“…the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things…” Titus 2:3.

“…that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” Titus 2:4-5.

The opening verse Titus 2:3 has been added to maintain context, this post will focus on Titus 2:4-5 concerning young women.

“…that they admonish the young women…” the King James Version renders this, “…that they may teach [or train] the young women…” one dictionary definition of admonish is, “to urge or exhort (someone to do something)”.

It is interesting to note that Titus 2:1-5 is all one sentence. So, older women are to teach or train young women the things that follow in verses 4 and 5.

Older women need to teach young women “to love their husbands, to love their children”. The words “to love their husbands” means to be affectionate as a wife.

The admonition to “love their children” is a curiosity though. The Greek wording however, means to be duly parental, which is self-explanatory.

The words, “love their children” seemed odd because since most women have a maternal instinct and love their children this seemed silly advice, but when you realize that it means teach them to be, “duly parental”, this opens a whole new area wherein women love their children.

Older women can teach younger women how to care for a child, cleaning them, feeding them, changing them, the basics. But what if one child is handicapped and the other is whole and bright eyed, will the mother love one more than the other.

Favoritism ruins both children. What should one do, what if a young woman adopts a child out of desperation, then has a baby? Favoritism ruins both children. An older woman might give the young woman guidance that could save a family.

Older women are to admonish younger women “to be discreet”. Some words to describe “discreet” are modest, sensible, prudent, circumspect. A young lady like this would be modest and one who thinks before she speaks or acts.

These women must learn to be “chaste”. A chaste woman does not use profane language, is pure, innocent, and blameless in character.

Older women must teach these women how to be “homemakers”. Before we continue let us consider the trigger word homemaker. Homemaker was not always a demeaning title; women did not sit at home and think “Why am I doing all the junk while my husband has it easy at work?”

In a normal household it was understood that the men do the grunt work including repairs around the home, and the wife does her grunt work, washing, cleaning, cooking, and perhaps most of the child rearing. Nobody is anyone’s slave; it is a division of labor period.

Nothing is perfect, this system does not always work flawlessly so there are arguments which can cause reassessments and compromises (especially in a Christian home).

Sometimes the father will say “God made me the head of the house you will all do as I say!”

There are men who are fortunate enough to have a loving wife and good children who idolize him, yet he mistakes this for weakness and uses them for doormats, driving every vestige of love for him out of them.

Husbands and wives always remember this:

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24.

Not a boot and doormat.

A boot and doormat is the image the feminists love to propagate about homemakers. Weak women who kowtow to their husband’s every need and become so spineless that homemakers are no different than one who scrubs toilets in a public restroom.

Real women are CEOs in huge corporations and if the corporation does not hire enough women, the feminist world will come down on them like a ton of bricks.

Feminism has ruined marriages, children, confused many women who wasted their time trying to embrace this philosophy, driven others to exhaustion while trying to live out the superwoman fantasy, and brought hopelessness to many others who lost their children.

I am not concerned with feminism, but I am concerned with the denigration of the task and the art of homemaking.

If your mother or grandmother was a legendary cook it is because they worked hard at their art and attempted to make their home a pleasant place to be. Do not let some stranger come along and spew vomit over all their memories.

Older women should admonish young women to be “good”. The word good refers to being kind, upright, virtuous.

Young women must be “obedient to their own husbands”. Again, the feminists have made this a trigger phrase. After all, “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.”

Again, this demonic philosophy seeks to ruin God’s plans by making it appear as though God created men to dominate, and women to be trodden down underfoot! This is a lie and a slander against God, such villainy!

“…and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24b.

What part of one flesh is too hard to comprehend? There is no boot and doormat, there is only love, harmony, and compassion, yes, and arguments, selfishness, and bitterness, because we live in a sinful world which seeks to destroy those who love each other.

Never, ever forget your first love that brought you together, never throw away the gift God gave you. Remember, the grass on the other side may look greener, but it just might be loco weed.

Turning aside from the negative, let us examine the phrase “obedient to their own husbands”. Bearing in mind that the husband and wife are one flesh, which would mean that the thing the wife is obedient to would be something which would help them through a crisis or be of benefit to them and the family.

The J.B. Phillips Version of the New Testament puts this phrase in a lovely way. Wives should be “willing to adapt themselves to their husbands”, this sounds more like a husband and wife who are “one flesh”.

There is one word missing from the Phillips Translation that is extremely important, the proper translation tells wives the following, they are to be “obedient to their own husbands”.

I want every wife to remember this always, wives are to be obedient, or subject to their own husbands, your own husband, not the pastor, the pastor’s wife, not to an elder nor the elder’s wife.

However, always treat those in authority with the utmost respect when you lovingly refer them to your husband.

You are to be obedient to your own husband, no one else’s husband.

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:22.

“Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24.

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.” Colossians 3:18-19.

“Likewise you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives…” 1 Peter 3:1.

“For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands…” 1 Peter 3:5.

This does not mean you can disobey known church rules, or be obnoxious, or opinionated.

These verses 4 and 5 have urged you to be loving to your family, discreet, chaste, and good, these qualities should guide your interactions with other folks.

Often someone will approach you and say, “I think your husband should do this, or that.” Your reply might be, “It would be best for you to discuss that with my husband yourself.”

Folks will approach the wife to give their advice for the husband because it is easier than it is to speak to the husband face to face.

Maybe someone will come up to you and say, “I think it is inappropriate for you to hold up your hands while praying or singing.” You might reply, “Perhaps you should take that up with my husband it’s his decision.”

Always be polite, do not argue, and always defer to your husband.

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1.

Women who are imbued with these qualities will gain great respect. And more so those who are subject to their own husbands.

“…that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” Titus 2:5b.

Women are not God’s after-thought, they have great potential to glorify God and Jesus Christ our Savior.

Quiet Witness, Part 2 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 11-20-24 ck.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.