Troublesome Topic: Prayer Meeting, General Church Meeting, or in Public Life? 1 Tim 2

Lesson 23 of 26

1 Timothy 2:9

Translation

Likewise also women

should properly arrange their appearance

by the use of well-ordered clothing

which prevents shame

and with a sound mind,

not with braided [hair sticking out from under their head covering and providing a means to weave in among the hair such things as] [strands of] gold, nor with [strings of] pearls or expensive clothes,

Paraphrase

My expectations for women are that they carefully plan and organize the various things that give them their physical appearance in public, including the use of appropriate clothing which will never cause them to be embarrassed or uncomfortable around others, and total control over their thoughts and attitudes, i.e. not just following the culture around them. This means they will not decorate themselves with anything that calls attention to themselves,

PRAYER MEETING, GENERAL CHURCH MEETING OR IN PUBLIC LIFE?

Some scholars assume the part about proper attire for women is specific to their attire during one of these times of prayer, worship and sharing. The text is not specific enough for me to include this in my translation or paraphrase, but the idea is probably correct. It is possible that Paul made the statement in a general way because what is proper attire for worship is also proper for life.

The next lesson is: Authority1 Tim 2

Footnotes

1

The term used here can mean either “woman or wife.” What Paul says is intended for all women, but most specifically for wives. Almost all women in those days had a man who cared and provided for them; it was either a father, a husband, or a brother.

2

This Greek word means “to order or arrange.” Many have assumed that the context implies that such arranging is used to beautify. However, Paul is not telling the women they must be beautiful but that they must be proper. This is the root word from which we get our English word “cosmetics,” but Paul’s emphasis is on something very different than modern cosmetics. The noun form of this verb is the word “cosmos” which means “something that is well ordered, well organized,” and is usually applied to our created world or the created universe.

This means that one should not go to a worship service dressed sloppily (and by implication one should not go out in public unkempt). So there is balance in what Paul is saying; don’t call attention to yourself by going to either extreme.

3

Here the same Greek root is used showing “order and proper arrangement.”

4

The Greek word used here basically means “shame, or with head down.” Its usage indicates more clearly its relationship to shame. In regards to our relationship with God it means “reverence;” regarding clothing it means “what will avoid causing shame.” There is another Greek word which means “shame” and emphasizes shame as a consequence of wrongdoing; the word used here seems to focus on the prevention of shame, the knowledge and wisdom that stops a person from doing something before it causes them shame.

Dear sisters, if you need to constantly be pulling part of your clothing up, or down or any other direction to make sure it covers you up properly, you’re not following the meaning of this word “to prevent shame.” This passage is telling you to dress in ways that you will never need to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable in public, even if people look right at you. Show so little shape and skin that a man can look you over up and down and still not have any idea of what your body looks like underneath your clothes. I am not recommending that men do that, but if one were to do so, he should not see anything that is memorable. You don’t need to take it to the extreme of dressing Amish, but loose is better than tight, and less skin showing is better than lots of skin showing. Men and women each carry some of the responsibility in the issue of men’s lust.

5

Why did Paul include the idea of a “sound mind” when the rest of it is specific to clothing or other physical “decorations”? I think he is telling them to keep control of their minds (the word also means “self-control”) so as to not follow unwittingly the trends of culture. This seems even more relevant today than it did back then.

6

Paul seems to still be talking about the setting of a prayer meeting/worship service; why would someone want to call attention to themselves at a time and place when all their attention should be focused on God? The answer is, when someone’s heart is not in tune with God but is focused on self.

What Paul describes as proper attitudes and attire for worship also applies to any other situation in which a woman finds herself in public.

The use of [ ] means that this wording was not part of the original text but is assumed to be the intended meaning. This verse has lots of things that must be assumed.