is God's Word that we are studying and accountable to. Carefully meditate on each verse and submit to God's revealed will to bring God pleasure. This study is designed for you to look up look up verses in your King James Holy Bible and words in your dictionary.

Preliminary Truths About Appearance

1. Write out 1st Corinthians 6:19:

a. According to this verse is your body your own?  Yes [ ]   No [ ]

b. What is your body described as in this verse?

2. Write out 1st Corinthians 6:20:

 

a. According to this verse, we are to do what with our bodies?

 

 

b. Who does our body belong to according to this verse? 

 

 

c. It says we were bought with a price, in your own words, what does this mean? (see 1 Peter 1:18,19 if needed)  

d. Besides God, someday your body will belong to whom? (see 1st Corinthians 7:4)

Note: Nowhere in the Bible does it say that a woman's body belongs to her boyfriend or any other man. They are not even to touch you 1st Corinthians 7:1, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman."

Until marriage, she is under her father's authority,

1st Corinthians 7:37-38, "Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better."

3. The first sentence of 1st Corinthians 7:34 tells us that before marriage, a young lady should
be a __ __ __ __ __ __ .

4. Until the time you are married, what does the Lord require? See 1st Corinthians 7:34, you should find 3 observations:

1.

2.

3.

 

a. According to this verse, what do you think it means to be "holy in body"? 

b. What do you think "holy in spirit" means? 

The Wickedness of Exposing the Body

1. When the first couple, Adam and Eve, became sinners, what was the first thing God did for their appearance? Genesis 3:21

2. In Exodus 32, 3000 men died in one day from God's judgement. Moses, their leader, also got very angry. What were some of the things that angered Moses? (see Exodus 32:19 and 25)

1.

2.

3.

 

3. Noah's son Ham had a curse put on his descendants (Canaan). What did Ham do that caused this curse? (see Genesis 9:22-25)

 

4. Read Leviticus 18:6-17. In every case, except one, the Lord is saying, thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a              -woman or a man? (circle one)

a. How many different cases can you find?

 

b. The last word in Leviticus 18:17 calls uncovering a ladies nakedness what?

5. In 2 Chronicles 28:19, why did God bring the tribe of Judah low? 

 

6. Jesus healed a man possessed with a legion of devils once. In Mark 5:15, what were some of the evidences that Christ had made a difference in life?:

a.  

b.

7. When Peter was fishing one day, what strange thing did he do before jumping into the water? (See John 21:7)

a. Why did he do this?

 

8. What is the Christian supposed to do when they see the naked? Compare Isaiah 58:7 and Matthew 25:36 for your answer.  

 

9. In Revelation 3:18, nakedness is called a _____________.

Proper Attire

We have established in the first two lessons how holy God considers both the male and female body. Also, we have seen how unholy nakedness is. Now let's see some instructions regarding proper dress.

Note: Nudity is nakedness, but nakedness is not necessarily nudity. By that we mean it is possible to be dressed, but improperly. Areas of your body that should not be exposed can be. This should be corrected. You can have some clothes on and still expose what God calls nakedness.  

1. What does the dictionary say an "abomination" is?

a. Define "abomination":

 

b. Read Deuteronomy 22:5. According to this verse, what is it that is an abomination for a woman to do?

c. What are some ways women are doing this in the l990's?

2. What did Rebekah do when being approached by a man? (see Genesis 24:65)

 

3. Why wouldn't the Lord allow people to climb up steps to His altar according to Exodus 20:26?

4. When the priests' garments were made, what two parts of the body did the Lord want covered? (see Exodus 28:42)

a.

b.

 

This was to "cover their _________________."

Note: The loins (hips, buttocks) and the thighs (from the loins to the knees) are to be covered. And priests were men! How much more important it is for women to obey this rule.  

5. Notice the word "breeches" in Exodus 28:42, 39:27-28; Leviticus 6:10; 16:4; Ezekiel 44:17-18. In these verses, does the word "breeches" refer to the attire of a man or a woman? _________________

Look up the word "breeches" in a dictionary. What are they?

6. In Isaiah 47:1-3, in a figurative way, God compares the nation of Babylon to a virgin daughter. He tells of His judgement on this land, that they will be humbled. He says their nakedness shall be uncovered.

What did this mean specifically in verse 2?

Note: Bare legs and uncovered thighs are nakedness.  

7. What word is used in 1st Timothy 2:9 to describe the type of apparel (clothing) a woman should wear?

 

a. What does this word mean? Look it up in a few different dictionaries if possible.

Ladies, your clothes are talking. I hope I can help you know what they are saying. Proverbs 7:10 says, "And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot and subtil of heart." Quite simply, a harlot wears clothing that purposely draws attention to her body, especially certain areas of her body -bust, legs and backside.

