Economics in the Gospels Video Course: Offerings & Gifts, Taxes, Rich & Poor, Garments & Textiles

​Today we are making available the next installment of our new online video series for Economics in the Gospels.

The Gospel accounts start off with gifts to the baby and continue on with promises of gifts from God to his children.

There are examples of gifts made at the altar.

And what you give will be the measure received.

Sacrifices were common in the Jewish world with burnt offerings being offered regularly.

Tithing 10% is well established.

There is little objection to taxes in the Gospels – they appear to be an accepted fact of life – just like today.  Though there is a reference to them needing to be fair.

Taxes were collected at the temple.  Though it would appear that Jesus might feel he is exempt…
Matthew 17:24 After they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?” 17:25 He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons or from foreigners?” 17:26 After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

Much of what the Gospels speak to surrounds the haves, and the have-nots.  References abound both in direct and indirect mentions of the disadvantages the rich will have, and the relative advantages the poor will receive.  Generally, being rich is seen as a disadvantage

The Gospels are full of clothes, cloth, curtains, and the like. 

In the end the guards throw dice for Jesus clothes.

In the Transfiguration, the whiteness of Jesus clothes is fundamental to the story and the event itself.

In this, a most exceedingly famous passage, clothes are front and center …

Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.

Cloaks are mentioned repeatedly in the Gospels.  In particular, Jesus’ cloak has the ability heal. 

Linen is specifically mentioned throughout the Gospels.  First, as the material Jesus is wrapped in and all that is left behind after the resurrection.

A young man dressed in a white robe tells the good news.

The tearing of the temple curtain was the Gospel’s most pointed and poignant reference of God’s reaction toward the crucifixion.

Matthew 27:51 Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

In the continuation of this most famous of lessons, the coat is not to be missed.

Luke 6:29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either.

Finally, white appears to be the color for divine spirits.

John 20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. 

Next up: Peace and War, Take Aways

For more information about the course click here.
To view the video click here.
For the study text click here.

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​Offerings and Gifts

The Gospels are full of stories about, and allusions to, offerings and gifts.  These accounts are both literal as well as find their way into parables and lessons to make a point.

Gift
The Gospel accounts start off with gifts to the baby and continue on with promises of gifts from God to his children.
 
Matthew 7:11 If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

There are examples of gifts made at the altar.
 
Matthew 5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.

And what you give will be the measure received.
 
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

Here we have one of the few passages in the Gospels where being rich seems like a good thing.

The Parable of the Lamp
Mark 4:21 He also said to them, “A lamp isn’t brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand? 4:22 For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” 4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. 4:25 For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

Offering
Synagogues have got to pay the bills too – no different than today.
 
Mark 1:44 He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
 
Luke 21:5 Now while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, 21:6 “As for these things that you are gazing at, the days will come when not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”

The Widow’s Offering
Luke 21:1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box. 21:2 He also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 21:3 He said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 21:4 For they all offered their gifts out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had to live on.”

Sacrifice
Sacrifices were common in the Jewish world with burnt offerings being offered regularly.
 
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
 
A Tenth of Everything
Tithing 10% is well established.
 
Mark 18:12
I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’
 
Taxes
Taxes play an intriguing role throughout the Gospels.  References are made to tax booths and a top disciple Matthew was a reviled tax collector.  Their frequent mention supports the old adage about them and death.

Tribute Tax 
The tax to Caesar received memorable ink in the Gospels.
 
Luke 23:2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar
Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. 22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. 22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 22:19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius. 22:20 Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” 22:21 They replied, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned, and they left him and went away.

Tax (5)
There is little objection to taxes in the Gospels – they appear to be an accepted fact of life – just like today.  Though there is a reference to them needing to be fair…
 
Luke 3:13 He told them, “Collect no more than you are required to.”

And the efficient collection of taxes appears to have inspired census taking.
 
Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes.

Temple Tax / Double Drachma Tax
Taxes were collected at the temple.  Though it would appear that Jesus might feel he is exempt…
 
Matthew 17:24 After they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?” 17:25 He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons or from foreigners?” 17:26 After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

Rich and Poor
Much of what the Gospels speak to surrounds the haves, and the have-nots.  References abound both in direct and indirect mentions of the disadvantages the rich will have, and the relative advantages the poor will receive. 
 
