THE BAPTIST WOMANLECTURE 7

OUTER ADORNING III

JEWELRYJewelry has been worn on the head in the form of crowns, diadems, tiaras, aigrettes, hairpins, hat ornaments, earrings, nose rings, earplugs, and lip rings; on the neck in the form of collars, necklaces, and pendants; on the breast in the form of pectorals, brooches, clasps, and buttons; on the limbs in the form of rings, bracelets, armlets, and anklets; and at the waist in the form of belts and girdles, with pendants such as chatelaines, scent cases, and rosaries. Current knowledge of ancient jewelry is derived largely from the preservation of personal objects in tombs.

In the early church the use of the marital ring evolved through three main stages. In the first stage, the apostolic period, there was no apparent use of the marital ring. In the second stage, the second and third centuries, there was a restricted use of only one plain, inexpensive conjugal ring. In the final stage, from the fourth century onward, there was a proliferation of all kinds of ornamental gold rings set with gems to display wealth, pride, and vanity. This was true not only for the laity but also for the clergy. Church leaders bedecked and bejeweled themselves with gold rings,

precious stones, and gold embroidered vestments. [Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University]

Jewelry can help accentuate beauty, but it won’t help a woman who’s inner beauty is lacking:Prov 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

There is jewelry that can give the wrong impression:Rev 17:4,5 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Are their jewelry items that a godly woman shouldn’t wear?1 Tim 2:9-10 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; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.It might very well be advisable for a godly woman not to wear gold and pearl jewelry. But, I think the point is for them not to wear jewelry that gives the appearance of being ‘costly’; i.e 1 karat diamond rings, etc..

Should women not wear much in the way of jewelry? Ezek 16:11-14 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.This is allegorical, but it does seem to show that wearing a moderate amount of jewelry is permissable….

Isaiah 3:16-2416 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a

tinkling with their feet:

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Today’s woman often gets into her ‘costume’ and then parades down the street; stretching forth her neck in arrogant pride; looking from young man to young man; tinkling as they go; often with the piercing sound of their hooves striking the pavement (stilletos).

17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.This judgement is not directly applicable to today’s women, but there may be a principle to be applied here: these that are so arrogant in their adorning may very well have physical ailments occur (just a wild guess).

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

Tinkling ornaments: refers to the chains or clasps with which they ornamented their feet and ankles, and which made a tinkling noise as they walked. Is it inappropriate to wear jewelry on the toes, feet, or ankles (toe ring, ankle bracelet)? Is it wrong to wear jewelry that ‘tinkles’ a whole bunch (like a bunch of wrist bracelets, or toe bells)? I believe that a little tinkling might be ok, as long as the person is wearing them because of their tinkling.Cauls: The caul is a strap, or girdle, about four inches long, which is placed on the top of the head, and which extends to the brow, in a line with the nose. Cauls were the Elizabethan hair net! A Caul covered the hair at the back of the head and was made of fabric, or fabric covered by netted cord which was sometimes adorned with spangles.Round tires: This refers to small ornaments in the shape of crescents, or half-moons,

commonly worn on the neck. They were also sometimes worn by men, and even by camels. May be in reference to ‘moon worship’ done by the Arabs. Should a woman wear jewelry whose design has uncertain significance (crescent moon)?

19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,Chains: obviously, the Rap-star type of gold chain is ridiculous; but how about smaller ones? What about wearing more than 1 chain (necklace, etc.)? What about wearing the necklace inside

or outside the shirt/blouse? What about wearing a chain or necklace with a ‘cross’ pendent on it? I believe that one shouldn’t wear more than one chain, and that chain should be fairly thin, and it could be within or without the shirt, and that the ‘cross’ pendent is of pagan origin (see Ralph Woodrow’s book : Babylon, Mystery Religion). Bracelets: Gen 24:22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; (Rebecka’s) Ankle or wrist; the serve no purpose other than for decoration. They might actually wear on the skin some or

get caught in the clothing or on other objects. Wearing more than one on a single wrist might be overdoing it; doesn’t it look absurd to wear a whole bunch of them extending half way up your forearm? If these are the only areas of exposed skin (i.e. the ankle and the wrist; other than the face and neck) then it might be reasonable to ‘accessorize’ it. But, the strange fact of the matter

might be to draw attention to the exposed skin areas….Mufflers: veils covering the face, with apertures for the eyes, close above and loosely-flowing below. The word radically means tremulous, referring to the changing effect of the spangles on the veil. This seems to portray the ancient clothing of the Arabs. The only part of the female that they could see clearly was their eyes; and the women often would spend a lot of time ‘painting’ their eyes. Mufflers should be used on ‘loud’ women, in my not so humble opinion….

