The following message, Women's Ministry in the Church, was given by Jeff Pollock at the Regional Uniting Church and Family Conference in Wake Forest, North Carolina in 2008. If you have your Bibles with you, please open them to Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. We'll be reading verses 1 through 10. I'd like for us to see the context in which this, the passage I will be addressing this morning sits let's stand together as we read God's infallible word Titus chapter 2 will begin in verse 1 brethren let us hear God's holy word But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine, that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as become a holiness, not false accusers, not given too much wine, teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient under their own masters and to please them well in all things, not answering again. Not purloining but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Amen. Let's remain standing and let's join our hearts in prayer. Oh, righteous and holy Father, how I praise and thank you for this beautiful morning. How I thank you, Lord, that we arose in thy service this morning. Father, how I thank you that all of your children could arise and bless your holy name for your great grace, for your amazing grace, for your transforming grace.

We thank you, oh Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for your eternal purpose. And we thank you, oh Lord, that in that purpose, you do truly regenerate, transform, make your people new creatures. And we want to understand how that applies to us as men and women this morning. We have read your inspired and infallible word. Now we ask, oh God, be generous with your spirit.

Illuminate us. Fill our hearts with the joy of Christ, with the glories of a crucified, risen, ascended and interceding Christ. And oh God I pray that you would bless your precious children here this morning. Lord defend them, preserve them from my errors, and oh God, speak your blessed truth to their souls. In Jesus' name, amen.

Please be seated. Women's liberation in its truest sense is rooted in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. By His life, death, and resurrection, the Lord Jesus changed women's status in the world. His earthly ministry challenged some of the prevailing attitudes towards women found in first century Jewish culture. Jesus himself wonderfully restored women's dignity as human beings created in the image of God.

He called men and women to repent of their sins and believe the good news he likewise called men and women to be his disciples Mary Magdalene other women were the first witnesses of the resurrection not men in fact men were the first unbelievers in the resurrection. When These women ran to bring disciples word of Christ's resurrection. They became the first to declare the gospel truth of Christ's resurrection. Therefore, we need to grasp that Christ's redemptive work restored men and women to their proper roles in God's eternal purpose. This began to work itself out in the gathered communities that we call churches.

These covenant communities acknowledged Christ as the head of each church. Likewise, the apostles gave directions for the function of these congregations. There were clear roles for men and women in the service of Jesus Christ. Now with that in mind, we want to consider at least what I believe to be the clearest passage in the New Testament Epistles regarding women teaching. And that is Titus Chapter 2 verses 3 through 5.

We have read the entire pericope in which those verses appear and now we want to give some thought to what Paul instructs Titus in and likewise than all of us. So, the first thing I would like to do is give three important introductory assertions. Three important introductory assertions. Number one, the following discussion is by no means exhaustive. This is a vast subject.

This is a vast subject that I continue to study earnestly. So, I cannot say that what I will prompt you to think about this morning is the conclusions of years of study but simply the conclusions I have presently reached but continue earnestly to consider. Therefore, because it is not exhaustive, it does not and it cannot deal with all of the issues surrounding women's discipleship. This message, this is my loudest disclaimer so make sure you don't miss this. This message is not a completed position paper.

But I am setting before you the things that I presently believe to be in harmony with scripture. Number two, the term women's ministry I believe is ambiguous, unclear and very often confusing. Scriptures don't talk in that language and the word ministry is again a very broad term that many people hear in many different ways. The word ministry means far too many things, I think, to be helpful in a discussion like this. Though I will therefore this morning use the term women's discipleship.

Women's discipleship. And though that is still a broad term, I believe it to be closer to the biblical data. Number three, the following discussion is a brief overview of what I presently understand the scriptures to teach on one foundational passage. There are many passages and as I said, this is an exceptionally broad and controversial subject even among those who have a high and what we would consider biblical view of the family. So I want all of you to be Berean.

I charge you before the Lord to be Berean. Take these things, examine them prayerfully, carefully, discuss them with those wiser than I, make them a matter of concerted prayer and then learn to walk in them as the Lord gives you light. Now by God's grace, we want to consider the following things this morning. The first is a man's directives to women's disciples. A man's directives to women's disciples.

