Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / The Issues About Women’s Liberty: The Giving of the Law (Part 30)
Transcript
- 0:01Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
- 0:06designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
- 0:09walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
- 0:14the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
- 0:18right in. I think we have come a long way and
- 0:36this is wonderful. I will be continuing on women's
- 0:47dressing. Don't forget that the series is the
- 0:51issues about women's liberty and for a while
- 0:57we have been discussing about women's or a woman's
- 1:04dressing. And we actually took time to explain
- 1:14Deuteronomy 22 verse 5. And we saw there was
- 1:19a need for us to look at the background and to
- 1:22study deeply so that we can interpret that text
- 1:27correctly. And we ended on Sunday. by saying
- 1:34that the law in Deuteronomy 22 verse 5 was not
- 1:44given to believers. So in the first place, to
- 1:49use that text for a righteous person is already
- 1:53an error. Are we together? Hallelujah. And so,
- 1:59there is no basis. It's just like Jesus is talking
- 2:02to Pharisees and saying, you brutal vipers, and
- 2:06then you say he's talking to believers. So, today
- 2:13we will continue in that light just to look at
- 2:16some other issues around a woman's dressing.
- 2:21Besides, Deuteronomy 22 verse 5, another text
- 2:27that is a point of reference when we come to
- 2:36the issue of dressing is this text, first Timothy
- 2:41chapter two. And I'll start reading from verse
- 2:44eight. He said, I desire therefore that the man
- 2:57pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without
- 3:03wrath and doubting. In like manner also that
- 3:11the women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
- 3:18with propriety and moderation not with braided
- 3:25hair, or gold or pearls or costly clothings,
- 3:33verse 10, but which is proper for women professing
- 3:39godliness with good works. Now verse 9 has been
- 3:50a cornerstone for many churches for their dress
- 3:57coats. And particularly that what was known as
- 4:04modest apparel is normally considered as long
- 4:13garment. So once you talk about modesty, you're
- 4:20talking about wearing something that is a gown.
- 4:27and you are moving with it. Now, I want us to
- 4:33look at that word, affarel. You know, sometimes
- 4:36we turn Bible authors to be Englishmen. At least
- 4:43in this church, we have taught that one downside
- 4:51of translation, not because the translators desired
- 4:57it, but one downside is that you don't normally
- 5:01have a word -for -word match when you are moving
- 5:07some documents or you are translating from one
- 5:13language to another. So for that reason, you
- 5:17battle to choose the appropriate word that will
- 5:22represent what you are translating. Okay, let's
- 5:32look at the word apparel in verse 9. Let's leave
- 5:35modest for now. We're coming back to modest.
- 5:38Let's look at the word apparel. Apparel was translated
- 5:42from the Greek word katastole, that is K -A -T
- 5:49-A -S -T -O -L -E. K -A -S -M -K -A -T -A -S
- 5:59-T -O -L -E It means lowering to lower something
- 6:08lowering or letting down or letting down Interestingly
- 6:16this is the only place this word appears in the
- 6:21entire New Testament So that means we need to
- 6:25study it carefully. Now, catastrophe, which is
- 6:33a noun, is derived from the verb catastello,
- 6:39which is K -A -T -A -S -T -E -W -L -O. K -A -T
- 6:51-A -S... T E W L O It's a noun which means to
- 6:59quiet Sorry a verb which means to quiet to keep
- 7:06calm or subdue to quiet to keep calm or to subdue
- 7:19This word is used in act 19 that is katastelo
- 7:26is the verb used in act 19 verse 35 look at act
- 7:3719 verse 35 he says and when the city clerk had
- 7:49quieted the So the word quieted is the word catastello.
- 8:00Quieted the crowd, he said, men of Ephesus, what
- 8:05man is there who does not know the city of the
- 8:11Ephesians is, wait a minute, what man is there
- 8:18who does not know that the city of the Ephesians
- 8:23is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana
- 8:28and of the image which fell down from Zeus was
- 8:3636. Therefore, since these things cannot be denied,
- 8:44you ought to be quiet, that word quiet, and do
- 8:51nothing rashly. So, already we see there that
- 8:58it is used when a town clerk or the city clerk
- 9:06quieted, in other words, calmed already a troubled
- 9:15and excited mob. Are we together? Amen? So, you
- 9:25see, there is another word again in the English
- 9:29Bible besides catastrophe. You know, we said
- 9:37catastrophe is derived from catastrophe, right?
