Displaying Your Gender (part 2 of 2)
“Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.”
—I Corinthians 11:14-15
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”—Deuteronomy 22:5
Two biblical principles should inform our dress decisions: modesty and distinction. Modest attire is the adequate covering of our bodies. Distinct attire is that covering expressing the distinction of our Creation.
Distinction
In I Corinthians 11, Paul is starting to deal with issues of the Corinthian gatherings. Many try to assert that the issue at hand is the tradition of women wearing a shawl. However, the immediate discussion is “hair length” in the context of appropriate, public worship.
First, Paul nowhere mentions a veil or a shawl. Second, the words Paul uses throughout the discussion repeatedly refer to hair (“shaven,” “shorn,” “long hair”). Third, Paul says that a woman’s hair is given to her for a covering. The point of the issue is that hair that hangs down is too long for a man, and hair that does not hang down is too short for a woman.
Hair length is the male and female’s natural ability to visibly distinguish what their gender is. Even if you believe the issue in I Corinthians 11 was over wearing a shawl, the conclusion is the same: a man or woman who has the appearance of the opposite gender “dishonors his head [authority].” It is dishonoring to God when the visible distinction between male and female is not maintained.
The conclusion from I Corinthians 11 is only underscored by the prohibition of Deuteronomy 22:5.
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”—Deuteronomy 22:5
The key word in this verse is “abomination.” God did command Israel to view certain animals with disgust (Leviticus 11:10-13, 20, 23, 41-42), even though, as part of His Creation, those animals were not an abomination to God Himself. But, for a behavior or person to be “abomination,” or an “abomination to the Lord,” means that by it, or them, there is some compromise of God’s perfect sacrifice, God’s unique position, or God’s moral absolutes.
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”—Leviticus 18:22
“The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.”—Deuteronomy 7:25
“Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.”—Deuteronomy 17:1
Some argue that Old Testament laws were simply a shadow of the greater reality. They point to some of the other laws in the same chapter as merely teaching the general principle of separation (not mixing seeds, not plowing with a donkey and an ox). But even if Deuteronomy 22:5 was the “shadow of a greater reality,” what would that greater reality be? What “general principle” would it teach? Wouldn’t the greater reality have to be the differences between male and female?
The prohibition of Deuteronomy 22:5 is rooted in the natural distinction of Creation. The distinction of genders is an absolute that transcends time, place, and culture. The verse teaches that, in an orderly society, some things pertain to men and some things pertain to women. Any behavior that blurs the natural distinction between men and women compromises God’s moral absolute as it relates to gender.
Some argue that male and female distinction is irrelevant since Christ abolished those distinctions. They quote Galatians 3:28,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Those who argue that Galatians 3:28 teaches that salvation abolishes the distinction of male and female misunderstand the verse. First, they misunderstand the interpretation. Galatians 3:28 teaches that there is no difference between male and female in the matter of being saved: both male and female have equal privilege and opportunity to be saved. Second, they misunderstand salvation. Christ’s redemption does not erase God’s Creative intent, it restores it! Salvation brings us back into the relationship with God that had been forfeited in the garden. Though we still wrestle with sinful tendencies, we are empowered by the forgiveness of sins and the indwelling Christ to be everything God intended us to be from the beginning!
Clearly displaying our gender is part of being what God intended us to be. Between male and female, there is obvious distinction. This distinction is God-ordained. Our roles and our dress should accurately reflect the God-given identity of our creation.
Be what you are; that’s what God intended.