TITUS 2:3

In Titus chapter 2:2 the Bible had given instructions to Titus on what he should teach the older men. Here in Titus 2:3 we are told what should be taught to the older women. It says, “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.” The word of God applies to everyone. The older men were addressed specifically and now the older women are being addressed. No one is over the hill in the service of Christ. If you are still on the earth, then God has you here for a reason. Find out what that reason is. One reason is to grow in the knowledge of Christ and to become more like Him.

Women should be holy. That is a message that goes against the depraved teachings of the world. You will not find this teaching anywhere but in the Word of God. The world constantly emphasizes the physical appearance of a woman as being important. In great contrast to that, the Bible emphasizes the behavior of a woman: what kind of person that she is. This verse says that a woman should have a “behaviour as becometh holiness.” Make it your goal to become the type of person that God wants you to be, and not the type of person the world wants you to be.

Titus 2:3 gives three things that a woman must do or not do in order to have holy behavior. Christian women should not be “false accusers.” It is interesting that the word that is translated “false accusers” is translated from a word that is usually translated “devil.” The word devil means “accuser” or “slanderer.” Revelation 12:10 says concerning the devil, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” A woman who uses her tongue against others is not a holy woman. She is a devilish woman.

A holy woman is not a false accuser, and a holy woman is not given to much wine. Older Christian men were told to be “sober,” which is a reference to not being negatively affected by alcohol. Making a similar emphasis, older Christian women are to “not be given to much wine.” Anything that has a negative effect on a Christian’s behavior should be avoided at all cost. Some people will look at this verse and see that it says, “not be given to much wine”, and then assume that it means that only the abuse of alcohol is spoken of. But the only person who is one hundred percent assured of not abusing alcohol is the person who drinks none at all. Can anyone define how much is too much? How many mouths-full of an alcoholic beverage results in “much” alcohol? The alcoholic beverages of today contain a much higher alcohol content than did the wine of the first century, so there is an even greater reason to strictly interpret the teaching of Titus 2:3 in reference to the drinking of alcoholic beverages. Of course, there are other reasons to stay away from alcohol in addition to the reason given here: holy behavior. People do things that they should not do only because they are under the influence of alcohol or some other drug. Thousands of people a year are killed by “drunk” drivers and many more have terrible injuries. Not one alcoholic would have ever become an alcoholic if they had never taken that first drink, and there have been millions of alcoholics. Someone is wrong. The person that says, “Go ahead and take a few drinks. There is no harm in it as long as you do not abuse it.” Evidently that was not the case for millions of alcoholics, or for their many more millions of family members who endured lives of “living hells” because of alcohol. None of those sorrows and none of those “hells” would have happened if people would stay away from alcohol. You do not need alcohol. You need to learn to be at peace because of the good thoughts that you have between you and your Savior.

A holy woman is not a false accuser. A holy woman is not given to much wine. But a holy woman is a “teacher of good things.” This is a good verse to show that every Christian should be a teacher. In the Great Commission Jesus told all of His followers to be teachers. He said in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

There are many, many people in the world who teach bad things. They teach bad things by their life, by their words, and by their work. Often those who are older learn something that is bad and then teach it to those who are younger. That is one of the ways that evil is spread. There is nothing worse than teaching evil to someone who is pure and clean and innocent. That is why Jesus said in Mark 9:42, “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”

In order for the work of Christ to go forth on this earth, He needs people to teach good things to others. He needs the older generation to teach good things to the younger generation. A terrible situation will exist if the younger generation does not have the older to look up to and to learn from. The older Christian women should teach the younger Christian women. Titus 2:4 says, “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.” Interesting that the things mentioned in Titus 2:4 for the young women are the same things that were mentioned for the older men: to be sober and to love. Young women need to have a stable mind with sound judgment just as badly as older men. And young women also need to be reminded of the importance of love: specifically the importance of loving their husbands. One of the purposes of a Christian marriage is to reflect the love of Christ. Jesus Christ loves His followers. He gave you a person in marriage for the purpose of showing you how much he loves you. You are only being used by Christ in that relationship when you are showing His love to the one to whom you are married. If you can consistently show love to the sinful person to whom you are married, then you can show love to anyone. In Ephesians 5:25 the Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives.” Of course, the command to love is not limited to the husbands. That is why the young women are told to “love their husbands.” We need to be reminded of the importance of love, and we even need to be reminded of it in marriage.