Number two, an older woman's discipleship of younger women. And number three, the importance of women's discipleship to Christ's churches. That being said, and God being our helper, I pray that we will now take up carefully this first thought, a man's directives to women disciples in both the Old and the New Testament scriptures. The formal teaching of God's word was the work of men. As Genesis 2 makes clear, God gave the responsibility of the word to Adam before Eve's creation.

Later he gave the teaching of the law to the priesthood, which was male. The Lord Jesus Christ, the consummate teacher, was a man. The 12 apostles were men. And when it comes to the leadership in Christ's churches, we read in 1 Timothy, this is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." The arguments regarding the ordination of women would largely disappear if the Holy Spirit had simply inspired Paul to say, if a man or woman desires, but he didn't do so. Therefore, we must wisely and carefully handle all the scriptures that deal with this subject.

Paul does write, however, but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence. First Timothy 2, 12. Now We do not have the time to work through all the arguments regarding that crucial passage, but I heartily recommend to you the excellent work by Andreas Kostenberger and Tom Schreiner entitled Women in the Church. It is a painstakingly careful study through that foundational text and I believe that they have presented an argument that those who disagree will have to spend a very long time trying to answer. So, for our discussion today, we need a patriarchs, complementarians, whatever title you choose simply to recognize that God has ordained men to be the elders of his churches.

That is what those who put this conference together believe, certainly what I believe and I believe that most of you that attend a conference like this already are convinced of that truth. So we're not going to spend any time on that. We believe it to be God's order. But if this is so, if this is so, if the elders, if the bishops, the pastors are men, if the teaching of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is primarily the responsibility of the elders and those that God gives the gift of teaching, then a legitimate question would be what about Titus 2? What about Titus 2?

So let's consider Titus 2 verses 3 through 5 with Paul, a man, giving instruction to his pastoral representative Titus, also a man regarding women disciples. First of all, let's consider Paul's directive to Titus. Paul says, but speak thou, you Titus, speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. In other words, Paul is saying, Titus, as the apostolic representative and teacher of the congregation there at Crete, I want you to teach the things that are fitting things, things that are suitable, things that accord with sound doctrine. Now, what does Paul's directive mean?

Well, the word translated become, the things which become sound doctrine does not mean turn into, things which turn into sound doctrine. Paul wants Titus to Teach the things that are in harmony with healthy, sound, apostolic teaching. Why? So that older men, older women, younger women, and younger men may live according to the Gospel and bring God glory. Now it's quite obvious that there are distinctions and roles set before us even in this passage.

He could have just said now, disciples in general, we don't have to say anything about genders here. We just say if you're a disciple, This applies to you. He says, no, I want the older men to be like this. I want the older women to be this way so that the younger women, the younger men, may walk a particular way. There are distinctions set before us very clearly here in the context I am amazed how often people try to homogenize this into one large indistinct instruction to disciples Paul's teaching commonly focuses on healthy doctrine producing holy life.

We must walk according to the eternal Word of God. Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary as the sin-bearing substitute of his people. He paid the penalty for their sins, every one of them. He died on Calvary's cross in unimaginable agony. God raised him from the dead on the third day.

He ascended up into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for his people, who in their joy and in their love of their great and conquering Savior live according to His word, anticipating His astounding return. These truths are to transform men and women. They are to walk as men and women, bringing glory to God in their redemption as men and women. One in Christ, both in the image of God, but with differing roles.

Now Paul therefore wants Titus to communicate the kind of behavior that goes with the gospel, the kind of life that is in accord with God's transforming truths. So that brings us to consider then the older woman's discipleship of younger women. Let's stop before we go any further and recognize who is giving this instruction for women? A man. A man, the Apostle Paul is speaking to his representative, a man, Titus.

And Titus is to preach the doctrine of Christ. Titus is to faithfully administer the word of God, the Word of Christ, the Word of the apostles so that older men, older women, younger men, younger women may walk in the roles for which God has redeemed them. So then what kind of behavior should the gospel and sound doctrine produce in older women? Older women. Paul puts it this way, that they may be in behavior as become of holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.

Now this passage is of course a hermeneutical battlefield. Hermeneutics, by the way, is the discipline of biblical interpretation. Because of feminism and religious egalitarianism, there is tremendous, there is enormous pressure on the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ and that pressure has brought about a what I would call a common way of interpreting this verse in our day or these verses. This is that common interpretation. Paul says that women can teach women.

Therefore, because women may teach women, Women may teach women anything that men can teach them. This has become the view in many of our seminaries today. Those that would trumpet the fact that they hold a high view of The family would hold this perspective. That is why they now have entire branches of women's studies and these kinds of things. Women work for and receive degrees in order to teach other women expositions of Revelation and Roman and Deuteronomy and Old Testament surveys and hermeneutics and all of these things usually on the strength of this passage.

And that may be able, that may have some kind of support in other passages of scripture but I presently find that to be a leap in light of the context of what this passage seems to teach which I will continue to unfold. I do not presently understand Paul's directive here to be teaching that because women may teach women some categories that women should be teaching other women all things here, all things in scripture. And I will try to make that clearer as I wade through the next few thoughts. Now, let's consider first of all what's being said here in verse 3 where it says, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, teachers of good things. William Mounts is one of the premier Greek authorities and commentators of our day.

I deeply respect Dr. Mounts' work. His textbook, Basics of Biblical Greek is the most popular first year Greek course used in colleges and universities today. And I will give an extended quote from his excellent commentary on the phrase, teachers of good things. Dr.

Mounce says, The fourth and final characteristic is that elderly women must teach what is good. This word occurs only here in Greek literature and may be coined by Paul. Context shows that this refers not to an official teaching position in the church, but rather to informal one-on-one encouragement. Informal one on one encouragement. I think this is vital.

This is extremely important. As Mounts points out, this agrees with 1 Timothy 2, 11 and 12. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence. Mounts continues, it pictures the older women, those who were experienced in life, marriage and childbearing, taking the younger women in the congregation under their care and helping them to adjust to their responsibilities.

It is a blessed and needed ministry which I heartily say, amen. A blessed and needed ministry that a man cannot accomplish as successfully as a woman can. Let me stop and add a footnote, my own footnote at this particular point. I think that is exactly what we see by the structure of the passage. Paul, the man, Sestetitus, the man, teach the older women the doctrine of Christ so that they may teach the younger women in areas more appropriate.

They may teach things to the younger women which they are clearly suited. Now, Mounce goes on to say this quality leads into the next section on young women as verses 4 through 5 spell out, what the older women are to teach to the younger women. Let me repeat that for you. He says this quality, being teachers of good things, leads into the next section on young women as verses four and five spell out what the older women are to teach the younger women. In other words, Paul to Titus, teach the older women that which is in accord with the doctrine of Christ, apostolic doctrine, so that they ultimately may be fitted, so that the older women may be fitted to teach the younger women in these categories for which they are imminently suited.

Philip Towner writes, the adjective teaching what is Good denotes informal teaching by lifestyle. Informal teaching by lifestyle as verses 4 and 5 show. And I believe that Dr. Towner is egalitarian. So I take this as an even weightier analysis because of the fact that Dr.

Towner does not hold the perspectives that those of us gathered here would. The adjective teaching what is good denotes informal instruction. Good things in this context are the acceptable patterns of behavior. But the term contains a hidden implication. One teaches with one's life either good things or bad things.

Pursuit of the acceptable lifestyle will ensure teaching that is good. In other words, it's the theme that we find throughout the New Testament. God's truth applied by the Holy Spirit taking God's new creations, God's blessed children and conforming them to his truth so that they reflect the eternal truths of almighty God. J. N.

D. Kelly writes, more positively, the role of these elderly women is summed up in the adjective teaching what is good. It is, by the way, one word in Greek. This does not envisage formal instruction this is forbidden in 1st Timothy 2 12 and there is no reason why Paul should take a different line in Crete but rather the advice and encouragement they can give privately by word and example. Daniel C.