- 9:44So there is another word to lay down. I mean,
- 9:49catastrophe. beside catastrophe. You know, in
- 9:55English, in this text, festimoti, it uses catastrophe
- 10:02as apparel. So there's another word for apparel
- 10:07again. It's in fespita. Let's look at fespita.
- 10:16Chapter three. Let's see another place that used
- 10:22the English word apparel even though the The
- 10:27Greek is not the same First Peter 3 verse 3 He
- 10:41said do not let your adornments be merely outwards
- 10:47Arranging hair wearing gold or putting on fine
- 10:54apparel. Then the word there, apparel, was translated
- 10:59from the Greek word, Chimaetaeon. That is H -I
- 11:08-M -A -T -I -O -N. H -I -M -A -T -I -O -N. Hymateon
- 11:21or Hymateon. Now it means, Hymateon means to
- 11:27dress, that is, sorry, a dress. It's a noun as
- 11:33well just like katas tole. It means a dress,
- 11:42an inner or outer, a cloth, garment, a rope,
- 11:52a remnant, a vesture, or a cloak, anyone. A dress,
- 11:58a clothe, a garment, a rope, vesture, cloak,
- 12:03remnant. So, Hemation appears in different places
- 12:11in the English Bible, the New Testament, about
- 12:1562 times in the King James version of the Bible.
- 12:22So Hemation appears several times. It means a
- 12:26dress. But interestingly, Paul did not use Hemation,
- 12:35rather he used catastrophe. Now let's go back
- 12:44to that text. Festimoti. We want to study, why
- 12:53did he use that? So look at verse 9 of Festimoti.
- 13:10Look at verse 9 of Festimoti. I mentioned the
- 13:17two, where we are studying. In like manner also,
- 13:26that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
- 13:31with propriety and moderation, not with braided
- 13:36hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing.
- 13:44Now, to understand this, I think, as we have
- 13:48always encouraged when we are studying Bible,
- 13:51is to depend heavily or majorly on the context,
- 13:56because that will help us to know what Paul used,
- 14:02why he used, and what it means by apparel there.
- 14:06Now let's start reading from verse eight. A little
- 14:10bit and then we'll go down. I desire therefore
- 14:15that the man pray, everywhere lifting up holy
- 14:21hands without wrath and doubting. In like manner
- 14:31also that the women are do themselves in modest
- 14:35apparel with propriety and moderation not with
- 14:40braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothings.
- 14:46But which is proper for women professing godliness
- 14:52with good works? Please note this word, in verse
- 14:599, in like manner. In like manner. It was translated
- 15:11from the Greek word hosautos. h o s a u t o s
- 15:20h o s a u t o s it means likewise or similarly
- 15:33or in the same manner it means likewise or similarly
- 15:43Or in the same manner, which is there, but another
- 15:47word is in the same way. Which ways? Which manner?
- 15:59Amen. So you cannot read verse 9 without verse
- 16:048 because it already connects them. You say it
- 16:07in like manner. Are we together? Oh, talk to
- 16:13me. Amen. Yes. So that means we want to know
- 16:17which manna was he talking about or where he
- 16:20was he talking about in verse eight. Are we together?
- 16:24So in verse eight, he was talking to men. So
- 16:29Paul was addressing men. He now said, I desire
- 16:32therefore that men pray. Okay. Everywhere lifting
- 16:37up holy hands with that rat. and doubting. So
- 16:43he was talking to men, he was not talking about
- 16:46men's dressing. Are we together? He was not talking
- 16:51about what? Men's dressing. Please note that.
- 16:57But Paul was addressing order. Paul was addressing
- 17:01arrangement, conduct, manner during prayers.
- 17:07Not what they were. but the state of their hearts.
- 17:13Are we together? That's why he said, without
- 17:16what? Wrath. Or what? Doubting. See, lift up
- 17:23holy hands without wrath and doubting. And then
- 17:31he moves straight away. Please, for now, disregard
- 17:35these verses. He now say, in like manner. So
- 17:41that means the subject of his discussion is not
- 17:44dressing. Are we together? He's not dressing.
- 17:50He now said in like manner. He then moved from
- 17:54men to women. So that means his emphasis or direction
- 17:59he was talking to men, that is the same direction
- 18:03he is also talking to the women. Are we together?
- 18:08That's why that word, in like manner, is crucial.
- 18:12Then you move to women, in verse 9, in like manner
- 18:17also. That the women adorn themselves. You know,
- 18:22sometimes when we hear the word adorn, the first
- 18:25thing that comes to us is about painting, you
- 18:30know, about fashion, what we wear outside. But
- 18:34he said adore themselves in modest apparel with
- 18:39propriety and moderation. So to the women by
- 18:47using in like manner also, Paul suggests that
- 18:51just as men must resolve issues internally, because
- 18:58he talks about rats, doubting, are we together?
- 19:02He was focused on the heart, internal issues,
- 19:07first and foremost. For them to pray effectively,
- 19:14he now said, women also, in that manner, should
- 19:19adore themselves in modest apparel. Here, modest
- 19:27apparel, as we have noted in the word study,
- 19:33Is talking it will not be talking about dressing
- 19:38But it will be referring to the menu behavior
- 19:44Because manners personal bearing Now if cut us
- 19:58to lay what we studied which is apparel means
- 20:04a dress the word in like manner will not make
- 20:09sense here as it will mean Paul was moving because
- 20:18he wouldn't say in like manner because if he
- 20:20is just discussing men on their attitudes and
- 20:26conducts he will not say in like manner because
- 20:31he would just go straight to talk about the physical
- 20:33in regards to the women. Just follow me. So Paul
- 20:44was not just moving from men talking about their
- 20:47spiritual requirement to just women focusing
- 20:52on purely material or the outside. Now, let's
- 21:00look at the word modest, that word modest. The
- 21:07word modest in verse 9, when you say modest apparel,
- 21:12was translated from the Greek word cosmos. Cosmos
- 21:19is an adjective which means well -arranged. actually
- 21:28it has a link with the word cosmos it is it means
- 21:36well arranged orderly simply of good behavior
- 21:44well arranged orderly simply of good behavior
- 21:56This word is used only in two places. That's
- 22:00this word modest. Only in two places in the New
- 22:07Testament. The first one is of course here in
- 22:131st Timothy chapter 2 verse 9, our text. The
- 22:19second one is in the next chapter, immediately
- 22:23Paul still used the same word. modest. In 1 Timothy
- 22:28chapter 3 verse 1, well let me read the place
- 22:32exactly, verse 2. Look at verse 2. A bishop then
- 22:39must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate,
- 22:46sober -minded, of good behavior. That word of
- 22:51good behavior is the word modest. of good behavior.
- 23:03So, the word cosmos is now seen here as a qualification
- 23:13for a bishop. They're not talking about dressing.
- 23:18As a qualification of a bishop. This shows that
- 23:22the word described is referring to order. or
- 23:27a well -regulated life. Not talking about dressing.
- 23:34So, now that we have seen what in the word study
- 23:40and looking at the context, let's move to the
- 23:44next verse, which is verse 10. He now said, let
- 23:51me read verse 9 first, in like manner also, like
- 23:55that means, In the manner in which I spoke to
- 23:58the men, he said that women adorn themselves
- 24:04in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation,
- 24:10not with braided hairs, or gold, or pearls, or
- 24:19costly clothings, but instead, he said, goth.
- 24:26which is proper for women professing godliness
- 24:31with good works. With good works. So in verse
- 24:3910 here, Paul clarifies that his focus through
- 24:44adornment for a godly woman isn't something she
- 24:54puts on her body. So the emphasis he was making,
- 24:59of course, we are coming back later on, because
- 25:02what Paul is trying to teach here has, of course,
- 25:06implication on our dressing. But that's not the
- 25:09first thing he is talking about, because most
- 25:11times the word, once we interpret it wrongly,
- 25:17it deviates from the direction or the emphasis
- 25:20of the text. But the focus is good works. But
- 25:28where is this good works coming from? It flows
- 25:32from her character. That's why the emphasis,
- 25:37and I wanted to see verse 9. More or less verse
- 25:419 puts what Paul first is emphasizing. and then
- 25:49said, I'm not talking about outward appearance,
- 25:52I'm talking about the character of the woman,
- 25:54just the same way he was talking to the men.
