Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: (1Peter 3:3-5).In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works (1Timothy 2:9-10).
These Scriptures forbid the following:
Plaiting the hair.
Wearing of gold.
Wearing pearls.
Wearing costly array or apparel.They encourage the following:
The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit
Being in subjection into their own husbands
Adorn themselves in modest apparel
Adorn themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety
Women professing Godliness
Women with good worksObviously what is prohibited and forbidden may not be included under that which is encouraged!
The question here is: why would the Apostles command us not to do these things if there was no sin in doing them? The answer must be, that the Apostles saw these as worldly evils that have no place in the life of a Christian. A study of jewelry through history, gives us insight, on why these Apostles saw evil and sin in this practice.
Idols were decorated with gem stones, rings, bracelets, neck chains, ankle ornaments, leg ornaments, chains, nose jewels, hoods, veils, earrings, nose rings, and carefully painted faces. Anyone may examine these idols in museums to verify these facts. The worshipers of these idols made themselves like unto these idols. With cosmetics and jewelry, they changed themselves from the image of God into the image of idols. The prohibition of idolatry alone would suffice to declare that wearing jewelry and face cosmetics are wrong.
Apostolics have suffered mockery, abuse, and persecution, because we follow the Scriptures and do not wear jewelry. Many feel we are making a lot to do about nothing. Is idolatry nothing? Is rebellion against the Apostle's Doctrine acceptablet? Is idolatry and all associated with it not sin? Should we adorn ourselves after the likness of idols, and decorate our bodies after the image of male and female gods?
The Scriptures above come to us from two notable Apostles, Peter and Paul. Both are in agreement that those professing Godliness should not wear jewelry. The Apostolic Messianic Fellowship will follow these Apostles. Those still in bondage to idolatry, will make excuses why they will disobey Peter and Paul and wear jewelry anyway. Those who are Pentecostal will make the argument that it's a matter of opinion or personal conviction, while Apostolics believe it a matter of Scripture and Godliness. There is a difference between being Pentecostal and being Apostolic! We believe and follow the Scriptures as our rule of conduct, our procedure of practice, and governing our acts of faith. A true Christian will not wear jewelry.
The Apostles lived in a pagan world, exactly as we have today. By pagan, we mean those who still worship and follow the customs of idol worship. There are few idols of the ancient world still worshiped today. The idols and gods of our day come from Hollywood movies, television, and the music industry. Worshipers will dress like these idols, talk like these idols, act like these idols, fix their hair like these idols, paint their face like these idols, wear the jewelry these idols wear, dance before these idols, shout and scream before these idols, mutilate their bodies unto these idols, burn incense and surround themselves with smoke and fire before these idols, wear the clothes these idols wear, and follow the sexual apostasy of these idols. The television, movie, and music industry, have largely replaced old gods and idols, but nevertheless as idols, substitute the true God, and the holiness example with depravity. These all play a vital part in demonstrating the debauchery with which jewelry is worn in idol worship.
Although God forbid mutilating the body, marking it with holes, cuts, and tattoos, they do it anyway. Should we allow these evils among us?
And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them (2Kings 17:15).
The heathens of the world would like to bring their 5,000 year old idol traditions into the Church of the living God. It is remarkable to note, that God did not design or permit the Priest in the Old Testament to wear finger rings, earrings, bracelets, or ornaments around the neck, as worn by the priest of pagan idols. The Priest of God were representatives of God. Therefore, we may rightly claim, that God denied the Priesthood resembling the false priest and idols the heathens served. The Priest and people of God did not wear these ornaments, because they were ways used to serve idols. In the same manner, Christians and Jews dressed in Godly apparel, and this was holiness unto the LORD. It follows succinctly then, that Jesus Christ did not wear bodily ornaments in the form of finger rings, earrings, bracelets, or neck ornaments, in his office of the Supreme High Priest.
Jewelry carries with it not only the history of idols but the idea of amulets containing magic spirits. An amulet is an item that is alleged to contain spirit powers that protect the person wearing it. The magic power is a demon spirit or a devil-god, in whose image the amulet bears testimony.
Amulets had incantations performed over them, so that all who wore replicas of them, received the protection of that spirit or god. Thus, wearing these symbols, gave testimony an individual was a believer and worshiper of those protective spirits and gods. At no time, did the true God ever borrow these magic rites and symbols unto himself and his Chosen people. No one can separate the association of magic, spirits, and other gods from jewelry. The meaning is quite clear. God's people do not pick up the traditions of idolatry to decorate their bodies.
It was a practice among heathens to make cuts in their body, mark their flesh in various manners, and to wear jewelry that once belonged to a dead loved one. Passing these pagan charms, magic relics, or jewelry down in the family, became a tradition. One had to mark themselves after the manner of a dead loved one, in order to wear what the departed had worn in life.
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:28).
