Titus 2:3-4

What kind of life would enable older women to adorn sound doctrine?

v The spiritual wardrobe for older women, 1:3.  Older women were to be:

·        Reverent: This is not the same word as in 1:2.  It means she exudes holiness.  The emphasis of the term comes from the use of this word to speak of the holy things in the temple of God.  In 1 Tim. 2:9-10 Paul spoke of women adorning themselves with propriety and moderation … with that which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 

·        Not slanderers: Literally, they are not to be devils or diabolical (this is the Greek word for devil who slanders God’s people).  Thus their speech is to be godly. 

·        Not given to much wine: This is similar but with a tell-tale difference with the use statements in 1 Tim. 3:8,11 given to bishops and deacons.  The leaders are not to be given, to lean towards too much wine.  But in our passage the term given is from the doulos family of words, the term for bond slave.  Certainly this and the previous admonition for older women are set against the society in which they lived.

·        Teachers of good things: They are to teach things that are wholesome, with 1 Tim. 5:9-10 (in the context of identifying godly widows) possibly giving us an idea of what those things are: good works such as bringing up children, lodging strangers, washed the saints feet, relieved the afflicted and having done it all with diligence.  

The point is being made: if we have a doctrine about a Savior who lived a life of love, of serving and who came to give Himself for our sins, then we too are called to a good and purposeful life.  That is what adorns the doctrine!

Furthermore, this is the life that lends integrity to the calling of older women to teach these good things to the younger women.  We often say that parenting, perhaps the greatest profession of all, has no guide-book, no instruction manual.  But in the local churches that was not to be the case.  In fact younger women were to be admonished (literally to store to one’s senses) in the skills and joys of family life.  It was a perfect fulfillment of the command of Christ to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).  

This emphasis on character is needed in our own society.  Without question, so is the emphasis on what we sometimes call mentoring but which Jesus called making disciples.  If you happen to fit the targets of today’s devotional, being an older woman who no longer has (or perhaps never had) children at home, make this a prayer request.  Ask God to bless you with the opportunity to encourage other younger women.  The advertisements and role models of this age make it hard to be a godly young woman.  Be a teacher of good things!