Titus 2:5 clearly teaches that the older women are to teach the younger women. In this context, older women are to admonish the young women to “love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands.” The Greek word sophronizo translated “admonish” in the NKJV and “teach” in the KJV means, “to make of sound mind, i.e. (figuratively) to discipline or correct.”
Many times when we think of the older women teaching the younger, we think of a formal Bible class where an elder’s wife or one of the older ladies prepares lessons and teaches the younger ladies. This is a useful tool in teaching, and I encourage this type of setting. Younger ladies, if your congregation has a Ladies’ Bible Class, you are expected, even commanded, to be there according to Titus 2:5 and Hebrews 11:25. A side benefit of a formal Ladies’ Bible Class is the fellowship of women gathered together to encourage and uplift one another.
A formal classroom setting is not the only venue for older women teaching younger women. We teach by our example, our manner of speech, our behavior, our dress, our attitude, etc. We can teach one to one with an open Bible. We can also teach in casual conversations. Our opportunities to teach are everywhere – we just need to seize them.
The formal classroom setting is straight forward. We study Bible passages possibly with the aid of a class book with a teacher lecturing the students or having class discussions and hopefully making a modern day application for each one present.
The one on one study is a little different. It is less formal and more intimate. The topics discussed may be of a more personal nature – something not discussed in a large group – something with which the younger woman is struggling or perhaps a sin she needs to correct. The younger women in this situation are more likely to listen to older women if there is a relationship already in place. A young woman is not going to go to an older woman about a problem in her life if her only association with the older woman is a greeting before or after worship. Unfortunately within most congregations, the older women spend time with those in their age group and the younger with those of their age. Thus, the young women are gathering advice from their peers instead of from those who have experienced similar trials.
If we want to be useful servants of God and fulfill the command in Titus 2:5 – older women teach the younger women – we need to continually prepare ourselves for the task. One way to better prepare is to develop a relationship with all the women of the congregation – young and old. A young mother struggling with her children will more likely listen to the advice from someone with whom she has a relationship, rather than from someone she only casually knows.
We cannot ignore God’s command that the older women teach the younger women. As we look about, we can always find someone younger than ourselves to teach. I admonish young and older women to reach out to those in your congregation to encourage and uplift one another. Younger women, you can teach the older ladies how to use the modern technical gadgets as tools in God’s kingdom and help keep the older ladies feeling young!
