(9-10) …likewise also that 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.
Paul continues to address Timothy about how he should lead God’s church. His major point is that God has unconditionally loved us in the death and resurrection of his Son for us, and so our response should be to love others and to live lives of prayer.
He’s just addressed men specifically, and now he turns to address women.
And here we learn something important – that God wants both sexes addressed, yet, differently.
We also see in Greek that vv. 9-10 are the same sentence as v. 8. What does this tell us? Paul expects women also to pray in every place – to be worshipers of God.
That’s part of the reason that Paul starts this verse with ‘likewise.’ It’s about prayer and worship, and about how a woman is to be characterized coming to worship. Paul gives men certain instructions about what lives of men who pray are to look like; and now he gives similar instructions to women.
And so pastors must be careful to address different groups of people differently, sensitive to each one’s needs and temptations.
Here, women are instructed to pray, to profess Christ, and to worship God.
And just as men were instructed about how to ‘adorn themselves,’ so here are the women instructed. He gives both positive instructions: wear these things; and negative instructions – don’t wear these things.
First, women are to wear respectable clothing. Their motives in getting dressed are to be modesty and self-control.
Respectable clothing indicates that women need to be conscious of society’s norms. They are to wear clothing based on what others think of them – but desiring that others see how they dress and respond with respect. And what should this respect look like? Verse 10 says these things are what are appropriate for godliness. A woman or man should be able to look at a woman’s clothes and say those are godly clothes – they are not distracting me from but pointing me towards the message about Jesus.
This command also excludes ‘church-lady’ attire. Women are to dress in a way that is conscious of culture, seeking to appear respectable in it – not seeking to look silly. But also, not seeking attention for themselves – but for God and his Gospel.
The question should be: “How can I dress myself so as to dress up the Gospel of Christ?”
Paul addresses the heart condition of the woman as well as the external clothing – ‘with modesty and self-control.’
Modesty means that a woman is not supposed to be seeking attention based on her clothing. And self-control means she must make a conscious choice to remember to do that.
We see this in the negative commands Paul gives when he says he doesn’t want women to be adorned with ‘braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.’ Does he mean here that ‘braided hair’ is wrong? No – it’s set in contrast with ‘good works,’ not with another hairstyle.
He is specifically listing things that rich women in that day did, in a context in which he is saying how a woman should dress in order to draw attention to Christ. And here he says ‘don’t dress to impress people.’
If thoughts about what people will think of you invade your mind as you get dressed, as you prepare for the day, you’re to remember that it’s not about you – it’s about God and his word – those things are to look good via your clothes. Why? Because God’s love must be shown to the world – through men and women to men and women.
Paul closes this address with one final charge to women – that ‘good works’ be as sober and serious a daily choice as getting dressed. Women are to focus on doing good works to show off their King. It is just as important as their clothing – and should be on one’s mind just as much.
And these things give us reason to pray for our sisters, with our sisters – and you, women – I believe have some things to pray about on a daily basis as you seek to glorify Christ Jesus.
In sum,
1) Pastors are to address different groups of people differently.
2) Women are to dress to show off the gospel – not themselves.
3) Women are to consider what people will think about Jesus given clothing, not themselves.
4) Women have to make a conscious effort, choosing to be careful to not be tempted to dress to impress others, but to be in regular and constant prayer.
5) Women need to focus on good works as much as they do their motives in getting dressed.
6) Women are to be in prayer for themselves and for their world.
7) And this is to show the love of God to women and to men throughout this whole world.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating men and women uniquely, and for sending your Son to die for men and for women – making both men and women children in your Kingdom and heirs because of what Jesus did for us, in obeying you perfectly as your perfect Child.
Father, our culture, the world, the devil, and sin put a burden on women in how they are to dress, and even in finding their safety and feelings of love in how they dress. Help men love women well so that they know they are loved unconditionally by You. Help women love women well so that they know they’re loved unconditionally by You.
Help women to flee plaguing temptations from the world about dressing to impress the world. Help women be motivated to dress in such a way that makes your word look good – and to place just as large an emphasis on doing good works in the world and prayer as they do their clothing – as a daily habit and discipline.
Father, save women in this world through women in your Church. Glorify your name through your daughters!
In Christ I pray – amen.
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