Greetings sisters!
I hope you are all fearing God and pressing on over trials, not compromising, for God's glory.
A few days ago I wrote an introduction to the Titus 2 woman and said I wanted to go through it and study it some more. (If you haven't read my post, you can find it here first.). Today I want to do the next bit and further study this.
There's probably more than 101 ways that we sisters could look at this Titus 2 subject and I could write about it but I did it this way and I hope it can clarify it all for us. It does that for me probably just as much if not more than it might you the reader. I do hope it can bless someone.
I thought that today I would look at the "aged women" (as it is so translated in the KJV). These are to be examples to and teachers of the younger women. To be honest, I don't really know if I am worthy or qualified to speak on this but it's in God's Word and I myself am striving to be a godly mature older woman (in time) and of course there is no reason for any woman not to strive to be those things also. Remember this is sound doctrine.
I believe it mostly refers to a woman's physical age as she would have hopefully learned a lot over the years, learned all the lessons of life sometimes the hard way, and be well grounded in the faith but it could also refer to any mature wise woman who has been in the faith a while even if she isn't really old.
So I thought the next logical thing to examine in "this series" of you like would be the one who is to be teaching before we get to the next section of what they are to be teaching the younger. And I guess teaching can be actual teaching and guidance but also what is observed through seeing how a mature godly woman behaves in all her ways and words...and also seeing what she doesn't do. And of course they will have to be teaching without hypocrisy. So they will be already faithful and obedient to God's commands.
Today, generation after generation are growing more foolish and evil. So there may not be much wisdom left in the worldly aged these days and especially in generations to come. That is sad but we know the world is fading away and going downhill into great darkness. But among the saints there ought to be wisdom because of God's Word, and remember the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If people don't fear God then they are foolish.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
Proverbs 9:10
But moving on to this Titus 2 aged woman.
What does the Word say she should be like?
So that verse follows on from this one. "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience." (Titus 2:2)
And we see some of those things taught specifically for women elsewhere. Those are qualities that all saints should have.
We see something similar in this scripture as well (for the wife of a deacon).
"Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things."
1 Timothy 3:11
"grave" meaning...
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"1 Timothy 2:9
The aged woman of Titus 2 doesn't sound dissimilar to this either.
"Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work."
1 Timothy 5:9-10
Moving on to verse 3 of Titus 2. The "aged women" are to...
"be in behaviour as becometh holiness"
I wrote about how Paul is teaching sound doctrine here. And then the characteristics following lay out what is fitting for a woman claiming holiness in Christ. It is her whole life and how she lives it. All she does must be appropriate for one living for a holy, holy, holy God and with the Holy Spirit within; a woman who is first born again and obeying the gospel.
"behaviour" meaning...
"as becometh holiness" means...
And the things following are what those things are...
"not false accusers"
"not given to much wine"
That is self explanatory really. We know from multiple scriptures that drunkenness is sin, as well as lack of self control and instead walking in the flesh and letting things control us.
"given" means...
"teachers of good things"
"That they may teach the young women" (vs 4)
Teaching and passing on wisdom and guidance to the younger women is to be what all godly older/mature women do as it is sound doctrine and what is becoming of a holy woman of God.
Lord willing, soon, I shall be back with the next section from Titus 2 to ponder...and not only ponder but do it and put it into actions in our lives. I was thinking about that great chapter of faith, Hebrews 11...and the people always DID something to show or confirm their faith. May we be likewise.
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
James 1:22
But I hope each of you will look into these things and study deep in God's Word. These days with technology you can find information on what the original Greek words mean etc so that can help a lot.
Well that is about it from me. I hope and pray you sisters are all striving to be a good example to the believers and the lost and striving daily for truth and right.
"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"
Philippians 2:15
I leave you with a bunch of roses...
Love in Christ,
...from a daughter of God
See the gospel to eternal life here.