- 25:57So we can divide the empathy, I mean, or what
- 26:01Paul was saying here into two. The first one
- 26:05is spiritual, which means he's talking about
- 26:07the inner, the heart, the character, which is,
- 26:12look at it, he said, So it's in no doubt that
- 26:16Paul uses the word propriety and moderation.
- 26:21It's not a mystic. It's an order. So modest apparel
- 26:26is related to propriety, is related to moderation,
- 26:32these three. So in our set, not. So that means
- 26:35these three is not talking about dressing at
- 26:38all. Modest apparel. Propriety and moderation.
- 26:43They are not talking about dressing. So in our
- 26:47said not, they is talking about the outwards,
- 26:52which is a second, the material things, the braided
- 26:56hair, the gold, the pearls, the costly clothing.
- 27:02So by saying that the women adore themselves
- 27:04in modest apparel with propriety, and moderation,
- 27:11not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or
- 27:14costly clothings. Pearl was emphasizing character,
- 27:21spiritual attitude, the inner attitude. That
- 27:29is the modest apparel, the propriety, the moderation
- 27:34over out -toward appearance, which is the braided
- 27:38hair. the gold, the pearls, the costly clothings.
- 27:45So Paul is discussing priorities here. He was
- 27:52not given a dress coat. You know what I'm saying?
- 27:57You know, that word, apparel, cutters, telo,
- 28:05or tole, sorry. talks about letting down or lowering.
- 28:14So because of that thing, and of course in Greek,
- 28:19sometimes in the secular Greek, what I mean secular
- 28:26Greek, I mean the one that is not captured within
- 28:30scriptures, the language itself, sometimes is
- 28:34also used as a dress. So translators, if you
- 28:39look at others, translators, I mean translations
- 28:42of the Bible, they use dress in there. Because
- 28:45they assume that it's talking about long dress.
- 28:49You do want something? Because it's letting down.
- 28:51Of course, it's sometimes used elsewhere, that
- 28:55is outside the scripture, as dress. But it's
- 29:03also used as character. But I don't know why
- 29:09the translators in most of the translation pick
- 29:12the dressing instead of the character, because
- 29:15even in the Greek general language it's also
- 29:19used as character, just the same way as it's
- 29:21used also as a dress. So what Paul is talking
- 29:31here is that the woman give priority to her character.
- 29:36that eventually produce good works. So it's about
- 29:42piety. That's why he said not, right? That is
- 29:48the focus. The piety should not be on appearance,
- 29:56on braided hairs, on gold, on pearls, on costly
- 30:01clothings. The piety should be on her character.
- 30:06attitude, you understand, and eventually produces
- 30:11or will produce good work. He said, that's why
- 30:14Vaisten says, but which is proper? That is, once
- 30:20the focus is the insight, it is proper. That
- 30:26is what is proper for godly women or women professing
- 30:31godliness with good works. The word propriety
- 30:41means reverence. The word propriety means reverence.
- 30:49It is used in two places in the New Testament.
- 30:56One is in this first Timothy 2 .9 and the other
- 31:02is in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28. That word
- 31:07propriety which means reverence is used in the
- 31:12other place that is used is in Hebrews chapter
- 31:1612 verse 28 verse 28 says therefore Since we
- 31:23are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken
- 31:26Let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably
- 31:34With reverence that what reverence is propriety
- 31:39The word moderation, let's go back to first Timothy
- 31:442 verse 9 The next word is moderation The word
- 31:50moderation there means self -control or propriety
- 31:57Self -control or propriety that is S -O -B -R
- 32:04-I -E -T -Y. This word is used only in three
- 32:12places in the New Testament. One is in 1 Timothy
- 32:182 -9. The other is in 1 Timothy, just some verse
- 32:23ahead. 2 -15, look at verse 15. Nevertheless,
- 32:30she will be saved In childbearing, if she continue
- 32:35in faith, love, holiness, with self -control,
- 32:39that word self -control is the word moderation.
- 32:46Is the word moderation. Now you see also where
- 32:49it appears here, he's not talking about dress,
- 32:51he's talking about character, attitude. Are we
- 32:55together? The other one is in... Act 26 was 25.
