Teaching of the Younger Ones

In Titus 2:3-5 Paul tells us: “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Since I turned 55 years of age, these verses, addressed to the older women of the church, seem critical to me. My portion is changing, and the gravity and urgency of my charge from God strikes my heart with force.

Every time I facilitate a Bible study, my interjections and actions should reflect God’s love, His will, and His truth. In advance, I should know the text thoroughly enough NOT to make ignorant remarks or inappropriate observations. Everything I say, and every word the study’s author writes should fall in line with God‘s word. Every uttered and written word should glorify God!

Each time God places me in a teaching situation, I purposefully set out to be a biblical encourager, not a worldly one. In no way do I want to malign or depreciate God’s testimony. I do not want to hinder my witness for Him, and those responsibilities make me pause, and pause again. Since I am human, I know daily sin will surface, but my heart’s desire is to honor God.

Actually, these verses in Titus apply to all aged women professing faith, and they call us to a respectful, dignified, and reverent way of life. That command should make us pause. It is sobering. “The adjective ‘reverent’ basically means ‘suitable to a sacred office’ and conveys the image of a good priestess carrying out the duties of her office. The conduct of the older women must reveal that they regard life as sacred in all of its aspects.” (Hiebert)

Women, as well as men, should strive to possess the virtues of: sobriety, seriousness, temperance, soundness in the faith, kindness, helpfulness, and patience. Women, as well as men, are to hear, learn, and apply God’s word. We must be especially careful not to apply a worldly author's view in place of God's instructions. We are to patiently endure, which is the definition of perseverance, and such perseverance leads to victorious living. We older women (and older men) should heed our call to disciple younger ones.

Generally speaking, 1 Corinthians 10:31 covers our behavior or decorum:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

And Philippians 4:8 provides an overall rule of conduct:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

As aged Christians, backbiting and false accusations, which are all too prevalent in our society, have no place in our deportment. Such slander often erupts from malice, hatred, or envy, and we are to have no part of such behavior.

In his Commentary on the Whole Bible (Volume VI), Matthew Henry says, “A slanderer is one whose tongue is set on {the} fire of hell”.

In “Of a Malignant Tongue, ” Jean Baptiste Massillon says, “And behold what I would have applied to the tongue of the evil-speaker, had I undertaken to give you a just and natural idea of all the enormity of this vice: I would have said that the tongue of the slanderer is a devouring fire which tarnishes whatever it touches; which exercises its fury on the good grain, equally as on the chaff; on the profane, as on the sacred; which, wherever it passes, leaves only desolation and ruin; digs even into the bowels of the earth, and fixes itself on things the most hidden; turns into vile ashes what only a moment before had appeared to us so precious and brilliant; acts with more violence and danger than ever in the time when it was apparently smothered up and almost extinct; which blackens what it cannot consume, and sometimes sparkles and delights before it destroys.”1

1 Timothy 5:13 is clear:

“Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”

Guard against such behavior, regardless of how movies, TV, and magazines portray the friendly neighborhood gossip. We ought not to imitate saccharine-smiling Ethel, standing over the fence chatting with coffee-holding Mabel about poor young Fran. A slanderer's polar opposite is one who exhibits love, justice, and equity.

Not being addicted to wine denotes not being under its power and mastery, and not becoming immodest, shameful, corrupt, or impure while under the guise of its influence. “Being given to much wine” was a common failing of older women in Roman and Greek cultures. As older women, we should teach, encourage, and urge (exhort earnestly) younger women to be discreet, chaste, women of faith.

The word “train” is sometimes translated “urge” or “encourage”, but Strong’s shows us its true depth. It literally means “to restore one to his (or her) senses; to moderate, control, curb, disciple; to hold one to his (or her) duty; to admonish, to exhort earnestly.” We aged ones are to be teachers of God’s ways by precept and by example - not by fables, superstitions, or old wives’ tales! God intends us to impart wisdom and experience in positive ways to uplift younger women.

The subjection we emulate and teach is a loving subordination (necessary to prevent chaos or confusion within a family unit), but it is not an absolute, unlimited, slavish one. God has given us strategic positions of influence and assistance to our husbands and to our children.

John MacArthur accurately describes biblical submission as “voluntarily placing oneself under the authority of another.” A wife’s loving submission enhances the marital relationship. Voluntarily placing oneself under a husband’s leadership is not difficult to do when a godly husband would willingly die for his wife, just as Christ died for His church. A husband’s role to protect, to supply with all good, to provide comfortably and lovingly for his wife, according to his ability, sets the stage for a loving wife's voluntary deference. Love, springing from holy, sanctified (those set apart to God) hearts is not unkind or domineering, but is edifying and honoring to its participants and to God. As co-heirs in salvation, such subjection and sacrificial love toward one another honors God.

Scripture charges us older women (and men) with the teaching and discipling of younger ones. Do so with love and kindness. I know I have been amazed at just how much God has taught me through these youthful, beautiful, bright, tenderhearted, and God-seeking females. I have been particularly thankful for their insights, their openness, their willingness to learn and apply God’s principles, and their eagerness to help and love one another and me.

1. Bryan, William Jennings, ed. The World’s Famous Orations. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1906; New York: Bartleby.com, 2003. www.bartleby.com/268/. [December 9, 2010].