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,Bonnets - tiaras, or turbans. What do you think of when you see a ‘Menonnitish looking’ woman? How about the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ women?

Should women wear head coverings? 1 Corinthians 11 explains that ‘her hair is given her for a covering’, not a caul, bonnet, or hat. Should a woman wear a ‘hair net’? How about a hat in rainy weather? My belief is that a

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head covering should not be worn unless the woman would suffer harm without one (i.e. severe sun protection, foul weather protection; but not for ‘vanity reasons’).Ornaments of the legs – “the short stepping chains from one foot to another, to give a measured gait; attached to the "tinkling ornaments".” It appears that these were basically chaining the ankles together…how strange. Some of the jewelry styles of today are based in SadoMasochism (spikes, chains, barb wire, etc.).

Headbands: this word means "girdles" of any kind, still commonly worn on the head. Today, women often wear a headband to keep back her hair; do you think this is fine to do? Is it moving in a direction that makes the women look more feminine, or more masculine?.... I think the latter.

Tablets - rather, houses of the breath, i.e., smelling-boxes. The phrase here means, undoubtedly, "smelling boxes" or "bottles," containing perfumes or fragrant odors. Is it reasonable for women to wear perfume? Is there any perfume that is not appropriate? How about how much should be worn? Smelling nice, is, nice; some overdo it though; moderation is important here. Don’t wear it in order to attract; most ladies’ perfume is centerred

around that principle though.Earing – Ex 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. Is it wrong to wear earrings? How long is too long of an earring? Should they be placed elsewhere other than the lobe? How many is too many? I believe that earrings are fine if worn modestly; not more than an inch in length, and not real ‘eye-catching’; it should only be worn in

the lobe.

21 The rings, and nose jewels,It is the custom in almost all the East for the women to wear rings in their noses, in the left nostril, which is bored low down in the middle. But, in our society, it is a fad that the subculture is pursuing, which is in the same vein as tatoos and tongue piercings. However, a small little jewel in the nose doesn’t appear ‘wicked’ per se, just a bit faddish, especially for a woman over the age of 30. For a godly, separated, chaste, Baptist woman, I would not recommend ‘nose jewels’. You definitely don’t want to be guilty of being likened unto a ‘jewel of gold in a swine’s snout’…

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,Changeable suits – just how many changes of apparel does one need? Emelda Marcos had 100’s of shoes. Some women have 25 or more outfits. How many skirts or dresses do you own? How many pairs of shoes? Do you really need to buy another purse?!.... I think some women go to excess on buying changeable suits of apparel.Mantles - fuller tunics with sleeves, worn over the common one, reaching down to the feet. The more your covered, the better. Mantles need to come back into style…Wimples – these are ‘small pimples’…just kidding. Wimples are mufflers, or hoods, even veils. Thus, perhaps here a broad cloak, or shawl, thrown over the head and body. Some women today try and appear real fashionable, and even independent, by wearing a ‘wrap’, ‘shawl’, etc. I am not talking about an ‘afghan’, though.Crisping pins - It means "money-bags," or "purses." These were often made very large, and were highly ornamented; Frequently they were attached to the girdle. Are purses really necessary?.... Why don’t men have them? Some purses are a bit flashy. How many purses should one own? Why not just have a ‘backpack’? Ha ha.

23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.Glasses: mirrors of polished metal. Women typically use small mirrors to help apply cosmetics correctly. How many times a day is ok for looking at the mirror? Have you ever not looked at yourself in the mirror for the whole day? There are some

who definitely need to look in a mirror…Fine linen – do you have to buy all your clothes from Macey’s? How about Target and Walmart? Some will not wear anything unless it is of an expensive brand name (Gouchi, etc.); this is classic for those in Hollywood.Hoods – more like the Muslim burka, I think.Veils: Distinct from the smaller veils ("mufflers") above. Rebecca wore one; should women today consider wearing them?

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24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.Well set hair: Hair that was curiously braided and adorned. Miss Pardoe, in 'The City of the Sultan,' says, that after taking a bath, the slaves who attended her spent an hour and a half in dressing and adorning her hair. How much time should you spend on your hair? How much money should you spend on your hair? What happens if it is windy outside? Stomacher: a broad plaited girdle. I might even eventually wear a girdle; it helps hold in my DQ addiction….

It may be appropriate to wear lots of jewelry on certain occasions:Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

The trendy use of ‘body piercing jewelry’ is not appropriate for the Baptist woman, in my opinion. Piercing and wearing jewelry

in the lip, the tongue, the brow, the chin, the navel, and other unmentionable places, is definitely not considered godly, chaste, or holy, unless one is part of a very liberal Christian philosophy. Many Christian women are starting to do this to their body; there is always the desire to be ‘in vogue’; up to date with the latest fashion trends, etc.. Old Fashioned is the fashion trend we need to be up to date with…

COSMETICSShould a godly, chaste, Baptist woman wear cosmetics (makeup)? If so, how much is appropriate, and to what parts of the face?

What woman doesn’t have a ‘cosmetic laboratory’ in their bathroom by the mirror or vanity? What woman doesn’t spend a fair amount of time in this laboratory prior to going out of their home each day? What woman doesn’t bring along some form of cosmetic device in her purse, just in case she might need it? Cosmetics are basically synonymous with women. Thus, most Baptist women use cosmetics daily. It is a part

of their life. And, I am not here to try and get you to stop using cosmetics…just to have you consider some principles and practices concerning their use. Of course, I do not wear cosmetics, and so am no ‘expert’ on them, but I do have the ability to observe women and their cosmetic practices and have developed some helpful thoughts concerning this issue.

My years in Cosmetology school will provide useful here…(jk). I am basically ‘pro-cosmetics’ (no, I don’t subscribe to the addage ‘if the barn needs paintin, paint it’). I think that cosmetics can highlight all the more the beauty that God gave you.

God intended for women to be beautiful and men to be, well, men… God wants there to be a clear difference in the appearance of women and men. It’s kind of like a mother putting an earring or a girlish headband on their baby girl (who has short hair still) in order to help distinguish it from a baby boy…. Nowadays, there is a lot of what is called ‘blurring the gender line’; there is the ‘uni-gender’ look; women want to be men, and men want to be women, and a whole range in between these two. By the modest, and careful use of cosmetics, a

Baptist woman can all the more appear womanly, feminine, with the cosmetics enhancing their feminitity. Male rock stars often will wear facial cosmetics to cause them to appear feminine (weird, really); and, it actually works. Have you ever seen a male ‘cross-dressor’ or transvestite? The cosmetics make a big difference (some look exactly like a woman would look). So, the more you can look ‘not’ like a man, and more like a woman, the better…but don’t go to the extreme of looking a bit ‘strange’, i.e. as a strange woman, an harlot!

I know that there are ‘holiness’ groups that are anti-cosmetics, and that’s fine. There is nothing wrong with a woman not wearing cosmetics. If that is your conviction, then great. Some teach that it is wrong to mess with God’s creation. They believe that cosmetics is a wordly endeavour; they believe that they ‘hurt God’s creation’, not help it.

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“None can rightly object to makeup on the basis that it is ‘adding to nature’, any more than he could say that using perfume is adding to nature. The one simply has to do with appearance, the other with smell…." WoodrowThe same principle would also apply to the use of jewelry.

The following are some key principles to consider when using cosmetics:1. Make your desire for using cosmetics to be to glorify God.

Everything we do should be to ultimately glorify God. Some might wonder how they could wear cosmetics that would beglorifying to God; but, I believe the moderate use of them can accentuate their feminity and beauty; they should neverdetract from this God-given beauty. Also, some may use cosmetics to cover up a birthmark, acne, or other unsightly skinconditions; and they could do this with the motivation to all the more try and glorify God. Meaning: “I want to have a bright and shiny, wholesome, healthy face-eyes-smile as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.” “I am not unhappy with how God created me, I am just trying to ‘smooth out any rough

edges’ that may have developed over time or because of an unhealthy lifestyle.2. Make your desire for using cosmetics to not cause a fellow brother or sister to stumble.If by me wearing cosmetics it causes a fellow Christian to think of me badly; or to cause them to start wearing cosmetics, but in a rather excessive way; or to potentially lust after me; I will not wear them, or at least in that manner that might be causing the stumbling.

3. Never use cosmetics in order to allure or attract others, or simply for drawing attention to yourself. Most women wear cosmetics to ‘look nice’; but what is really going on inside their mind? Could it be that they want to look ‘attractive’ in a sensual way, i.e. sexy? How would they ever have learned how to apply cosmetic this way?! Through the thousands of hours of tv and movies they’ve watched over the years, and just from general observation when out amongst people. Teenagers and single young adult ladies have the biggest problem with this; they are often times hoping to have a man marry them, and they want to look their best in case Mr. Right comes along. After a while, they

became a little more inpatient (even desperate) and they start trying the world’s tactics, i.e. look sensual, provacative,even daring.4. Never use cosmetics in such a way that mimicks a style that is characteristic of wicked women. I cannot accurately describe in detail what this ‘wicked’, sensual look is in regards to cosmetic use, but I believe that most of us know it when

we see it. Women need to be careful to apply their cosmetics in a modest, wholesome pattern, and not after the wicked hollywood models and stars’ patterns. This wicked wordly pattern may be generalized in this way: largequantities of cosmetic; very obvious; well beyond the norms; outrageous colors; an obvious mimicking of a certain famous woman’s style. It would be good to have your own style, your own pattern; don’t copy others. 5. Follow your husbands desire for you in the rhealm of cosmetics…as unto the Lord.Ultimately, as a married Baptist woman, you need to follow your husbands guidance in this area. If you aren’t married, then ask your male authority (father, brother, uncle…). Have you ever asked him what he desires for you to do in this area of cosmetology? Has he ever mentioned something to you about its use on your eyes or lips, etc.? Would you follow his

requests in this area? I believe that most Baptist women figure that they themselves know what is best in the wearing ofcosmetics, and their husband should just keep his remarks to himself (hopefully I’m wrong in this). The only caution Iwould give is if your husband was desiring for you to look like an harlot; it would have to be very obvious that that was the look he was intentioning for you to have, otherwise I would go along with it, even if it seemed more than you were comfortable with (maybe ask another godly woman how she views it).

Have you ever seen the ‘Disney channel’ and the ‘teen shows’ they have? Hannah Montana, etc.?! They are made up to look like ‘adult models’. Is this what we want our pre-teen and teen daughters looking like?!When should a young Baptist lady begin wearing cosmetics? Age 10? 12? 15? 18? 21?....My belief is that an extremely modest application of cosmetics might be appropriate when she is beginning to prepare for the world of ‘courtship’; this age surely wouldn’t be earlier than 15, and probably more likely would be closer to 18. The

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parents may insist that she doesn’t wear any, ever; but once she marries, then it will up to her husband’s convictions after that. The danger with a 12 or 14 year old wearing cosmetics like a 25 year old would, can be that some young men might

mistake them for being 18 and could bring about inappropriate advances. Also, there is a big danger with ‘pediophiles’ who are looking for this age group, and the cosmetic application could be in such a way that is tantilizing. If you choose to allow your 12 or 15 year old to wear ‘makeup’, then carefully monitor it and give strict ‘conservative’ guidelines.

Ezek 23:40 And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst

thyself with ornaments,Ezek 23:43 Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?

Jer 4:30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

2 Kings 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

Some would say from the above verses that ‘painting the face’ (and thus cosmetics) is in a negative light in scripture, and therefore should not be done. The following is another quote by Ralph Woodrow:“Luke tells about a woman with long hair whose sins were many(Lk.7:37-47). Would this prove that all women who have long hair are sinners? Would the fact that Proverbs 7:17 mentions a harlot using perfume prove that all women who use perfume are harlots? Or because an esteemed woman such as Esther was bathed and perfumed for one year(Esther 2:12,13), would this mean that women today should go to this extreme? Would the fact that an unfaithful wife wore jewelry(Hosea

2:13), prove that all women who wear jewelry are unfaithful? Of course not. On the same basis then, the fact that three scattered references to women painting their eyes (along with such things as taking a bath, fixing their hair, or putting on clothing) cannot prove that the use of cosmetics is wrong. It is the motive, the attitude, the intention of the heart that can make such 'fixing up' right or wrong........"

“I believe that makeup and jewelry are acceptable if worn in moderation. The proper purpose of makeup and jewelry ought to be to enhance a woman's attractiveness by highlighting her natural beauty; not saturating her entire face with makeup like Tammy Faye Bakker used to do on the PTL Club (i.e., the Praise The Lord Club). Kindly said, she looked like a fool-headed clown. Cosmetics can detract from a woman's natural beauty very easily if excessive.”

Cosmetology School:Lipstick: clearly defines as a woman (if there was any doubt). Typically is used in a sensual way. Choose colors that are not so obvious (i.e. not deep reds or bright purple, etc.). Gloss is reasonable. It should not have a liquid drippy look. Avoid

the ‘clown look’.Eyeliner: accentuates the eyes; this clearly identifies (if there was any doubt) as female. Use in moderation.Mascara: accentuates the lashes; some who have very thin and sparce lashes may benefit greatly from its moderate use. Eye shadow: It draws great attention to the eyes; be very conservative in its use; it tends to be about as sensual appearing as does lipstick. Stay far away from anything that would be considered beyond ‘moderate’ use, here.

Body modifications: plastic surgery to the nose, chin, chest, or buttocks is generally not advisable. But, at least the first two, are probably ok if it is of a great concern to the woman or her husband (the latter two, I have my doubts on). Regardless, they should be done very modestly (especially the latter two). Consider someone that is post-masectomy…Tummy tucks: nothing that diet and exercise shouldn’t be able to, for the most part, solve. However, if one has the money, and the surgeon is ok with it, then so be it… But, couldn’t that money be used for Missions, better?...

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Botox injections to get wrinkles off the face + Collagen injections of the lips: If one has pre-mature wrinkling or almost no lip matter, then this might be reasonable (but only if the woman or husband felt this to be important to them). Otherwise, it is vanity…

Manicures and Pedicures: These are areas that are often exposed on a conservative woman (in other cultures) and therefore might be ‘enhanced’ some. It does enhance feminitity. There are some concerns, though: 1) the long fake ‘claws’; 2) the amount of money that is spent to have your ‘nails done’; 3) the amount of time to have your nails done.

TatoosToday we find that the average "evangelical" church member thinks there is nothing wrong with tatoos. A recent survey found that "75% of young conservative Christians believe tattooing is a valid spiritual expression" ("For the Love of God," The Vancouver Sun, Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 1999).

Christian women (the younger ones, mainly) are just as fascinated with tatoos as are their lost, wordly counterparts. They differ in that they usually will get a tatoo that is ‘pretty’, ‘cute’, or ‘Christian’. Ever see a nice, young, godly appearing lady that said that they have a tatoo on their back or leg? Does that suddenly change the way you think about her? Usually, it does; you suddenly think that she is not so godly afterall, cheap, rough, sorted past… Maybe the tatoo is of a small rose. Though, maybe it is of a demon. A common site is the nape of the neck, the upper arm, and the outer ankle.

I have a few concerns with women and tatoos:1. What is motivating you to get one? Is it to fit in with a certain subculture? Is that subculture godly? Is it to be unorthodox, daring, and wild? Was it done while you were backslidden and involved with gross sin? What does it mean to you to have this tatoo? Does it symbolize (not the tatoo itself) that you are a non-conformist…a rebel?

2. What does the actual tatoo portray that is promoting godliness…chastity…discreetness? It may actually portray this. But, most do not.

3. Realize that it most likely will never come off your body. It is permanently destroying a portion of your body. Not something to be taken lightly, that’s for sure.

4. It reeks of the world. Tatoos use to be only gotten by druggies and gang members. Now, it thought to be so ‘in vogue’ for professionals even to get them. It is a ‘fad’, it is ‘in vogue’, it is ‘cutting edge’. This is not what a godly woman should be alligning herself with.

5. Also, there is the Biblical principles and mandate on this:Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD (Lev. 19:28). They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh (Lev. 21:5).It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak (Romans 14:21). And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

The most effective witness to the change that Christ has wrought within is not a painted smile on the face of a seductively dressed woman, but a radiant smile on the face of a clean, becomingly dressed woman. A too-sophisticated, coiffured, and made-up appearance, with glittering jewels and extravagant clothes, reveals not the spontaneous radiance of a God-centered personality, but the studied, artificial image of a self-centered individuality.

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