The Titus 2 Woman

The Titus 2 Woman wasn't a specific woman, but is instead an archetype for us to learn from and imitate.

Introduction

Notice that while these women are called to refrain from excessive drinking, they are not called to strict sobriety. I point this out as a reminder that while sobriety is to be praised, it is not a requirement. A drink here and there is not wrong.

The Titus 2 woman isn't an actual woman, but a description of how older women in the church should be have. She is to be a mentor to younger women by showing a specific set of traits: reverent behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. The following objectives are set for these mentors:

• to teach what is good
• encourage "young" women to love their husbands and children
• encourage self control
• encourage purity
• encourage women to be workers at home
• encourage kindness and submission to husbands

Questions

About the Passage

1. Are these instructions for all "older" women or only leaders? Or married women?
2. How old is "older"? How young is "younger"?
3. What does it mean to be reverent in behavior?
   • Reverent to whom?
   • Are the traits and actions that follow a definition of reverent behavior or seperate ideas?
4. What is considered excessive drinking?
   • Is this simply the point of drunkness (would vary per person)?
   • Is it about perception (would vary in different groups of people and cultures)?
   • Is it about frequency (e.g., is a glass of wine a day excessive)?
   • Does the phrase "slave to" imply addiction?
5. Who are they teaching?
   • Does this contradict Paul saying women shouldn't teach in 1 Timothy 2:12?
6. Why do younger women need to be encouraged to love their husband or children?
   • Is it not a natural instinct to love your husband or children?
7. What is the context?
   • Who was the letter to?
   • What was their culture?
8. What does it mean to be pure?
9. Is there significance in the fact that both male and female are told to be self-controlled?
10. Does workers at home mean only work at home or is this in addition to other work?
    • Is this instruction to help out at home or instruction to manage all the housework?
    • Were women told to do this because the men were doing it and needed help? Or was no one doing it?
11. Why are there more instructions for women?
12. Are both men and women inspiring the young or only women?

If I could meet her...

I had an aunt who acted as the Titus 2 woman for me (you can listen to (or read the transcript of) my interview with her on the podcast.[1] So in that regard, I did get to meet and talk to the Titus 2 woman! I have been fortunate to have women of every generation active in my life: I had grandmothers, aunts, older cousins, slightly older friends, and peers. They all shaped who I am today. To be honest, my question would be if I am doing my part in following their lead? Am I encouraging younger women and being active in their lives? Am I aging gracefully into a Titus 2 woman?

Word Studies

In the question section above, I asked some questions about specific phrases and what they actually mean. As such I looked up the Greek phrases and did some digging to try to get a more concrete view of what each phrase might mean.

Reverent Behavior

The word translated to reverent is only used in this verse! Strong's says it is the same as a word that can mean suitable/propper, but could also mean to stand out or be conspicuous (which seems to be the opposite of reverent in my mind). The english word reverent, however, means to show a deep and solemn respect.

Not Slanderers

The greek word here is diabolos, which immediately made me think "satan" and that's actually pretty close to what it means. It means to be an accuser, slanderer or devil. It is often used to mean "a gossip" but I think it extends deeper than this. God is calling us to uplift people rather than accuse them of things.

Not Slaves to Excessive Drinking

The questionable words in this phrase (for me) were slave and excessive. These words are douloo and polys, respectively. The word translated "slave" means in bondage to. This is a call to be in control of our decisions and able to moderate our behavior (and consumption). The second word means much or abundant. This implies a small amount of controlled drinking is accpetable. The line to be drawn must be provided by the Holy Spirit.

Teacher

Instructions are given to teach what is "good." The greek here is a compound of a word meaning teacher and a word meaning good. The word translated to teacher is actually applied to Messiah on my occasions in the New Testament.

There's a lot to be said about the church's treatment of the concept of purity, especially as it pertains to women. We'll save that for it's own discussion.

Pure

The aforementioned traits are to inspire young women to be "pure." The word used here actually could mean modest, perfect, chaste, clean, or pure. The dictionary definition of pure is "free from contamination."

Phototheology

Phototheology is a way of learning the Bible taught by Ivor Myers.[2] I am employing this technique in my weekly Woman of God study journal. The following three prompts are the ones I drew from the card deck while studying the Titus 2 Woman.

How can we find Messiah in the text or story?

Messiah is our example that encourages and inspires us. In this passage, women are asked to perform this same function for those younder than us. At the core, it is a call to be like our Messiah.

Translate the text into a mental image

The imagine that comes to my mind when i read this passage is a group of older women in a circle with younger women. In many ways I see a memory from my own life, of me and my cousins sitting under an oak tree with my aunt and grandmother telling us stories as we picked peanuts from the plants harvested that year.

In which new Heaven, new Earth cycle is the text found? What is the significance?

This passage is found leading up to the final new Heaven/Earth. This is significant because it is our last chance to get this right. The key to the passage is not just about how one should act for their own salvation, but how an individual's action can (and should) affect others. The author is telling older women that they are "influncers." We—the Church—are meant to be proclaiming the Gospel through our actions, which will help usher in the new Heaven and new Earth.

Journal Pages

Journal pages on the Titus 2 Woman from June 2-10, 2025

References and Footnotes

1. Ree Hughes. "Woman of God Interview #1". PSALMS to God. January 25, 2025
2. Pastor Ivor Myers' Phototheology Game Deck