Braided Hair, Expensive Clothing

[matthouston]

Good morning, everyone!

This is my first post on the Apostolic Friends Forum, and what better way to start out than with a bit of controversy? Haha. Kidding.

I grew up UPC and still attend a UPC church to this day. The women at our church are definitely more "low key" than the women in other churches in the area, mainly with hairstyles. It's always obvious when a visiting Pentecostal woman walks in, because you see her 'do enter before she does. What I'm wondering is why for so many years we have jumped across the "braided hair" portion of this scripture:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes -1 Timothy 2:9

Women pile their hair on top of their head with intricate loops and swirls. Some will argue that this type of artwork is required because they have so much hair. We all know this is not the case. The ornate hairstyles simply draw attention and make the women feel "attractive". Isn't this immodesty? Modesty isn't simply defined as the length of your skirt - it's a matter of character; it's an attitude.

Anyway, I just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by matthouston

Good morning, everyone!

This is my first post on the Apostolic Friends Forum, and what better way to start out than with a bit of controversy? Haha. Kidding.

I grew up UPC and still attend a UPC church to this day. The women at our church are definitely more "low key" than the women in other churches in the area, mainly with hairstyles. It's always obvious when a visiting Pentecostal woman walks in, because you see her 'do enter before she does. What I'm wondering is why for so many years we have jumped across the "braided hair" portion of this scripture:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes -1 Timothy 2:9

Women pile their hair on top of their head with intricate loops and swirls. Some will argue that this type of artwork is required because they have so much hair. We all know this is not the case. The ornate hairstyles simply draw attention and make the women feel "attractive". Isn't this immodesty? Modesty isn't simply defined as the length of your skirt - it's a matter of character; it's an attitude.

Anyway, I just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this.

The Scripture reads...

1 Tim 2:9

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair...KJV

Not braided, but broided...it simply means intertwining the hair with gold and jewels.

It is not a sin to braid the hair or to put it up...

[Sis.Huanosto]

Originally Posted by matthouston

Good morning, everyone!

This is my first post on the Apostolic Friends Forum, and what better way to start out than with a bit of controversy? Haha. Kidding.

I grew up UPC and still attend a UPC church to this day. The women at our church are definitely more "low key" than the women in other churches in the area, mainly with hairstyles. It's always obvious when a visiting Pentecostal woman walks in, because you see her 'do enter before she does. What I'm wondering is why for so many years we have jumped across the "braided hair" portion of this scripture:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes -1 Timothy 2:9

Women pile their hair on top of their head with intricate loops and swirls. Some will argue that this type of artwork is required because they have so much hair. We all know this is not the case. The ornate hairstyles simply draw attention and make the women feel "attractive". Isn't this immodesty? Modesty isn't simply defined as the length of your skirt - it's a matter of character; it's an attitude.

Anyway, I just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this.

I agree with Barb...My Bible says broided and I read KJV.
A womens hair is her glory something that is suppose to stand out and look beutiful.
One thing that people notice when they look at me or other women with beutiful non-cut hair is that when we go places the first thing they notice is our hair. I either wear it down because its so long that it's hard to find a decent hairstyle with hair to my knees...but they look at us and say wow theres something about her...there is always a glow to us...and when we wear it up they say wow again....It's beutiful and it's something that has its own God given glow to it!
So yes we can wear our hair as pretty up as we want because of course we want people to know that it's our glory! And it's God given!

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by matthouston

Good morning, everyone!

This is my first post on the Apostolic Friends Forum, and what better way to start out than with a bit of controversy? Haha. Kidding.

I grew up UPC and still attend a UPC church to this day. The women at our church are definitely more "low key" than the women in other churches in the area, mainly with hairstyles. It's always obvious when a visiting Pentecostal woman walks in, because you see her 'do enter before she does. What I'm wondering is why for so many years we have jumped across the "braided hair" portion of this scripture:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes -1 Timothy 2:9

Women pile their hair on top of their head with intricate loops and swirls. Some will argue that this type of artwork is required because they have so much hair. We all know this is not the case. The ornate hairstyles simply draw attention and make the women feel "attractive". Isn't this immodesty? Modesty isn't simply defined as the length of your skirt - it's a matter of character; it's an attitude.

Anyway, I just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this.

It's simple...this is the one verse that UPC men actually did their home work and checked out the culture Paul was writing to.

In Greek culture the women mostly had long long hair, yes short hair was not "in".

And they were very proud about their hair, though I doubt they thought they could heal the sick with it.

