Note 5 at 1 Tim. 2:10: This is a powerful statement that deserves the consideration of men and women from all eras and cultures. Basically, Paul is saying that man's identity, worth, value, etc., should not be determined by external things, but on the basis of inner qualities.

This is especially pertinent today, because our culture places so much value on outward appearance. Today, magazines, television shows, movies, and gossip mongers in all medias, glorify people solely by their looks. Character is seldom a factor. A scandal has ceased to disqualify anyone from celebrity status. Our heros are determined on the basis of charisma, not character. This should not be true for Christians.

Proverbs 31:30 concisely states God's view on beauty: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised . . . ." "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7).