Is Wearing Makeup Telling a Lie?

Imagine that you own a beautiful red table lamp. If you place it in front of a red wall, it may blend into the background. Place that same lamp in front of a white wall, however, and its color becomes vivid. The contrast draws attention to its shape and emphasizes how red it really is.

Has the white wall told a lie about the lamp?

Of course not. The lamp really is red. The wall has not changed or disguised it; it has simply provided a setting that makes the lamp’s existing qualities more noticeable.

Makeup can work in much the same way.

Mascara emphasizes eyelashes that are already present. Eyeliner increases the natural contrast around the eyes. Blush brings out the color associated with healthy skin. Lip color draws attention to the natural shape of the lips. Concealer minimizes discoloration or other visual distractions so that the face itself receives attention.

These things do not necessarily create a false face. They can simply accentuate the face a woman already has.

Accenting Is Not the Same as Deceiving

There is an important difference between presenting something attractively and making a false claim about it.

We make choices every day that influence how other people see us. We brush and arrange our hair. We choose clothing in flattering colors. We may wear jewelry that brings light near the face or glasses that complement its shape. We stand in good lighting when having our photograph taken.

None of these things presents our completely unarranged appearance, but neither do we ordinarily call them lies.

If every effort to look better were deceptive, then a man would be lying when he trims his beard, a woman would be lying when she curls her hair, and both would be dishonest whenever they exchanged faded clothing for something more becoming.

Grooming and adornment do not necessarily deny reality. They can be ways of caring for and presenting what God has given us.

What About Biblical Modesty?

Scripture warns women not to build their identity around outward adornment. Paul tells women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel and good works rather than making elaborate hair, gold, pearls, or costly clothing the center of their presentation (1 Timothy 2:9–10). Peter likewise directs attention toward “the hidden person of the heart” and “the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:3–4).

Neither passage requires us to conclude that every form of outward adornment is dishonest or sinful. If Peter were forbidding everything in his list absolutely, the prohibition would include putting on clothing. His point is one of priority: a Christian woman’s defining beauty must not rest in her outward presentation.

Makeup can become an expression of vanity. A woman may become preoccupied with appearance, dependent upon approval, or unwilling to be seen without cosmetic enhancement. But those dangers are not unique to makeup. Pride can attach itself to expensive cosmetics, an intentionally bare face, fashionable clothing, or conspicuously plain clothing.

The condition of the heart—not merely the contents of the makeup bag—is the deeper issue.

Can Makeup Ever Be Deceptive?

Almost anything can be used dishonestly. Makeup might be deceptive if it were deliberately used to conceal one’s identity, impersonate another person, or create a materially false appearance for fraudulent purposes.

Ordinary cosmetic use, however, does not generally deceive anyone. Other people know that women wear makeup. A visible lipstick color does not secretly claim to be the natural color of a woman’s lips. Mascara does not persuade anyone that eyelashes naturally come from a tube.

Makeup is understood as adornment.

The better questions are not simply, “Am I wearing makeup?” or “Does makeup change how I look?” Clothing, hairstyling, and lighting also change how we look. More searching questions would be:

• Am I using makeup to care for and accent what God has given me?

• Have I made physical appearance the source of my value?

• Am I seeking attention in a way that competes with godliness?

• Can I appear without makeup without feeling ashamed of my actual face?

• Does my outward presentation reflect appropriate modesty and self-control?

A red lamp does not become dishonest because a white wall makes its color more visible. In the same way, a woman is not necessarily presenting a false self because makeup makes her eyes appear brighter, her complexion more even, or her natural femininity more noticeable.

Accenting what is genuinely present is not the same thing as covering up the truth. Makeup can be used vainly or wisely, excessively or tastefully—but it is not, by its nature, a lie.

Why the Title: "Recovering Covering"

 

The title Recovering Covering carries a deliberate double meaning.

First, the book seeks to recover a neglected biblical teaching. Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 11 were understood and practiced throughout much of Christian history, yet many churches now pass over the passage quickly or dismiss it as an outdated cultural custom. The book returns to the text and asks readers to consider Paul’s reasoning on its own terms.

