Let My Women Go (Do Godly Women Wear Pants?) - Dividingword

Let My Women Go (Do Godly Women Wear Pants?)

The following is written by my former pastor (Chuck Burke) in the IFB church in Maryland.

This book is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name is above all names, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, without whom eternity in the Lake of Fire is my portion. All credit, all honour, all praise, and all glory be His alone, forever and ever. Amen.

More precious than my own life, is my gem of a wife, without whom I would most assuredly be a failure in life and in the ministry. The very universe could not contain the rubies to value her.

All Scripture quotations are from the Authorized King James Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ, who will "freely give us all things."

All English definitions are from Webster's 1828 Dictionary, on CD. Copyright 1998, Christian Technologies, Inc.

Introduction

After pastoring in my current position for a couple of years, I happened to be in the company of a young woman that I had known for quite some time, but had not spoken with since I had been pastoring. After the initial pleasantries, she began to inquire about the state of my church. She asked me if it was an Independent Baptist church and I answered that of course it was. Then she asked me if it was a "real" Independent Baptist church.

She lowered the boom on me: "I mean, do your women wear pants?"

Now I understand why she asked. I even believe she said it without any hostility or ill intent towards me. I should have expected it, but I just didn't. I honestly thought some of these aforementioned elements were critical in defining a "real" Independent Baptist church. Certainly, I believed (and still do) that they were many times more necessary to the virtue of a church than "Do your women wear pants?"

There was a young lady who visited our church one Sunday. She filled out a visitor's card and one of my men and I went to see her the following Tuesday night. Upon dispensing with pleasantries I asked her what brought her to our church. She replied that she had been an Independent Baptist for some years before but had for the last few years been attending another affiliated Baptist church. She commented at how much she enjoyed the preaching and the teaching at our church and how she had missed the hard preaching that she used to get. She asked me if she might ask a couple of questions. "Of course you may," I replied, "what would you like to know?"

"Do you believe that it is OK for a woman to wear pants?" she asked rather hesitantly and a little sheepishly.

"Yes," came my reply.

There was a pause and then a, "You do?"

"Absolutely."

"But, you are an Independent Baptist preacher, aren't you supposed to believe that women must be in dresses only?"

"It's not scriptural," I said, "and therefore I reject it. You see, ma'am, I believe the Bible. This one right here in my hand. If this Bible says that you can't wear pants, then I am obligated to tell you that. But, it doesn't, so I wouldn't dare tell you that."

She sighed like a deflating balloon. "Where have you been hiding all these years," she asked. "How could I have missed you?"

She went on to tell me how she had attended a good local Independent Baptist church for a number of years. They were soul-winning, bus-running, fire and brimstone-preaching, fried chicken-eating Baptists. She loved the church, but she hated the fact that she was forced to wear dresses all the time. She hated even more the fact that it was never revealed scripturally, to her satisfaction, why this was being imposed upon her and the other women. Even when she asked the pastor he never pointed her to where the Bible says a woman should never wear pants. There was an appeal made to the "eyes of a man," or the "revealing of the shape of the body," or to "modesty," but never to the scriptural proof that she needed. It was just supposed to be accepted and "understood" as you "grew spiritually."

This is the second reason for this writing. There are far too many women in Independent Baptist (and other conservative though non-Baptist) churches that are in the same dilemma as this precious young lady.

My experience has been that her story is not so nearly unique. It is repeated over and over by women all over America. And most of those ladies that feel "stuck" in dresses-only churches are miserable. Many others simply solve the problem by not adhering to the code unless they are at a church function or event.

Many would like to speak out, but even when the subject is broached they are almost always silent, being afraid to stand against their peers and the church establishment, for fear of being branded "rebellious" or "weak" spiritually. This is the state of many women in conservative, fundamental churches today; they feel just like the Israelites under Egyptian.

This book will deal with the issue of women and pants from a number of different perspectives in order to attempt to cover the entirety of the subject. I endeavor to present a complete analysis of the controversial issues. But, no matter which side of this issue the reader finds himself on at this point, would he or she please pause and pray, asking the Holy Ghost for His wisdom and guidance before we begin to search this matter.

