Sobriety in dress, particularly for women, is a theme addressed in the New Testament, emphasizing modesty, self-control, and a focus on inner beauty rather than outward adornment. This concept is rooted in the broader biblical call for believers to live lives that reflect their faith and values, demonstrating a heart aligned with God's will.

The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of women's dress in his first letter to Timothy, providing guidance on how women should present themselves in a manner that honors God. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 , Paul writes, "Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God." Here, Paul emphasizes that the focus should not be on extravagant or ostentatious attire but rather on modesty and good works, reflecting a heart devoted to God.

Similarly, in 1 Peter 3:3-4 , Peter advises women on the importance of inner beauty over external appearance: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight." This passage underscores the value God places on the inner qualities of a gentle and quiet spirit, which are considered precious and enduring.

The call for sobriety in dress is not merely about the avoidance of certain styles or adornments but is deeply connected to the Christian virtues of humility, self-control, and a focus on spiritual rather than material values. It reflects a broader biblical principle that encourages believers to live in a way that is distinct from worldly standards, prioritizing godliness and good works over external appearances.

In the cultural context of the early church, extravagant dress and adornment were often associated with wealth, status, and sometimes immorality. By advocating for modesty and sobriety, the apostles were encouraging women to reject these cultural norms and instead embrace a lifestyle that reflects their commitment to Christ and His teachings.

The principle of sobriety in dress continues to be relevant for Christian women today, serving as a reminder to prioritize inner beauty and godliness over societal pressures and trends. It calls for a thoughtful consideration of how one's appearance can reflect one's faith and values, promoting a witness that is consistent with the teachings of Scripture.1 Timothy 2:9
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with modesty and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
Nave's Topical Index

1 Cor. xi. 2
... yet in their deeds some of our women should be found ... in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with ... much more is it becoming to exhibit the same ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxvi 1 cor xi.htm

Means to be Used with Sinners.
... If the devil should come in and see the state of ... Only "let the women adorn themselves
in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture ix means to be.htm

Womanhood of the Byzantine Decadence
... when the last surviving Greek kingdom should succumb to the ... her deportment is marked
by a sobriety of manner ... The women of the lower classes, no doubt, preserve ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/xv womanhood of the byzantine.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.' Surely we ... cast from the mirrors
of the women who [4370 ... who had improvidently made a vow, should learn his ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Homilies on the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
... Sobriety, what it consists in, [3851]536 ... have entered upon a great contest,
[3959]ib.; should be an ... Wine, women given to, [4006]441; danger of, [4007]442; those ...
/.../homilies on the epistles to.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1812 to the Death of ...
... by the hostile Indians on defenseless women and children ... He gave an example of sobriety,
temperance, and industry ... As to the stations, I should never exhibit a ...
/.../chapter 2 from the close.htm

On the Departure of Flavian, Bishop of Antioch, who was Gone on an ...
... from their calamities; and not men only, but also women. ... are in sin, if they do not
exercise sobriety at all ... for the orthodox by Lucifer, and should have had ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily iii on the departure.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... This law, that Christians should not be compelled to sacrifice, was enacted just
before ... The same thing we hold regarding women, and freely to all we loose from ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

Church Fabrics and Services.
... Much, therefore, of the present chapter will exhibit a state ... to consist only of a
few women; and the ... the kingdom,'[1002] Church festivals should have recovered ...
/.../the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter x church fabrics and.htm

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