Good morning, five minute families. This past Sunday our pastor preached out of Titus 2. He focused on the fact that we all have a role to play in church. We aren’t characters acting out our parts. We are God’s children each functioning in the way God created in this life.

Jim was teasing me after church about my being in the older women (or, as the KJV words it, “aged women” category). Our son’s girlfriend admonished Jim to stop, but I told her that just like I wear my gray and silver hair with pride, I am ok with claiming that I am, indeed, now an “aged woman.” So, when I couldn’t decide what to write this week for us to discuss, Jim suggested we focus on the older woman’s role from Titus 2 in our biblical community.

From the Christian Standard Bible, Titus 2:3-5 reads, “In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.”

Let’s break down those parts and discuss them in greater detail. The first is that we older women are to be reverent in behavior. I started thinking, what does it really mean to be reverent in behavior? Some other translations state it as “behave as those who love the Lord should.” The DRA translation which is over 100 years old and was translated in a literal manner for accuracy words it as being “in holy attire.”

Attire is typically a more formal clothing; older women are to be clothed in holiness as Colossians 3:12-14 details, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. 14 Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

The second behavior we older women are to focus on is to not be slanderers. That isn’t a word used often in our society today. So, in other words, we older women must not say bad things about other people; we should not gossip. The KJV says we must not be “malicious gossips.” We must apply Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips,” so that we never falsely accuse someone.

The third behavior detailed in this is for older women to be “not slaves to excessive drinking.” Now, we aren’t here to discuss whether someone chooses to be a teetotaler or not, but we know based on numerous Scripture that no one is to have the habit of drinking too much alcohol. The tendency toward addiction is weighty, so it is imperative to remember what Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, beer a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”

The fourth behavior listed in verse 3 is to “teach what is good.” Other translations put this as being eager to teach what is good, as our needing to be examples of virtue, teachers of good things, teachers of honesty, and examples of the good life. From Mark 10 verse 18, we know from Jesus himself that “God alone is good,” so to fulfill this behavior we are to teaching about God at every opportunity. We can point back to His word in every day life, we can give Him glory for the good He has done in our lives, and we can study more about Him so that we can practice good works in honor of that gift he gave us through Jesus’s death on the cross.

The final behavior comes in verse 4, older women are to encourage younger women. There are specifics listed after that as to what an older woman can focus on in her encouragement, but ultimately, the point is to apply 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

You know, Proverbs 31 describes the example of what a woman should aspire to be in life, but Titus 2 points out how we all have learning and growing to do, and if we share our experiences, we can build up a strong and beautiful biblical community. An older woman in God’s community is to be reverent, sincere, and honorable, so that all the other roles in the community can receive her encouragement.

Thank you for joining us today. Be blessed!