One of the holiness standards from my old organization was that women shouldn't wear makeup because it is seductive and sinful. But does the Bible actually teach this? I recently watched a sermon on YouTube titled Kingdom Culture: Adornment by Joe Campetella, preached September 17, 2020, where he makes this claim.
1st Timothy 2:9 “Likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. But with what is proper for women who profess godliness - with good works.”
In the King James Version the word shamefacedness is used instead of modesty. The KJV is the preferred translation within this particular group, and this word, shamefacedness, According to Joe Campetella, means specifically bashfulness towards men, reverence, shame, honor.
According to this sermon it’s the opposite of a prideful forward face. He says, “according to one prominent scholar the Greek word for shamefacedness (aidos) is used in a particular sense in this passage and it’s the only time it is so used in Scripture. Here it literally means shocked faced or blanched face. A blanched face is one that is washed and without coloring.”
This is the intro to his teaching on makeup.
So let’s take a deeper look at this word “aidos” and see if this teaching is correct.
First, I wish he would provide the source for his definitions, instead of just saying “a prominent scholar”. I couldn’t find this source anywhere, providing sources for your definitions makes your point easier to accept and I don’t have to just take your word for it.
Second, the word “aidos” is only used here, and it literally just means modesty. So the idea that this word has a special meaning here apart from any other place in scripture is misleading since it’s only used this one time.
Look at how every other translation phrases this passage. Go do a search and you will see that it’s almost unanimously translated as modest. There’s nothing I can find to support the idea that the word means bashfulness towards men.
Here’s the actual quote from the Greek definition.
αἰδώς (-όος), -οῦς, ἡ, in LXX
a sense of shame, modesty: class (for exx., see MM, VGT, see word).
Aidos ‘ahee-doce’ - a sense of shame or honour, modesty, bashfulness, reverence, regard for others, respect
This isn’t talking about makeup or the lack of makeup, it's not referring to bashfulness towards men either, that is his own interpretation read back into the text. (Eisegesis)
Now, let’s examine the context of this passage to make sure we are understanding it properly.
Let's look at 1 Timothy beginning in verse 1 of chapter 2,
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior."
We see the context immediately, godly living and conduct.
"For this, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control. Not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness, with good works.”
Again, the principle is on godly living and conduct, not about what we wear. He wants men to pray without anger or quarreling. Understanding that if the men are fighting with each other and are angry they will not be leading a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
Likewise, the women should let their character be their adorning, not what they wear. This isn’t saying that here is a list of things to avoid. It is a principle of not being like the women of the culture who adorn themselves a certain way to try to express their identity when Christ gave you your identity! Because your identity is in Christ you should walk in it and let that be what you show the world.
So no, this passage isn’t talking about makeup. But this isn’t the only passage they use to back up their claims that makeup is sinful.
2nd Kings 9:30 “When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her hair and looked out the window.”
Notice here, Jezebel does three things: paints her eyes, adorns her hair, and looks out a window. It’s interesting that makeup is the only thing sinful here.
Why is this passage used to prove makeup is sinful? Because of its association with Jezebel. This is what’s known as an associate fallacy. Just because Jezebel does something, that something is not inherently sinful.
The claim is that Jezebel did this to try to seduce Jehu, this argument doesn’t seem to support the text. The passage says nothing about her trying to seduce him, this is assumed due to the speakers internal bias that makeup is inherently seductive.
Jezebel is being defiant, she’s showing Jehu that she isn’t afraid of him and that she wouldn’t beg for her life. She paints her eyes, fixes her hair, and looks out the window to exhibit her qualities as queen.
You could easily accuse me of interpreting this passage through my own bias, but this seems to be the defining trait of the person Jezebel, she's strong-willed, politically astute, and courageous.
Revelation describes a woman called Jezebel who teaches and seduces people to practice sexual immorality. (Revelation 2:20)
The word seduces is planáō - πλανάω - 'to lead astray' to cause to wonder, deceive or mislead.
That verse doesn't say that Jezebel is a seductive person. But even if it did, it still doesn't associate makeup by itself as a seductive item.
Another passage used in this discussion on makeup is Jeremiah 4:30.
“And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.”
According to Campetella, this verse is describing a backslidden nation as a harlot. Someone who paints their face.
But let’s look at this in a easier to understand translation to see if we are getting the full picture,
“And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spur you. They want to kill you.”
This passage is not condemning makeup anymore than it is condemning wearing a beautiful dress. It’s simply stating that israel is doing all these things in vain.
One more and I think we will get the point that all of this passages are taken out of context.
Jude 8 KJV “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.”
According to Campetella, defile means to stain or dye another color. This means that makeup defiles the flesh.
Full stop. This is just bad Bible reading.
Let’s back up and get the context,
Jude 3-4 “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”
Context is important, Jude is writing about a specific issue, false teachers. Let’s keep reading…
Jude 5-6 “Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.”
Now notice this,
Jude 7-8 “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.”
So this isn’t talking about putting on makeup, it’s talking about sin.
To make sure we are clear, let’s look at the word defile. To pollute
μιαίνω [miainō] - To pollute, stain, defile. To be defiled, corrupted.
This word is used 4 times in the Bible. Here’s the other three passages, let’s see if we see a pattern.
John 18:28 “Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
Titus 1:15 “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.”
Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;”
It’s obvious the context is to defile through sin, not painting your face.
It’s sad that a post like this even needs to be made, but this teaching keeps popping up and it’s a snare to many women. Legalism is anti-Christ, it's contrary to the freedoms Christ offers and it creates slaves to man made doctrines. It’s wrong and needs to be called out always.
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