I have a few questions about the Bible. If you don't believe in the Bible then, I'm not sure you can help.

Question

I attend a Bible believing fundamental Babtist church. I love the church and the preaching, but I have a few questions that I've been studying for quite awhile, but I still don't have an answer too. I don't want to ask anyone at church just yet for personal reasons.

1. Is there any direct reference in the Bible to dressing modestly that would require a woman to wear dresses all the time?

2. Do you think the Bible and God wants us to totally abstain from alcohol?

I need persuasive arguments one way or the other with scripture to back it up. Without the Bible to refer to the discussion is mute to me. I believe the Bible is the Word of God and I'm looking for the answers in the Bible. I have found some answers I seek, but I want to make sure there isn't something I've missed.

Answer 1

There is no reference in the bible that say women should always wear dresses. However we should be modest remembering that our body is God's temple and we should not tempt other's and become a stumbling block for them.

1 Tim 2:9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes.

The bible also does not say that you should totally abstain from alcohol. Jesus first miracle was a wedding in Cana where he turned water into wine. Guess what? Jesus drank! But it was in moderation-he did not get drunk. There is a big difference there. We are told to not become drunk.

Romans 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery...drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Answer 2

I am an independent fundamental baptist myself

1. No, the bible tells us that a woman should look like a woman, and a man should look like a man. Wearing a dress is only if you feel that that is the best way to show that you are a woman.



2.Abstain from the appearance of evil is a verse from I believe in acts
Be not drunken with wine.

Sorry I don't have time to find references, but if you put these two together, all I can rightfully do according to my own conscience is discreetly drink champagne on special occasions, but not to the point of drunkenness. This will Keep children from seeing you drink and think it is a way that Christians should conduct themselves, eventually to have alcohol destroy their life.

Answer 3

The idea of conservative dress and sobriety are not spelled out in the new testament. They are what is known as precautionary measures.

For instance, some denominations don't allow playing cards or dancing. There isn't anything wrong with playing cards or dancing, it is just how the "unchurched" or "unsaved" might view the acts as a "righteous" person gambling and lusting.

So they say if nobody plays card games, then it will be impossible to be accused of gambling. The same logic is applied to how you dress and drinking alcohol. If you always dress conservatively, nobody can accuse you of attempting to induce lust in another Christian (which would be setting up a stumbling block for your brother). If you never drink, nobody can accuse you of being a drunkard. It is called, being beyond reproach and is mentioned in Col 1:22.

There is another letter to a church in which Paul talks about the danger of doing things that are upright, but could appear to a new believer to be sinful and cause that new believer to either lose faith or become sinful as a result of observing and misunderstanding something another believer does. So he encourages the practice of being beyond reproach.

It boils down to a personal decision you make since there are no direct commandments, only opinions on the matter (Be they an apostle's opinion or your pastor's opinion). So I say it is your decision as to whether you feel your actions may lead another believer to sin and if you feel you are responsible for that believer's sin if they commit it.

Disclaimer: I am not a Christian, so take my advice and comments with a grain of salt.

Answer 4

No the bible does not say a woman should wear a dress all the time but out side of church I think a woman should wear modest clothing. Like no shirts that show clevage. Here is meaning of modest in Greek:
well arranged, seemly, modest.
To your second question yes. here is some scriptures about why I say yes.
1 Thess. 5:22- Abstain from all appearance of evil.
2 Corinthians 6:17,
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Romans 12:2
I hope these verse help you.

Answer 5

I believe these to be gray areas not directly addressed in scripture. The reason is because your salvation does not hinge on these things.

If a woman has to wear a dress all the time, then I'm in big trouble!! I believe a person should dress modestly, but no, showing your legs is not a requirement.

I prefer to abstain from alcohol. Many Christians do not. That doesn't make me better than them. I think in moderation and within the law, it's probably OK. Drunkeness, underage drinking, stuff like that, to me, is wrong.

These issues are so trivial compared to salvation. Try to get past them and concentrate on the important things.

Answer 6

LOL ok
1. Men do not dress as women, women do not dress as men!
A lot can be said here, remember that at the time of Christ men wore skirts, hair down to the shoulders!

Deuteronomy 22
5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Now don't try to tell me a kilt is a skirt!
====
2. A little wine is good for the digestion!