Young Christian women are told to love their husbands and then to love their children. The most important thing that you can do for your children is to love them. They will eventually make their own choices in life, but if you have shown love to your children you will have fulfilled the most important of your God-given responsibilities toward the children that He has entrusted to your care. Everyone needs to be loved, and a child who is not being loved is missing the most vital of human needs. We live in the last days when far too many people do not have natural affection. Too often we hear of terrible things that some mother has done to her children. If only parents had more true love for their children, the world would be a better place; and there would be fewer tormented souls. Jesus loved children. He said in Mark 10:14, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” When God touches the hearts of people, normal family relationships are restored. Malachi 4:6 says, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Sometimes it is the parent who needs to be changed, and sometimes it is the child. Titus 2:4 is telling young Christian mothers to make sure that they have the proper kind of love for their own children.

Titus 2:5 has more things for young Christian women to be reminded of. It says, “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” The word that is translated “discreet” is actually the noun form of the verb that had been used in the previous verse that said that young Christian women should “be sober.” Young women should be actively thinking disciplined, controlled thoughts; and Christian young women should be individuals characterized by sound, controlled, sober thinking.

Young Christian women should be “chaste.” This word is also translated “pure” in the New Testament. The word stands for purity and cleanness in an ethical sense. There are many teachings of the world that give bad examples to young women on how to carry themselves in life. A Christian young woman should be ethically pure. She keeps her body only for her husband and no one else, and she knows how to dress herself and how to present herself even with her own body language and posture in order to project that fact.

The next admonishment for a young Christian woman goes along with the idea of being chaste: to be “keepers at home.” Notice first of all that the phrase “keepers at home” actually means “keepers of the home.” It does not mean that a Christian woman must stay at home all of the time, but it does mean that a Christian woman is responsible for the home. A Christian woman has responsibilities that have been given to her by the Lord. Everyone wants to know: “What does the Lord want me to do?” If you are a Christian woman, the Lord wants you to take care of your home. As we have already stated, that does not mean that a Christian woman will necessarily be at home all of the time, but it does mean that a Christian woman understands what her responsibilities are. It also does not mean that she has to do all of the housework, but she is responsible for seeing that it gets done. If she does not like to do it, then she can get someone else to do it. Proverbs 32:27 says of the godly woman, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.”

Young Christian women should be “obedient to their own husbands.” Obedience is an attitude more than anything else. The word that is translated “obedient” literally means “to arrange under.” If you are obedient in this way, then you are subject to the person in question. The same word is used in the New Testament to express the attitude that each believer should have towards God or towards governmental authorities. The same word is used in James 4:7 that says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” That being true, Christian husbands should also have an attitude of submission to their wives. We are supposed to be servants to everyone in our service to Christ.

The idea that a young Christian woman should be chaste goes against the teachings of the world. The teachings of the world especially through the music and entertainment industry and Hollywood are constantly teaching women to become loose or at least that appearance is more important than character. They are also teaching young women to be independent in a way that goes against this important truth that a woman should be in subjection to her husband. This does not mean that a woman should be a slave, and this does not mean that a husband has a right to give orders to his wife; but it does mean very clearly that for a Christian woman to serve God and Christ that she must accept of submission to her husband. The Word of God says that a Christian woman must be “obedient” to her husband “that the Word of God be not blasphemed.” The same word that is translated “obedient” is used in First Peter 3:5. First Peter 3:5-7 speaks of both the wife’s and the husband’s responsibility in marriage. It says, “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; who daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” The word “likewise” means that the men should also have an attitude of submission to their wives.

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