Skinny-dipping, the Bible, and culture.

Leestijd / Lesezeit / Reading time: 6 min

Today I spoke to someone who had the following question:

Does Jesus disapprove of nudism?

Look, that’s a fun question! And the questioner was surprised that I found it a fun question. Because generally (was his experience) when he asked that question to a Christian, they would “climb high in the tree” and look at him strangely.
Well, I didn’t, so let’s look at this fun question. With one “but.” It’s not about what the questioner thinks is “good,” it’s not about what I think is “good,” but about what the Bible says about this question. In other words, my thoughts on good, evil, taste, bad taste don’t matter, and neither do his.
And for you as readers, let’s first look at how nudism is viewed in this part of Germany:

Naked sunbathing or swimming was not only permitted there, but also socially accepted, regardless of age, gender, or body type. FKK beaches, campsites, and associations were numerous and well-attended. To this day, this culture continues, especially on the Baltic Sea coast and in lake regions in eastern Germany.
In other words, FKK / Nudism was a “thing” in this part of Germany, and it still is. We have experienced multiple times sitting by a lake, someone cycling up, jumping naked into the lake, and then continuing on their way. Nothing strange in the culture where we currently live. But… in the culture where we lived before (Poland), unthinkable! So, for that reason too, we will look at what the Bible says (because it doesn’t change), and not at what “our” culture has taught us.
And that brings us back to the question of what Jesus thinks of it. And then we see the following: The Bible does not directly address nudism (the practice of social or communal nakedness), but it does contain various verses that mention nakedness, modesty, and clothing. And… what else does the Bible say?

And the man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25)

So, in principle, before the fall—“apple,” tree, serpent—there was nothing (!) wrong with what we now call nudism. God does not change, so the way God viewed it then has not changed now. But something else did change: us. We, Adam and Eve, brought sin into the world, and there we go:

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings. (Genesis 3:7)

Reminder: God has not changed, His view on being naked has not changed, but we have changed. And how we look at it, what we think about it, what feelings it gives us—that has suddenly become a different issue than before “the apple.” And then we suddenly see Bible verses like these:

But take care that this freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9)

OK… so you see, being “naked in public” in itself is not a sin (I assume you also shower naked? Right?), but if that freedom of being naked / nudism becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak, then we do have a problem. Because causing others to stumble, especially those who are weak, is something God does not want—and that is, therefore, a sin.

Let’s look at another verse:

Therefore let’s not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this: not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. (Romans 14:13)

In other words, I have no judgment about nudism, because in itself it is not a sin. But if it becomes a stumbling block or obstacle for a fellow brother, then suddenly that same behavior becomes a problem. Example?

Let’s say you go to the beach in (let’s say) Egypt and take off all your clothes and start playing tennis… What do you think the people in Egypt would think of that? Exactly—they would most likely be outraged in their culture, and then we have a problem. Because through your behavior, they become angry and there is no longer peace. And that is a sin on your part:

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. (Romans 12:18)

And if you walk around as a nudist on the beach in Egypt, then that peace… it’s gone. And you are the cause of it. In other words, you sin—not by nudism itself, but by provoking that anger, which, if you think even a little, you could have predicted beforehand. And then we do have a problem.

However, if you did the same thing where we live now, it wouldn’t provoke anger, so your behavior is not a problem there. Do you see the difference? As my grandmother always said: “A bicycle has two wheels, but not everything with two wheels is a bicycle.” 🙂

Another example?

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:16)

Before “the apple,” selfish desire, envious greed, and pride did not exist. So the whole topic of “lust” was not there either. Shall we just call the elephant in the room what it is?

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

And then in combination with:

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to that person through whom the temptation comes. (Matthew 18:6-7)

And here we come to (unfortunately) the following: Lust, after “the apple,” is absolutely a problem. Yes, what others think and the thoughts they have is their own problem and responsibility, but… if we know that we can cause another person to stumble through “the world because of temptations,” then we ourselves are definitely responsible for that part—not a small matter either: “it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Wow…

And then we also see verses in the Bible like these, which apply just as much to men as to women:

I also want the women to dress themselves in a dignified, modest, and discreet manner. They should not draw attention by extravagant hairstyles, expensive clothing, gold, or pearls, but by good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

And that verse applies not only when your clothes are on but also when they are off. “Look at me showing off” is therefore a problem. Because then it’s all about me, me, me, and not about the other. If you do that, it quickly becomes, if you’re not careful, selfishness and worse—and then we do have a problem. Whether you’re wearing your Speedo or not doesn’t matter.

And that is not only a problem, but actually something very sad, and deep inside that makes me sorrowful. And here it is:

God made the world so beautiful, He made Adam and Eve wonderfully, the world was perfect then, so a body aging with time didn’t exist yet. Humans were perfect! And lust… and all the problems that come with it… that wasn’t there yet. And we have, by eating that “apple,” spoiled it all… it’s so sad and tragic. How beautiful it was, without trouble… and now? #sob

The final conclusion is that nudism itself is nowhere forbidden in the Bible, it was perfectly fine in paradise, but now, in this world that is no longer perfect, we must be very careful not to cause others to “stumble” and… not ourselves either. Because sin is now in every person, including you and me… so lust and selfishness too.

1 Corinthians 8:9 (NASB): “But take care that this freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

All in all, it was a good conversation and a valuable exercise, also for myself, to look at a topic without putting my culture or taste above biblical truth.

(PS, no, you won’t see me playing badminton naked on the beach… whoohoo. Not my taste. #lol)