The Younger Christian Woman

This is continued from yesterday's post.

That which the older women were to teach the younger women is given in the next section,



"The Younger Christian Woman"

The older women were to teach (admonish, train) the younger women in the following:

  1. to love (phileo) their husbands (it’s not a matter of falling in love but it’s a matter of LEARNING to LOVE). “It includes the myriad ways in which she can show that she really respects him—by acknowledging his headship in the home, by making no major decisions apart from him, by keeping an orderly home, by paying attention to personal appearance, by living within their means, by confessing promptly, by forgiving graciously, by keeping the lines of communication always open, by refraining from criticizing or contradicting her husband in front of others and by being supportive when things go wrong” (W. MacDonald)
  2. to love (phileo) their children: “by reading and praying with them, by being at home when they return from school or play, by disciplining firmly and fairly, and by molding them for the Lord’s service rather than for the world” (MacDonald)
  3. discreet (sober-minded, self-controlled, see the same word in v.2-“temperate”)
  4. chaste (pure, faithful to their husbands and avoiding impurity in thought, word and action)
  5. keepers at home (working at home, domestic): “Older women should inculcate the high honor of serving the Lord in the home as a wife and mother rather than working in industry and business in such a way that would neglect the home and family” (MacDonald)
  6. good (how to live for others, to be hospitable, gracious, generous, not self-centered)
  7. obedient to their own husbands. All of this so that “the Word of God be not blasphemed” (be spoken against; lit. “injurious speech”). This is the opposite of v.10 where God’s doctrine is adorned. Depending on how we live, God’s truth will either be adorned or blasphemed.