- 33:06Act 26 was 25. What he said, I am not mad. Oh,
- 33:23Act 26. I think I mix this. I'll check it out.
- 33:55I'll tell us. But that's the second one is in
- 33:58act. Are we together? oh yes the word reason
- 34:17i'm not hungry you understand means with uh with
- 34:37uh with which you are not you understand are
- 34:51we together amen so the mention of the word modest
- 34:58now the modest as we see are we together is not
- 35:03in relation in all the places that this is used
- 35:05it's not in relation to dressing it's in relation
- 35:09to behavior to conduct So the mention of modest
- 35:21apparel, propriety, are we together? Which means
- 35:30reverence and moderation or self -control aligns
- 35:41together. That means emphasis of Paul is on character,
- 35:47on the attitude, on the inner posture. It shows
- 35:55Paul's call for order, for being quiet, godly
- 36:08behavior and conduct. and of course translating
- 36:16into good works when you read verse 10. So the
- 36:22main message of the text is not teaching a dress
- 36:25code that you must wear long gown. You understand?
- 36:31That's not what he's saying. Paul cannot give
- 36:35dress code. Of course, we will always use the
- 36:43word modest as in use of English. You understand
- 36:48what I'm saying? In terms of let your dressing
- 36:51be modest, meaning don't be appear to provoke
- 36:59lust. Are we together? But this is not the text
- 37:10we will use. Here is talking about not dress
- 37:17code. The style of a dress. Just like some people
- 37:24have interpreted the tronomy 22 .5 as also dress
- 37:32code for believers. A style of a dress. Women
- 37:38you cannot wear trouser. You know, when your
- 37:42village people are following you, that's how
- 37:43you do. So, all men can not wear this. No, it's
- 37:51not about dress code. No. But the teaching of
- 37:59Paul that women should focus on a character,
- 38:04does it have implication in their dressing? Yes.
- 38:12What about the men? Yes. Also. I want us to note
- 38:20that word, go back to first, Timothy. He now
- 38:29said that women should adorn themselves. That
- 38:33means the emphasis is adorning yourself. The
- 38:39focus is that, and what do you adorn themselves?
- 38:46He said the adorning of a woman should be first,
- 38:51or the character must be prioritized. That is
- 38:57it. Her character must be prioritized above her
- 39:06outside. That's why he said not wheat. You know
- 39:11because so many people interpreted the first
- 39:13one and many churches and they are sincere but
- 39:18they are wrong. You see being sincere is different
- 39:21thing. Being right is a different thing. So people
- 39:25are forced if you enter the church you see like
- 39:28a dress code as if it's a profession. When you
- 39:33enter a hospital, you see doctors in white, some
- 39:36in blue, attendants in the same color. When you
- 39:40enter a certain church, you see everybody looking
- 39:42almost the same. And they point to some of these
- 39:46texts and say, that's what the Bible is saying.
- 39:48No, that's what the Bible is saying. So the priority
- 39:53is to add on yourself. You know, because this
- 39:58generation, we are more attached to material
- 40:01world. So immediately we are adorned. The first
- 40:05thing is physical. You understand? It doesn't
- 40:08occur that no, it can be the inner part that
- 40:11we're talking about. So you adorn yourself with
- 40:15this character, with reverence. You understand?
- 40:18With modest apparel that is orderly, well -behaved.
- 40:23You understand? With self -control. And there
- 40:28is a note. By using the word not with braided
- 40:33hair or gold or pearls or costly clothings Paul
- 40:38was not suggesting is prohibiting these items
- 40:41because this is the problem Then they prohibit
- 40:45you cannot many churches don't wear. What do
- 40:49you call it? Attachment rights. Yes is because
- 40:52of this they say Paul said not that is he prohibited
- 41:00Not! With gold, with pearls, with costly clothing.
- 41:11And I'm just wondering, who measure what is costly?
- 41:27I was here, I traveled back to meet my damsel.
- 41:35When I spoke to her and she said she will follow
- 41:37me. You know, at that time I paid the flight
- 41:46ticket. It was 4 ,000 Tia, to and fro. At that
- 41:59time, I think it was around, that 4 ,000 tier
- 42:04was barely, around three, 400 ,000, something
- 42:07like that. I forgot. So when I arrived and my
- 42:12uncle saw me, he said, you, since you have gone,
- 42:15you have not returned to this country. I said,
- 42:19the problem is that it's a flight ticket. How
- 42:21much is a flight ticket? You can't access the
- 42:23car. I said, it's 400 ,000. He said, did you
- 42:26understand what he said? Now that one you are
- 42:29saying is not money to somebody is because it's
- 42:33expensive. So how do you measure costly clothing?
