Titus 2:3
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Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
behaviour--"deportment." as becometh holiness--"as becometh women consecrated to God" [WAHL]: being by our Christian calling priestesses unto God (Eph 5:3; Ti1 2:10). "Observant of sacred decorum" [BENGEL]. not false accusers--not slanderers: a besetting sin of some elderly women. given to much wine--the besetting sin of the Cretans (Tit 1:12). Literally, "enslaved to much wine." Addiction to wine is slavery (Rom 6:16; Pe2 2:19). teachers--in private: not in public (Co1 14:34; Ti1 2:11-12); influencing for good the younger women by precept and example.
Open source ↗The apostle here directs Titus about the faithful discharge of his own office generally (Tit 2:1), and particularly as to several sorts of persons (Tit 2:2-10) and gives the grounds of these and of other following directions (Tit 2:11-14), with a summary direction in the close (Tit 2:15).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,
In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.
As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.
Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her with anything she may need from you. For she has been a great help to many people, including me.
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money.
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and your frequent ailments.