Um, I don't think these scriptures pertains to jeans. Or anything casual. God doesn't care what we wear, so long as it's not causing someone to lust. Like a woman wearing a super mini to church.
What Does The Bible Say About How We Should Dress?
- Thread starter Glenn
- Start date
Do you carry a pair of blinders to church, lest you see someone dressed immodestly or who has braided hair?
Paul instructs us (women specifically, but obviously this applies to everyone) to dress neatly, fitting for church, and respectfully (the meaning of the Greek word normally translated "modestly"). No, I don't carry blinders. I carry judgement.
And a big stick, too.
My jeans aren't work jeans. They are my nicer pair of jeans and I wear a dress shirt with them. I also have very nice black shoes I wear. Do you approve of this? I really hope so or I'll never be able to step foot in a church again
The blind man to whom I give a ride to services was very upset one weekend. A single lady and her little boy had gone to his wife's church for the first time and loved it, so the boy asked if he could sing in the children's choir the next Sunday. The choir director said yes. He and his mom came the next Sunday and the boy went to the room for practice as he had been instructed. The choir leader looked at him and informed him he could not sing after all. Why? The boy was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He was informed on that Sunday that he had to wear a white shirt, tie, and dress pants. The two never came back. They could not afford the dress code.
The Bible nowhere defines what to wear to church.
The Bible nowhere defines what to wear to church.
You have some points, in a way. Jesus does ask us to do certain things beyond God's expectations simply to keep the peace. For example, see this very interesting story: Matthew 17:24-27. Even though Jesus tells Peter that they are exempt from paying the temple tax, he provides some money to be paid "so that we may not cause offence." In certain social situations, for example in a very conservative church, it may be considered offensive to not meet a certain standard of dress. I can't say for sure what Jesus would say to those people insisting on that standard, just as I can't tell you what He might say to the people insisting on the temple tax (although I could make a guess), but I might suggest that He would want us to dress in a way that would not needlessly provoke conflict over a trivial issue in that particular church.
I will also add that if there are issues in a church as you describe (unrepentant people seeking affirmation, priorities of material prosperity, focus on entertainment), those are legitimate issues that indicate an unhealthy church, and those problems do need to be addressed.
However, I hope you can consider an alternative view: that appropriateness/perception of attire are not universal ideas, and vary in different social situations. If you came to one of my church services in a tie, I strongly suspect that you would also be judged. Most of the people who attend are in poverty, afflicted with various addictions and mental health complications, and they do not trust people in ties. People in suits and ties, to them, are the people who lie to sell things, people who lie for political gain, and lie to take advantage of them or disregard them. To them, a tie is the uniform of the cruel secular world, and it indicates, to them, a claim to a superior, dominant class, and they do not trust the words that come out of the mouth of a man in a tie. And that is perfectly understandable, given their experiences. No one who wears such clothing can hope to minister to such people: 1 Cor 9:19-23. If you came to my church, you would see your brothers and sisters in Christ, dressed in clothing that does not meet your standards, powerfully, and selflessly, being used by God. You could call them "self-centered and useless to God" if you like, but meanwhile, God is using them to win people for Himself, and transform the lives of desperate people in great need.
I hope one day you have the opportunity to come to a church like mine, where a tie is definitively inappropriate and provocative, and witness men in rags in humility and reverence before God, shaming the superficial reverence of some men in suits and ties. After all,
1 Cor 1
27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him
Last edited:
I wasn't arguing from the perspective of the keeping the peace. I was arguing from the perspective of modest and appropriate dress, showing reverence and respect.
When Jesus was crucified, the soldiers gambled for his clothing because it was nice. Jesus wasn't wearing proverbial old blue jeans. In the Old Testament, there were a number of rules about how people should dress in general and extra rules about how priests should dress, and it as dressing up (robes, caps, etc.). All through Christian history, people dressed up for church, until the 20th century when society went totally secular and the lemmings followed society, even though they claim to follow Christ.
I can't speak for whatever third-world you're in, but even in a church in darkest Africa, I would expect the people to take their once-weekly bath Sunday before church. If they're followers of Christ.
I hear that poverty excuse all the time by people in America, who go to churches with parking lots filled with large, late-model cars. It's a lie to comfort themselves in their hypocrisy. Dressing up has most persisted in poor churches in America, because it's one nice thing even poor people can afford. They can't afford that late model SUV.
Indeed, the Church in America has become culturally irrelevant because Christians are self-centered, seeking only their own comfort and entertainment, whether they're in church or in their expensive car.
It's not about poor people making excuses. It's about becoming all things to all men, for the sake of the gospel, in a place where a suit and tie is immodest, inappropriate, irreverent and disrespectful.
If I showed up to church in a suit and tie, but turned away someone who the Spirit has compelled or convicted to come and learn about God, simply because of their clothing or hygiene, what would my suit be before God, but filthy rags? But if you "adorn yourself in every good work," serving even the least of these, even the old jeans and t-shirt you're wearing can be the purest, richest priestly garment before God. What does God consider to be more reverent: your adherence to western dominant-class fashion standards of propriety, or your willingness to obey Him with a servant's heart? We cannot accuse a brother of "irreverence" or "uselessness to God" before taking the time and effort to understand what is in his heart, or we risk condemning him needlessly.
Winner!
Another reason people dress casually on the Lord's day is that they don't want anyone to know they're Christians (and, they've almost convinced me). If you go out in public dressed for church, you're a walking advertisement for Christianity. But, if you go dressed as for Saturday shopping, no one will suspect that you had snuck into church at some point in the day.
