Titus 2:4b-5 4in order that they might with self-control teach young women to be loving to their husbands and lovingly to their children, 5to 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.
Verse 4 gives the reason (hina purpose clause) why the older women in the Cretan church should learn to be good teachers. Their goal should be to become mentors to younger women in self-control, prudence, or sensibility. The Greek word sōphronas is used in verb form in verse 4 and noun form in verse 5. This type of thinking and action leads to conduct that is respected by others and respects others. It is not abusive but makes good judgment. It would lead to a pure or holy (hagnas) life that does not compromise with cultural habits that degrade and abuse oneself or others. This type of lifestyle will be evident in young women hard working at home (oikourgous) to create a place of nurture and peace for the rest of the family. The outcome will be a kind or good (agathas) person who is a joy to be around. This will also be shown in how they relate to their husbands by submitting to them. This is a similar command that Paul gave in Ephesians 5:21-22. This submission is not as a slave but out of self-giving love.
The final result (another hina clause) of all of these virtues is that the other people, such as unbelievers, will not “blaspheme” or speak bad things about (blasphēmētai) God’s word. How these women lived would be a testimony to God’s grace in their lives. The power of the gospel could be seen in their self-controlled lifestyle, particularly at home.
These seven qualities marked the ideal wife of that time. These behaviors do not come naturally but through training and self-discipline. This training is the result of God’s prior grace at work, changing not only these women but all believers. The love, family commitment, and purity of these young women, developed through self-control and training, should have stood out against a culture where women felt liberated to indulge in immorality. The result would be a testimony of the power of God’s word. There should be a qualitative difference between the characteristics of Christian women and the culture around them.
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