Displaying Your Gender (part 1 of 2)
“Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.”
—Exodus 20:26
“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.”—I Timothy 2:9-10
The American film industry has regularly tried to normalize gender confusion. Their humor frequently makes light of the inability to determine a person’s gender based on appearance. An old Saturday Night Live skit about an individual with an indeterminate gender, named Pat, is just one example. Their scripting plays up the awkwardness that actually occurs when someone’s gender is not clearly discernible.
Biblically, what we are and what we do is further supported by how we appear. Old Testament regulations regarding the attire of priests, and high priest, are an example of clearly displaying role with attire. A negative example is the harlot who was clearly identified by her clothing. When how we appear contradicts what we are confusion rules Remember Jacob’s deception of Isaac, or the showiness of the Pharisees.
Gender distinction is built into God’s Creation, and God intends for each gender to fulfill his or her distinct role. God also intends for us to clearly display that distinction through our appearance.
Two Biblical Principles
Most Christians agree on some level with the principles of modesty (adequately covered) and distinction (not cross-dressing). These are biblical principles that should influence how we appear.
Modesty
As Dr. Rick Flanders has pointed out in his helpful booklet, the word naked in the Bible almost never means nude.[1] Nakedness means inadequately covered. Being adequately covered is a principle that reaches back all the way to the garden of Eden.
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”—Genesis 3:7
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”—Genesis 3:21
Adam and Eve’s shame over their unclothed condition was not an issue of immodesty between a husband and wife, but between fallen man and their God (Genesis 3:9-10). God clothed them with “coats” (a full covering), in place of their “aprons” (a partial covering) so that their nakedness would be adequately covered in His presence. The clothing God provided symbolized the atoning sacrifice for mankind’s sin, and the righteousness that would be imputed to humanity as a result of it. Man’s attempt at atoning for his own sin (aprons of fig leaves) has always been woefully inadequate.
In the Bible, the public removal of clothing, or being inadequately covered in public, is sinful and shameful.
“And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.”—Genesis 9:20-23
“… Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)”—Exodus 32:25
“Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.”—Nahum 3:5
“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.”—John 21:7
Noah’s “uncovered” condition and his son seeing him in that condition were both shameful. The idolatry of the children of Israel led them to public nakedness. Idolatrous practices and the consequence of punishments are described throughout the Old Testament prophets as revealing a nation’s “nakedness.” Peter, a backslidden disciple, was inadequately covered. Before he would stand before the Lord Jesus, he adequately covered himself with “his fisher’s coat.”
In the church, ladies are to be examples of modest dress accompanied by good works.
“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.”—I Timothy 2:9-10
The word modest means orderly, or decorous. The word shamefacedness means reverent timidity, or downcast eyes, and is used one other time in the New Testament to describe our attitude toward God (Hebrews 12:28). The word sobriety means soundness of mind, or sanity. A woman’s attire should be orderly, reflecting a sane understanding of her position in the church. A woman who dresses immodestly (inadequately covered) does not reflect timidity, or a sane understanding of herself, especially when in the presence of men.
Adequate covering would at least reflect the Bible standard for covering nakedness (Exodus 28:42, “from the loins [middle-back] even unto the thighs [covering them]”) on both men and women; and would include, on women, additional covering above the waist. Articles of clothing that are too tight, though they may cover, would be immodest because of what they still reveal: the physical forms of the natural body.
[1] Flanders, Dr. Rick, Does God Care About What I Wear?, pg. 13 (Bill Rice Ranch, Inc., copyright 2012).