Second, it invites women to recover the practice of covering in gathered worship—not through pressure, fear, or legalism, but through Scripture-informed conviction and Christian liberty.

“Recovering” also describes a process. Most women considering head covering must work through questions about history, interpretation, husbands, pastors, conscience, and the discomfort of being visibly different. The book does not simply say, “Put something on your head.” It helps women recover the theology beneath the symbol: biblical headship, creation order, glory, worship, and the presence of the angels.

The title therefore expresses the book’s central hope: that Christians might recover both the covering itself and the biblical truth it represents.

 

This post is adapted from Recovering Covering: Scripture, Conscience, and the Beauty of Biblical Head Covering.

What Nature Teaches Us

“Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?”
—1 Corinthians 11:14–15 (ESV)

What does Paul mean when he says that “nature itself” teaches us?

Natural revelation is what God makes known through creation. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), and His attributes can be perceived in what He has made (Romans 1:20). Creation speaks to everyone, although sin distorts our understanding and inclines us to suppress what it reveals.

Paul points to nature and expects us to recognize something about men, women, and hair: long hair is a woman’s glory, while long hair on a man is a shame.

Notice that Paul does not say a woman with short hair is disgraced. Some women cannot grow long hair because of alopecia, cancer treatment, age, or other circumstances. Their womanhood and dignity do not depend upon their hair.

Sometimes, however, a woman may deliberately reject traditionally feminine hair as a response to exploitation, painful expectations, or abuse. A hairstyle can become a shield—an attempt to avoid unwanted attention or escape what femininity has come to represent. Recognizing this calls for compassion without requiring us to deny the created distinction to which Paul points.

Natural revelation shows that men and women are different, but it cannot fully explain how Christians should live. For that, we need special revelation: God’s written Word.

Scripture tells us that a woman’s long hair is her glory and that it was given to her as a natural covering. Paul uses the Greek word peribolaion, referring to something that wraps or is thrown around. Her hair reflects a covering principle already woven into creation.

Nature still testifies, but nature alone is not enough. We need Scripture to interpret creation rightly—and redeemed hearts that delight in the Creator’s design.

When cultural trends blur God’s created distinctions, how can I remain faithful to Scripture while showing compassion toward people whose choices may have been shaped by deep pain?

For a fuller treatment of nature, hair, and head covering, read Recovering Covering, available in paperback, on Kindle, and through Kindle Unlimited.

Wherein I Review My Own Book (why this, and whe me)

I have a template that I use when writing book reviews. It asks good questions; I answer them. It works. This time, I’m going to use that template to explain my own book. I’m leaving the template in place so you can see how it works.

Opening Statement and “What’s the Point?”

Include the title and author, along with a quotation from the author explaining the purpose of the book.

Recovering Covering: Scripture, Conscience, and the Beauty of Biblical Head Covering was written by Ellen Nicholas.

Within the already narrow subject of Christian head covering, there are a few books available—and more are coming. Most have been written by men. They have provided good, solid theological treatments, and I am grateful to them and thank God for their work.

However, few books about head covering have been written by women specifically for women. I recently reviewed one such book, but it contained so many troubling claims that I gave it the only one-star review I have ever written. Another book I am currently reading approaches the subject exclusively from a Roman Catholic perspective and has not proved particularly useful to me.

We need solid resources written by women for women.

As Nicholas explains:

The thing I most wanted was a book that came from the standpoint of a woman: “You’re a woman, I’m a woman. How does it feel to do this? What questions will I be asked? What if … what if … what if?” I wanted a book by a woman, for women.

At this point, I’ve experienced being in a head covering Facebook group and being scolded because I don’t cover the right way or at the right times. I’ve felt the loneliness and awkwardness of being the only one in my congregation who covers.

I’m writing for women who are on the fence and considering working through the topic of head coverings. I’m writing to put resources in the hands of women who know other women who are grappling with the issue.

What Is the Tone of the Book?

