Ladies, Don’t Beat Your Pastors with the Rod of Titus 2 - by Bekka French

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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This is a mystifying presentation. The author never quotes the verses she's talking about. She does quote several verses in Titus but never the subject verses. We have to wait to the first paragraph of the second section before the author provides a reference to the passage. 

Let's actually quote it:

Tit. 2:3-5 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. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 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.

Now that we have the actual passage before us, we can ask the author how this passage is used by women to beat up on pastors. But in 1140 words the author will never tell us.  

We aren't complicated. We want things plainly stated. The author simply needs to tell us how certain women's ministries are negating their church leadership and how they are misusing Titus 2 to do that.  

Because she doesn't do this, we can safely deem her article bad Bible teaching.

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There is a growing trend among women’s ministries in the church. It’s not new. Actually, it’s older than the flood. But it tends to re-circulate every now and then in different seasons with different costumes. At its worst, some might call it “Christian feminism.” At best, you’ll typically hear it as “only women should be leading women.” Its symptoms are a critical spirit, adverseness to pastoral guidance, insistence on the prominence of women, (So it seems the problem is that certain women's ministries are rejecting church leadership. We hope the author will explain how.)

and inaccurate usage of Titus 2. (How is Titus 2 used inaccurately?)

All of this ends up creating disunity and demeaning the value and purpose Christ has for women in ministry. Sadly, Titus 2, which is full of wisdom and guidance, is being used as a weapon to chase pastors out of women’s ministry (How is Titus 2 used to chase pastors away?)

when in fact, Paul’s aim was the exact opposite.

What Was Paul Trying to Do?

When Paul wrote his letter to Titus, he states (sic, "stated.") his purpose immediately: “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (1:5). What is (sic, "was.") Titus supposed to do in Crete? Make sure every local church has (sic, "had.") elders. Paul spends (sic, "spent." The author will persist in using incorrect tenses, but we will no longer bother to correct them.)

a lengthy chunk of Chapter 1 detailing the qualifications for elders (vv. 6-9), but then he specifically warns Titus of one of the main challenges and callings of an elder: teach the church sound doctrine and protect them from unsound doctrine.

Paul charges Titus that elders must guard the church. There is a vehemence and protectiveness in Paul’s instructions here—he is not messing around. This job is of utmost importance: “There are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers…They must be silenced…” (Titus 1:10-11). Why the Godfather-esque language? Because these empty talkers and deceivers are leading people away from the gospel! And to make matters worse, they’re doing it as professing believers: “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:15-16). Paul is taking this seriously, and so also ought we. The role of the pastors and elders in your church  (The author has mentioned pastors and elders separately but now mixes them together. Yet she previously acknowledged that Paul was teaching Titus to install elders. 

Elders are to lead churches. There is no Bible verse that tells us that pastors lead churches.)

is to protect your local body from false and unsound doctrine, which leads to turning away from God. Everything is at stake here, so do not grumble against your leaders as they strive to lead the church in sound doctrine.

What Does That Have to Do With Women’s Ministry?

From that strong call in chapter one, Paul carries the instructions straight into the famed Titus 2 chapter. Most of us women skip to verse 3, (Finally the author tells us what verses she is talking about.)

where it begins the call to women, but back up to verse 1. Paul tells Titus, “But as for you, teach what accords to sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). This “but” is coming off the heels of the contrast to the false teachers. He’s saying, “Titus, those guys are leading the church astray, but you teach sound doctrine.” And the following verses are actually what Titus is supposed to teach. The role women play in their discipleship to one another is vital in the church—Paul’s emphasis here displays that. Women must guide and disciple one another to grow in godliness. But it is not done outside of the auspices of the pastors. (Pastors again. The author cannot seem to accept the plain statements of Scripture. She quoted the verse about Titus appointing elders [not pastors]. But she is locked into the the traditional and errant understanding of how leadership is expressed in the local church.)

Paul is instructing Titus to teach the older women how to grow in godliness and how to disciple others. They are to receive the instruction and guidance of a pastor/elder (She mixes pastors and elders again.)

to help check them against false doctrine, just as the men are to do the same. We know, even from a few verses earlier, that the culture of Crete was one of “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). So Paul is saying, “This is the culture our believers have to live in, they’re going to need help knowing what the godly way is. You teach them, Titus. That’s your job as an elder.” (!! Titus wasn't an elder, he was traveling from church to church appointing elders! He was on assignment to this region at the behest of Paul, and would soon leave to rejoin him [Tit. 3:12].

Titus, like Timothy, was an itinerant minister, likely an assistant to Paul. Neither men were pastors or elders.)

Is our culture any different? Are we any less susceptible to the influences of an evil and depraved culture? We are more susceptible due to the joys of social media. This is a chief reason God established elders (Back to elders.)

over church leadership. When they guard the church from unsound doctrine, they are guarding every facet of the church, including how the older and younger women teach and instruct each other.

It is my fervent prayer that you have a leadership like the one I have here in my church in Cincinnati. My elders are godly, humble men who very much value the role of women in our church. But I need not say that this beautiful model Paul lays out could easily turn passive or power-hungry in a church. That is a separate article, and I have seen examples of both, particularly in counseling. I am simply reminding all of us ladies of the principles of Scripture. Though I know we sinners sadly twist and distort them, they are still true.

What I am encouraging is a church model where the elders and pastors (Back to mixing pastors and elders together.)

humbly and graciously lead out in women’s ministry by equipping their women to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). There is a big spectrum of application here, but my broad application to women is: graciously and thankfully accept the oversight of your church leadership. Rather than telling them to butt out, (The author finally gets to the actual problem, which is the premise of her article. But how do women's ministries use Titus 2 to tell elders and pastors to butt out? What exactly is happening here?)

welcome their oversight. And please don’t use Titus 2 as your argument for why they should not be involved. (How do they do this? What exactly is the argument they use?)

Paul argues quite the opposite in Titus, so it is a misuse of the text to beat your leadership with it. It is their God-given role to teach you and equip you to do the work of women’s ministry. Whether that’s training you directly, recommending trainings or books or studies, having conversations, or giving gentle warnings against certain authors or women in the Christian culture.

Your pastors are not perfect—they will need gentle, winsome feedback. But they are not unaccountable. God is holding them to the charge of shepherding His flock, guarding them against unsound doctrine, and teaching them sound doctrine, so when you submit to your elders and pastors, you are submitting to the Lord.

Ladies, in an age where feminism is on the rise once more, even in the folds of the church, we need to check ourselves for sound doctrine. Are we in alignment with the guidance of God’s Word? Are we fervently clinging to it rather than our own preferences? When we submit to the Lord, despite difficult or discouraging circumstances, there is great fullness of joy available to us. Let’s truly be Titus 2 women in every aspect of the passage, not just the ones that meet our preferences.

Questions for Reflection

Are you welcoming to the leadership of your pastors?
Do you pray regularly for a spirit of unity and humility in your women’s ministry?
Where can you encourage your pastors’ participation in your women’s ministry?

About the Author

Bekka French is an ACBC certified counselor and holds an MABC from The Master’s University. In addition to counseling, she works as a mentor in the biblical counseling program at SBTS. Bekka and her family recently transitioned to Milford, Ohio where her husband serves as a pastor at Faith Church.