Supposed Complexities of Make-Up are Solved

A Chapter by Ethan Paz

This was written several months ago. There has been talk if make-up is wrong or right to wear. This paper discusses it.

Supposed Complexities of Make-Up are Solved

by
Ethan Paz

Outline

Opening: What is right
A. Make-up
1. Against make-up
2. For make-up
B. Piercings
1. Against piercings
2. For piercings
Ending: Here is the truth

“What would Jesus do?” is the question rarely asked nowadays but when asked, it does not solve every problem we have. This unique world is unlike any other, in that we can accomplish what no other time could have. This presents itself many benefits as well as many mishaps. Two examples of these benefits are make-up and piercings. In this paper, you will be informed as to what the Bible says about make-up and piercings. I will use two differing biases with a following comment by myself. After this paper, the question “What would Jesus do?” will no longer be a question, for you will know the answer.
For every good there is a wrong and an opposing opinion. Make-up has become quite controversial in the Christian circles by the verses Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image . . . .” and 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.” These two opposing verses only create friction but the Bible has answers for everything. The problem concerning these two topics is the answer is quite relative. By this I mean relative to all kinds of society and culture because every society and culture abide by different laws and standards. For example, I have two sticks and place them ten feet away from each other. Between those sticks lies a definite amount of ground available. Likewise, the Bible, concerning these two topics, have two points. Between those points are relative values to all society. I will now speak what people against make-up have to say about it.
Opposing make-up comes from the minority but their validity must be proven. A verse that opposes make-up at site can be Psalms 39:5-6, “ . . . verily [truly] every man at his best state is altogether vanity . . . . Surely every man walks in a vain show” (KJV) I was persuaded at first glance that this verse had disproven make-up but we must observe more closely. In verse four, David speaks how the Lord knows his days and it continues so in the first part of verse five. In Psalms 39:5b the same is true as the previous verse and the following verse; this passage is more than often used out of context to disprove make-up. In verse six, people say “shew” (in the KJV) means “an image” but they are assuming a word that the Bible does not mean but what they mean. The NIV, ESV, and NKJV show no evidence of make-up in this context. Make-up here is irrelevant and we are off to the next point concerning make-up.
Frontline.org is very persuasive as to why make-up is sin . . . to them. They state in one sentence, “Pride and vanity are why the Encyclopedia Britannica defines “cosmetics” as “…products nobody needs"but wanting them is human nature.” This quote is quite true but so is the desire for food, drinking, and the desire for sex; it is basic human nature. God created a desire within us to be beautiful, to be attractive, to attract the other sex or our spouse but to pull it as far as “pride and vanity” deserves at least some self-evaluation. Frontline.org is issuing a judgment call on all who wear make-up. They claim they see pride on our faces but who are they to judge us? More so, how is cosmetics vanity if God created a natural human desire for us to design ourselves to be beautiful? To take this statement above into consideration also takes a reassessment of eating, drinking, and sex . . . if it is “pride and vanity” also.
Frontline.org claims cosmetics are bad because what they do to society. Though this is true, you must also consider anything else that may affect us in a negative way wrong also. Here is the quote,
“Everyone wants to look or be considered pretty"or even beautiful. The pull of vanity begins early in life. Modern society places enormous emphasis on beauty. As a result, recent studies demonstrate that even very little girls are unhappy with themselves to the point of depression, with many actually contemplating suicide as a result! They feel that they do not measure up to their peers or favorite movie stars. Today, the obsession with being beautiful has led nearly 10 million adolescent and teenage girls into eating disorders.”
Now this statistic seems pretty farfetched but what about the girls who are happy with their bodies and do not have depression? Is driving cars wrong also because there is always a potential of death waiting for us? If you take this quote into consideration, you must also take everything in this world into consideration as wrong also.
Now this fact is mostly used among those who are against make-up: make-up represents prostitution. Here is a quote from Gino Gullace, ““Women wore brightly colored dresses…They used a lot of cosmetics…which…a woman could do only if she earned her living through prostitution” (Magna Grecia"An Overview, Prof. Gino Gullace). In the Old Testament days, make-up was worn by prostitutes; a good example of this is Ezekiel 23. Other verses that people use to disprove of make-up is Revelations 17:3-5; Jeremiah 4:30; Isaiah 3:16; and 2 Kings 9:30. The problem with all these verses is guilty by association. For example, people claim make-up is bad because Jezebel used make-up. Well, you must look at the bigger picture. 2 Kings 9:30 reads this, “And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.” Here is the problem: if painting your face is wrong, so is braiding your hair and looking out at a window! Not just this also, but anything else that Jezebel had done and all the prostitutes as well!
