Daily Thoughts from Titus: Households and Missions (4)

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.  (Titus 2:1-10 ESV)

What is in accord with sound doctrine is holy living, and Paul gives Titus a kind of check list of characteristics for holy living in each age category and position in the normal household of that day.

Older Men:  Demonstrate serious thinking about life, act with dignity befitting age, show self-control and model faith, love and perseverance.

Older Women:  Also demonstrate reverence for God and control of one’s appetite, especially in regards to wine.  They are to be teachers of the younger women(Timothy could teach the older women in this culture but not the younger women).

Younger Women:  Love your husbands and children, exercise self-control and purity.  Care for your household diligently.  Show kindness and submissiveness to your husbands.

Younger Men:  Be self-controlled, model good works, teach with integrity and dignity.

Bondservants:  Be submissive to your masters, pleasing them with your work.  Don’t always argue back, don’t steal from them, but rather show good faith.

All of this is calculated to show that the gospel leads to the kind of living that no one would normally slander.  Poor behavior reflects on God and the message of the gospel.  But if people oppose us simply because of our faith, not our behavior, they will be put to shame.

Paul’s instructions are not about making sure men were in charge.  They are about accomplishing the mission of reaching the world with this gospel.  Christianity was about giving up one’s status as one’s value.  Men didn’t find value by being in charge and commanding others.  This made Christianity suspect to most.  That was a huge social change point that could lead to social upheaval.  So Paul instructs the church through Timothy to subordinate themselves to the mission and conduct their households and themselves with a godliness that cannot be slandered.

Our current insistence among many believers that women be kept from positions of leadership is not only contrary to the spirit of the gospel but leads to the very kind of slander against the church that Paul was seeking to prevent.  In his day, demanding one’s rights to freedom would bring harm to the gospel.  Today, in western cultures, demanding women’s subservience to men is doing the same thing.  It is not about vaunting any particular view of men and women but about serving the mission of the gospel.

 

[for further reading see “Household: Household Code in Titus” by Michael Kruse]