2:3-5 What is the underlying teaching here?
2:3-5 What is the underlying teaching here?
Paul is bidding the older women in the church to teach the young wives the rudiments of marriage and homemaking.
The older women must be reverent in their demeanor, not slanderers, nor addicted to wine, but teachers of that which is good, in order that they may train the young wives to love their husbands and children; to curb their desires and passions and not go to extremes; to be faithful to their husbands and avoid impure thoughts, words or actions.
The older women are to teach them to be good homemakers, kindhearted and submitted to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.
The underlying teaching here is that keeping a Godly home with excellence for one's husband and children is the God-ordained Christian wife's non-negotiable responsibility (cp Gen 1:27-28; 2:18; 3:16; Pr 31:10-12, 27-28, 30-31; 1Cor 11:7-9; Eph 5:22-24; Col 3:18; 1Ti 5:14).
In God's eternal purpose, from the order of creation, God ordained women to marry, raise a family, be good homemakers, and faithful and submissive wives and mothers (see also comments on 1Cor 11:3-16, 14:34-35, Eph 5:22-24, 1Ti 2:8-15).