Cutting the flesh includes the making of holes in one's ears and nose. Making marks includes tattoos or other scars where the creation of the human body is distorted and altered from the image of God, in which likeness it was created. As such, these rings, earrings, bracelets, and neck ornaments, became heirlooms. Many would rather repeat the sins of an ancestor, than to admit their ancestors were in violation of the First Commandment.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Exodus 20:3-4).
If the people of God were forbidden to have other gods, and to make any form of a graven image representing these idols or their magic powers, then the original wearing of jewelry is a practice of idolatry. If God's people did not wear them, and if the Priest did not wear them in the Tabernacle, they of necessity came from man's inventions of idols, or of some other man-made fetish or devil-god.
There are Scriptures that prove the wearing of jewelry was considered pagan and a violation of the ways of God. Jacob made his wives give him all their jewelry. He buried them under an oak tree. He knew if his father saw Rachel and Leah in this idolatry, he would receive a rebuking. Much more, he knew he was going back to Bethel, and the God of his fathers did not approve of the wearing of earrings, jewelry, and possession of idols, magic charms, and amulets:
And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem (Genesis 35:3-4).
Bethel is translated "House of God." The vision of the ladder and the angels, is a direct Revelation of Jesus Christ (St. John 1:51). It behooved Jacob then, to present his wives to God at Bethel, in a holiness condition, that had no connection to paganism or idolatry. He took their strange gods and the earrings which had to have an idolatrous connection, and buried them forever. Now they could go to Bethel and home to Jacob's father Isaac, as women of God. There is no record that these matriarchs ever desired to have these idols back, or went back to wearing earrings and other jewelry. I know of no one who would deny that these were the Church, the elect, the called out ones, of that day. There was no reason for Jacob to make his wives give up their jewelry if it was not a sin. If these women could give up these pagan inventions for God without the Holy Ghost, what should Christians do today with the Holy Ghost? Our bodies are the Temple of God (1Corinthians 3:17). Has anyone ever produced the Scripture where the Tabernacle in the Old Testament had any form or likeness of jewelry upon the exterior of it in any fashion?
The ring to the left was found in Babylon. It is that of the serpent of Eden. The serpent with tail in its mouth, came to form the circle of finger and earrings. The circle in jewelry symbolism, means eternal. Wedding rings come from this idolatry and still carry the meaning of "forever" today. Wearing a ring is to adorn a symbol of satan, even if the serpent is removed, to hide the meaning behind the symbol.
The spirits of demons embodied in jewelry usually take the form of rebellion. This is the first attitude a person will manifest, who has the jewelry spirits upon them, when told it is not Godliness or Holiness to wear it. Those with the Holy Ghost, and who love truth and Godliness, do not have those possessing spirits, and off the jewelry comes with joy. Those controlled by the jewelry spirits will argue, fight, quit church, and refuse to take their jewelry off, in honor of their body being a Temple of God. They have the opinion that God will have them with jewelry, or they will find another Church where the spirits there, accept it. These individuals believe they can reject the Bible record, history of jewelry, and the admonitions of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and still be saved?
To our knowledge, the Jews that went down into Egypt (70 souls), did not wear jewelry. They picked up this custom during the four hundred years of exposure to Egyptian idols, while in Egyptian slavery. Jacob made his wives take their jewelry off. We need more husbands like this today, and more wives who will take it off without demanding a divorce. Israelites took back up the wearing of jewelry before they came out of Egypt. It was with these ornaments, that Aaron made a golden calf. It was with this jewelry, that the Jewish nation was almost wiped off the earth in God's anger (Exodus 32:9-10). Earrings were worn by Ishmaelites (Judges 8:24). Holes in a person's ears was a sign of slavery (Deuteronomy 15:17).
For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb (Exodus 33:5-6).
The Jews removed their jewelry for a number of years and then went back and picked it up again. With jewelry comes a proud look and a haughty attitude. This Jezebel spirit (2KIngs 9:30) caused Israel to be cast off to Babylon. God became very angry at the Jewish women who went back to the ways of false gods and idols. Read what God said he would do about it:
Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, the chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, the rings, and nose jewels, the changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails (Isaiah 3:16-23).
The beauty of holiness is the fresh and pure creation of God without decorating it with that which comes from worship of idols. Look at the world; look at the perverts of television, movies, and music; look at those marketing jewelry, these all bear testimony that God is not in it. When we raise holy hands before the LORD, there will be no jewelry on either hand or wrist. When we give our body, mind, and soul, unto the LORD, there is no longer a place for jewelry to testify of idols. This is Godliness. This is Holiness. This proves the Temple of God has no agreement with idols (1Cor. 6:16).
This information explains why converts to Christ and members of the Apostolic Faith are urged not to wear jewelry. The Pastor will not baptize anyone wearing jewelry or those who intend to put it back on after baptism. No Minister may preach in our services, that wears jewelry. Membership in the Church is open to all, but we believe the Spirit will lead and guide all to give up jewelry.
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