What makes the author uniquely qualified to write this book? Who is her audience?

Nicholas’s pastor, who does not agree with her position, described her writing style as good and conversational and her tone as irenic.

Nicholas is uniquely qualified to write this book as a woman writing to women. She has spent four years studying Scripture, the history of the practice, and the questions and practical concerns surrounding it.

Many men have written convincingly about head covering, but they have never been the woman who walks into church as the only person wearing one. They have never been told, “You don’t need to wear that, you know.”

At the same time, Nicholas is firmly committed to remaining within the bounds of orthodox Christianity. She has made every effort to stay far away from the “weird stuff” that sometimes becomes attached to the subject. Her intended audience is women who are considering head covering, women already practicing it, and those helping someone else work through the issue.

Book Review: Scarf of Hidden Power—A Book I Cannot Recommend ★☆☆☆☆

 

★☆☆☆☆ 

The Biblical Headcovering: Scarf of Hidden Power by Renée Ellison was a quick read, but—oh my, my, my.

Full disclosure: I cover my head for worship. However, if this had been the first book I read on the subject, I might have abandoned the entire practice because of the number of extra-biblical teachings attached to it.

According to this book, it is not enough to cover your head during worship. You must cover full-time.

It is not enough to cover full-time. Your covering must be a veil rather than a hat.

It is not enough to wear a veil. The veil must not be sheer or made of lace.

And it does not stop with head coverings. The reader is also encouraged to give up slacks, jewelry, makeup, and patterned dresses or skirts.

Holy hedge laws!

When My Husband Spoke for Me

 

We had a friend visit us for a weekend, and at some point the conversation turned to my book, Recovering Covering.

I mentioned that Phil had made certain commitments to our pastors concerning both the book and my practice of head covering - 1) that we would not "proselytize" [if somebody else brings up the topic, we're free to say what we want, we just don't pressure people] and 2) that our pastor could read the book before it was published. 

I was not present when Phil made these commitments.

Our friend’s response was immediate: “It wasn’t okay for Phil to make commitments for you.”

In our modern, feminized culture, that reaction makes perfect sense. We tend to think of every adult as an entirely independent individual. My decisions belong to me, Phil’s decisions belong to him, and neither of us should presume to speak for the other.

But  Christian marriage is more than two independent people sharing a house.

My response was, "Phil is my covenant head, and my representative to our church leaders." 

Head Covering and Headship

The head-covering passage begins here:

“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”
—1 Corinthians 11:3

Paul does not begin with fabric. He begins with headship.

That does not mean a wife has no mind, voice, or moral responsibility of her own. It does not give a husband permission to be harsh, selfish, or dismissive. Biblical headship should reflect Christ’s sacrificial love for His church, not the world’s picture of power.

Nevertheless, headship must mean something.

If I am willing to place a covering on my head as a visible acknowledgment of God’s order, but unwilling to respect my husband’s representative responsibility when it becomes inconvenient, then I have reduced head covering to a symbol detached from the truth it represents.

My Covenant Head and Representative

Phil is not my mediator—Christ alone holds that office. He is not infallible, and his authority is never higher than God’s. I remain personally responsible before the Lord for what I believe and do.

But within our marriage, Phil is my covenant head. He bears a representative responsibility for our household, including in our relationship with the leadership of our church. That means he can speak on behalf of our household in ways that a friend, neighbor, or unrelated church member cannot. It also means he carries responsibility before God for how he exercises that role.

Ideally, a husband and wife will discuss important matters before either makes a commitment affecting them both, but in both of these commitments, the conversations happened pretty "spur of the moment" and I just didn't happen to be there. Headship should involve knowledge, love, communication, and careful consideration of a wife’s convictions. It should never become an excuse to ignore her.

But the fact that I was not sitting in the room does not automatically make Phil’s commitments illegitimate. He was not a stranger attempting to take control of my decisions. He was my husband speaking to our pastors as the representative of our household.

Because the commitments did not require me to disobey God or violate conscience, I could honor Phil by respecting them.

