Titus 2:3-5

Titus 2:3-5

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,  ⁴so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,  ⁵to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Verse 3

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

Older women

This word, in Greek, is presbutidas.  It comes from the same word as older men in the last verse we looked at, only this is in the feminine meaning “older women.”  This is a sect of society that often feels neglected and mistreated.  Many older women today, as in Paul's day, feel worthless, useless.  Society views the elderly, particularly the elderly women as useless, or bothersome.  This is not Paul's view for the Church.  The Lord recognizes the immeasurable value of the elderly, particularly elderly women.  Here we will be looking at the endless and vital importance of women.

Likewise

This word is hosautos.  It means “in like manner, or in the same way.”  So here we see older women being held to the same character traits as the older men.  It's not at all as if the Lord has lower standards for women.  There are no value statements in the Bible that say women are of less value or held to a lesser spiritual standard.  This is a lie of modern feminism that the Bible, by differentiating between the sexes, is putting value statements on them.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Reverent

This is a very interesting word in Greek.  It is a compound word, combining the words for “to be holy” and the word for “to be conspicuous, fit.”  So here we see that the women are to be conspicuous in their holiness.  Just like all Christians, they are not to conform to the culture around them, nor are they to behave in the manner of the examples that are set before them in the media or in history.  They are to be marked by a holiness that sets them apart, and makes them visibly and noticeably different from the culture.

malicious gossips

This Greek word here is diabolos.  It is where we derive our English word Devil from, and it is used to describe the devil in scripture.  The KJV translates this “false accusers,”  this is the trait of a person that heeds rumors as well as passes them on, even making them up!  This is rightly compared to an evil or fiendish behavior as it destroys the credibility, reputation and image of others without any due cause.  This is a special trap that woman struggle with more than men, however that is not to say at all that men cannot be involved in this sort of behavior.  It is expressly forbidden by Scripture.

enslaved to much wine

In dealing with both the idea of malicious gossips and drunkenness the Apostle Paul approaches two very common pitfalls for elderly women.  It was very common in Paul's day that older women who were culturally stripped of their value and purpose in society would turn to drink, or become busybodies.  This is something that is still true today.  In pointing these out Paul is discouraging the women from making poor lifestyle choices because he gives them so much value, and instills them with such an important mission in the functioning of the Church.  He rests a huge and most valuable portion of the Church on their shoulders, as we shall see. 

teaching what is good

This is actually one big compound word that is a noun rather than a verb.  It would be better rendered “teachers of good.”  For they are to be teachers of good things.  This is critical because it means that women are to have good doctrine too.  So often doctrine gets categorized as a “guy thing”  this isn’t to say that everyone who is not able or interested in learning Greek or Systematic Theology is not a true believer, but it is to say that what the women teach is important and should be in keeping with good doctrine, which means that they women must strive to know that their doctrine is from Scripture and not from any other source.

Verse 4

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

that they may

This is an archaic translation.  The translation seems to imply that they might, or they might not.  Usually when we see the words “that they may”  or “that you might” it does not imply that it may not happen, but rather that it will happen.  So this is not saying that the elder women may encourage the younger women if they want, but rather that they should be about the business of building up the younger women.

Encourage

In Greek this word has the idea of encouraging someone to their personal duty.  So the older women are to be teaching the young women.  It is very interesting the older women are given the responsibility to be teaching, caring for, and disciplining the younger women.  This is very important, especially in this day in age.  It is not usually appropriate for a male elder to council a young woman, especially in a one on one setting.  This is something that Paul gives to the older women to oversee and care for.  We have seen in our day, some of us from very close quarters what can happen when men and women get involved in inappropriate ways, often with the very best intentions.  It is also affected by the fact that even if nothing inappropriate actually happens it can raise questions in the minds of onlookers and mar the credibility of church members.  This is a massively important task without which the Local Church could fall apart completely.

love their husbands

Here we see that the young women are to be taught and encouraged to be “lovers of their husbands.”  There is an interesting point here in the Greek.  The word for love here in the Greek is phileo which can denote a brotherly love, or (in this case) a responsive love.  It is important to see in scripture that husbands are called (in Ephesians and Colossians)  to love their wives with agape love.  This is the love that comes with God as its source.  It is the husband's responsibility, in a Christian household, to be pouring that love into the home.  The woman's love for her husband is reciprocal based on that love that the Christian husband.  This does not, however, mean that women whose husbands are not living up to their potential are off the hook.  That is why the older women are so important in their encouragement of the younger women to love their families.

  This choice of words is also an amazing choice of words because it is not the erotic love that would be expressed by eros.  It is a caring and compassionate love.  It is incredibly important that Paul minces no words that marriage is not just butterflies in the stomach, blushing and physical attraction.  But is a lifelong dedication and caring love that goes far beyond that portrayed by any romance movie.

love their children

This word is similar to the word before it.  However this combines the words phileo (love) and teknon (Children), so the older women are to be encouraging the younger women to be lovers of their children.  It is very natural for mothers to have agape love for their children.  This is a deep flowing natural love.  However this also insinuates a love that cares for the children and puts the children before herself.  This does take encouragement.  This is not the love that comes easily and naturally, this is a love that endures faithfully and cares for the needs of her children.

Verse 5

to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Sensible

This word carries that “wise-minded” idea with it.  It also implies chastity and modesty.  It is someone who is self controlled and has an eternal perspective over what is good for the children and good for her family, what is constructive and what is destructive.  This is a wisdom that rejects foolishness and quietly builds up the family.

pure

This word can mean purity from specifically carnal sins, as well as a general immaculate perfection.  This is of course, not some pie in the sky demand to be made of wives, but a general area in which they are growing in character.  This is not to say that they never sinned before, or never made mistakes, but rather that they are right now growing in this purity that is the natural outflow of their position in Christ. 

workers at home

It is one of the great tragedies of the modern view of women that the world has put a low qualitative value on keeping the home.  These days women who are simply wives and mothers are viewed as not having as much drive or not having goals.  This is a gross lie.  The family is the first human institution that God instated.  The keeping and caring for that union is one of the highest callings in all of humanity.  Satan has used the tool of modern feminism to debase this role and tear the family apart by one of its chief cornerstones, the wife.

subject to

This is another word that gets a horrible connotation in modern times.  The Greek word is hupotasso combining the word for “under” with the word for “attach.”  It is also in the passive voice.  So the picture is that the wife is to be supportively attached to her husband.  Holding him up and supporting him as he is the spiritual leader of the family.  This does not mean that the wife is a doormat.  It is important to observe that in this passage, Eph. 5:22-33 and Col. 3:18-19, the wives are told to submit (this word “under-attach”) to their husbands.  Husbands, however, are NEVER EVER told to make sure that she knuckles under.  It is not the husbands job to MAKE his wife submit.  It is also important to notice that submission does not mean blindly following, God's plan for the family is that the wife has her say as well, but the final decision rests on the husband's shoulders.

word of God will not be dishonored

Is it really all that important?  Yes, by ignoring these words the Church dishonors (KJV “blasphemes”) the Word of God.  It is dishonored amongst the family, among the Church and before the unbelieveing world.  This is of the utmost importance, and should be considered in how we conduct our families, choose our spouses, and make the decisions that will dictate how we are going to conduct ourselves.