The DeGRAFF FREE
State Route 235/
Phone: (937) 585-4463
James R. Roby, Pastor
THE AGED WOMEN TEACHING THE YOUNGER
WOMEN
by
David Cloud
“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness,
not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may
teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their
children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own
husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:3-5)
Titus teaches us that it is not enough to profess Christ; the Christian
profession must be lived out in everyday life.
We also see in Titus that the preacher must make the truth practical; he must
apply it to every part of life and to every different sort of person.
“Ministers must not stay in generals, but must divide to every one his
portion, what belongs to his age, or place, or condition of life; they must be
particular as well as practical in their preaching; they must teach men their
duty, and must teach all and each his duty” (Matthew Henry).
THE AGED WOMEN (Titus 2:3-4)
“in behaviour as becometh
holiness” (Titus 2:3)
a. They live their lives in such a way as to bring glory to the Christ that
they profess. People are always watching how we live; others are always
affected. The elderly men and women must be examples to the younger believers.
The older believers are mentioned first in Titus 2 because they set the
standard for morality in the churches.
b. They follow holy things rather than unholy and worldly. Elderly Christian women
must be careful that they do not give themselves to evil things such as ungodly
literature and television programs and movies and immodest dress. I recall an
elderly woman who professed Christ who kept sensual romance magazines in her
home, some of which even contained pornographic stories, and her grandchildren
were corrupted by these. I know of other elderly believers who spend much of
their time watching unwholesome television shows and
c. My own maternal grandmother, Julia Pollock, had a testimony of “behaviour as becometh
holiness.” She filled her last years with prayers and good works and holy
living. When one would visit her, he would find no unwholesome magazines or
books; he would never find her watching unwholesome television programs. More
often than not she would be sitting in her favorite chair crocheting something
to give away or to sell so that she could give the proceeds to missions, or she
would be reading her tear-stained Bible and praying for her children,
grandchildren, pastor, neighbors, acquaintances, and missionaries. She had the
habit of writing down some of her prayers, and it was wonderful to see the way
that God answered them. She was the first Christian I ever met who practiced
fasting and prayer, and she witnessed some miraculous answers to prayer by this
means. Though she had a serious heart condition for the final decade of her
life and suffered greatly, she was cheerful and always had a good word of
encouragement for her visitors and a challenge from the Scriptures. She and my
grandfather had lived through the “great depression” and she always
testified that God will take care of His own regardless of the situation. She
loved Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not
seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread,” and she often
quoted it. She told of how the Lord miraculously provided for them when no jobs
were available. I am confident that the earnest prayers of this godly woman had
a large part in my conversion in the summer of 1973, because she exemplified
“behaviour as becometh
holiness.”
“not false accusers” (Titus 2:3)
a. This refers to backbiting, saying evil things against other church
members to hurt them, sowing discord by spreading rumors without caring whether
they are true, speaking maliciously against people that she doesn’t like.
b. This is a description of the devil himself. He is the accuser of the
brethren (Rev. 12:10). Though some of the things that the devil has to say
against the brethren are true, he does not take into account the Lord’s
grace and he always has a malicious motive to tear down rather than build up.
c. It is not wrong to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), to
warn of things that are false, and to know what is going on in the assembly in
order to be a blessing and help. The spiritual are obligated to help those who
are overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1-2). The household of Chloe informed Paul of
what was going on at
“not given to much wine” (Titus 2:3)
a. This is the Greek phrase “me (not) douloo
(given to) polus (much) oinos
(wine).” The Greek word “douloo”
means to be enslaved, to be brought under bondage (Strong). It is also
translated “bring into bondage” (Acts 7:6), “become a
servant” (Rom. 6:18), and “servant” (1 Cor.
9:19).
b. The elder women must avoid being enslaved by alcohol or drugs or anything
else that would hinder their Christian lives and testimonies.
c.Many wine-drinking
"Christians" today mistakenly assume that what the New Testament
meant by wine is identical to wine used today. This, however, is false. In
fact, today’s wine is by biblical definition strong drink, and hence is
forbidden in the Bible [Prov. 20:1; 23:29-35].
“teachers of good things” (Titus 2:3-4)
a. Women have an important role in the teaching ministry of the church, but
they are not to teach men (1 Tim. 2:12). They are to teach children (2 Tim.
1:5; 3:15) and other women.
b. The elder women must prepare themselves for such a ministry by learning how
to be godly wives, mothers, and homemakers themselves.
c. They must teach good things as opposed to false or evil or vain and empty
things. Every women is teaching something by her words
and life; she must ask herself, “What am I teaching and what is the fruit
of it?” Too many Christian women are experts in many worldly things but
not in godly living.
d. Many churches fail to provide this practical training for young wives and
mothers and the result is spiritual weakness and sin. If the young women do not
learn their responsibilities from godly older women, they often find help from
secular sources or from carnal women and are thus led astray.
e. Thus we see the importance of the qualifications for wives of pastors and
deacons in 1 Timothy 3:11 -- “Even so must their wives be grave, not
slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.” This describes the things that
are to be taught to younger women in Titus 2:4-5. If the wives of the church
officers are not godly women who are an example to others and who can instruct
the younger women in the practical aspects of godly home life, the work of God
will be greatly weakened.
f. This does not mean, of course, that the work of teaching the younger women
is limited to the wives of church officers. Titus 2 does not limit this
ministry in such a manner, and neither should the churches. But it is important
to understand that if the wives of the pastors and deacons are not godly women
after the fashion of 1 Tim. 3:11 and if they are not busy in the ministry of
Titus 2:3-5, not only will they themselves not teach the younger women the
things they need to learn, but they will probably make it difficult or
impossible for any other mature women in the church to exercise such a
ministry.
g. The husbands and pastors must oversee this female ministry so that the women
do not fall into error and are not led astray like Eve was.
