1 Peter 3:1-3

"Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing" (1 Peter 3:1-3).

 

Question:

I want to know the full meaning of the scripture to apply it to my life. I want to know if women of Christ can wear pierced ears and earrings, bracelets, and also makeup. I understand that modesty is in our hearts, but I also want to be pleasing to The Jesus Christ in all my ways.

Comment:

On its surface, the words of the Bible are firmly anchored in the times of their composition. There are many things that were assumed at the time the author of Peter was writing that no longer have a literal, surface relevance to our time, some 2,000 years later. Slavery, for instance, was a 'given' to them; we have since grown spiritually and realized that the enslavement of any of God's creatures is not an expression of the love that Jesus calls us to express. So, too, with women. What was understood then as the role of a woman expressed their level of spiritual understanding. 

But Jesus calls us to move beyond a literal reading of Hebrew scripture, most clearly in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4-7). Let's look at Matthew 5:33-34: "You have heard that it was said to the men of old:  'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn'. But I say to you, Do not swear at all." It takes no interpretation at all to get the point: the "men of old" were at one level of spiritual understanding, and Jesus was calling his disciples to a higher level of understanding: You have heard it said ... but I say to you. It's a teaching style Jesus uses often, calling us to recognize that we have spiritually grown.

Women today are recognized as equal to men in the divine Presence within. Women can, indeed, live their lives in a dimension of spiritual consciousness that serves as an example that helps others: men and women—to change their own consciousness. So can men. So no, I don't think Jesus cares what you wear or how you adorn yourself. What he would care about is the consciousness that your clothing and adornments represent. If they make you feel comfortable and attractive, that's perfectly fine. If they are intended to impress others, or to shock others, that choice comes from a negative belief that will have negative results. It's not what we wear, or with what we adorn ourselves that matters. It's the consciousness behind the choices we've made.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed