25. Well-Seasoned Masculinity and Femininity In the Church of God (Titus 2:2-3)

God's Design of Male and Female

The beginning of Genesis lays out the roles of both man and woman and that is where we must begin. God made man and woman differently, with each having different inborn capabilities to perform best within his or her God-given roles. Different does not mean unequal in value or importance.

The sovereign God created woman specifically to be a helpmate for the man. The woman

was created purposely to complement and support the man, a very high and

important calling that is to be noted. But the narrative changed during the fall

into sin. Eve stepped out of her role and acted as the head by making a spiritual decision apart from her husband which led her to be deceived and to transgress. We must note that when men and women reverse their different God-ordained roles, great problems ensue.

After the Fall

Now, after the fall, God clearly stated the roles of both man and woman in Genesis

3:16. He said, “Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee," (KJV).

Note that the desire is to overthrow the man and his headship and use of authority.

The man was declared head and breadwinner through laboring on the earth. He was

also instructed to love and protect his wife while the woman was to bear children through pain, keeping the home and honoring her husband. God even ordained differences between man and woman in nature and the home. When we congregate and are gathered together as the body of Christ, we should not be surprised to see the differences in roles in the Church of God.

In considering the passage Titus 2:2-3, I would first like to unearth the contextual essence of this instruction. In the previous chapter, the apostle condemned the doctrine of false teachers and their actions. In Chapter 2, Paul now turns to truths that Titus, in contrast with the false teachers, ought to teach by considering sound doctrine. Both sound doctrine and actions are to be in accordance with a life changed by Christ. He concludes the matter with a meditation on the Grace of God.

The woman’s role has been to be supportive, non-authoritative, and silent when the believers assemble. It includes not holding a leadership position that would exercise authority over men and teaching God’s word when the saints are assembled.

This command is not based on any cultural setting; rather, it is the desire of God when He created women. God’s Word is not teaching a woman that she isn’t valuable or important, but that God built her with a capacity that makes her different with a glorious role of importance and grace. Women have a huge responsibility, which, when focused on, will be a great ministry that will assist the Church and the society, and which I would like to highlight with scripture references.

The Roles of a Christian Woman at Church

Older women are called to the ministry of teaching and guiding the younger women as godly homemakers by loving their husbands and children. Women are called to love and be supportive of their husbands by setting an example of purity in deeds (Titus 2:3- 5). She is called to be an effective missionary alongside her husband at home, caring for and bringing up precious children who are taught God’s word and disciplined. She is called to even lodge strangers in the home, be hospitable to God’s family, and carry out deeds of mercy and service (1 Tim. 5:10 -14).

She is called to speak the truth, proclaim Christ, and pray outside the gathering of the church (Acts 8:4, Acts 21:9, Acts 16:13). She is called to practical service in the assembly, being a spiritual worshiper and being a living example of submission like the angels (Rom. 16:1, John 4:24, 1 Cor. 11:10). Those are the good works or jewelry talked about in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 for women professing godliness that they should seek rather than costly clothing,

gold, pearls, and well-plaited hairstyles. Put simply, the role of a godly woman is to mainly focus on guiding the home, helping the family, and blessing her husband, not seeking leadership in the church as an elder or teacher.

The Roles of a Christian Man at Church

The role of men is vocal and involves leading. Men are called to be the head, loving and leading through the authority given by God as seen in Scripture. Men are called to take seriously God’s word to become teachers of sound doctrine. They must be aware of the heavy responsibility and difficulties of leadership as God has called them. Whether young or old, Christian men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, and eager to be sound in faith, love, and steadfastness.

The purpose of sound teaching is for the perfecting of the saints, so that the believer can become mature and Christ-like in character. Believers need to be fed properly through sound teaching so that they might grow strong in their faith and serve well to the glory of God. As believers are built up and edified in the body of Christ, the goal is that they would help others be built up in the faith.

Men are not only to be preachers of sound doctrine but must be living examples of the very things that they teach and preach. By God's grace, may that lively image of those virtues

and graces be seen in their lives and ministries. Men's responsibilities in the church are the opposite of what women are called to. Men are called to lead in prayers at church (1 Tim. 2:4) through teaching or preaching (1 Cor. 14:26 - 40, 1 Tim. 2:11-14) and to reveal the glory of God (1 Cor. 11:1-16).

The bottom line of being spiritual in God’s sight is not how many talents or gifts you have, how many souls you win, or how many people attend your church. It depends on your obedience to God’s Word. First Corinthians 14:37-38 teaches that if anyone claims to be spiritual but ignores or does not submit to the commands given by the Apostle Paul, He is ignoring God's Word and is to be ignored by God and man. “Obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22).

Works Cited

Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.