THE YOUNG WOMEN (Titus 2:4-5)
“to be sober” (Titus 2:4)
a. This is the Greek word “sophron,”
which means sober-minded, self-controlled, spiritually disciplined.
b. It is the opposite of being foolish and careless and vain. It refers to a
woman who is wise, spiritually-minded, who is mindful of eternal values, not
carried away by the vanities of this world, the things to which unregenerate
women are devoted.
(1) It refers to a woman who is not caught up, for example, in worshipping
(2) A woman who is not giddy after the sensual products of the fashion industry
(3) A woman who is not inordinately consumed with physical beauty, recognizing
that beauty without godliness is of no value before God (Prov.
11:22; 31:30).
“to love their husbands ... children”
(Titus 2:4)
a. Biblical love is not an emotion but a commitment. It can be learned and
taught, whereas a feeling cannot. To love one’s husband and children in a
godly manner means to commit oneself to them, to give
oneself to doing those things for them that a godly wife and mother should do.
When someone says, “I don’t love my wife anymore,” or
“I don’t love my husband anymore,” they actually mean,
“I don’t have that romantic feeling anymore,” but feelings
come and go and feelings are not the essence of biblical love. When we commit
ourselves before God to doing good for another person
and to treating him or her as God commands, feelings follow.
b. Women have wonderful natural gifts from God for their work in the home, but
they also must learn how to do these things, and they should make
progress in their service as wives and mothers.
d. The older women cannot teach the younger women to love their husbands
scripturally unless they have loved their own. Sometimes older Christian women do
not show a godly example of submission to their husbands and of a meek and
quiet spirit; therefore, they teach a bad lesson to the younger women by their
example.
e. Children are loved in a scriptural manner not by pampering and doting on
them but by disciplining them after the fashion taught in Proverbs. “...
not a fond foolish love, indulging them in evil, neglecting due reproof and
correction where necessary, but a regular Christian love, showing itself in
their pious education, forming their life and manners aright, taking care of
their souls as well as of their bodies, of their spiritual welfare as well as
of their temporal, of the former chiefly and in the first place” (Matthew
Henry).
(1) Children are to be trained up in the way that they should go (Prov. 22:6). The parents must teach them the truth and must
be careful about every aspect of the children’s education. Children
cannot be trained in the way they should go if they are sent to schools where
they educated by unbelievers or if they are in a church that does not teach
godly Christian living.
(2) Children are to be corrected when they do not obey (Prov.
22:15; 29:17). Many mothers do not correct their children in such a way that
they learn obedience. They ignore, even smile at, rebellion. Or they make a attempt at discipline, but it is too weak to produce
obedience. I recall a Christian mother who “disciplined” her
extremely self-willed toddler son by lightly spanking him on his padded
disposable diaper. He only laughed! The discipline must produce submission of
the will and obedience, or it is ineffective. Some mothers also resist and
undermine the father’s efforts to discipline the children. A wise and
godly mother will discipline the children herself and will stand united with
the father when he tries to discipline them (assuming, of course, that it is
being done in a scriptural manner).
(3) Children are not to be left to themselves (Prov.
29:15). The parents are to lovingly oversee every aspect of the
children’s lives. Parents must know who the children’s friends are,
where they spend their time, what they are reading and listening to. If the
children are allowed to grow up without close supervision, they will bring
shame to their parents. The reason is because “foolishness is bound in
the heart of the child” and he does not naturally know how to go in the
right way.
“to be discreet” (Titus 2:5)
a. This is the same Greek word (“sophron”)
that is translated “sober” in verse 4. The Holy Spirit is thus
emphasizing to the women the importance of sobermindedness,
of spiritual and moral vigilance. The reason this is so emphasized is because
of the woman’s weaker nature and her greater susceptibility to deception
(1 Tim. 2:14). Eve sinned because she did not maintain vigilance and because
she thought she was capable of making decisions that should have been left to
her husband. She was not sober; she was carried away by her emotions and by her
natural senses (Gen. 3:6).
b. The woman must be discreet by what she allows herself to think about; by what
she reads; by what she watches; by the conversations she has. Many women have
left their husbands and children because they were not careful in these
matters; they allowed their minds to be filled with foolish and evil thoughts,
and they were eventually carried away by such things.
c. Discreet also refers to exercising wisdom. The young women must learn
how to make good wise choices in all areas.
“chaste” (Titus 2:5)
a. This is the Greek word “hagnos,”
which means “clean, innocent, modest”
(Strong). It is also translated “clear” (2 Cor.
