Rethinking "The Titus 2 Woman"

    If you’ve been a Christian for more than say, 20 yrs, you may have noticed that there's a popular emphasis now on the “Titus 2 Woman”.

     I’m thrilled that Christian wives and mothers are finding their way back home from the workplace to care for their families in a culture that places so little value on such a high calling.    Now if you’re a work-outside-the home mom or wife, please don’t  think I’m going to try and put you on a guilt trip.    God has placed us all exactly where He wants us for the time.    Though ideal, it’s just not always possible for some moms to stay at home with their children when they’re growing up.    My father deserted us when I was born leaving my mom penniless to raise me and my two older brothers.   Even though things were difficult until she remarried when I was 13, I always admired my mother for her love and determination to provide for us.   Sometimes things like this just happen, and we can take comfort knowing that these circumstances are also in God’s providential plan.

    I had the privilege of being able to stay at home with my kids when they were growing up.  They didn’t have as many material goodies as some of their friends, and we couldn’t afford to take fancy vacations, but that didn’t matter to me.    My goal was to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord but when it came to books on Christian parenting and homemaking back then there was little to choose from. I had James Dobson’s “Dare To Discipline” which was helpful but as for any Titus 2 woman themed instruction books, I had zero. But I DID have the one book that counted most, the Bible.    Can you imagine how it would be if the Bible was ALL we had to guide us towards godly womanhood?   Makes ya wonder how the church ever survived all these centuries!   Of course I’m being facetious and I really do appreciate many of the good “how to” books on the market these days.    But I am also concerned that somewhere along the way some may forget that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says the Bible is completely sufficient for all of our needs in regards to godly living.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

    There is much to be said about the industrious Proverbs 31 woman, and the many examples of godly women throughout Scripture. Indeed, all of these examples are there for our instruction but for some odd reason that little passage in Titus 2 has just “stuck” with modern believers and has become the new buzzword to depict our role as women in the church. Now there’s nothing wrong with that as long as we make sure we correctly understand the passage and its application to us.

     

    But first, I just want to make some notes about what the passage in “Titus 2” is NOT saying.

• It’s not saying that the Titus 2 woman must have the most awesome scrapbooking skills on the planet.

• It’s not saying the Titus 2 woman has mastered every new cooking technique featured on the Food Network Channel.

• It’s not saying that the Titus 2 woman must be an expert on:  Canning, organic gardening, herbal remedies, home schooling,  music, or whatever.  (And yes, we did all those things in the 70’s too!)

• It’s not saying that the Titus 2 woman must keep a picture perfect Martha Stewart home that is beautifully decorated and organized to the nth degree.

· It’s not saying the Titus 2 woman should become a political activist for family values.

• It is not saying that the Titus 2 woman should have the physical beauty and demeanor of a Stepford wife.

·    It is not saying that the Titus 2 woman’s  love for her children trumps her love for her husband, thus turning her  home into a child centered one.


•  And it is  not even saying the Titus 2 woman should memorize so many Scripture verses that she doesn’t need her Bible anymore.

• It’s also not saying that the Titus 2 woman should attend women’s Bible studies  and read as many  good religious books as she can in order to  outpace her husband by her superior spirituality.

   

  Now I hope I’ve covered enough topics to make everyone mad at me.    If I’ve missed one PLEASE let me know! Just kidding.   Now obviously,  there's nothing essentially wrong with many  of these things, but.....

  

    Who then, IS this “Titus 2 Woman” we're aspiring to?  Let’s read the passage carefully only let’s pretend we’ve never heard the expression before.

Titus 2: 1-15

"1But as for you,[Titus] teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.   They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. '

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 Titus 2:1-15 actually deals with instructions for FIVE groups of people.

    Older Men

    Older Women

    Younger Women

    Younger Men

    Slaves

   Hmm…I have to wonder why there's no popular books on “Titus 2 Men”.

So here’s the “sound doctrine (teaching)” that Paul exhorts Titus to deliver.

Older men are to be:

Sober-minded

Dignified

Self-controlled

Sound in faith, love and steadfastness

Older women are to be:

Reverent in behavior

Not slanderers

Not slaves to much wine

Able to teach what is good in order to train...

the Younger Women to :

Love their husbands

Love their children

Be Self-controlled

Be Pure

Be Working at home

Be Kind

Be Submissive to their own husbands,

WHY?

So “that the word of God may not be reviled”.

LIKEWISE YOUNGER MEN are to be:

Self-controlled

Slaves are to be: (by application this would also pertain to employees)

Submissive to their own masters in everything

They are to be well-pleasing

Not argumentative

Not pilfering

Showing all good faith

WHY?

So that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

Training us (ALL of us) to

Renounce ungodliness and worldly passion

To live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age

Wait for our blessed hope, and for the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us

WHY?

To redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

CONCLUSION:

     Titus 2: 1-15 lays out instructions  pertaining  to ALL of us.   These include teachings for the older men and younger men.  And also for the older women and younger women and for the slave, or employee.

    
   We are ALL called upon to live godly self controlled lives that are above reproach and that are characterized by humble submission to those that God has placed in authority over us.   Wives are to be in submission to their husbands, and slaves to their masters.   And yes! The older women are also to teach what is good and thus train the younger women, but likewise there is instruction for the younger men as well.

   
    We should ALL behave as Titus 2 men and women, whether young or old, who are waiting for that blessed hope, and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

    
     May the Lord grant us the desire and grace to follow these instructions.

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