Mark 10:31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

The Gospels have much to say on the topic.  So we’ll let them speak largely for themselves.

Poor
One of the most famous passages of all is Jesus stating what seems the most empirically provable statement he ever uttered.  No matter the economic system this holds true to today.
 
Matthew 26:11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!

There are many stories and several parables that feature the rich and the poor.  Here is one that also features a discussion of actual coinage, wealth, poverty, and offerings.
 
Mark 12:41 Then he sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. 12:42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. 12:43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. 12:44 For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”

Many times in the Gospels it is stated that the poor will receive a reward in the afterlife.
 
Luke 6:20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you.

And similarly…
 
Luke 7:22 So he answered them, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

This passage shows a rather interesting view of how the poor’s plight can be taken advantage of, in this case by Judas planning to steal the money he was urging for the poor. 
 
John 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him. 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 12:6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.) 12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 12:8 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!”

A most graphic illustration of the poor’s condition is the image of Lazarus, though not his raising from the dead.
 
Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 16:21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores.

Rich and Riches 
As we move along in Larazus’ the story we get more than the general gist of what the Gospels have to say on the relative situation between rich and poor is not a pretty picture.
 
Luke 16:22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 16:23 And in hell, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 16:24 So he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 16:26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 16:27 So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus to my father’s house 16:28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ 16:29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ 16:30 Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

It’s not all bad for the rich.  There are several instances where rich folk are seen in a good light.
 
Matthew 27:57 Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him..

But generally, being rich is seen as a disadvantage, as in this famous passage about the camel and fitting through the eye of a needle.
 
Mark 10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 10:24 The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 10:26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 10:27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God.”

And this in Luke…
 
Luke 1:51 He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.

Luke continues…
 
Luke 6:24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already.

And…
 
Luke 9:25 For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?

Looking more positively is this passage where Jesus apparently finds it acceptable that this particular rich guy only needs to give away half of his stuff.  It may have something to do with Jesus having need of a place to stay…
 
Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. 19:2 Now a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 19:3 He was trying to get a look at Jesus, but being a short man he could not see over the crowd. 19:4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, because Jesus was going to pass that way. 19:5 And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today.” 19:6 So he came down quickly and welcomed Jesus joyfully. 19:7 And when the people saw it, they all complained, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 19:8 But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!” 19:9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham! 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Inherit /Inheritance
Inheritance is one of the predominant themes throughout the entire Bible, and the Gospels are no exception.
 
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The Parable of the Tenants
Matthew 21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. 21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. 21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. 21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ 21:39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”

21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Garments and Textiles
The Gospels are full of clothes, cloth, curtains, and the like.  There was obviously a thriving industry in making these things and one can assume a significant percentage of the GDP of the time went into the production of all these materials.

These items are also mentioned poignantly in key episodes, stories and parables.  Similarly, we see things associated with these items also mentioned, like bleach, patches, launderers, etc.  We also see the entire range of finery from the mention of John Baptist’s camel hair outfit to the most elegant and fancy of attire. 
We also see how textiles were used to prepare the dead – and wrap new born babies.

Clothing /Clothes
One of the first mentions of clothes in the Gospels is the suggestion not to worry about them…
 
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?
 
Matthew 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.
6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won’t he clothe you even more, you people of little faith? 6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’

In the end the guards throw dice for Jesus clothes…
 
Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.

The story of the demon possessed man points out that before the demons were chased into the pigs, he was naked, but after he wore clothes.
 
Luke 8:27 As Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man from the town met him who was possessed by demons. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs.
 
Luke 8:35 So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

In the Transfiguration, the whiteness of Jesus clothes is fundamental to the story and the event itself.
 
Luke 9:29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white.

Clothes are mentioned in this rather curious, near final scene in John.
 
John 21:18 I tell you the solemn truth, when you were young, you tied your clothes around you and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up and bring you where you do not want to go.”

Fancy/Elegant/Wedding Clothes
In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet we see that not wearing the right clothes could get you thrown into the outer darkness.  So it’s not surprising that fancy and elegant clothes would get high mention in the Gospels.
 
Matthew 11:8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings!

In this intriguing passage Herod dressed Jesus in elegant clothes before sending him to Pilate.
 
