Cross Dressing and the Bible

Cross Dressing and the Bible

Introduction
Almost every cross dresser that is also a Christian knows in their heart that God made them the way they are. Yet when actions run contrary to beliefs there is internal conflict which manifests as guilt or shame. So a cross dresser that has been told that God is against cross dressing because it says so in the Bible gets confused. Those who say this do not realize that the Bible actually says nothing about cross dressing except in one passage of scripture in Deuteronomy.

Although many sites explain why cross dressing is not wrong they focus primarily upon subjective data such as their own beliefs and anecdotal evidence. This site is different. This site looks at the Bible from an objective analysis and the detail supplied here is based upon a great deal of research from some of the top Biblical scholars and Biblical translations that exist.

The approach here starts with the Verse, which is part of the Chapter, which is part of the Book, which is part of the Bible. So we will look at this topic from the micro to the macro level.
Cross Dressing and the Bible

The Verse
There are many cross dressers who are good, strong, upstanding Christians who are also perplexed by the one and only reference in the Bible to wearing clothes of the opposite sex. This one scripture is Deuteronomy 22:5, "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man; nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God."

Let's take a look at this scripture passage so that we can understand it within the context with which it was written. At this particular time in the history of Israel during the Mosaic covenant, some pagans were involved in idolatrous worship, or the worship of idols, where they put their idol in the place of God. Men wore the colorful dress of women while they presented themselves before the Star of Venus, and women wore men's armor when presenting themselves before the Star of Mars. So, with an understanding of what this passage is referring to it is clear that the cross dressing to which it refers pertains to the worshipping of idols and the practice of how it was being done in that day.

The Chapter
Deuteronomy 22 contains a myriad of various, unrelated laws with which the Israelites were to comply.
Two other verses in the same chapter are related to clothing:
Verse 11: "Don't wear clothing woven from two kinds of thread: for instance, wool and linen together."
Why isn't there a great disturbance about wearing shirts and blouses made of polyester and cotton?

Verse 12: "You must sew tassels on the four corners of your cloaks."
Wearing tassels today is more likely to be associated with a strip show than to be following God's Word. Why doesn't anyone mention these verses?

Some other verses are quite interesting:
Verse 22: "If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lie with the woman and the woman: so shall you put away evil from Israel."
If we brand and punitively judge a crossdresser aren't we similarly required to put adulterers to death?

Verses 28 and 29: "If a man finds a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver and she shall be his wife; because he has humbled her, he may not put her away all his days."
Are we to force every man who has seduced a virgin to pay a dowry, marry her and prohibit a divorce for his lifetime?

Verse 8: "When you build your house your roof must have a parapet (a fortification, a defensive wall or elevation, any low protective wall or barrier at the edge) to prevent guilt if someone falls from it."
How many of us are guilty of not conforming to this particular building code? What do you think someone would say if you had a builder tell you that this was required on your home in order to comply with Deuteronomy 22:8?

Verse 9: "You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled."
How many farmers have used hybridization and cross pollination to create variegated varieties of plants and produce that is more hearty and more productive than before? Why are we not condemning this practice?

As you can see, if verse 5 is taken literally then we must also take the rest of the chapter literally as well. When viewing the Chapter as a whole one can readily see that these miscellaneous laws must be understood within the context of the culture and practices of that particular time period.

The Book
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible

Deuteronomy (in Greek: is Deuteronomion, which means "second law" or in Hewbrew is Devarim which is literally "things" or "words") is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fifth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch.
A large part of the book consists of three sermons delivered by Moses reviewing the previous forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and the future entering into the Promised Land. Written by Moses, as believed by most Biblical scholars, the book's central element is a detailed law by which the Israelites are to live within the Promised Land.
Theologically the book constitutes the renewing of the covenant between Yahweh, the Jewish God, and the "Children of Israel."

The Bible
Creation of Man
God is both male and female. In Him is the fullness of both. So it should not be surprising to realize that we as humans all possess maleness and femaleness within us.

Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Is this referring to the creation of man and woman? No. A woman had not yet been created. This occurred later.

Genesis 2:18, says "And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone."
Genesis 2: 21-23 is then where God made 'woman' by making her out of the man! So we can see that we all have both male and female within.

Biblical Covenants
As the fifth book in the Bible, Deuteronomy falls into the category of being written during what is known as the Mosaic Covenant. To understand the old and new covenants, we need to first understand what the word covenant means. In simple terms, it is a formal agreement. It may be an agreement between two people as in a marriage, a treaty between nations, or a relationship between God and a human individual or nation. A covenant is more personal than a contract - it involves loyalty and allegiance, not just a financial exchange.

God has made several agreements or covenants with humans. Biblical scholars differ on how many covenants God made with man primarily because it depends on what level of detail you wish to take. However, it is generally agreed that there are these 5 major covenants between God and Man:

Old Testamant
   1. The Adamic Covenant
   2. The Abrahamic Covenant
   3. The Mosaic Covenant
   4. The Davidic Covenant

New Testament
5. The New Covenant

The first four were between God and men and required the relationship between God and Man to be based upon Man conforming to specific laws that would purify Man so that he could be allowed to fellowship with God. With Man being unable to maintain these laws God created a better covenant, a New Covenant which is based upon the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. The Covenant given through Jesus is special. This is because it is based upon the fact that we can't keep to God's standards on our own and require God's grace to forgive us and help us. That is the contract we make with God by giving our heart (meaning faith and obedience) to Jesus.

The fact that this New Covenant is a better covenant is clearly explained in the following passage:
"But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: ... For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he says, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayed and waxed old is ready to vanish away." Hebrews 8:6-13.

Summary
It is clearly obvious. If someone is a Christian and is also a cross dresser they are simply that - a Cross Dresser that is also a Christian. There should be no guilt or condemnation associated with that. And, in fact, with a better understanding of what the Bible is truly saying within the context in which it was written, other Christians need to take positive steps to bring cross dressing Christians into the fold of the church. We are not to judge one another. We are not to condemn one another. We are told, no we are commanded, to LOVE one another.

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength; this is the first commandment. And second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

References:
The Bible (King James Version, New King James Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, Amplified Bible
Dake's Annotated Reference Bible
Scofield Reference Bible
Strong's Concordance

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