In some Christian circles around the blogosphere there is this idea of ‘Biblical Womanhood,’ which comes across as a sort of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 theology for Christian women, whereby women seek to encourage and influence other women to believe and practice that their only sphere for true godly living is in the home.
But let’s examine the main passage they use to restrict women to be a homemaker only.
“…teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” –Titus 2:3-5
First of all, I want to say that some of these women influencers tend to ‘slander’ other women as disobedient to Christ or not loving God enough to obey Him.
Second, they teach as though women are only called to teach younger women to be busy at home, and to love their husbands and children. But that alone is not what the passage says. It says to teach “…What is Good…” They tend to fail in recognizing that everything in the Bible is Good.
So women can teach the whole council of God!
Thirdly, I want to point out that they train the younger women *who are married*… to love their husbands and children. This does not mean also cause the unmarried women to feel ashamed, or to tell them to wait for God to bring them a husband, and that they should only aspire to be a homemaker!
Single women can stay single and embrace it and serve the Lord wherever they wish.
Fourth, to live wisely and be pure. Wisdom requires experience in living genuinely devoted to God and His truth; not just to His people-helpers! Also, bible study coupled with prayer and probably other books to help grow the noggin, in my opinion. Purity of both body and mind comes from renewing the mind with God’s Word.
Fifth. To work in their homes doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get a job outside the home. By all means get one if you want/need one! It only means when you are home try to keep it tidy whether you train your kids to help you or not. That’s what I think. And there’s nothing wrong asking hubby to help. Also be teaching your kids about God somehow.
Five. To do good. Well, the Bible teaches us what is good. Plus, I think we know innately what is good. Well, at least you probably know what is bad… So, we can do the opposite!
Six. Be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. I read how in Greco-Roman culture it was a patriarchal society and they would use the Aristotelian household codes. So if you are a Christian woman you are told to submit to your husband so that the outsiders wouldn’t speak against the Christians or their Message. So that was the purpose of telling women to submit to their husbands; to show proper etiquette for that culture, so they wouldn’t offend people that would otherwise consider Christian women heathens for not appearing submissive to their husbands.
We still submit because it is good to do so in ways that honor God. But husbands equally submit to wives. But that’s for another post!
Anyway, that’s my take on Titus 2. That’s the way I choose to interpret it because that’s the way it makes more sense with all of scripture, in my experience, and with the help of bible scholars and some history.
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