One of the pressing questions among women in the local church today is “What is my role?” And yet, the answer in the twenty-first century is the same as the first century when Paul told Titus to have the older women teach and train the younger women. However, in our twenty-first-century culture, Titus 2:3-5 has been separated from Paul’s longer letter to his church planting protégé.
In chapter 1 of his letter to Titus, Paul outlined issues within the churches at Crete where he left Titus behind to “set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city” as the apostle had directed (v. 5). Paul then proceeded to note that there were rebellious men and empty talkers who were upsetting entire families by teaching things for their own filthy gain (vv. 10-11); they were not sound in their faith (vv. 13-14); their minds and consciences were defiled (v. 15); and, sadly, they professed to know God, but by their deeds they denied Him as they were “detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed” (v. 16).
This was a less-than-Christ-honoring situation within the church at Crete, and Paul, therefore, charged Titus with speaking the things fitting for sound doctrine (2:1).
What does this have to do with women?
Plenty.
In the next few verses, Paul unfolds how Titus should go about teaching sound doctrine. Spiritually mature men and women play a critical role in teaching and training the less mature believers in the things of God, and, thusly, have a significant role in the discipleship and health of the church.
In Western culture when we hear the word “older,” almost automatically our thoughts focus on age. However, when Paul mentions the older women in Titus 2:3, the word “older” finds roots in spiritual maturity rather than chronological age. We should not equate chronological age and spiritual maturity.
Paul provides characteristics of the older women, including reverence in behavior, not malicious gossips, not being enslaved to much wine, and being able to teach what is good (Titus 2:3). Each of these characteristics reflects a woman who is growing into Christlikeness and can teach, or disciple, others in what is good. This was in stark contrast to the situation in the church at Crete where some were teaching for filthy personal gain (Titus 1:11).
Paul admonishes Titus to identify the older women within the church so that “they may encourage” the younger women. This is the only time in the New Testament this form of the word “encourage” is used and it means to “restore one to his senses.” The desire of the apostle was for believers to act like believers and the older women played – and continue to play – a powerful aspect in helping younger believers apply the lessons of Scripture to their lives. The result is not behavior modification, but heart transformation.
Paul outlines the curriculum that older women should teach the younger women, including loving their husbands and their children, sensibility, being pure, workers at home, being kind, and being subject to their own husbands. Each of these lessons was to be taught so that “the word of God will not be dishonored” (Titus 2:5). Dishonored is another word for blasphemed. The members of the church were professing to know God, but by their deeds were denying Him (Titus 1:16). Paul wanted Titus to enlist spiritually mature women who could help younger women go beyond giving lip service to the things of God while their hearts were far from Him.
As a woman, how do I make application of this as I live out Jesus’s command to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20)? Here are some tips:
- Examine yourself. Are you pursuing the Lord? How are you growing in your walk with the Lord and making application of His Word in your day-to-day life?
- Look around. Who is around you who wants to be taught the things of God and desires to pursue the Lord? Identify who some of these women are and ask them if they would like to study Scripture and pray with you in a group of 2 to 3 other women.
- Be consistent. Consistently meet with the women you are discipling. You don’t have to know everything in Scripture to disciple someone else. You, too, are still growing in your walk with the Lord. However, meeting with women regularly to focus on Bible study and prayer is imperative.
- Be open. The lessons Paul outlines in his curriculum are learned through the study of Scripture, but modeled in life-on-life relationships as women see you in your everyday context. How do you model kindness to the person who was rude in the grocery store line? How is love for your husband and children shown in a house where people have multiple schedules and needs? How do you hold your tongue and not say what you want to say about another person because you recognize they are made in the image of God just like you? These are all lessons learned as they are modeled in real-life situations.
- Send forth. As we disciple women and live out God-ordained roles in the Great Commission, the Lord’s heart is for those we disciple to go and make more disciples. Teach and encourage the women you disciple to go and disciple others.
Women play an important role in the Great Commission as they disciple other women in the things of God. The health of the church and the advancement of the Kingdom of God depend on women faithfully investing in the next generation of believers and taking that important role seriously.
