Bible Study on 1 Timothy 2:9-10 ("Don’t wear gold or pearls")
1 Timothy 2:9-10
“women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10, CSB)
Welcome to the Bible Study Guide for 1 Timothy 2:9-10, which leverages questions from the CHARA Bible Study Guide when studying this verse. Below are the questions the Chara team chose to ask, in the order they chose to ask them, but feel free to use other questions or change up the order as you dive into this passage. For ANSWERS from the Chara team on these questions, check out the video below.
There are certain verses in the Bible, that when we read them we wonder if they still apply to us today. For example, when we read in 1 Timothy 2:9 that “women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel" how does that impact how women should dress in our culture today? Is it a…
Cultural truth = it’s meant for those people, in that time period and not for us today.
Timeless truth = it is a message that transcends time and is applicable to us today
Let’s dive in and discover what this verse is talking about and learn how to determine what is cultural vs timeless.
CONTEXT
Immediate: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s)? Back out and read 1 Timothy 1:1-2:15 to identify the recipient of this letter, the AUTHOR and the purpose of the letter.
AUTHOR
Person/Purpose: Who was the author? What was the author's purpose, why was it written, and what insight does it provide into the passage? (Hint: read 1 Timothy 1:1-18 to see what was troubling Paul and how that would have influenced what he would include in this letter)
HISTORY
Who was it written to and who was it written about? How does the Bible describe them? (Hint: we find the WHO and how they were described from CONTEXT, in 1 Timothy 1:1-18.)
Where does the narrative take place? What can you learn about their town? (Hint: we learn the WHERE straight from the text, in 1 Timothy 1:3, as well as from reading the intro to the book of 1 Timothy and Ephesians in a Study Bible. Also consider looking up the history of Ephesus in trusted history resources to learn about Ephesus being a major trade route that was home to the Temple of Artemis, where images of the goddess were sold by craftsmen to worshipers passing through the area.)
Remember the KEY PRINCIPLE: Vet your resources carefully. Be sure the insights you find for historical background are stated in several reliable resources.
When did the events take place and when was it written? What was going on in history at that time? (Hint: Use the intro to 1 Timothy in a Study Bible to discover WHEN this letter took place. It should point you to Acts 19 for more background on what was going on in Ephesus around that time. You can also use trusted history resources to look up what was happening during 62-65 A.D.)
What worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences were a part of their world? (Hint: look at Study Bible notes, commentaries, and other vetted historical resources to understand how upper class women showcased their wealth with elaborate hairstyles and jewelry and how the temple of Artemis was run by females who were known to dress elaborately). How would that type of culture have influenced them?
How would the original audience have heard this message? Based on what you learned about the Ephesians worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences, how would they have interpreted “women are to dress themselves in modest clothing, with decency and good sense, not with elaborate hairstyles, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel,” (1 Timothy 2:9, CSB)
Why was this message given to those people at that time? Based on everything you just learned, why do you think the church of Ephesus needed to be corrected in their thinking about how to dress?
Based on 1 Timothy 2:10, what was Paul emphasizing was more important than outward appearance?
CONTEXT
Bible: Does my interpretation hold true throughout the rest of the Bible? (Hint: Use cross references to come across verses like 1 Peter 3:3-4, Proverbs 31:30, 1 Samuel 16:7 and Romans 12:2 to see what God values.)
RESEARCH
Resources: What insights do you learn from Biblical scholars provided in Study Bibles, commentaries, and credible online resources? You may have already done this when answering the questions above (and that’s great!). Make sure you take time in your study to check out other resources from credible Bible scholars to help in your discovery of understanding these verses.
APPLY
Respond: What was expected of the original audience and what principles make sense for us now (is it a cultural or timeless truth)? When determining if a verse has a cultural vs timeless truth, remember the KEY PRINCIPLE: It cannot mean now what it didn’t mean back then. You need to first determine the original meaning of a verse or passage before applying the same meaning to your life today. Additionally, ask yourself: Is the concept repeated throughout the Bible? If NO (if the concept is whispered), it may be cultural. If YES (the concept is shouted throughout the bible), it may be timeless.
What cultural truths are in this passage? For example: the specific mention of what not to wear (like gold and pearls) was likely tied to what the culture of that time valued.
What timeless truths are in this passage? For example: one timeless truth is that God looks at the heart over our outward appearance.
Ask: What do you learn about God - His character, attributes, or desires?
Pray: “Lord, what do you want me to learn and how should I apply this to my life?”
Join the Chara Project team as they study 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and see their ANSWERS to the questions asked from the CHARA Bible Study Guide.