- 42:40The one you are wearing, if somebody sees in
- 42:42your village, they will pursue you. You say you
- 42:46are wasting resources. You carry that money to
- 42:48go and buy shoe. What shoe? So, you know, when
- 42:53you are blind by religion, you will be thinking
- 42:56that my own is all costly. It's their own that
- 42:59is costly. Did you understand what I'm saying?
- 43:03So, because you're using your mole to measure
- 43:07everyone. Don't do that in the sun. Because...
- 43:19Many years ago, what you are affording now, you
- 43:22couldn't afford it, but now you could afford
- 43:25it. It looks normal to you, but it wasn't normal
- 43:27five years, 10 years ago. So Paul will not be
- 43:35saying that he's prohibiting those things, no.
- 43:39Remember, when you miss the main thing, you keep
- 43:43going saying other things. Paul is saying no.
- 43:49While we do and wear those things, your priority,
- 43:54where is it? I'm coming to that. But I want to
- 43:58finish with the interpretation first. Are we
- 44:01together? Amen? So stay in the context. He was
- 44:07not saying you should dress shabbily. Are we
- 44:12together? He was not saying you should dress
- 44:16shabbily. Some people have taken shabbiness as
- 44:20a mark of holiness You want to appear in a tart
- 44:32way so that they will say you are humble No,
- 44:44no not at all Some of us have refused to learn
- 44:50how to dress Because the Bible said don't consider
- 44:55it. It is prohibited You don't know colors When
- 45:04you dress they will see you as if you're a firefighter
- 45:10That's not what Paul is saying Listen, it's good
- 45:21to dress properly. So by interpreting katastole,
- 45:28that is apparel, as diminu, as orderly conduct,
- 45:36now the passage becomes clearer that Paul was
- 45:39giving instruction on worship. Because if you
- 45:42look at it, that's where he started. Are we together?
- 45:47Amen. Yes. He started by talking to men. He said,
- 45:54be careful, wrath. Doubting, disputing. That's
- 46:04that word, disputing. He now said, in like manner,
- 46:11women, in like manner. Your focus should be your
- 46:17character. Your focus should be your character.
- 46:24So Paul's emphasis starts with the inner adornment,
- 46:30verse nine, and then he ends in the practical
- 46:35expression of it. So if you are going to please
- 46:42and walk in the ways of God, Your emphasis must
- 46:48be on your inner beauty that translates into
- 46:52expressions of good works. We should see that
- 46:58more than any other thing. Are we together? We
- 47:06should see that more. That is what it means by
- 47:09emphasis. When somebody Visit your house. What
- 47:17is the first thing that is greeted with? Is it
- 47:2240 shoes? Huh? Or is greeted by an attitude?
- 47:38Many people because of my house, I had to be
- 47:40teaching many of us. We read the Bible, pray
- 47:44in tongues, but there's this attitude, you understand,
- 47:48that is lacking. You see an elderly person, you
- 47:53understand, in your head, it does not occur to
- 47:56you that this person deserves respect. You come
- 48:02and pass as if you brush the person. No. In the
- 48:18church you always complain, I was sick, they
- 48:22didn't call me, they didn't visit me. How many
- 48:25people did you call? You is everyday complaining,
- 48:38they didn't visit me. You are not focused on
- 48:43developing an inner beauty that translates into
- 48:47daily good works. Hallelujah. So modest apparels
- 48:56is modest quietness, not a loud woman. That's
- 49:00what it means. That's what it means. In terms
- 49:03of behavior, means somebody that is not loud.
- 49:09You know, that's why I use that. Greek word I
- 49:12invented. Raga, raga, raga. You understand what
- 49:14I'm trying to say? That's what he's talking about.
- 49:21It's not referring to clothes. Modest Apparel
- 49:24is talking about quiet spirit. It implies an
- 49:31attitude that is worthy of emulation. a way and
- 49:40a manner of doing things that reflect your identity
- 49:46in Christ. It reflects on all that a good conduct.