Luke 23:11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, dressing him in elegant clothes, Herod sent him back to Pilate.

Leather Belt
It would appear that John the Baptist’s leather belt wasn’t too fashionable. 
 
Matthew 3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.

Belt
The other mention of a belt is what appears to be a money belt.
 
Mark 6:8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in their belts – 6:9 and to put on sandals but not to wear two tunics.

Sandals
Sandals are most famously featured in this famous quote from John the Baptist:
 
Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Sheep’s Clothing
In this, a most exceedingly famous passage, clothes are front and center …
 
Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.

Patch
The seemingly insignificant patch is made good use of in the Gospels.
 
Matthew 9:16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.

Sackcloth
Here we find clothing featured in a particularly fierce condemnation from Jesus…
 
Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes

Cloak
Cloaks are mentioned repeatedly in the Gospels.  In particular, Jesus’ cloak has the ability heal. 
 
Mark 5:27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 5:28 for she kept saying, “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 5:29 At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 5:30 Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”

Mark 6:56 And wherever he would go – into villages, towns, or countryside – they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Cloaks also enjoy several other mentions including this one where cloaks are used for Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem.
 
Matthew 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 21:8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

In the following passage people are forewarned not to turn back.
 
Mark 13:16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak

Again, we see Jesus being dressed in finery before he is crucified.
 
Mark 15:17 They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
 
Mark 15:20 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Linen
Linen is specifically mentioned throughout the Gospels.  First, as the material Jesus is wrapped in.
 
Matthew 27:59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 27:60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away.
 
In the following passage we see another unexpected scene in which a young man streaks in, then leaves the Gospels very quickly, with nothing to identify him for posterity aside from his wearing a linen cloth – which he loses quickly.  The scripture makes a point of stating that the linen is left behind.
 
Mark 14:51 A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to arrest him, 14:52 but he ran off naked, leaving his linen cloth behind.

Linen is mentioned in the following entry introducing Lazarus to the Gospel.
 
Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
Linen is also all that is left behind after the resurrection.
 
John 20:5 He bent down and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. 20:6 Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, 20:7 and the face cloth, which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself.

Robe
Like the cloak, a robe is mentioned as something Jesus is dressed in and then stripped of.
 
Matthew 27:28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him,
 
Matthew 27:31 When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
 
In the following passage a young man dressed in a white robe tells the good news.
 
Mark 16:5 Then as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

The experts in the law are described as dressing in long robes.
 
Luke 20:46 “Beware of the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes, and they love elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

Crown of Thorns
The most iconic thing Jesus ever wore…
 
John 19:2 The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe.

Tunic
The tunic is one of the items of Jesus’ clothing split up by the soldiers.  Notice the detail offered about the tunic in John.
 
John 19:23 Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)

Launderer and Bleach 
Just one mention of bleach and a launderer.
 
Mark 9:3 and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them.

Temple Curtain
The tearing of the temple curtain was the Gospel’s most pointed and poignant reference of God’s reaction toward the crucifixion.
 
Matthew 27:51 Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

Strips of Cloth
The first use of textiles in Jesus’ story is the wrapping of him as a baby.
 
Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth

Coat
In the continuation of this most famous of lessons, the coat is not to be missed.
 
Luke 6:29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either.

Dazzling Attire
The women bringing aromatic spices to the tomb met two men in dazzling attire.
 
Luke 24:4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood beside them in dazzling attire.

Towel
In the following passage Jesus uses a towel…
 
John 13:4 he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself.

Outer Clothing
There is no mention of “inner clothing” in the Gospels.
 
John 13:12 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?

Outer Garment
There is a mention of Peter tucking in his outer garment as he was apparently wearing nothing underneath.
 
John 21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), and plunged into the sea.

Garment 
Most mentions of garments are reviewed previously in other passages, aside from this one passage where “garment” is used in the plural.
 
John 19:24 So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.” This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” So the soldiers did these things.

Face Cloth
One mention of a face cloth is found in Jesus’ tomb.
 
John 20:7 and the face cloth, which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself.

Angels in White
White appears to be the color for divine spirits.
 
John 20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet.
 
Luke 5:36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old garment. If he does, he will have torn the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 5:37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 5:38 Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 5:39 No one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”