A verse that grabs most people’s attention concerning make-up is 1 Timothy 2:9, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety . . . .” Shamefacedness in the Greek is the word “aidōs (ah-id’-ee-os) meaning modesty. Thus this verse is proven void to disproved make-up a sin.
The last and most controversial argument concerning make-up is it would alter our image (Gen. 1:27; Rom 9:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). The problem is 1 Corinthians 10:23 says otherwise in a most silent matter. Romans 12:1 says it most clearly, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” As the author of Hebrews says, “Anything without faith is sin.” Everything I do must glorify God as 1 Corinthians 10:31 states. This does not mean you can do whatever you wish that may bring harmful consequences, for that is wrong. There is nothing wrong with make-up as long as you glorify God with it.
We have learned that the reasoning “guilt by association” is a poor way to say make-up is wrong and we have seen we should commit our body for God’s glory but the answer has not arisen yet. The truth of the matter, as I stated earlier, the answer is quite relative as you shall soon see. I will now talk why make-up is alright but I will show where the limits are as to when it is not alright.
Not every woman who wears make-up, nowadays, does it for the purpose of prostitution. To say this is poor reasoning. “Make-up can and by many is worn in a suitable manner. With temperance and modesty by many women, to lump this practice in with the action of Jezebel is without precedence. To assume that all who wear makeup emulate Jezebel is absurdity, and is a statement that lacks any credibility (pastorcraigsblog.com).” Cosmetics beautify us and they cover our imperfections. As Pastor Craig says,
“If we were [sic] to state the benefits of make-up, one could discuss how they hid blemishes, scars, and imperfections. The aid of make-up can help to enhance the beauty of a woman. Any who declare that this emotion in a woman needs to be suppressed, tries to suppress a God given instinct, women want to be beautiful, certainly it is not the sum total of who they are to be- as noted by Peter and Paul, but it is part of their personal and biological make-up.”
Again Pastor Craig says it quite well,
“This concept is foreign to many men. It is a fact that when a woman looks better she feels better. Though some would never admit to such a premise, the truth is many women have lost their self worth because of the suggested pretence that “the plainer she looks the more holy she is.” The whole thing is farce and there is no precedence for such a premise. Even worse, there is no scriptural basis for it.”
The Scripture says nothing negative about make-up and pure human reasoning justifies make-up. Just think, why would God give us the desire to look good? Make-up is good in itself but there can be a bad side. Remember what I said in the beginning of the paper: that there are two points with definite ground? We covered one point and the next point we shall cover now.
The only verse that shows a definite guideline for makeup, though vague, is Philippians 4:5, “Let your moderation be known unto all men.” If make-up is being over-used, it is simply not right. Moderation, when looked up in the Greek, means appropriate. You may use make-up to cover your blemishes and imperfections and to make yourself attractive but do not over do it. As Pastor Craig wisely says,
“While I agree that it is acceptable for a woman to wear makeup " I also agree that as with all things make-up can be abused. A woman of God should take careful consideration, with the application, shades, and tones she administers. In this manner she should seek to be representing [sic] herself as one who is a servant of God.”
Make-up is also acceptable for we represent Christ and we should look our best. Again Pastor Craig reveals to us another marvelous truth,
“By looking her best- she best represents her faith. Looking drab, and dreary, as some without make-up look, is not the best witness. Equally it should be stated it is not productive for a woman to look loud, proud and ostentatious. Moderation is the word the Bible uses and to this end we should follow that instruction.”
As we see the Bible is quite relative on this subject. I promised in the beginning you would not have to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” If you do not understand still, I encourage you to read this paper again until it makes sense. We are called to glorify God; we can glorify God by our make-up. You can choose to not wear make-up; there is nothing wrong with that in itself, but are you representing Christ the very best you can? Make-up is the smaller picture which makes up the bigger picture: our mission to glorify God.

http://pastorcraigsblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-make-up-sin.html
http://www.spiritualabuse.org/issues/standards/makeup/makeup.html
http://www.thercg.org/books/tthbm.html
http://www.whyileft.org/what-does-the-bible-say-about/what-does-the-bible-say-about-wearing-make-up/
http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/bodypiercing.htm

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