The Mantle of Modesty

The other day i heard a preacher speak of the ‘Pioneers of the Faith’ referring to men who ‘came up’ in the 1950’s and 1960’s. 

In my day we walked to church in the
snow year round, up hill, both ways,
and we were happy about it.

Let me clarify from the beginning that I have the utmost respect for Men of Faith who have come before.  I also understand that I might be considered a young whippersnapper who ought to respect his elders.  Someone might even quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 after reading this and say I was out of line.  I hope not.  It is not my intention to be disrespectful, but I do have some questions that I believe need a thoughtful and Biblical answer.

If these men are the ‘Pioneers of the Faith’, then what exactly has been going on for the last 2000 years before the 1950’s?

It has been said that this older generation is handing down the ‘mantle’ to the younger generation.  I understand the figurative nature of this language, but the question remains: What exactly are they handing down?

I have been a part of Fundamentalism nearly my whole life.  Where ever I go in Fundamentalism there are often people that know of the work that my Grandfather started in the 1960’s and that many of my family are a part of now.  There was a time when I strayed away from the Lord for reasons that I will not go into now, but when I returned from the ‘ far country’, I came with a renewed appreciation for the emptiness of the world and a desire to serve the Lord to the best of my ability.

Someone once said, “Most people's historical perspective begins with the day of their birth.” Maybe I am unaware of something which happened in the 1940’s and 1950’s that suddenly this group of Preacher became Pioneers.  Was there a third Great Awakening?  Did these Preachers suddenly begin to stand against sin in a way they had not previously or is this all because of mindset of liberalism that began to creep into what one might call ‘modern day’ Christianity.  I believe it is the latter.  In order to combat liberalism, preachers began to take a stand against liberalism.  I don’t fault them for that, they should have.  The truth is that in some ways they were effective and in the 60’s and 70’s many churches saw great growth in attendance.  As one looks at the state of the church today though we see that many of those churches have closed or have gone away from their founding principles.

The reason I believe this has happened is that some of their ‘founding principles’ still held by many today were not exactly Biblical.  They were standards and preferences based on Biblical Principles, but a generation later we have the mind-numbed Bible College students of the day Pastoring and Propagating these rules of service, not as rules of Bible College, but as the Fruit of the Spirit. 

Please ignore the facial hair
and just read the quotes.

Right, I know, I will likely be tarred and feathered, cast out of Fundamentalism, relegated as a progressive and liberal, and word around the Alma Mater will be that I ought to send my diploma back.  That’s fine, but I find comfort in two quotes I read in the Sword of the Lord this month both from the “Sword and the Trowel” by Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” Secondly, “The day will come when those who think they can repair a house which has no foundations will see the wisdom of quitting it altogether.  All along we have seen that to come out from association with questionable doctrines is the only possible solution of a difficulty which, however is may be denied, is not to be trifled with by those who are conscious of its terrible reality.”  I am not suggesting that Fundamentalism has gotten to a place that I or anyone should separate from it, but there are elements of Fundamentalism that have become cultish.  My prayer is that I might have the discernment to tell the difference between those who should be separated from and the rest.

Understand this, it is not on the fundamentals that we disagree, in regards to the major doctrines of the faith such as the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, the bodily resurrection and the blood atonement, we agree.  However there are a number of peripheral issues that should be addressed.

Before I delve into some of those issues, again I ask; what exactly are these ‘Pioneers of the Faith’ handing down?  If what they are handing down is Bible Doctrine, thank you, but, if they are handing down ‘life the way it was lived in the 1950’s, that’s not good enough.  We talk of separation from the world, which is correct, unless it is to the degree that you can no longer reach the world.  Some might say Jesus hasn’t changed since the 1950’s and quote, ‘Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever’.  That is correct, but the fact that you lived in the 1950’s and had success does not mean that somehow that decade was a utopian decade of Christianity. It is just not realistic.  If you want to make your bulletins and tracts on a mimeograph, fine, but don’t be shocked if people aren’t knocking down the doors to get into your church.

The Mantle of Fundamentalism and Women in Pants

Who can find a virtuous woman?

I was in Walmart the other day and it was a blessing to me to see a mother with her three daughters all wearing flowing and modest dresses.  I was at a conference and I appreciated the modesty of the lovely young ladies that sang a song.  My wife and I maintain a high standard in regards to modesty of dress.  Our church holds a standard for service and ministry of modest dresses and skirts for our ladies.  This is a great standard and preference that I believe should be upheld.  However, I have also heard preachers call out an unsaved woman in the crowd at a tent meeting out for dressing like a harlot because she showed up to hear the Gospel in a pair of pants.  I have heard preachers ramble on for 45 minutes plus with a dissertation and exposition on ‘breeches’ and ‘britches’ and men girding up their loins for battle.  By the way, they never made their argument.  May I make a couple of observations? 

First, apparently this was not an issue until the modern Feminist movement.  The Bible doesn’t actually say anything about this subject.  We are taught to read the Word of God literally. We are taught the ‘Golden Rule’ of Hermeneutics: If the plain-literal sense makes good sense, seek no other sense.  For someone who thumps and thunders on the inerrancy of God’s Word to then twist and turn the Scripture to say something it does not clearly and literally say is terrible and traitorous.