Anyways the women in greek/roman culture spent enormous time, effort and money to fix their hair up in braids and plaited hair intertwined with gold and other gems.

[StillStanding]

The New Living Translation states it best:

1Ti 2:9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.

1Ti 2:10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

The true meaning of these verses (IMO) is that verse 10 is more important than verse 9! He is saying that women go to extremes sometimes to make themselves look beautiful and attractive on the outside, but it would be better if they focused more on being attractive from the inside.

[Above & Beyond]

Originally Posted by Sis.Huanosto

I agree with Barb...My Bible says broided and I read KJV.
A womens hair is her glory something that is suppose to stand out and look beutiful.
One thing that people notice when they look at me or other women with beutiful non-cut hair is that when we go places the first thing they notice is our hair. I either wear it down because its so long that it's hard to find a decent hairstyle with hair to my knees...but they look at us and say wow theres something about her...there is always a glow to us...and when we wear it up they say wow again....It's beutiful and it's something that has its own God given glow to it!
So yes we can wear our hair as pretty up as we want because of course we want people to know that it's our glory! And it's God given!

Are you serious? How do you know what other people think when they look at you or other women with non-cut hair? Do they walk up and tell you?

[DAII]

Originally Posted by Above & Beyond

Are you serious? How do you know what other people think when they look at you or other women with non-cut hair? Do they walk up and tell you?

I find the uncut hair glow as interesting as the Holy Ghost glow.

[Above & Beyond]

Originally Posted by DAII

I find the uncut hair glow as interesting as the Holy Ghost glow.

I realized I sounded combative with my statement. Just shocked. I was in UPC for about 30 years and never heard about this glow before.

[freeatlast]

Originally Posted by Above & Beyond

I realized I sounded combative with my statement. Just shocked. I was in UPC for about 30 years and never heard about this glow before.

Never heard about "the glow" ? WoW !!

It's what the UPc tells our women folks they get from the Holy Ghost, so they don't need any make up.

Even our baked goods and peanut brittle get the Holy Ghost glow too.

Our bake sales our just plan gooder than the Methodists cuz we got the "glow".

Yeah.......

[missourimary]

Why, if broidered means without gold or jewels woven in, does the verse read:
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;
To read it as we so often interpret it, the verse says (paraphrase):
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with hair with gold or jewels woven in, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

Why would Paul repeat himself? Broidered hair must mean more than that, or Paul wouldn't have needed to list gold again immediately after.




http://www.ukhairdressers.com/history%20of%20hair.asp
In classical Greece women’s hair was long and pulled back into a chignon. Many dyed their hair red with henna and sprinkled it with gold powder, often adorning it with fresh flowers or jewelled tiara’s.
In austere Rome the tendency was to follow Greek styles. The upper classes would use curling irons and favoured the gold powdered look of the Greeks. Women often dyed their hair blonde or wore wigs made from hair of captive civilization slaves. Later, hairstyles became more ornate with hair curled tight and piled high on the head often shaped around wire frames. Hairdressing became popular and the upper classes were attended to by slaves or visited public barber shops.

Each of the below is taken from the website below, which combines a series of commentaries. It lists each commentary on the website before its appropriate quotes, but I didn't provide all here due to length.
http://bible.cc/1_timothy/2-9.htm
Not with broided hair. Braided hair (Revised Version). The Gentile women were much given to arranging the hair in plaits over the head, with bands of gold. Such vain and idle show at worship is forbidden, as well as the wearing of pearls, or costly array. At the house of God a display is not comely. Compare 1Pe 3:3.

2:9 Not with curled hair, not with gold - Worn by way of ornament. Not with pearls - Jewels of any kind: a part is put for the whole. Not with costly raiment - These four are expressly forbidden by name to all women (here is no exception) professing godliness...

Women are apt to love fine dress; and at Ephesus the riches of some (1Ti 6:17) would lead them to dress luxuriously. The Greek in Tit 2:3 is a more general term meaning "deportment."

braided hair-literally, "plaits," that is, plaited hair: probably with the "gold and pearls" intertwined (1Pe 3:3). Such gaud is characteristic of the spiritual harlot (Re 17:4).

Women who profess the Christian religion, must be modest in apparel, not affecting gaudiness, gaiety, or costliness. Good works are the best ornament; these are, in the sight of God, of great price. Modesty and neatness are more to be consulted in garments than elegance and fashion. And it would be well if the professors of serious godliness were wholly free from vanity in dress. They should spend more time and money in relieving the sick and distressed, than in decorating themselves and their children.