Arisea, I hope I'm doing justice to his name, and Howard Hatton say, and finally these older women are to teach what is good. This translates a compound word combining the word good or beautiful with teacher, hence, teacher of what is good. This may refer to formal teaching but more likely refers to informal teaching which includes teaching about proper living by both word and example. The term occurs only here in the whole New Testament and they would render the passage this way, you must Also tell the older women to behave as women should, who live lives devoted to God. They must not say harmful things about other people or be addicted to wine.

They must also teach the way to live a good or proper life. Bruce Winter who I deeply respect takes a slightly different view here. He says that the Greek word means good teachers, not teachers of good things but good teachers. He says the running of two or three words together is certainly not unknown in Greek. The sense is best secured by rendering this term as good teachers and not teachers of what is good.

And then by fully translating the henna clause which expresses conscious purpose, it indicates the aim as well as the content of the instructions that the good teachers give. Now I realize at this hour in the morning, running over that much technical data, may have some of you nearly comatose. But I hope that what you're hearing is different men from different perspectives all coming to the Greek text, wrestling with what's being said and coming up with this picture. What's being set before us is not a formal branch of churches or seminaries as such, but a day to day and I might add vital role in the churches of Jesus Christ of older women to younger women as they mentor them as women in the local churches of Jesus Christ. Let's consider the content of the good things that they're to teach.

Paul says this of the older women, that they may teach the younger women to be sober. The word Teach is crucial to this clause. Again, I quote Dr. Mounts. The word teach to encourage is the second use of this word group which plays an important role in this passage.

It means to encourage, advise, bring to their senses. To encourage, to advise, to bring to their senses. All right. And there's a reason for pointing this out. This is not the word that is used throughout the New Testament of the Lord Jesus Christ or of the apostles as they formally teach the people of God.

So once again, inspired by the Spirit of God, Paul does not take a word of formal teaching within the congregation but takes a word that points more to the idea of mentoring older women, taking younger women under their wings and talking with them and encouraging them in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and how to apply it in the realm of being a woman, a wife, a mother. Of course, they have to know good solid doctrine. Where does that come from? Paul tells Titus, the apostolic representative, to teach these things so that, so that the older women might. Now, again, Bruce Winter takes a slightly different view of this.

After a long discourse citing ancient sources, Dr. Witter concludes the following. In the light of the above evidence, it can be concluded that this key verb has not been correctly rendered in Titus 2.4 and its important role in the clause has not been fully appreciated however the general interpretation has become fixed that the older women were simply to teach or to model a lifestyle or encourage The intention was more than to seek to inculcate Christian values or to teach women how to live as married women. The idea of chastening does not capture the significance of what is being said, but good teachers bringing their charges back to their senses does. In other words, he actually sees this as being primarily a corrective as the young women who have been influenced by the culture out of which they were saved continue to walk in ways that perhaps may not be honoring to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The older women act sometimes as a chastening corrective to the younger women. Again, we're not talking about harshness or anything like that but loving them and correcting them and pointing them to a clearer understanding of what it means to walk as a Christian woman. Now I offer these differing viewpoints, these nuances, not to be confusing or to say, hey, I've got a lot of books in my library. The point is to say that men are taking these passages who know and understand the Greco-Roman Empire, the day in which these passages were penned. They know the original languages.

They compare them, scripture with scripture, and then scripture in its original languages with the language and the usage of the day. And they're giving themselves to painstaking exegesis of what these things say, so that we may get what they mean. Most of us agree on what's being said, not all of us agree on what it means. So I am bringing you through the somewhat painful morning exercise of having to think through that, OK, even among those who would see a basic or have a basic agreement in these things, they would at least all agree in the same basic principles. What we're not seeing here is in my estimation a branch in the local seminary that says women's studies.

This is an essential part of a robust healthy local body where older women who have percolated in the truth, they have simmered in the truth and have learned to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, encourage and become an enormous blessing mentoring the younger women in the congregation. I confess, I hate to say this, but I confess openly in my struggles over the years as a pastor to get hard headed men to understand their roles and to lead and guide their families. I have often neglected this. And it needs to be a vital part of our congregations. It is right here before our very eyes.

