Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Here we see a mentoring process that is encouraged in the early church. Titus is to teach the older women about godly conduct. Paul shares with him some salient points here. First, they are to live in a reverent manner to God and to the leaders of the church. They are not to go around and belittle or unnecessarily quarrel with or question authority. The exception here, found elsewhere in the Word, is false doctrine or persistent disobedience.

Second, they are not to slander others or gossip about them. They are to be self-controlled and not drunk or addicted to wine, which causes other sins to materialize, as well. Overall they are to teach, model, and serve with a focus on the good things found in the Bible.

Next, these older women in turn mentor the younger ones and model a godly life. They can support the strength of their marriages and families by encouraging them to love their husbands and children well, work hard and be busy at home, and to be subject to their husbands. They can do this by striving to be pure, kind, and self-controlled.

This process of modeling faith is important and women are very important in it. In a world culture women had little position or power, this is an important and detailed section about how the church is to mentor them and challenge them to live in a godly manner.

Modeling beats mere teaching every time!

Lord, thank you for your truth here, and speaking through your servant Paul to us on the importance of investing in women and modeling appropriately through the older matriarchs. May I also invest in older women as you call me to. And may the women in my life follow this process.