Guest Contributor

Meggie Cotonethal (@rpmcotonethal) is a slave of Christ, an ecclesiastical history enthusiast, and a servant for the W.I.S.E. Women’s Network Bible studies in Northern California.

“Modesty” must be one of the most abused words in the Christianese dialect.

The idea of modesty has been almost exclusively attached to women’s dress, narrowing in definition to mean “showing less skin and trying to prevent sexual arousal in those looking on.” It has veritably become a subculture in Christendom, spawning a cacophony of bestsellers, brands, seminars, and internet firestorms.

In 1 Timothy 2:9, Paul uses the word kosmios to describe how a woman should present herself, which is translated as “modest” or “respectable.” Kosmios is related to the word cosmos and connotes orderliness and propriety. Paul also uses the same word in 1 Timothy 3:2, which outlines the qualities men need to have to be overseers, and there it is translated as “respectable” (some versions say, “of good behavior”).

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