Wading through the wedding rings
 

Some apostolics don't wear wedding rings. Some do.

Those that don't wear rings have everything from a personal conviction to respect for the convictions of others to a conviction that wearing rings are a sin for everybody.

Those that do wear rings can do so in simplicity or in obsession. They can cause others to stumble with jealousy or a spirit of competition.

It looks to me like the stances on wedding rings are cultural - in both camps. Those that don't wear rings inherited their preference from their church culture, and those that do wear rings do so in recognition of the prevailing culture.

I know the admonition against costly array, so let us just consider the case of a simple wedding band - the nationally-accepted way of signifying marital status in our culture.

1 Timothy 2:8
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
9 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;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

1 Peter 3:2
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

And I Peter talks about adornment with gold (although this one if taken literally also teaches against women wearing clothing) as a means of enticing a wayward husband to attend church.

So I can see that we have bible that discourages women from indulging in the vanity of excessive or expensive decoration. But mainly it is about using such decoration as a means of attracting attention to self or to Christianity - not an outright ban in and of itself. But it doesn't mention rings, it doesn't mention men, and it doesn't mention an outward cultural indicator of marital status.

As an aside, I think it is more useful for men to wear wedding rings, because women tend to be more mindful of propriety when they are "in the market" for a husband. The sight of a ring tells a woman she needs to visit the next aisle.

So here is the question on my mind this morning:

If you don't wear a wedding ring, what is the reason, what is the biblical verse or principal that backs it up?

If you do wear a wedding ring, where do you find biblical support for your practice?

I'd like to pre-empt the wise guys by saying that the response "because I'm not married" is hereby deemed null, void, uninteresting, obvious, and dull. If you are unmarried, answer in the hypothetical with your current beliefs, please.

Just for the record...

I felt that God was highly pleased when I made my darling wife very happy with her almost 3ct. diamond. Best investment that I ever made.

The libs and ultra-cons may fuss and argue over the finer points of scripture, though totally misunderstood...but I've had enough of this non productive discussion of days gone by.

It's time to grow up. Any attempt to humbly please the Lord in all things, whether it be to wear or not wear a ring is indeed commendable. Nothing can be said to argue that point. I applaud that attitude. It is an attitude that I carefully assume also. Suggestion: Let us also try to humbly please the Lord in the attitude that we have toward those who do not see the finer points in the exact same way that we see them. The dispicable attitude to be shunned in ourselves is the one that secretly seem themselves holier than others because of their naked, ringless finger. That is truly dispicalble.

I'm not asking for another clothesline "discussion." I'm just asking for folks to sound off, kind of like a poll, on what their reasons are.

I agree with you brother. I am just left wondering because I know people that own wedding rings, but don't wear them. I met another one yesterday. People who give each other bibles as their token of their wedding vows, I can understand why they don't wear wedding rings, because they decided from day 1 that they weren't going to. But people who use rings as the token in their wedding ceremony, and then later decide not to wear them, that seems a little confusing.

I teach against rings period on the hand-ears-toes-nose. Rings are jewelry which those passages you cite says NOT to wear. Since i have no idea how much I could possibly wear and not be in violation of the principle of this passage I wear none.
Then the wedding ring itself is pagan in nature and was christianized by the Roman church thus it is not pleasing to the Lord. Rome is not only the Mother of Harlots, she is also the Mother of Abominations.
I realize jewelry was suffered in the OT as was polygamy-divorce-vengence-etc. but in times of consecration both personally and nationally they ridded themselves of their jewelry. Jewelry has a long association with Idolatry & pride in Scripture datign back to the fall of Lucifer.
NO Apostolic child of God should wear ornamental jewelry and every true man of God should teach against it.

yOU GO BOY

Taking off jewelry brought revival to your Pastor's church so he said. Revival is NOT dispicable. He never bought her a ring. I am in compnay with him.

Brother Epley,

Thank you for your response. This is a little more than what I had in mind.

May I infer that you take a literal meaning of these verses? How do you deal with the admonition against wearing clothing, (yikes) or the fact that they only mention women, in a single-verse literal meaning?

The word 'jewelry' isn't in there, either.

Gold & pearls are mentioned and the clothing there is costly elaborate clothing not just clothes. Paul makes clear in 1Tim. what is being addressed he and Peter are saying the same thing.

I'm with Elder Epley on this (surprise, surprise)

My question has always been how can a plastic earbob costing a few bucks be an ornament and a ring on the hand with a diamond not be? Or take the ring off the hand place it in the ear THEN it becomes jewelry???? Makes no sense to me????
NOT & NOR are using with gold in these epistles I think I understand without a Greek lesson what NOT means.:winkgrin

But if you add a ticking mechanism and wear it around your wrist it's alright.....

It the band is ornamental I concur. I wear a belt ot hold my pants up it is not ornamental and my band I promise is not the least bit ornamental nor my time piece. I do not even carry a gold pen in my pocket.

At least you're consistent unlike many I could name....starting with me.

My question has always been how can folks miss the fact that Paul and Peter both were adressing adorning the hidden man of the heart.

The 400 year old language of the KJV probably trips some up. people who do not take into account the idoms of the KJV laguage misss the fact that both passages were had the emphasis on the adorning with the love of God. To let Christ in you be what is shining in your lives, not your ornamanets/clothing and fancy hair doos.

This was also addressed because of people of so many economic levels.
Peter and Paul both desired that the poor could worship together with people of great wealth and not feel like they "went to the prom wothout a tux or a formal"

The wealthy could hire hairdressers to fix their hair elaboratly and don lavish costly clothing and addorn themselves with the jewelry that the hebrews were accustommed to wearing in that day.

The scriptural admonition was to admonish the rich that is was Christ, the hidden man of the heart, that counted in their lives, NOT how fancy they got dolled up for church.

This a lesson we can all apply in our lives today.

It was NEVER about the simple adornment of the jewelry they all wore.
It was NEVER about being able to dress nice
It was NEVER about if you wore your hair up or down ladies.

It was abouting adorning with Christ.

If you don't believe it that way. Well, I pray for you...cause you ar ejust plain wrong ! :winkgrin

I think I see how you are getting here. Thanks again for explaining your position.

I look at it like they were not to esteem costly clothing and jewelry, or to use it to attempt to draw people to Christ. In other words, try not to stand out in the crowd or draw attention to yourself, but let the focus be on God, and let the adorning of your heart with a meek spirit full of the fruits of the Holy Ghost be what draws men to God.

Even the poorest among us can manage to scrounge up a simple wedding band. I do not see it as a great divider between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.' These days, many men are choosing jewel-encrusted wedding rings for themselves. What I haven't seen is people braiding gold into their hair.

I believe my simple, smooth gold wedding ring does more good than harm. People that see me with my kids on the weekend on an outing with "just Daddy" can see that I'm not just another poor slob with weekend visitation rights and a heap-o'-child-support payments to make. Hey look, some people can stay married after they have children!

It also prevents the lion's share of "conversations" that might lead to temptation. Well, maybe not in my case . . . . :killinme

Brother Epley, what do the bride and groom exchange as a token in weddings in your church?

Very interesting. You make a lot of assertions. How do you know:

1) It was NEVER about the simple adornment of the jewelry they all wore?
2) It was NEVER about being able to dress nice?
3) It was NEVER about if you wore your hair up or down ladies.?

What have you used as a basis to reach your position?

Good post.

This is an area where a lot of diversity is seen.

On what basis or principles have you decided this was a good post?

Yessss.

Good posts by OP Carl and FreeAtLast!

He hit what the principal of the message of that scripture is. WE, me included had missed it for years.

Most of the time I like to jab at you just for kicks...But Bro...The bolded part smells of arrogance, judgementalism and pride!

So are you saying that those that wear wedding rings are not apostolic and men that do not preach against are not "True Men of God"
CAN I THROW UP NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you wear a watch???????
Guess what...its ornamental jewelry!!!!!
I dont care how plain or leather band whatever...its still ornamental jewelry.
YOU cannot get around that fact.
Ill Quote you...."Since i have no idea how much I could possibly wear and not be in violation of the principle of this passage I wear none.
Since you have no idea what kind of watch to wear and not be in violation of scripture then I assume you wear none at all.
If not you are a hypocrite and once again preaching a bunch of legal poppey cock just to fit your stand.
If you dont wear a watch...I retract my statement.
Also...
The above mention scriptures are NOT...NOT...NOT a forbiddence of jewelry, they are simply saying dont let your "Gold" make you who you are...let it me the inward heart!!!!!!!!
We could go around on this all day!
But I would HOPE you are smart enough to actually not believe that ONLY men of God preach against wedding rings.