There are some churches that have taken irreverence to the next level. Yeah, you don't want to wear a tie to one of them. You might even feel over-dressed if you're wearing a shirt with buttons. I saw on a website for one such church the claim that they're not a church (I agree). The websites explains that the church is wherever you are, and that the church isn't the place you gather for worship.
Yeah, but if you're dressed as for Saturday shopping, how does anyone know you're walking church? (Not that I'd dress like some of those slobs for anything outside the home.)
There are some churches that have taken irreverence to the next level. Yeah, you don't want to wear a tie to one of them. You might even feel over-dressed if you're wearing a shirt with buttons. I saw on a website for one such church the claim that they're not a church (I agree). The websites explains that the church is wherever you are, and that the church isn't the place you gather for worship.
Yeah, but if you're dressed as for Saturday shopping, how does anyone know you're walking church? (Not that I'd dress like some of those slobs for anything outside the home.)
It's the ones who have to show me they're a Christian by the clothes/jewelry they wear or the stickers on their car that worry me.
No thanks, I'll stick to flip-flops, just like the pastors. [emoji106]
@Barnabas, bless you, but I sure hope you only share this stuff about no jeans, etc. here, not where you worship. Of course, I have run into this kind of belief in a few churches, but not often and certainly not recently.
There are few who want to go shopping, etc., in their worst clothes. Most people want to either look their best for the circumstance or, at least, wear what is on the level with their community. Your going on and on about this is tedious.
Our Messiah's Book brings up the subject of people who are drawn to the best-dressed, to give them special privileges, and His words toward such are not particularly kind; in fact, His words are stern warnings. Your words, next to His, are useless. I will hear Him before I take heed to you. I think you'll understand.
There are few who want to go shopping, etc., in their worst clothes. Most people want to either look their best for the circumstance or, at least, wear what is on the level with their community. Your going on and on about this is tedious.
Our Messiah's Book brings up the subject of people who are drawn to the best-dressed, to give them special privileges, and His words toward such are not particularly kind; in fact, His words are stern warnings. Your words, next to His, are useless. I will hear Him before I take heed to you. I think you'll understand.
Man, please. Leave the people in their casual wear alone. Casual wear at church doesn't mean they're self centered or useless to God or whatever.
1 Timothy 2:9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with κόσμιος and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.
κόσμιος:
Dodson dictionary: "orderly, virtuous".
orderly, virtuous, decent, modest, well-ordered.
Strong's Greek Dictionary: orderly, i.e. decorous
:--of good behaviour, modest.
Someone wearing flipflops to church is not wearing "respectable apparel" nor is it orderly, virtuous, or decorous. Someone wearing flipflops to church is wearing the least they can wear and not get kicked out, as a customer, of most businesses. And, for someone to boast about their disrespectful dress just looks like a clown to me. "Hey look, there's toilet paper stuck on my shoe." Proud of it? Someone who loves God would show respect in His House. (Ironically, Moses showed respect by taking off his shoes.)
But, narrow is the way.
So you are assigning to hell those who don't believe like you? Shame on you, false prophet!
I wear flip flops to church! They are nice black ones with little white polka dots and a pink stripe. My toenails are painted in the same colour of fuchsia pink. Very matchy! Nice looking. I am sure that those who look at my feet will know I am born again. When I am worshiping, I take them off so I can dance before the Lord on holy ground. People don't mind.
Come to think of it, I have a couple pairs of those fancy flipflops! I never wear them. I should mail them @Euphemia!
When I was a child, we called them something else, but if i called them that now, I would maker my children blush.
I have a lot of shoes that could make Barnabas feel better, but as I age, I wear lower and lower shoes. Right now, I hardly get my heels off the ground. When I finally get around to buying dress pants and some blouses, I will let you know, @Barnabas. Maybe you will allow me to visit your quiet part of your eternity.
And that reminds me of a joke I used to tell on the old church while I attended there.
See, a person (A) from that church went to heaven. That was where they all expected to go. A was met at the pearly gates by St. Peter, who immediately took A through a small close by door and down a long, narrow, doorless hallway. Way, way down, A spotted a door and started to say something, but St. Peter put his finger to his mouth and shushed her. She whispered, "Why?"
St. Peter replied, "Behind that door, way down there, is where all the people who believe like you live."
"Then why should I be so quiet?" A whispered.
"Because," St. Peter answered, "they don't know anyone else is in heaven!"
When I was a child, we called them something else, but if i called them that now, I would maker my children blush.
I have a lot of shoes that could make Barnabas feel better, but as I age, I wear lower and lower shoes. Right now, I hardly get my heels off the ground. When I finally get around to buying dress pants and some blouses, I will let you know, @Barnabas. Maybe you will allow me to visit your quiet part of your eternity.
And that reminds me of a joke I used to tell on the old church while I attended there.
See, a person (A) from that church went to heaven. That was where they all expected to go. A was met at the pearly gates by St. Peter, who immediately took A through a small close by door and down a long, narrow, doorless hallway. Way, way down, A spotted a door and started to say something, but St. Peter put his finger to his mouth and shushed her. She whispered, "Why?"
St. Peter replied, "Behind that door, way down there, is where all the people who believe like you live."
"Then why should I be so quiet?" A whispered.
"Because," St. Peter answered, "they don't know anyone else is in heaven!"