- 49:58That's exactly what Peter was teaching. First,
- 50:04Peter chopped the tree. Let's go there now. If
- 50:09you ever have any parallel texts that was discussing
- 50:12the same thing I was teaching, it was Peter.
- 50:20Are you in verse, Peter, chapter three? He said,
- 50:27wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husband
- 50:33as Husband that even if some do not obey the
- 50:40word, they without a word may be won by the conduct
- 50:48of their wives. What's the emphasis? Conduct.
- 50:53What's the emphasis? Conduct. Look at verse two.
- 50:59When they observe your chaste conduct accompanied
- 51:04by fear, Verse three, do not let your abdomen
- 51:09be merely outwards, arranging the hair, wearing
- 51:18the gold, or putting on fine apparel. Rather
- 51:27let it be the hidden person of the heart. incorruptible
- 51:37beauty of a gentle and a quiet spirit, which
- 51:43is very precious in the sight of God. For in
- 51:52this manner, in the former times, the holy women
- 52:00who trusted God also are done themselves. Did
- 52:05you see what we were talking about? The adamant.
- 52:09Is a bill submissive to their own husbands. Asera
- 52:14obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, that is master.
- 52:21Whose daughters you are, if you do good and are
- 52:29not afraid with any terror. Did you see that?
- 52:36So Peter, like Paul, was contrasting outward
- 52:41adornment with the hidden person of the earth,
- 52:45of the heart. So this instruction is timely.
- 52:52It's timely because of this day we are in what
- 52:58we normally call the attention economy. The temptation
- 53:06to focus on the physical appearance above the
- 53:14good works, the attitudes, the character is high.
- 53:23I want to ask you, how many hours do you spend
- 53:27in the front of Miro? Refining. adjusting tilting
- 53:44straightening coiling compared to the time you
- 54:00spent to build the inner character in prayer,
- 54:10in the world. You know, I don't have a problem
- 54:18with you making and looking good, but I have
- 54:23a problem with the priority. There are some sisters
- 54:27that are sad. They spend more than two days making
- 54:31me hair. Two days. But check, they are canonical.
- 54:44Something you just, few minutes you read it a
- 54:46day. They are, they don't even know where they
- 54:52are. They are like jumping frogs. They will do
- 54:58today, today, today. Then they will jump two
- 55:01weeks. Then they will do one, two. Then they
- 55:04will jump another two weeks. That is what Paul
- 55:14is addressing. That's what Peter is addressing.
- 55:22Your attitude, it stinks. It stinks. I mean your...
- 55:41Character is not just about you, it's about also
- 55:45your mission. Did you understand what I'm saying?
- 55:50Yes. To the woman we are reading in Peter, he
- 55:56said, even if her husband did not obey the word,
- 56:00he would be warned when he will see her chase
- 56:05conduct. So that means there are people who have
- 56:14heard the word, but they are still disobedient.
- 56:22So don't look down because there is supposed
- 56:26to be the attitude, our attitude supposed to
- 56:30be given a parity. Are we together? How much
- 56:40do we invest in your cosmetics, in your hair.
- 56:46You know, I told my wife, stop, forget about
- 56:49these sisters. She'll be say, ah, maybe they
- 56:51don't have money. I want to give them discount
- 56:54when I'm making hair for them. I say, I laugh.
- 56:57You'll be shocked. And always she's shocked.
- 57:01Because the same person that she's pitying that
- 57:04doesn't have money, if she sees how they blow
- 57:07money, she'll tell you, my love. hey i can't
- 57:11believe it i say welcome back you see you come
- 57:21here to support god's work and you will give
- 57:2620 tears shame on you understand it's a shame
- 57:30i'm telling you it's a shame but you can carry
- 57:35two thousand three thousand tears to just put
- 57:39on here, one hair. You understand? Just to make
- 57:44your nails. You understand what I'm saying? Sometimes
- 57:47they will say $150, no problem. You just give.
- 57:53When you be coming, sometimes fastidious to tell
- 57:56us the TL is even torn. That is a misplaced priority.
- 58:05Something is not happening in you. Understand?
- 58:11Let me tell you the truth. There are a few things
- 58:14that should be markers. Write it. You will know.