1 tim 5
23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

This does not mean only drink wine, and never drink water, but water is no longer the only thing to drink!

Answer 7

1. no..... we are not to "dress like men" but that is to mean that people should be able to tell we are women.... Women's clothing is styled differently even when it is the same kind of garment. In Jesus time, both and men and women wore long robes.....but they were still distinguishable. Men, then and now, could strip to the waist to do hard work.... women cannot do that....there are garments that both men and women can share in common...to take the acripture too literally woudl then make people question why Jesus would cover his head at times, when women did that too, or why he wore a long robe, when women did that too. I think it just means that people shoul dbe able to tell if we are male or female and that we should cover up the important areas. It was not meant to put people in bondage or make them physically uncomfortable.

2. TImothy (1Tim 3:3) is advised reagarding church officers that they should not be "given to wine" but what does that mean.... it di not say they should abstain from it..it is implied that they should not be given over to it, ie indulgence, rather than self control. In 1Tim 5:23, he is advised to no longer drink water but use wine for his stomach....so there are times when wine is best to drink. We also know that Jesus himself turned water into wine at a marriage feast, and must have surely tasted it himself. He also used wine at his Passover meal, which was the standard custom. Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; this emphasis is on EXCESS....not just drinking the wine. If wine drinking is condemned, the people would have to condemn Jesus as well...

Answer 8

As far as the way women should dress, read 1 Timothy 2:9. While no specifics are given the principle is for women to dress modestly, and not to accentuate their sexuality. As you probably know, there was no issue of dress versus pants, because women didn't wear pants as we know them today, nor did men for that matter. Check any good study Bible and you will usually have a section in the back that describes the attire in that era.

As far as alcohol is concerned, there is no scripture that strictly forbids it, at least not in the New Testament. In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul specifically asks Timothy to no longer drink just water, but to use a little wine for his illnesses. In Colossians 2:16 Paul tells the church to not let anyone judge them in food or in drink.

If you study the conditions for one to be a bishop and deacon in 1 Tim. 3:3 you will see that a bishop is not to be given to wine, while a deacon is not to be given to much wine, indicating it's okay to drink some wine.

There are many verses through out the Old Testament that make reference to the drinking of wine with neither postive nor negative comments about it: it was just what people did. Over indulgence/drunkeness are condemned for the most part; see Proverbs 20:1. To be lead astray by it is to obviously like it too much or have too much of it in us.

Read Galatians 5 and Romans 14 for the principle to live by in reference to alcohol or any other appetite. Gal 5:14 sums it up: If we love our neighbor as ourself then the details of that in regard to food, drink, etc. will work them selves out on an individual basis. If the works of the flesh have the upper hand, then many vices may manifest themselves, as a review of Gal 5: 19-21 show, and one of those is drunkenness(vs.21). A careful review of Romans 14 makes the whole issue of what to eat or drink very clear to me. Read especially Romans 14:12-23, and especially note 20-22. It's okay to drink provided it doesn't grieve your brother in Christ. If it does, then don't, but if you can do so on your own with a clear conscience we are not to let anyone criticize us for it.

Based on the verses I've mentioned I think the decision to use or not use alcohol is a personal decision based on the criteria above. I am a believer, and it does not bother my conscience to drink alcohol, so I do. However, I am sensitive to those around me who would be disappointed or consider it a sin if they knew I drank, so I use discretion when purchasing and drinking alcohol. Also, the biblical writers emphasized the priority of loving our neighbors as ourself, and letting that drive what we do/don't do in the particulars of our life. I think that any church or denomination that majors on forbidding/discouraging women from wearing slacks or alcohol usage is "majoring on minors", which is, unfortunately, very common.

I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Regarding number 2, didn't Jesus turn water into wine? Why would he do that if total abstinance was required? Don't listen to the crap people are pushing these days about how 'new wine' was really just grape juice. No it wasn't. Read the story and you'll see that the commentary about how the best wine is usually served first. If it was grape juice, it wouldn't matter what order you served it. But if it was wine, it does, because people are less discriminating after they've had a few.

Answer 10

(1) read 1 Corinthians 7:31; 2 corinthians 4:4; Isaiah 14:12-14; James 4:4; 1 Jhon 2:15-17; Romans 2:12;
1 Timothy 2:9-10;
Deuteronomy 22:5


(2) not exactly, but... read 1 Corinthians 6:9-10