Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 26:17
Like my post on 1 Timothy, I love the practical wisdom that
Paul imparts to his fellow worker, Titus. Having condemned the false teachers
in the passage previous, Paul doesn’t just leave it at that. He tells Titus to
not just reject the false theology but rather to set a system in place to
perpetuate solid theological teaching
(Titus 2:1). Part of that system is that the older generations teach the younger ones
how to live faithfully. I love this model and when I see it working (like with
the international organization MOPS of which I am a part) it makes me so happy.
I did find a verse or two in this passage troubling, though.
Were you struck by the instructions for how the younger women are to be
“working at home…that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5)? What does he
mean, “working at home” and what does it mean for God’s word to be
reviled? What’s the connection?
As always when I’m confused, I turn to a trusted commentary.
Today I pulled out Guthrie’s work on the Pastoral
Epistles as part of the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries set. (As a side
note, if you don’t have a commentary, think about adding that to your Christmas
wish list this year!) I found his analysis helpful, as I wanted answers. You
see, I worked outside the home before we had kids and even now work part time,
and it’s not just for the money. I enjoy the work and often feel glad to have
something to do that doesn’t have to do with mothering. So how do I reconcile
that with the passage we read today?
The Greek word in question here is oikourgous, which means “workers at home” or “domestic.” And I
think we can all agree that regardless of our work status (or even family
status), it’s a good thing to be a worker at home, for whatever amount of time
you are at home. God’s word is calling us as women, not to abandon all work
outside the home, but to make sure that our work at home does still happen,
that we strive to make the place we live homey and comfortable and a place our
family wants to be. I can live with that!
But I was still troubled about the statement, “that the word
of God may not be reviled.” What’s the connection there, between women being
good workers at home (and the other qualities listed in the same verse) and the reputation of the word of God? Again, Guthrie was helpful. He says that not living
out these qualities (working at home, being self-controlled, etc.) “would be a
denial of the gospel they professed to believe. It would be an affront to the
Christian message, suggesting that some women, emancipated by the gospel, were
abusing their new-found liberty in ways which were not approved in contemporary
society” (pg. 206). Again, that makes sense. In today’s world, if I abuse the
fact that I’m saved by grace and just live however I want, that’s not going to
make the gospel appealing to non-believers. If I’m out there saying I believe
in a God who is love, but I can’t love my neighbor and instead complain
constantly about their barking dog and talk badly about them to my other
neighbors, then God’s word is tarnished, reviled, maligned. I know that’s not
the message we want to communicate!
Help us, Lord, to live
out the faith that we claim. We thank you for your grace in the times we fail
and we pray for your wisdom and strength as we seek to be good representations
of you and your word in this world. Amen.
- Esther McCurry
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