7:11) and “pure” (Phil. 4:8). It describes a “chaste
virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2).
b. The Holy Spirit is emphasizing the moral purity that should characterize a
Christian wife and mother. In some ways, women set the standard for morality,
both in a church and in society at large. If women are not chaste, everything
around them becomes impure. They set the standard in the home as they rear the
children.
c. Christian women must be careful not to neglect their responsibilities toward
their husbands (1 Cor. 7:3-5). When women keep
themselves from their husbands, the result is sexual temptation and sin (1 Cor. 7:2, 5).
d. Likewise, husbands must treat their wives in a godly manner, not merely
using them as objects for the fulfillment of their lusts but as loving them and
treating them with tenderness and kindness, as Christ loves the church (Eph.
5:25).
“keepers at home” (Titus 2:5)
a. This is the Greek word “oikouros,”
which means “one who guards the house, one who stays at home,
domestically inclined.”
b. This does not mean that the woman can do nothing outside of the home.
(1) Comparing Scripture with Scripture, we see that the virtuous woman of
Proverbs 31:10-31 does many things such as seeking wool and flax (v. 13),
bringing her food from afar (v. 14), building a field and planting a vineyard
(v. 16), and stretching our her hands to the poor (v. 20), but her work
outside of the home is done in the context of fulfilling her duties as a godly
wife and mother and contributing to the blessing of the household and does not
cause her to neglect such duties. When we lived in western
(2) What Titus means is that the chief responsibility of the Christian wife and
mother is her home and she should not do anything that would cause her to
neglect this responsibility. No one can take the place of a wife and mother,
and if she neglects her duty toward the husband or children, great harm
results.
(3) Each family is responsible to make these decisions before the Lord. Pastors
are the teachers and overseers of the assembly, but a pastor is not the head of
the homes in the assembly. The husband and father is the sole head of the home
under Christ, and he must make these decisions in conjunction with his wife;
they are one flesh (Eph. 5:31). The husband and wife do not have the authority
to ignore or disobey the Word of God; but they have the authority to interpret
the Word of God and to apply it to their family (1 John 2:27). In some cases,
for example, the children are in a Christian school and mothers work in the
school and church. In such cases, the mothers might actually spend more time
with the children than if they stayed at home.
(4) There are extenuating circumstances, of course, that must be taken into
account in this context. Sometimes the husband is unable to work, for example,
and the wife is called upon to become the “chief bread winner.” We
must exercise mercy and grace in such matters. There was room for this type of
thing even under the strict law of Moses. For example,
though the sabbath was not
to be broken and no work was to be done under pain of death, God allowed a man
to lift his ox out of the ditch on that day (Lk.
14:5).
c. There is an association between “chaste” and “keepers at
home.” “Dinah, when she went to see the daughters of the land, lost
her chastity. ... Not but there are occasions, and will be, of going abroad;
but a gadding temper for merriment and company sake, to the neglect of domestic
affairs, or from uneasiness at being in her place, is the opposite evil
intended, which is commonly accompanied with, or draws after it, other
evils” (Matthew Henry). One reason modern society has become filled with
immorality and divorce is the explosion of the practice of women employed in
the secular work force. Many women have thus fallen prey to romantic
temptations.
“good” (Titus 2:5)
a. This is the Greek word “agathos,”
which is the main word translated “good”; it is also translated
“benefit” (Phile. 14) and
“well” (Rom. 2:7).
b. This describes the woman’s life overall. She is to be a good woman
whose life is filled with good works. Consider Dorcas,
who was “full of good works” (Acts 9:36).
c. Good also refers to the woman’s spirit (1 Pet 3:4). “It may also
have, as some think, a more particular sense; one of a meek and yet cheerful
spirit and temper, not sullen nor bitter; not taunting nor fretting and galling
any; not of a trouble-some or jarring disposition, uneasy in herself and to
those about her; but of a good nature and pleasing conversation, and likewise
helpful by her advice and pains” (Matthew Henry).
“obedient to their own husbands” (Titus
2:5)
a. This is the wife’s chief duty toward her husband, who is her head
under Christ (1 Cor. 11:3).
(1) There is a limit to the husband’s authority over the wife. The woman
is to submit to her husband “as unto the Lord” (Eph. 5:22-24) and
“as it is fit in the Lord” (Col. 3:18). This means that the husband
cannot require the wife to do anything that the Lord would not require of her.
(2) A wife’s godly subjection to her husband and her meek and quiet
spirit is a powerful thing that can even win an unsaved man to Christ (1 Pet.
3:1-6).
b. According to modern secular philosophy, the woman is equal to her husband in
authority and submission is demeaning. This is strictly contrary to the
Scriptures, and the Christian woman who follows this thinking is in open
rebellion to God.
“that the word of God be not
blasphemed” (Titus 2:5)
The reason why the Christian woman should live the kind of life described
in this passage is to glorify her Lord and Saviour.
If she lives in sensuality and rebellion, she causes the Word of God to be
blasphemed. The unsaved are looking at the churches and at professing
Christians and they judge God and His Word by what they see.