1

Finding God's Answer

To some people this topic will seem superfluous. Why is he writing on such a non-issue some may ask? While some may not personally understand the magnitude of this subject, to many this issue literally dominates their everyday life. Be assured that in churches all over America it is a very separatist doctrine.

Please understand before we begin, that God either permits women to wear pants today or He does not. There is really no middle ground. I pray the reader will agree that the answer lies solely with the Lord, as all answers do.

My question to you, dear reader, is this: Do you really want God's answer or not? If God says "women must never wear pants" would you accept that wholeheartedly as God's answer and abide by it? And, if God says "women may wear pants" would you accept that just as readily?

Why do I ask this? Simply put, the Bible says that if you want an answer from God on anything, you must be willing to accept that answer, whatever it is, when it is given, and act upon that answer faithfully in your life. Otherwise, God will not answer.

I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. [Psalms 119:100]

The key to getting the wisdom and understanding of God is accepting what He gives and applying it to your life. God will not waste His time answering someone He knows does not really want His truth, nor would that person be willing to act upon it. If you come looking for your pet answer, that's just what you'll get. If this sounds like you, don't expect God to answer you.

And God does want to give his sincerely searching children the answers they seek:

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. [Ephesians 5:17]

Dear reader, please be honest with yourself and with the Lord right now. Do you really want God's answer? Are you willing to act upon it, whatever it happens to be? I pray that God, who

knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, will answer you according to your willingness to submit unto His answer.

That brings us to an interesting problem, I believe the Devil is using to devour and divide God's people today. Most people today do not believe the Bible. Rather, they want to interpret the Bible. These are not the same thing. God is not amused with "private interpretation."

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [2 Peter 1:20]

The problem that causes frequent doctrinal collisions today is glaringly evident when examining these passages. Interpretation doesn't belong to men, but to God alone. People want to ascribe interpretation to men (themselves mostly) when it does not belong there. "That's just your interpretation" is the biggest cop-out this side of a strike by the New York City police force. It is God's interpretation that matters, and not man's.

It is time for God's people to follow the example of the Bereans. It is time to put away "Well I think," and "Well I feel," and "That's just your interpretation." It is time to search the Scriptures to see if they say these things be so.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [2 Timothy 2:15]

Why should we study? To show ourselves "approved unto God"! So, let's find out what He wants. Christian, are you willing to let God give you His interpretation?

2

Doctrine

Question Number One: Is it doctrinally wrong, and therefore unscriptural, for a woman to wear pants?

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. [Deuteronomy 22:5]

This single verse is almost the entirety of the scriptural argument against a woman wearing pants; if not the entirety of the scriptural case, then certainly the bulk and the cornerstone. This is inevitably true because this command is nowhere repeated in Scripture and certainly not in the New Testament; it stands by itself. Although every Bible verse is true (as is this one), certainly one verse is a very shaky foundation for such a "critical" doctrine. Deuteronomy 22:5

literally stands alone as the beginning and ending of the "women should not wear pants" argument.

Knowing this, the inference is made by some today that pants are clothes for men only and hence for a woman to wear them makes her an abomination unto the Lord. Is a woman that wears a pair of pants, regardless of the level of her spiritual maturity or the closeness of her walk with the Lord, automatically and unequivocally an "abomination unto the Lord"? Let's examine what the Bible says.

Notice the word "pertaineth" in Deuteronomy 22:5. What does pertaineth mean? It is critical because understanding this word will help us determine what God says a woman shall not wear.

Listed are the first seven Bible references to the word pertain or one of its variants, excluding our study text.

But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. [Leviticus 7:20]

- This seems to have the meaning of belonging or property.

Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain unto the LORD, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. [Leviticus 7:21]

- This has the same meaning.

This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing. [Leviticus 14:32]

- This seems have the meaning "is necessary for."

And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. [Numbers 4:16]

- This seems to agree with the first two mentions.

(Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep, [Numbers 31:43]

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