Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good,The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
4 sermons cite this verse
… Titus chapter 2 is talking about things that are proper, things that fit sound doctrine. And among them is a word to the women in verse 3 to 5, older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good. Is there a place for women teaching in the church? Of course. Of course. They are to be reverent in their behavior and teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women." So older women teach the young women to do what? To love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored. And again, it comes back to what kind of testimony you give. If you're going to show that the gospel transformed you, you can't be a rebellious wife. That's not going to communicate the grace of Christ having transformed a heart. This is an emphatic statement of the function of a wife. …
… Elders cannot be those who are alongside wine. And Titus 2.3 even says of older ladies, they're not to be those who are much enslaved to wine. Very dramatic collection of words. The point is those who are leaders, those who are spiritually responsible, mature women in the church are not to be alongside wine. They're not to settle in as drinkers, those who are leaders, those who are arbiters, those who are mediators, those who are truth teachers, those who have to display wisdom. Thank you. We can't have any lack of mental clarity. So the best choice, you ask the best choice? Well, the wine they drank isn't the same, but even then the best choice was none. The wine today is highly alcoholic, comparatively speaking. That's not the best choice at all. So, is it the same? No. Is it necessary? No. Is it the best? No. A fourth question. Is it habit-forming? I think you know the answer to that, but let me show you a Scripture, 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Corinthians 6, 12. …
Pressure was really great. In Titus 2.3, it talks about taking care of older women, and it says you can take care of older women, the church can take care of older women who are not to be lingering long beside their wine. was a staple drink. The water was bad. They drank wine, but they didn't linger long there because they knew the implications of that. And the church is even told, you don't have a responsibility to care for a widow who is a drunken widow. Proverbs 20, verse 1 says, "'Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoever is deceived by them is not wise.'" You want to walk wisely? Be wise about consuming alcohol. Now, I want you to go to Proverbs chapter 23 for a moment. And I'll say a lot more about this next week, so if I leave some stones unturned, we'll cover that next time. But in Proverbs 23, Verse 19. Listen, my son, and be wise." Here we are again with this connection between wisdom and not being drunk. …
… Titus chapter 2, beginning verse 3. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children to be sensible, pure, workers at home kind, being subject to their own husbands so that the word of God will not be dishonored. We don't like that. You don't have to tell me. I know we don't like that. I know we hear that and we think, oh man, that's just so old-fashioned. That's just so oppressive. That's just this. That's just that. That's the word. Teach these younger women, please, teach them to love their husbands, to love their children, to be pure, sensible, to be workers at home, keepers at home. Teach them, please, to be subject to their own husbands. Why? So that the word of God will not be dishonored. Because when we pursue our picture of marriage and not the biblical picture of marriage, we dishonor the word of God. …