Well, now how is God's word blasphemed when women do not do this. You know, Paul gives us a specific list of the things that the older women should teach. And we're not going to spend time on those this morning. I trust many of you here have heard many expositions of to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands. But then he follows that by saying that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Now, brethren, I want us to feel the weight of this. And of course, I cannot do that. May the Spirit of God grant us light and illumination but Paul is making the point powerfully that if this doesn't look like a template of our local assemblies we may be liable to exposing the truth of God to blasphemy. What does Paul mean by this? And of course, as with many controversial passages, opinions vary.

But nevertheless, at the risk of being tedious, let me just quote two commentators, I think that have captured Paul's thought well. George Knight, again, who has written an excellent commentary on the pastoral epistles says, Paul thus encourages godly conduct by saying that it keeps God's message from being spoken evil of. Therefore, for a wife to fail to be submissive to her husband or to be unloving or impure, etc., would allow non-Christians to say that Christianity makes people worse rather than better and therefore that its message is not only useless but bad. In other words, These blessed older women, these seasoned women who have walked with the Lord Jesus Christ and have learned the difficulties of being a wife and a mother and of trying to be chaste, pure, modest. They're the best ones suited for taking younger women under their wings and helping them understand what it means to be a woman in Christ.

And if they don't, the younger women may go on personifying their culture rather than their kingdom. And That would bring the word of God into disrepute. So, one other commentator here, John MacArthur puts it this way, unbelievers judge the genuineness and value of our faith more by our living than by our theology. In doing so, they judge the truth and power of the Word of God by the way in which we live. The world judges the gospel which is the heart of the Word of God by the character of the people who believe and claim to be transformed by it.

The 19th century German philosopher Heinrich Heine said, show me your redeemed life and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer. Brethren, this is vital instruction and we must remember or perhaps some of you may not be aware, Roman, Roman culture, Greco-Roman life was Roman culture, Greco-Roman life was patriarchal. It was powerfully patriarchal. So, it wasn't as if women had never heard the idea of a man leading his family, that was the very society they grew up in. So it's not just a matter of quote male headship, it is Christ-like male headship that's utterly different from just men being, you know, amen.

That kind of stuff is nauseating and unfortunately what might call itself the family movement is filled with proud men who simply want to tell everybody how high to jump rather than Christ-like servant leaders. We can bring the Word of God to the horrible, horrible criticism and reproach of those around us. That's what's being said here. That's why Paul is saying, Titus, teach the older men, teach the younger men, the older women, the younger women. But here, it is clear that the aged women have a specific content which they may teach more appropriately to the younger women.

Now, that being said, let's consider then finally important considerations regarding women's discipleship. Let's consider first the relation between elders and Titus 2 women, if I can use that terminology. Number one, women who disciple women should be an extension of the elders' teaching, not a separate thing from it. As I understand what is set before us in the biblical data, women who disciple women should be an extension of the elders teaching. Male headship and women mentoring and instructing women must work together.

And my present understanding of this is that the churches of Jesus Christ have God-ordained, spirit-appointed teachers, the elders. They are to teach God's people the Word of God. As they administer the Word to God's people, propriety and discretion dictate that certain matters of younger woman discipleship would be handled better by older women. Paul lists those matters in verses 4 and 5 and I encourage you to review them often. If we look at those matters in context, they are essentially discipleship matters that relate to daily life in church and home.

And they are crucial matters because to walk outside of them is to bring reproach upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. Brethren, how serious is this? Let me just say, if you were to disagree with everything that I had to say this morning, If you took an entirely different perspective from years of studying and examining the Word of God, we must all agree that this cannot simply be a matter of opinion. We must take this and say Christ's glorious honor and reputation among the lost hangs on our faithfully walking in whatever this means. Well, take it seriously, even if you disagree with my interpretation of it.

You cannot do otherwise without risking great dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the gospel is to produce an identifiable lifestyle in the homes of God's families that has an impact on church order. We are talking about uniting church and family. How do those important God-ordained institutions work together? Well, we have it set before us at least in one foundational passage here.

