THE FEMINIST ADDITIONS TO TITUS 2 by Lori Alexander

“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober (most of the time), to love their husbands (if they make them happy), to love their children (which includes leaving their children all day so they can have a career), to be discreet (this doesn’t mean they can’t do what they want to do), chaste (but living with their boyfriend before marriage is okay), keepers at home (but they still can have careers), obedient to their own husbands (only if their husbands love them as Christ loves the Church), that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:3-5)

This is how feminist-minded women want me to teach biblical womanhood. I often hear, “Why do you only tell what a woman’s role is? What about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the Church?” and “You’re a woman hater!”

According to God, women are to be sober at all times. They are to love their husbands even if their husbands don’t make them “happy.” (As believers, happiness is not what we strive after but walking in the Spirit and obeying God are our goals in life.) Women are to love their children enough to sacrifice whatever it takes in order to be the ones home raising them, if at all possible, and we know with the Lord that all things are possible. They are to be feminine and discreet in everything including breastfeeding. They are to be keepers at home and this is where their work is to be done. All of these are God’s commands not mine.

Wives are commanded to be “obedient to their own husbands.” Period. There are no qualifications or exceptions given in this verse so I teach young women to be obedient to their husbands since they need to focus upon this more than what submission doesn’t mean. (Of course, we must take the Bible as a whole and know that God’s will overrides a husband’s will.) I will never teach them that their husbands should love them like Christ loves the church since wives have no control over their husband’s behavior.

What benefit is there for women teaching this any ways? If a wife will only obey her husband if he loves her as Christ loved the Church, she then becomes the judge and jury towards her husband. “Is he loving me as Christ loved the Church? Of course not, therefore, I refuse to obey him.” No husband is perfect and having expectations about how a husband is to treat her makes for bad marriages. She needs to focus upon herself and make sure that she is obeying the Lord with a meek and quiet spirit while the Holy Spirit works mightily within her.

The way God worded the verses above, He made it clear that wives are to focus upon their own behavior and not try to convict or change their husband’s. It’s not their job. It’s their job to work on loving and obeying their husband, loving their children, becoming discreet, chaste, sober, good, and keepers at home.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22

There is nothing biblical about going to college so let’s just get that out of the way. There’s no command that tells women that they must get a job or even make money. Yes, there are examples of women who made money in the Bible but no commands from God that women are required to make money. Women going to college and making money are not biblical concepts so let’s not try to say that they are or are of any value to God.

Women have told me that college makes better mothers. Is this true? I don’t believe so at all. All that is required of a mother to be a good mother is for her to love her children deeply, sacrifice for them, and want to be the one who raises them full time.

The colleges teach women nothing about biblical womanhood (how to be a good wife and mother). In fact, even the Christian colleges teach women more about how to be a feminist: how to be independent, how to make money, and how women don’t need a man. This was true even many years ago when I attended a Christian college. As believers in Jesus Christ, this is not what we are commanded to learn. We are taught to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ and then if we get married, to depend upon our husband’s protection and provision. - Lori A.

I like to think this chapter sums up the OT teaching concerning the role of females in society.

If one reads the OT - and later the Gospels and Acts -and observe the role of women you will find they were very active serving people in their family, their community. Proverbs 31 wraps it up nicely where the writer details the work a female can do - in fact it almost makes me tired to read this list.

I find life as a female a delight and a pleasure, enhanced by being married to the same man for almost 51 years. Only with the LORD's intervention is this possible.

God bless.

Sandra

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Sandra Miller

Sandra, beautiful words and wonderful indeed to hear testimonies of Christian families. <3 God bless you!

@savannah
I very much appreciate your zeal for the Lord and for His Word - in particular reminding us of 'biblical womanhood'. Nevertheless, I do not absolutely agree with the words posted: