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[Silver]

Why don't Christians dress as Paul instructed?

1 Timothy 2:9-10 "Paul said: I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

1 Corinthians 11:6 6For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

What excuse have you?

[jimwalton]

> 1 Timothy 2.9-10
A legitimate question is whether these decorations are local examples of immodesty and impropriety, or if Paul meant to give a universal teaching. I think it's quite likely that Paul's point was modesty, decency, and propriety, whatever forms those might take. In our era and culture, braids, jewelry, and expensive clothing can be forms of pride, but they are not necessarily (especially braids). In their world, hair was regarded as glory; not so in ours. And Paul's point about expensive jewelry or expensive clothes still stands: Women are not to come to public worship in order to show off clothing or jewelry. Attention in worship should be directed toward God, not someone’s new dress or how they accessorize their look. The verses don’t forbid always and only these particular accouterments, but instead anything that would go beyond the bounds of modesty and therefore attract undue attention.

Their culture was not like ours. We have a large middle class, where there are a lot of people who aren’t rich, but aren’t poor either. In those days, there was no middle class. There were the ultra-rich, the working class, and the poor. Most people were poor. Sort of like some countries today, like Haiti or Mexico, Dominican Republic and such. Most people are poor. They didn’t have gold. In this verse, the only people with gold and pearls and expensive clothes are the ultra-rich who are showing off. We shouldn’t wear things that are just an expression of our wealth and pride.

> 1 Cor. 11.6

In their culture hair was considered to be a sexual enticement—hence the teaching to cover their hair. Uncovered hair was considered lewd; not so in our culture. But we certain accept the principle that people shouldn't come to worship dressed lewdly and provocatively. That's where the teaching is for us.

[Silver]

Paul was a Jew, he wrote this letter to the Greeks. Whatever rationalization you used about cultures being different is your own delusions; he told the Greeks to dress like the Jewish women, this means he didn't care what the Greek understanding of modesty was. Besides today wearing a bikini at the beach is considered natural, even Christians do that, I don't think Paul would have liked that

[jimwalton]

> Paul was a Jew, he wrote this letter to the Greeks.

Let's be more specific. He wrote 1 Corinthians to Greeks; he wrote Timothy to his friend whose mother was Jewish and his father a Greek.

> Whatever rationalization you used

You seem to be making the mistake that any legitimate explanation is a rationalization.

> about cultures being different is your own delusions

If you're claiming that modern western culture is no different from ancient Greek culture, I'm not the one who is delusional.

> he told the Greeks to dress like the Jewish women

Gold and jewelry were not specific to Jewish culture, nor were head coverings, so I don't have a clue what you're talking about here. As Vincent tells us, "Greek women rarely appeared in public, but lived in strict seclusion. Unmarried women never left their homes except on occasion of festal processions, either as spectators or participants. Even after marriage they were largely confined to the women’s rooms.

"The head-dress of Greek women consisted of nets, hair-bags, or kerchiefs, sometimes covering the whole head. A shawl that enveloped the body was also often thrown over the head, especially at marriages and funerals."

> this means he didn't care what the Greek understanding of modesty was.

Of course he cared what the Greek understanding of modesty was. He was writing to Greeks. Headcoverings in Greek culture were signs of sexual distinction, social position, and modesty. The Greek culture was the context of his comments. In Greek culture, for a woman to let her hair hang loose was a sign of immorality.

> Besides today wearing a bikini at the beach is considered natural, even Christians do that, I don't think Paul would have liked that lol.

I agree with you here. Can you imagine the ancients' reactions to our beach wear today?