This impacts the way the church lives together. And once you begin to apply these things, it begins to change everything around you because God is a God of order. When we simply walk in faithful obedience to what he says, that order begins to display in our lives. And it also begins to separate us from those who do not walk in it. So, if I can put it this way, There appears to be no need for a woman to lead an exposition of the gospel of Matthew, but there certainly is a need for women to speak to younger women about the way they dress, about how to put up with that husband that's trying to figure out how to lead without crushing everybody in the household.

God has appointed the elders to do this And I know that some will disagree with me in this conclusion. That's fine. I've already charged you to be Berean. So continue with a Berean mindset. But it appears as I see the evidence at this point that Titus 2, 4 and 5 give explicit and detailed instruction regarding the categories of discipleship in which older women advise and mentor the younger women.

Our churches desperately need this. Number two, women who disciple women should not replace the elders teaching. The older women should not be elders in name or in function. They must not undermine the authority that Christ has given to the eldership or to fathers or to husbands in the congregation. Unfortunately this can and does happen.

Very often you, perhaps I'll even take the word very often off so that it won't be too inflammatory for some of you. Let me simply say it has been within the experience of my own life to see a strong driven woman who has ability to convey the word of God to others, she begins to teach younger women in the congregation. In time, she begins to get their confidence when they began to have issues and problems they run to hurt, not their husbands, they run to hurt, not the elders or their fathers. And then if problems rise up in the church, which I have seen, and the woman throws her card one way, that's where the women go. Got to be very careful.

Again, that just doesn't always happen and I don't want to paint the brush of women teaching other women with this is, this is always what happens. But I'm saying it is certainly a real danger and one that must be carefully examined by scripture. Mentoring versus institutional. Mentoring versus institutional branches of the church. Let's consider this for just a moment.

In light of the things that we have thought about this morning, women's ministry does not appear to be an institutional branch of the church. I think we need to be very careful when we start dividing the church of the Lord Jesus Christ up into all these little compartments, women's ministries, children's ministry, in ways that finally separates everyone. Certainly, there's distinction set before us right here in Titus 2. Let's not overlook that. Older men, younger men.

Older women, younger women. It's that's there. But it is within the context of what they need to know and understand to walk together as God's people. And we need to be very cautious about adding all kinds of appendages to the Lord Jesus Christ that ultimately become little bureaucracies, little empires of their own. And they become the tail that wags the church dogs, so to speak.

Again, I know many will disagree with me here, but I'm simply saying this passage does not appear to give grounds for there to be authoritative titles and classes and positions in church and seminary for women. This is talking about day-to-day life as far as I see. If there are places for these other institutions, I would say simply we'd have to look some other place in scripture. Experienced Christian women will mentor and model some categories of Christian living better and more appropriately than men will. Older women will more appropriately handle the application, the nuances, and most of all, the experiences related to these things to younger women.

For example, It would be far wiser, more appropriate and probably better received for an older woman to tell a younger woman that her top is too low cut. Just a very simple example but a very real one in today's churches. We need the older women that can draw aside younger women, not crush them but love them. Most of you that are here didn't come to your convictions overnight. The Lord was extraordinarily patient with you as you lived and grew.

And you can look back and wince at things you thought and did 10, 15, 20 years ago as a Christian. So we must Show that same patience with others. Women discipleship must not become a woman starting a church quotation marks in her home with herself as the pastor of the young women. It's basically a subpoint of what I've already covered. But let's just make it clear, what often becomes quote a let's have a Bible study, all of a sudden becomes virtually a church within a church.

It can happen with men as well, by the way. I think any pastor here would probably acknowledge that. Let me ask then a question as we begin to wind down here. Are the women of the church giving their lives to what scripture calls them to. Whatever position we take and the passage that we've just briefly examined, and whatever conclusions we come to regarding pros and cons of women's discipleship, women's ministry.