When the Symbol Becomes Personal

It is relatively easy to affirm headship as a theological doctrine. It is also fairly easy to wear a visible symbol of that doctrine for an hour on Sunday.

The more searching question is what happens when headship affects an actual decision.

Do I recognize my husband’s leadership only when he reaches the conclusion I would have reached? Do I honor his representative role only when I am present and have approved every word in advance? If so, I may be retaining the final authority while merely calling his role “headship.”

Submission is not the absence of thought, conviction, or conversation. Nor does it require following anyone into sin. It is the willing recognition of a God-given relationship and order.

In this instance, respecting Phil’s commitments was not a loss of my voice. It was an expression of trust in my husband and consistency with the theology I publicly defend.

The covering on my head represents something. Sometimes the meaning of that covering reaches beyond what I wear in worship and asks whether I am willing to honor the order it signifies when doing so becomes personal.

Is it easier to wear the symbol of headship than to trust God’s order when it affects a real decision?

★★★★★ Book Review: The Beauty of Holiness by Michael P. V. Barrett

 

The Beauty of Holiness by Michael P. V. Barrett

Opening Statement—and What’s the Point?

I originally purchased The Beauty of Holiness: A Guide to Biblical Worship because of Appendix 3, “Head Covering for Public Worship.” Since I was already studying 1 Corinthians 11, that appendix alone was reason enough for me to buy the book. What I discovered, however, was an excellent explanation of the regulative principle of worship and why proper worship matters.

Barrett summarizes the heart of the book well: “Since true worship flows from the knowledge of God, it follows that improper thinking about God contaminates and invalidates any act of worship.”

That is the point. Worship begins with who God is—not with what pleases us.

What Is the Tone of the Book?

The tone is reverent, serious, pastoral, and thoroughly grounded in Scripture. Barrett writes with theological precision, but the book does not feel like a dry academic textbook. He wants the reader not only to understand biblical worship but also to feel the weight and privilege of entering God’s presence.

Barrett is especially qualified to write on this subject because he is both a minister and an Old Testament scholar. He has served as a seminary professor and academic dean and is now Senior Research Professor of Old Testament at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. That background is evident in the way he connects Old Testament worship with its fulfillment in Christ. His audience includes pastors and church leaders, but the book is accessible to ordinary Christians who want to think more carefully about worship.

What Is the Purpose of the Book?

The book addresses a problem that has reduced many conversations about worship to disputes over personal preference: contemporary or traditional, casual or formal, old songs or new songs.

Barrett redirects the question. Instead of asking, “What kind of worship do I enjoy?” we should ask, “How has God commanded us to worship Him?”

He explains the difference between the regulative principle, which permits in worship what Scripture sanctions, and the normative principle, which permits whatever Scripture does not expressly forbid. From there, he examines reverence, obedience, the condition of the worshiper’s heart, and the centrality of Christ’s atoning work.

The book does what it promises. Barrett does not simply defend the correct outward forms of worship. He repeatedly warns that even biblically ordered worship is worthless when it becomes heartless ritual. Right mechanics cannot compensate for wrong theology, hypocrisy, or hearts that are far from God.

Why Does It Matter?

What sets this book apart is its refusal to separate biblical order from sincere devotion. Some discussions emphasize correct forms while neglecting the heart; others emphasize sincerity while treating God’s instructions as optional. Barrett holds the two together.

God is in heaven, and we are on earth—yet He invites us into His presence. That privilege should produce gratitude, caution, and reverent submission. Worship is not entertainment or self-expression. It is an approach to the holy God made possible only through Jesus Christ and His atoning blood.

What Do I Think?

Reviews are necessarily subjective, and my interest in head covering certainly shaped my decision to read this book. Appendix 3 remains valuable to me, but it is no longer the only reason I recommend it. The whole book gave me a clearer and more complete framework for understanding worship.

And the Verdict Is:

Verdict: Read it if you want to move beyond arguments about worship styles and consider what Scripture teaches about approaching God with truth, reverence, obedience, and a sincere heart.