1st Timothy 2:9a says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel." These two verses represent two extremes-the immodest woman wearing the attire of the harlot and the modestly-dressed lady. I looked up the word "modest," and it means "decorous" or "moderate." Of course, the woman dressed in modest apparel would not draw attention to her body.

If you are a woman who has been involved in a good, Bible-believing, fundamental church for years, and you have worn dresses and skirts for years, you probably think you are doing pretty good in this area. The world has a way of creeping in and influencing the way even Christian women appear. I want to point out some of these areas in hopes of making you aware of the messages your clothes are giving. Hopefully, after reading this, you will understand that certain clothes and the way they fit you are giving off a message. You want to be sure it is not the same message a harlot's attire would give.

Before I comment on the immodest clothing some women wear, I would like to point out one example that is too familiar to all of us. That example is the Christian woman who appears this way far too often: t-shirt not tucked in, jean skirt or old, casual, yet comfortable skirt, socks and tennis shoes. There may even be a run in her hose. Most likely her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, if given any attention at all. You ask, "If she is modest, what is wrong with that?" My answer is, "Nothing, if she is planning to clean out the closet or go hiking with her kids."

1. Too many Christian women bring criticism to Christianity because they look sloppy in their appearance.

When they dress this way frequently, they are giving off the message-"I don't care how I look." Of course, as daughters of the King, we want to look our best.

2. The tight-fitting garment.

The following is a way to know if a garment fits too tight on top. If your garment cups under the bustline or around the bustline, it is too tight. You can test this in any full-length mirror. You will be surprised at what you see. If your garment cups your bustline as described, you are giving off this message-"Look at my bust."

3. The too-sheer garment.

The way to know if your garment is too sheer is to see if your undergarment straps (bra and slip straps) can be seen through your outer garments. If they are visible, this could cause thoughts in the mind of a man that you really do not intend. The message your clothes are giving if too sheer is-"Look at my undergarments."

This problem can be remedied by acquiring a camisole with wide straps or even cutting off the sleeves of an old white t-shirt and wearing it as a covering for your undergarments.

4. The skirt or dress with a slit.

We all know there is rarely a time when we can purchase a garment with a slit and find that it is already sewn for us to meet our Christian standards. Perhaps you are thinking, "What's the harm of a few slits? I wear skirts and dresses. That in itself is a big change for me!"

May I give you a good rule of thumb which will answer the above question. A good rule is that your slit should be no higher than two inches from the floor when in an upright kneeling position. Anything higher than that reveals your thigh. Remember, the harlot reveals her merchandise to drum up business. If your slit is higher than the standard given above, you are giving off this message-"Look at my legs."

5. The too-low neckline.

It is quite frustrating sometimes to shop for a garment which has a high enough neckline to meet our standards. So, many times we settle for what the stores have to offer because we want to stay in style. We can be in style in a modest way without lowering ourselves to the world's standards.

Find the "U" right below your neck and at the top middle of your collar bone. Now, place your four fingers closed together at the bottom of your "U." If skin is showing below your four fingers, your garment is too low. Anything worn with a low neckline draws attention to your chest area. Just remember this: "The lower the neckline, the more curious a man gets." Surely we do not want to put men in that position. I believe many Christian women are ignorantly doing this. When your neckline is too low, you are giving off this message-"Look at my bust."

6. The tight skirt or tight-fitting part of a dress below the waist.

The following test will determine if your garment fits too tightly below the waist. Stand in front of a full-length mirror. If your skirt cups under your backside or abdomen, it is too tight. One thing I have seen that is a turn-off and quite unbecoming is panty lines showing through a skirt. If the skirt would have been looser, I would not have had to view this, and neither would our Christian men who are trying hard to keep their minds clean. Also, we want to avoid being sensuous. When your skirt is too tight, you are giving off this message-"Look at my backside."

7. The modestly dressed woman.

She wears an outfit with a high neckline that is loose-fitting around the bust and backside, yet flattering and pretty, under which are the proper undergarments for those sheer areas of the outer garment. The slit is properly sewn or nonexistent. Our attention would seem to be drawn to only one part of her body-her face. Her clothes are worn in such a way that she has made her acquaintance look her in the eye and see her for the lady that she is. When a woman dresses in such a way, she is giving off the message-"Look at my face." This should be the only area men want to look at when they see us; however, we determine that.

It would seem that there are only two reasons why women dress immodestly:

1. A mind problem.

Women do not think through how they look each day in front of a full-length mirror. They should take a few seconds each morning to quickly check the bustline, backside, slits, etc.

2. A heart problem.

Women are now aware of the messages they give when they wear certain types of garments or wear them are an immodest way. Some women continue to wear immodest apparel or try to hide behind excuses or simply know better but do it anyway. They need to be reminded that the harlot was "subtil of heart." "Subtil" means "cunning" or "clever." In other words, she knew exactly what she was doing. Christian women need not be "subtil of heart."

James 4:17 teaches, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Before you read this, you possibly did not know better.

This article available in printed form.