- 58:16I'm telling you the truth. That you will know.
- 58:19These are markers of your spiritual life. If
- 58:21you see them doing sheke sheke sheke, know that
- 58:24that's the reality. Where you spend your money
- 58:29more. That's where your heart is. Forget about
- 58:32I love the Lord. You don't know. You don't. You
- 58:34don't. You don't. Where are your money going
- 58:37more? That's where your heart is. Check. Look
- 58:40at in a month, check all the year. Look at where
- 58:45do I spend more of my money? You will know where
- 58:48your heart is. Another thing is prayer. It tells
- 58:54you whether you are healthy. Did you get what
- 58:59I'm trying to say? So I can keep telling you
- 59:02some of these markers. It's no use, you will
- 59:05know. Is Paul saying you shouldn't buy shoes?
- 59:12No. Is Paul saying you shouldn't have your hair?
- 59:15No, that's not what he's saying. But he's saying
- 59:18the priority should be on your character that
- 59:23eventually is expressed through good works. You
- 59:29have to be deliberate in this season of your
- 59:33life. You have to be deliberate. When people
- 59:43come close to you, they need to be provoked.
- 59:48They need to feel that I need to work more for
- 59:53God. Are you a quenching machine? One that quenches
- 59:59people's fire? Immediately they come close to
- 1:00:03you, they stop coming to fellowship. That is
- 1:00:10what Paul is addressing here. It's not long clothes.
- 1:00:14You know something? It's not a style of addressing.
- 1:00:25It's the attitude of the heart. You know, I've
- 1:00:31watched so many things. You have to adjust. Many
- 1:00:33of us are individualistic because I discovered
- 1:00:35that, sir, this place, this country, somehow
- 1:00:38subtly, if you're not careful, it makes a person
- 1:00:41selfish. Many of the homes we are staying in
- 1:00:44were selfish. You go out, you don't discuss with
- 1:00:48anyone, you don't talk to anyone. When you come,
- 1:00:51you know, I understand. But I'm saying you be
- 1:00:54careful. I'm not saying you allow yourself to
- 1:00:56be taken advantage of. but i'm saying be careful
- 1:00:59lest your your love will wax coil i see that
- 1:01:03when they enter my house they finish drinking
- 1:01:06water they will just go and wash their own cup
- 1:01:08alone and they found so many things inside the
- 1:01:12sink they only wash their own because that if
- 1:01:14you give them food they they eat you know they
- 1:01:17will just go they are seeing all that is there
- 1:01:19no matter what they will just carry sponge and
- 1:01:21clean their own and keep it and go you see your
- 1:01:23life I am saying be careful because that's how
- 1:01:32you know when inequality is growing okay you
- 1:01:38know the rest you can complete it but what I
- 1:01:41am saying is that you have to be careful in these
- 1:01:43seasons of your life so the modesty Paul is talking
- 1:01:50about is not a call To reject beauty is to prioritize
- 1:02:03spiritual substance. Something more heavier.
- 1:02:14So it asks whether our outwards appearance, that's
- 1:02:22the question. Your outwards appearance, is it
- 1:02:25a proper, is it an honest reflection of your
- 1:02:29inner quiet spirit? Catastellu. Or a Marx, you
- 1:02:37understand? That is designed to hide your soul
- 1:02:44disorder. That the soul is in desire, but the
- 1:02:48outside is a Marx. For our modern sisters and
- 1:02:54brothers, the challenge remains to be as well
- 1:03:01arranged in character as we strive to be in appearance.
- 1:03:08That's the challenge. To what? To be as well
- 1:03:14arranged in character as we strive to be in appearance.
- 1:03:22Can you just pray? Say, Lord, I need you to help
- 1:03:26me. Sometimes some of these attitudes is because
- 1:03:30of the generation that we are. There is an emphasis
- 1:03:36on appearance than substance. Lord, I want you
- 1:03:47to help me. Can you pray? We appreciate you being
- 1:03:54here today. We hope you carry this word with
- 1:03:57you throughout your week. Don't forget to check
- 1:04:00the show notes for additional insights. Stay
- 1:04:02connected with us through our website or follow
- 1:04:05us on social media. If you were encouraged, share
- 1:04:09this message with someone you care about. Until
- 1:04:12next time, stay blessed.