In the last three blogs, we have seen what are the roles of Older Women in the church. We have seen some characteristics of how they ought to behave as older Christian Women.
Here is a review:
First, older women ought to be reverent in their behavior (Titus 2:3).
Second, older women are not to be malicious gossips (Titus 2:3).
Third, older women are not to be enslaved to much wine (2:3b).
And now -
Fourth, older women are to be known for teaching what is good (Titus 2:3c).
Teaching what is good is simply teaching things that are noble, holy and godly. In other words, teaching the things of God. You see, the idea is this: Now that they are older, and now that they have in their younger years taught and trained up their own children, teach now the younger women in the church. So then, their teaching and training ministry is not over with since their children are raised and gone. They still carry a vital teaching role. They now can direct their efforts to teaching the younger women.
In fact, that is precisely what Paul says in the very next verse: Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to 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 – vv. 4-5.
The word “encourage” means “to cause someone to be of sound mind and to have self-control.” It is closely related to the word “sensible” (1:8; 2:5). The idea is for the older women to help the younger women in the church to cultivate good judgment and sensibilities.
To encourage is merely another way of instructing others in the Word of God. And what better people to instruct than those who are younger in the church. Younger women need godly examples.
Of course there is a strong debate on whether women in general are permitted to teach and have authority over men in the church (see 1 Tim. 2:12). This is a sensitive subject worth a series of blogs that will be one day forthcoming. But one thing is certain and there is no debate: Older women should have a teaching ministry especially among the younger women in the church. When godly Christian older women hold back from teaching the younger women in the church, the body of Christ will suffer for it.
