Friday, August 25, 2006
The Soul-Winner's Adornment I PETER 3 :1-5
I was reading from Kenneth Wuest this morning and was stunned at a clear biblical precept we have overlooked in our contemporary church culture.
What do you think about the broader application?
BYPATHS IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT
by Kenneth Wuest
The Soul-Winner's Adornment
IN I PETER 3 :1-5 we have the case of Christian women of the first century seeking to win their unsaved husbands to the Lord Jesus as Saviour. These husbands are of that non-persuasible type that will not listen to reason. Obstinacy, stubbornness, inflexibility are here personified. We see this in the use of the words "obey not" which come from a Greek word literally meaning, "non-persuasible." The word "if" represents a fulfilled condition. There were such cases in those days, as there are such instances today, the Christian wife is exhorted to be in subjection to her unsaved husband, in order that he might without a word, not the Word, be won by the behaviour of the wife. "Behaviour" is from the Greek word rendered "conversation," the latter having changed its meaning since the A.V. was translated. There is no definite article before the second use of the word "word." No one has ever been won to the Lord Jesus apart from the Word of God. Peter is exhorting these wives who have given the gospel to their husbands time after time, to stop talking about it lest they start nagging, and instead, live the gospel before them. If the husband is so obstinate as to refuse to listen to her, well then, the next best thing is to keep quiet and let the gospel speak through a Christlike life. He may refuse to listen to her words, but he cannot but see the Lord Jesus in her life.
But as the Christian wife thus seeks to live before her husband, the apostle warns her that she must not depend upon outward adornment in her effort to win her husband to the Lord. Her adornment must come from within, from a heart pervaded with the beauty and fragrance of Christ. Thus it is the presence of the Lord Jesus in the life of the soul-winner which the Holy Spirit uses to attract sinners to Jesus, not the adornment one puts on. This is the principle which Peter brings before us in verses three and four.
The word "adornment" is from the Greek word kosmos. It means literally "an ordered system." It speaks of that which is congruous, fitting. A Christian worker's clothing should be in keeping with the simplicity, purity, and beauty of the Lord Jesus. What one wears on the outside of the body should be an expression of what is in the heart.
Then the Spirit of God speaks of the three parts of a Christian woman's adornment, the way she wears her hair, the Jewelry she puts on, and the apparel she selects.
First, she is not to depend upon the plaiting of the hair in her effort to win her husband to the Lord- Reference-is made here to the extravagant and costly excesses to which women of the first century went in hair ornament. Quoting from an early manuscript we have this: "The attendants will vote on the dressing of the hair as if a question of reputation or of life were at stake, so great is the trouble she takes in quest of beauty; with so many tiers does she load, with so many continuous stories does she build up on high her head. She is as tall as Andromache in front, behind she is shorter. You would think another person" (Vincent). Thus, extravagant excesses and intricate artificiality of hairdress are forbidden in Christian woman as adornment.
Second, the wearing of gold is forbidden. The word "wearing" is'from a Greek word which means literally "to hang around," as one hangs ornaments around a Christmas tree. The wearing of jewelry is not forbidden here, but the gaudy, conspicuous, extravagant, obtrusive display of the same as adornment.
Third, dependence upon apparel is forbidden. The purpose of clothing is for the protection of the body. Theurpose of apparel is for the ornamentation of the person. That which is forbidden is the donning of apparel for fix purpose of making ourselves pleasing in the eyes of the unsaved so that we may win them to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus,
Why does not dependence upon outward adornment help us to win souls to the Lord Jesus? First, it is because the Holy Spirit does not use the styles of the world in winning a soul to the Lord, as He seeks to work through the believer. Second, it is because such an elaborate display satisfies the lust or desire of the eyes of the unsaved one whom we are seeking to win. When a Christian worker thus appeals to the fallen nature of the sinner, she cannot at the same time appeal to him to trust in the Lord Jesus. Third, it is because such a display destroys the personal testimony of the soul winner. We may be fundamental in our doctrine, and yet defeat the power of the Word we give out by the modernism of our appearance. The unsaved person will say, "What you appear to be on the outside speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying," For these reasons, no dependence must be placed upon outward adornment as we seek to win the lost.
Instead of this, we are to depend upon the hidden man of the heart. The expression refers to the inner heart life of the Christian in which the Lord Jesus reigns supreme When -we depend upon that for our adornment, then the Lord Jesus is seen in the life, His beauty. His sweetness, His simplicity. This the Holy Spirit uses as He gently woos a soul to the Saviour. The more of the Lord Jesus which the sinner sees in the believer's life, the more powerful is the latter's testimony, the more usable her words, usable to the Holy Spirit. Alas, as someone has said, "What cheap perfume we sometimes use."
This brings us to certain principles regarding adornment. If a personality is to be seen at its best, it must be seen alone, not merged with another personality. Either the Lord Jesus is seen in all His beauty, or the personality of the believer is seen and her adornment. The Holy Spirit attracts sinners to the Lord Jesus, not by displaying the latest styles in dress, but by exhibiting the Lord Jesus. If the sinner is attracted by the modernism of the believer's adornment, the fundamentalism of the believer's doctrine will be neutralized. When a Christian woman depends upon the Lord Jesus for her adornment, the manner of wearing the hair, the kind and amount of ornament she wears, and the kind of clothing she puts on, will all be in keeping with the purity, simplicity, and beauty of the Lord Jesus. All will be attractive without attracting from the Lord Jesus. All will be beautiful without detracting from Him. All will have character without attracting one to the person herself. Then the sinner will see the Lord Jesus in the heart and life of the believer, and in her adornment as well. Then will the Holy Spirit be able to work through the soul winner, attracting sinners to the Saviour.
