MUST A WOMAN WEAR TROUSER? - Apostle Abeiku Okai

Recently, a gentleman gravely condemned me for not preaching against women who wear trousers. And since I don't declare that "ANY WOMAN WHO WEARS TROUSER WILL GO TO HELL then I am not a true man of God. Well, that is his opinion but let's look at the issue together. 

The only verse that has been used through the years to condemn women wearing trouser is Deuteronomy 22:5:

"The WOMAN shall not wear THAT WHICH PERTAINETH UNTO A MAN, neither shall a man put on a WOMAN'S GARMENT: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God."

So now, does trouser pertain to men only? Or perhaps the first person who wore trouser was a man so throughout the generations only men are biblically required to wear trouser? What about skirt, does it pertain to only women? Imagine Scotland, where skirt pertains not only to women but also to men? Are men in Scotland sinning because they wear skirt while in Africa skirt pertains to women only?

Okay, in Ghana men don't use "wrapper", tying cloth around their waist. This kind of garment pertains to women in Ghana but in Nigeria it also pertains to men. So will you condemn a Nigerian man to hell for dressing the way women in Ghana dress?

Do you know that what men wore in Biblical days could be considered skirt in our days? And was trouser in existence in the culture of the Israelites for Deut. 22:5 to speak specifically about trouser?

Too many questions to sincerely and humbly think about. Now, men who use Deut 22:5 to condemn women who wear trousers, do they read Deut 22:11 and do they obey that command?

"Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together."

So, you who condemn a lady for wearing trouser do you not wear dresses that have different fabrics - wool and linen - together? Are you not also disobeying a command in the same chapter? Or what is required of the lizard is not required of the aligator?

Now, Leviticus 19:27 says

"Do not trim off the hair on your temple or trim your beards" (NLT)

So you who quote Deut. 22:5 to condemn women who wear trouser, do you shave your beard and trim your temple? Are you not also disobeying God's law?

Now, would you say a police woman or a military  woman will not go to heaven for wearing trouser since that is how her uniform is woven? Or you expect a military woman to go to war (Peace Keeping) wearing skirt? Hhmm! 

You see, if you don't look at the whole picture you will fall victim to being self-righteous and setting cultural boundaries for the gospel of Christ just to suit your personal thinking. Maybe you will also condemn me for not condemning women who wear trouser but it is my humble prayer that you also take time to look at the whole picture fairly.

Anyway, this is not to mean a woman can dress just anyhow because God looks at the heart. By all means, a women should dress modestly because there is the dressing of a harlot and that of a virtuous woman (Prov 7:10). 1st Tim. 2:9 says

"And I want women to be MODEST in their appearance. They should wear DECENT and APPROPRIATE CLOTHINGS..." (NLT)

This is the biblical Covenant way of dressing for both men and women: Modest, Decent and Appropriate clothing. A Christian woman cannot go about wearing just anything to expose her shapes enticingly. Short skirts, and the so-called 'sexy' clothes that expose nakedness are not welcome in true Christianity. You cannot showcase your breast and nipple in an inappropriate dress and claim you are under grace so everything goes. Yes, God looks at the heart but when the heart is pure the outside will surely confirm it.  Let's draw the line between what is permissive and what is not. 

But we should also be careful we don't just pass judgement through the lenses of cultural bias and religious dogmas.

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Apostle Abeiku Okai 

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Anathallo Chapel International