What about Braided Hair?

In Paul's letter to Timothy, he instructs his young protege to teach:

that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works (1 Timothy 2:9, ESV).

The passage enjoins "modest" (well-ordered, decent) clothing and is intended to insulate the Christian woman from the inordinate attention of others. A woman (or a man, for that matter) may be immodest either by being underdressed or extravagantly dressed. The emphasis of this passage is on the development of inner spiritual qualities, which could be obscured by outlandish attire.

Paul is not condemning the items mentioned per se. What he is prohibiting is an excess that would detract from the woman's spiritual charms.

It would not be sinful for a Christian woman to wear a gold wedding ring, though gold is mentioned. It is, however, in my judgment, a sign of ostentation to see women wearing rings on virtually every finger, some on her toes, and three or four in each ear—not to mention nose and eyebrow rings and studs.

Historical sources indicate that in that era, women frequently braided their hair high atop their heads, with the braids intertwined with jewels and other decorative items. It was an elaborate display so striking as to be a sensation.

One may certainly array oneself with pride and dignity, but to dress so as to flaunt the physical is not consistent with the will of Christ. Even preachers who dress so flashy that they distract from the gospel message are not exercising spiritual judgment.

Moreover, Paul's prohibition includes "costly raiment." How much is too costly? Compared with what many people in developing countries wear, virtually anything we wear is costly. The way we dress within our culture is, therefore, to some degree a factor in exercising good judgment. When a Christian visits certain poor countries, he may need to dress more casually.

In a passage of similar import, Peter condemns "putting on apparel" (1 Peter 3:3). Clearly, this prohibition is not absolute; rather, the language is relative. The point is this: for both women and men, one may dress well, and even be fashionable within their cultural circumstances; however, they should avoid being show-offish. Inner traits should be paramount in our public demeanor. Christ should be magnified in us (Phil. 1:20).