What do you think about the broader application?
BYPATHS IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT
by Kenneth Wuest
The Soul-Winner's Adornment
IN I PETER 3 :1-5 we have the case of Christian women of the first century seeking to win their unsaved husbands to the Lord Jesus as Saviour. These husbands are of that non-persuasible type that will not listen to reason. Obstinacy, stubbornness, inflexibility are here personified. We see this in the use of the words "obey not" which come from a Greek word literally meaning, "non-persuasible." The word "if" represents a fulfilled condition. There were such cases in those days, as there are such instances today, the Christian wife is exhorted to be in subjection to her unsaved husband, in order that he might without a word, not the Word, be won by the behaviour of the wife. "Behaviour" is from the Greek word rendered "conversation," the latter having changed its meaning since the A.V. was translated. There is no definite article before the second use of the word "word." No one has ever been won to the Lord Jesus apart from the Word of God. Peter is exhorting these wives who have given the gospel to their husbands time after time, to stop talking about it lest they start nagging, and instead, live the gospel before them. If the husband is so obstinate as to refuse to listen to her, well then, the next best thing is to keep quiet and let the gospel speak through a Christlike life. He may refuse to listen to her words, but he cannot but see the Lord Jesus in her life.
But as the Christian wife thus seeks to live before her husband, the apostle warns her that she must not depend upon outward adornment in her effort to win her husband to the Lord. Her adornment must come from within, from a heart pervaded with the beauty and fragrance of Christ. Thus it is the presence of the Lord Jesus in the life of the soul-winner which the Holy Spirit uses to attract sinners to Jesus, not the adornment one puts on. This is the principle which Peter brings before us in verses three and four.
The word "adornment" is from the Greek word kosmos. It means literally "an ordered system." It speaks of that which is congruous, fitting. A Christian worker's clothing should be in keeping with the simplicity, purity, and beauty of the Lord Jesus. What one wears on the outside of the body should be an expression of what is in the heart.
Then the Spirit of God speaks of the three parts of a Christian woman's adornment, the way she wears her hair, the Jewelry she puts on, and the apparel she selects.
First, she is not to depend upon the plaiting of the hair in her effort to win her husband to the Lord- Reference-is made here to the extravagant and costly excesses to which women of the first century went in hair ornament. Quoting from an early manuscript we have this: "The attendants will vote on the dressing of the hair as if a question of reputation or of life were at stake, so great is the trouble she takes in quest of beauty; with so many tiers does she load, with so many continuous stories does she build up on high her head. She is as tall as Andromache in front, behind she is shorter. You would think another person" (Vincent). Thus, extravagant excesses and intricate artificiality of hairdress are forbidden in Christian woman as adornment.
Second, the wearing of gold is forbidden. The word "wearing" is'from a Greek word which means literally "to hang around," as one hangs ornaments around a Christmas tree. The wearing of jewelry is not forbidden here, but the gaudy, conspicuous, extravagant, obtrusive display of the same as adornment.
Third, dependence upon apparel is forbidden. The purpose of clothing is for the protection of the body. Theurpose of apparel is for the ornamentation of the person. That which is forbidden is the donning of apparel for fix purpose of making ourselves pleasing in the eyes of the unsaved so that we may win them to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus,
Why does not dependence upon outward adornment help us to win souls to the Lord Jesus? First, it is because the Holy Spirit does not use the styles of the world in winning a soul to the Lord, as He seeks to work through the believer. Second, it is because such an elaborate display satisfies the lust or desire of the eyes of the unsaved one whom we are seeking to win. When a Christian worker thus appeals to the fallen nature of the sinner, she cannot at the same time appeal to him to trust in the Lord Jesus. Third, it is because such a display destroys the personal testimony of the soul winner. We may be fundamental in our doctrine, and yet defeat the power of the Word we give out by the modernism of our appearance. The unsaved person will say, "What you appear to be on the outside speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying," For these reasons, no dependence must be placed upon outward adornment as we seek to win the lost.
Instead of this, we are to depend upon the hidden man of the heart. The expression refers to the inner heart life of the Christian in which the Lord Jesus reigns supreme When -we depend upon that for our adornment, then the Lord Jesus is seen in the life, His beauty. His sweetness, His simplicity. This the Holy Spirit uses as He gently woos a soul to the Saviour. The more of the Lord Jesus which the sinner sees in the believer's life, the more powerful is the latter's testimony, the more usable her words, usable to the Holy Spirit. Alas, as someone has said, "What cheap perfume we sometimes use."
This brings us to certain principles regarding adornment. If a personality is to be seen at its best, it must be seen alone, not merged with another personality. Either the Lord Jesus is seen in all His beauty, or the personality of the believer is seen and her adornment. The Holy Spirit attracts sinners to the Lord Jesus, not by displaying the latest styles in dress, but by exhibiting the Lord Jesus. If the sinner is attracted by the modernism of the believer's adornment, the fundamentalism of the believer's doctrine will be neutralized. When a Christian woman depends upon the Lord Jesus for her adornment, the manner of wearing the hair, the kind and amount of ornament she wears, and the kind of clothing she puts on, will all be in keeping with the purity, simplicity, and beauty of the Lord Jesus. All will be attractive without attracting from the Lord Jesus. All will be beautiful without detracting from Him. All will have character without attracting one to the person herself. Then the sinner will see the Lord Jesus in the heart and life of the believer, and in her adornment as well. Then will the Holy Spirit be able to work through the soul winner, attracting sinners to the Saviour.
# posted by Groseys messages @ 5:21 PM 