The fact of the matter is very often we have people clamoring for this particular aspect of Christian living when the women in the church are not giving themselves wholeheartedly to the things that they are plainly commanded to do. An important question for this is, are each of you dear sisters actively pursuing what the word clearly calls women to. I'm not saying let's climb into the nooks and crannies of the areas where we may have some disagreements. What about the bold, broad, clear things to which God summons you? Are you giving yourself to those things?

For instance, Paul says that widows must be well reported of for good works. They must have brought up children, lodged strangers, washed the Saints feet, relieved the afflicted and diligently followed every good work sisters is this your description is this what sounds like you Have you given yourself to these things? Because Paul says the church will support a woman of these qualifications. That is a complex passage. We're not going to go there right now.

I know some of you saw the rabbit run by. We're not going to follow that trail. But I want you to recognize that what's going on here is lodging strangers. Hospitality, is your house known as a place of Christian hospitality? Washing the saints' feet.

Are you known as a Dorcas for your good works among the saints? Is there a sick family? Have you organized meals for them? Have you done things to help the other women and men within your congregation? Can people point and say, look at Christ in this woman?

Or are you arguing about a title that you can have? You see, let's put this in a biblical perspective. Have you relieved the afflicted and diligently followed every good work. Now Paul's description of the Christian character of the church's widows then, certainly is what women of any age should strive to attain. Read Proverbs 31 in its entirety, sisters, and ask, am I giving myself to these things?

Now I realize people can burn themselves out on that. Be careful. Be cautious. Many of you don't have servants like she did. She had help.

But can you say the principles that are driving her life are obviously my own? So, having said that, if the women of every church fervently practiced the clear things that scripture says I think we would see a growth in discipleship unity and fellowship and less arguing about some other things that are unclear finally let's close our session with this Since the elders of the church should be preparing the older women to teach younger women to mentor them in these ways, then we ought to consider the following. Elders, those of you that are here, you should be considering these things at least. Number one, who is teaching? What is her doctrine?

What is her life? What is she passing on? Is she a Titus 2 woman? Does she have enough character to steer the younger women away from gossip, husband bashing, unnecessary private matters about their children? Does she have enough humility in Christian character not to turn other women's opinion against her elders?

Two who is she teaching? Not men but the other women Why is she teaching? No woman should take this responsibility on herself without discussion of its need with the elders and their encouragement and approval. Fourth, what is she teaching? Is she mentoring within the categories that the apostle described in Titus 2?

Does she contradict the elders perspective on scripture or on your church confession? Does she fully support the church's confession? Does she fully support the elders? Will she have enough humility to defer doctrinal issues to her elders? Can she keep discussions from going in the wrong direction?

Five, where is she teaching? Paul's direction, Paul directs women to learn in the church and to learn from their husbands and their fathers if they have them. An older woman mentoring a younger woman does not take place from the pulpit. There are many venues but not the pulpit. And when she is teaching, will it conflict with anyone's biblically defined roles or responsibilities?

Will it conflict with the stated meetings of the church I know circumstances where certain extracurricular studies take the place of the stated meetings of the church, brethren this is wrong, it's out of order so I conclude Jesus Christ is the head up his churches he died upon Calvary's cross, he rose again to save his people from their sins, he redeemed manhood and womanhood and is restoring them in his great kingdom He has set down His Word and in His Word He shows what He wants men and women to be. He gives them how to function within His churches, churches that do not encourage and prepare the women of the congregation to mentor, advise, encourage the younger women in these important realms cannot be healthy because these are the commands of Christ. More importantly, they dishonor the head of the church, the Lord Jesus, at least in this matter. So Christ, my dear brethren, is the one to whom we bow in all things. May the congregations of the Lord Jesus take this passage seriously and may the Spirit of God raise up a generation of godly, virtuous women who will bless the following generations as they model redeemed womanhood in the churches of Jesus Christ.

Amen. Let's pray. Father, this is a delicate matter, one in which we all need much sharpening. Again, I plead with you, oh righteous father, if I've set error before your people here this morning, I pray that you would preserve them from it, that they would find in your own holy word the right corrective. O righteous father, where they have seen the truth of Almighty God, may they walk in it with all their hearts to bring glory to Christ in his blood-bought churches in Jesus name