Elder Devotional Titus 2:2-5

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

I. Instructions to Older Men (2).

Older men are to exhibit a certain quality of character. This is not necessarily instruction regarding the office of an Elder but the type of character that mature Christian men are to exhibit.

They are to be sober-minded: This may include the idea of being moderate when it comes to alcohol consumption but it is more likely being used metaphorically. It would denote the idea of being level headed and not being given to whims of emotion that would direct one to be unrestrained in their conduct (BAGD).

They are to be dignified: This denotes the idea of being worthy of respect or honor (BAGD).

They are to be self-controlled: Pertains to being in control of oneself, prudent, thoughtful, self controlled. In ancient Hellenism it meant to be in avoidance of extremes and to be focused on careful consideration for responsible action (BAGD).

They are to be sound in the faith: Their belief system should be free from error and display a spiritual health (BAGD).

They are to be sound in love: Their actions should display a warm regard for others and their interest (BAGD).

They are to be sound in steadfastness: The capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance (BAGD).

Why do you think it is good instruction for older men? How would it help the church when it comes to discipleship?

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

II. Instructions to Older Women (3-5).

Older women, like the older men, are also to exhibit a certain quality of character.

They are to be reverent in behavior: This same word was often used to describe the conduct and behavior of a priest. In this case is is describing the spiritual devotion of an older Christian woman in her devotion and fear of the Lord (BAGD).

They are not to be slanderers: We get our English word “diabolical” from this Greek term. It denotes the idea of speaking evil or making accusations of towards someone (BAGD).

They are not to be slaves to much wine: This denotes the idea of being addicted to wine (BAGD).

They are to teach what is good: This phrase is one word in Greek that pulls from other words to for one that is compounded. The good that Paul has in mind is connected to what follows in how they are to instruct younger women. These are the things that the Apostle Paul considers “good”.

They are to instruct the younger women in the church to love their husbands and children

They are to instruct the younger women in the church to be self controlled.

They are to instruct the younger women in the church to be pure (exhibit holiness).

They are to instruct the younger women in the church to work at home.

This is not a prohibition for women to work outside the home. But it is instruction to carry out household responsibilities and duties (BAGD).

They are to instruct the younger women in the church to be kind.

They are to instruct the younger women in the church to be submissive to their husbands.

The goal in the end is that they are not to exhibit such conduct that would cause someone to speak in a disrespectful way that demeans, denigrates or maligns the word of God (BAGD).

Is this still practical in our current day in our egalitarian culture?