Man looketh on the outward
appearance, God looketh on
the heart.

Secondly, Can you show me one place in the New Testament that a man was not wearing what today would be called a dress or robe?  Everyone apparently wore long flowing apparel in the time of Christ and before.  So where is the preaching against sharp Jos. A Bank suits, tailored and monogramed shirts, power ties, and accenting hankies?  The men of our churches are just copying the styles of the business ‘world’.  The Bible says ‘Be ye not conformed to the world’ and that verse has as much context to support not wearing suits as any passage used to teach the ‘Doctrine of Dresses’.

Thirdly, Not all dresses or skirts are modest, so to make a blanket statement that pants on woman is immodest is intellectually dishonest.  Even in a modest dress, what if a lady has to climb a ladder to change a light bulb or clean a window.  What if she wants to go snow skiing (I know she should be passing out tracts instead, but what if she finished early), should she wear a skirt over her snow pants?  Let’s tell the truth if you look at a woman to lust after her in pair of snow pants, the problem is not with her.  Modesty is relative.  A woman in a flowing dress to her ankles is modest unless she is doing a headstand.  By the letter of the (Dress Doctrine) law; she is robed in ‘modest apparel’.  God grant us the discernment to know that in regards to ‘modest apparel’ the import and the true Biblical Principle is the ‘modesty’ and to a much, much, much lesser degree, the ‘apparel’.

If this is immodest to you... you got issues!

Fourthly, Girding up the loins?  The teaching goes like this… “Only the men did this and they did so in preparation for battle or so they could run or work.  This is where the idea of underwear also known as breeches or britches comes from.  Only the men wore the breeches and eventually, pants.  Women who wear pants are doing so because they are rebellious and openly opposing their husbands and God.”   Really, Preacher? Read your Bible lately?  What will you do with your virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:17 when she girds up her loins with strength, v. 25 strength and honour are her clothing.  What will you do with the fact that this virtuous woman went to work, bought land, and sold goods?  Did she do all of this in rebellion to her husband and God?  Why then is she held up in honor when she is practically the Feminist Poster Child?

I'm not promoting tattoos,
but I will promote soul-
conscious people with tattoos.

Fifth, the problem is not ‘immodest apparel’.  The problem is the wicked imaginations of men.  It is always easier to blame our sin on someone else.  Even if a woman is dressed immodestly you ought to have the Christian character not to indulge in impure thinking.  It is a Spiritual battle in the mind. Whether you will win or lose that battle does not depend on flowing skirts or bikinis, it depends on your meditation.  The problem is that Preachers are developing messages to change the outward appearance and actions rather than a change of heart and mind.  For lasting change people must be taught to rightly divide the Word of Truth.  Many Preachers teach and preach preference rather than proper hermeneutics.  They are relying on the power of personality and delivery rather than the Power of God.  We are impatient to allow the Holy Spirit to work in the lives and convict the hearts of the newly converted.  What if a visiting preacher came to visit and saw some man in the church house had tattoos, or long-hair, or earrings, or even (gasp) facial hair.  How embarrassing! But, what if that man with his ‘Jesus loves my Tattoos’ t-shirt on brought a different unsaved friend to church each week to hear the gospel.  (Coming Blog Spoiler: ‘Which Would You Rather?’)  1 Samuel 16:7b ‘The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.’  We must guard against becoming a Fundamentalist Pharisee, a whited seplechre.

Finally, I know that the Preacher is to preach the whole counsel of God, but a quick read of Titus 2 might give a slightly different perspective on whose job it is to correct and instruct the ladies of the church regarding their appearance and behavior.  I don’t know of one preacher that would call a teenage girl into his office alone to say, ‘I’ve noticed that the skirt’s you wear are very short’.  How creepy is that.  There is a proper role for the help meet of the Pastor.  I don’t think the Pastor’s wife has to be an old lady to properly instruct the other ladies of the church regarding dress.  But she does need to be Spirit-filled.

Thank you for your service.

In almost every message I’ve heard regarding ‘Pants on Women’ it usually comes back to men girding up their loins for battle and woman not wearing that which pertaineth to a man.  I should expect that next Memorial Day service or Patriotic service at your church when the folks from your community show up in uniform that you will let it rip tater chip at the woman serving in our armed forces.  I appreciate the service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform but a stronger case could be made that women should not be in the military than that they should not wear pants and I’ve never heard that message preached.

So, what is the mantle that is being handed down?  Is it a Christian utopia of the 1950’s (that didn’t exist)?  Is this what Fundamentalism has become?  Are these men ‘Pioneers against Pants on Women’?  If that is the mantle, I will leave it for someone else to carry.  I will be a Biblicist instead of a Fundamentalist.  To be obedient to the Lord both men and women must maintain modesty.  That is the Biblical Principle; and we can pass to the next generation the ‘Mantle of Modesty’.