We shouldn’t be shocked when non-Christians find Christian virtues out of date, incomprehensible or just plain hateful. The natural person, Paul reminds us, “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him” (1 Cor 2:14).
But we also shouldn’t be surprised when the ‘natural’ world’s aversion to godliness starts to have an effect on Christians as well. We find it very easy to be influenced by the world’s way of thinking—to let the world ‘squeeze us into its mould’, as the JB Phillips translation of Romans 12:2 puts it. Some of the things the Bible regards as good and praiseworthy we begin to find a little daggy and distasteful. We rarely go so far as to reject these virtues outright; we just glide by them quietly when we see them in the Bible, and hope that we are not required to defend them, or focus on them, let alone do them.
For example, reading the Pastorals again recently, I was struck by the recurring word ‘dignity’ (and ‘dignified’) which appeared four times in the first three chapters of 1 Timothy and twice in Titus. Paul regarded it as particularly important that elders, overseers and deacons be ‘dignified’, but it is also pleasing to God our Saviour that all Christians lead “a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:2).
How long (I thought to myself) has it been since I have considered the importance of dignity (of all things) in the Christian life? It’s not something I’m particularly attracted to. When I think ‘dignified’, I think of a humourless, English gentleman sitting in the parlour on a settee—no, perched on the settee—back ramrod straight in a grey-green suit, his brown shoes impeccably shined, with, perhaps, an impeccable moustache to match. And a look of disapproval.
Dignity is not prized much in our world these days (which is probably why I don’t prize it). We like informality, authenticity and spontaneity, perhaps because our anthropology is basically humanist: we think that people really are good deep down inside, and so you should let whoever you really are just come bubbling to the surface. A quiet and dignified life? This is hardly what we aspire to.
The Greek word in the Pastorals is semnos (or semnotes). It refers to a quality or character of life deserving of respect and reverence—a way of life that is above the ordinary, and thus worthy of special honour. The polar opposite of dignity would, perhaps, be flippancy—the behaviour of a self-regarding clown who always shoots his mouth off, behaves poorly or without restraint, and is thus accorded little or no respect by anyone.
Is that what Paul meant when he encouraged a “dignified” life? The only other time he uses the word is in that challenging little passage in Philippians:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil 4:8).
It’s ‘honourable’ here in the ESV; the NIV has ‘noble’.
What do you think dignity means for Christians today?