And THIS is why I love you as an elder in my life, friend and confidant.

I don't know . . . I Timothy 2:9 seems to be pretty direct, to me.

Are you saying that the true meaning of the passage as a whole DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS the plain meaning of I Timothy 2:8-10?

Let your adorning be this . . . NOT that . . .

Add the ticking mechanism and embed it in your chest and your have a pacemaker.:slaphappy:slaphappy

Kinda like my question......
Womens exposed legs to the knee.....is considered holy....
Yet a man in knee length shorts is not.....

Unreal!

so you are saying there is NO SHINE whatsoever on your belt buckle or your watch?

Tithe envelopes.:killinme:killinme

Ohhhhhh how perceptive is my young friend... It IS the shine that must be avoided.:killinme Hence his HAT. Wonder if he wears it in the pulpit too?

Elder Epley. I think we are about to have a little fun here. :D

Pretty tough words coming from an undertaker. You are an undertaker, right? Undertakers aren't just the world's best hypocrites, but they are PROFESSIONAL hypocrites.














They earn their living by standing around for hours looking really, really sorry about a $25,000 funeral ! ! !
:killinme

But theriouthly, folkth. I am interested in people's reasons and biblical backing for their reasons in this thread, not the same old verbal jousting. I know it is a lot to expect from this crowd . . .

I wear a wedding ring because it is the morally correct thing to do in a culture where the accepted practice distinguishing a married person from an unmarried person is the wearing of a ring.

I also believe God is in favor of this symbol of the covenant relationship I entered into with my wife almost 34 years ago. There is no evidence in Scripture that God is against gold, silver, and precious jewels. Matter of fact, the opposite is true. He enthusiatically embraces these things. He simply doesn't want this to be the adornment that distinguishes us as individuals.

I definitely don't want my wife running around without a wedding ring on. I think it's a disgrace for married women to be out and about without a wedding ring on, when this is the accepted cultural way of designating her marital status in our society. When I see a woman with children my first thoughts are that she is a single mother.

I think this teaching against wearing of rings is one of the most ridiculous teachings in Pentecostal circles.

Comedy hour has begun.
 

Is this thread a contender for the title of fastest devolvement into base humor?

I wish someone versed in Brother Treece's teaching on the subject could elaborate.

he is quite conservitive on most matters and is often quoted on the subject of uncut hair. However, he teaches that one SHOULD wear a wedding ring.

I can appreciate the merit of this argument.

Please oh please oh please help me out here: How do you know? Where are the scriptures, and how do you put them together to form this principle?

Yes.

And you think this because of the bible teaching you have received on the topic in the book and verse of . . . .

what?

Thanks!

Carl

There is more Scripture against the preoccupation of most Pentecostals with eating and drinking than there is on this issue of rings. Yet, I hear not a word about the obvious sin of many preachers sitting on Pentecostal platforms looking as if they could go into labor almost any minute. Tackling this issue could actually save lives! A preacher who looks nine months pregnant, although he wouldn't wear a ring is rather inconsistent I think.

Please don't take offense, but I am now going to disregard your voice for your stance. Rather than answer my questions, you have taken an ethereal leap to a new topic.

I'll address your concerns in my next thread, which will be titled 'Are fat preachers gluttons and do skinny preachers have the big head?'

I don't wear a wedding band becuase it something that is not necessary to keep me married and I feel that it is just better if I don't.

Scriptural Support:
Mark 9:42
And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Says who????????????:drama

I should hope this is obvious.

Could you elaborate? Do you own a ring, and just not wear it, or did you not exchange rings to begin with?

How does wearing a wedding ring obstruct the spiritual growth of children?

I was told of a tape, may be one of those "mystery" tapes, where Bro Treece destroyed the "need" to wear a wedding band....He preached it in Kentucky for Bro Tingle in the 80's??? Is this real???

Would you be okay with a wedding ring made of silver or platinum, made to be as plain or even as ugly as possible? How about if it was made of jade or plastic?

What about gluing a dot between the eyebrows like they do in India?