So Let’s Talk…Is it Sin?
There are issues we deal with that are not explicitly defined as sin in the Bible. Is this one of them? Of course it’s easy to quickly dismiss subjects like these if we don’t want to investigate an answer that might contradict a personal practice. But then again, we are called to “rightly divide the word of truth”, so we must give thought, prayer and meditation on these hard things.
Sometimes it’s difficult to step away from our habits of thought, from generally accepted ideas, and really search out a subject objectively. But I believe this is one of the reasons the Christian community suffers so much–failure to discern, care about and practice God’s will. The main purpose I have in writing on this blog is to provoke us to thought about God’s will.
So I’m asking you…what does it mean in Titus 2, after the instruction given to the older women to teach the younger women a number of things (one of which is to be a keeper at home), when Paul ends by saying, “so that the Word of God is not blasphemed”?
What does the “blasphemy” there refer to?
The blasphemy of the Word of God is serious stuff. Can we dismiss what is being said here and classify it as “outdated, written for a different culture, etc.”? If that’s true, then I guess we’re safe to take it lightly. But if it isn’t, behold what responsibility is ours!
I need your thoughtful responses…
motherhood, working moms | Word Warrior | 
July 16, 2007 9:38 pm
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Interesting question. What comes to mind right away for me is that in both the Old and New Testaments, we are given a few examples of women who have some work outside the home. The Proverbs 31 Lady goes out and sells her goods, she buys property and sees vinyards and fields planted, she must have been supervising some of that work. Certainly she worked much at home, but the sense is of some going out to work. Lydia had her own business, she was a seller of purple, probably wealthy. Pricilla was a tent maker, working by her husbands side.
I believe that the perfect will of God is indeed for us to be keepers at home, that is clear from His word, but I alsobelieve that we are given some lassitude and freedom to move within His will. I think that while our priority should be the home, some of us find ourselves in circumstances where we need to go out to work.
If we held strictly to the thought that women should never work away from home, then the conviction ought to follow that we wold never see a lady doctor, we would wait in line for a check out boy, and on and on.
Just my initial thoughts here, I want to ponder this and study scripture tonight and see where He leads me.
Thank you Amy.
Those are thoughtful observations. I’ve heard many discussions about these examples, and most even differ about what they think.
I’ve studied the women you’ve mentioned (except Lydia, need to read up on her) and my conclusion is that the Prov. woman did all of her work from home. It says she “makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants”. The indication to me is that she acts as kind of a wholesale supplier–she makes the stuff at home, some one else goes out and sells it.
Priscilla worked along side her husband as a helper in his business (at home, no doubt), which I view as completely different than working outside the home under another employer. I think it’s beautiful when a woman can work alongside her husband to advance his business.
Both of these women are employed from home, and the important note is that they are not someone else’s helpmeet (i.e. another boss besides hubby). I think that is an important factor in this discussion. Removing one’s self out from under the care and “domain” of her husband, and becoming the helper of someone else causes a serious interference in the husband/wife relationship.
Lydia, who I need to read more about, I think was employed as a business woman before her conversion, and I don’t think it mentions what happens after that. Also, it never mentions a husband, which I’m sure plays a factor.
We should certainly consider everything Scripture indicates about this issue, as we do every other issue.
My biggest objective here is for us to separate what we’ve just always assumed to be OK, or what everyone else says is OK, and really discern from God’s Word the seriousness of the matter.
Thanks for your input!
I forgot the other thing you addressed–the conviction to only see female doctors, etc….
I do always seek male professionals if I have any choice at all (which has its own problems!) But I also think the issue here is that we are responsible for our life choices, and can’t always avoid the wrong choices of others. I know there is A LOT of debate in that, but for now, we’ll leave it there!
Is it God’s best plan to be working when you have children? NO!. However you will not find work directly stated as sin. We should not be going beyond what the word says for other people. God knew that there would be sin in the world and that is why I think it isnt a sin. It would be pretty rude to tell a single mother who has come to Christ that she is sinning by working. If she does not have family who would take care of her (such as a Dad, brothers or uncles) she does not have a choice. There are other cases, and I KNOW they arent the norm, but LESS than optimal situations happen alot because of sin.
Before I say this, let me go on record as a big fan of your work here and your perspective on womem and families. I even recently added you to my blogroll! And though this isn’t exactly what you’re asking about…
I’ve read on your blog at least a time or two that “keeper at home” means “guardian” in Koine Greek. I can tell you with great scholarly conviction that this simply isn’t the case. The word is an example of what we call hapax legomenon – a word that shows up in the NT once and only once. In this case it’s Titus 2:5. But unlike many examples of hapaxes, this one isn’t that complicated to figure out: it’s a compound word made from “work” and “home”. In fact, many of the lexicons I regularly consult mention that the word may be the same as our colloquial “homemaker”. I just checked seven Greek lexicons, including one for Attic Greek to see if the word earlier in its history meant something different, and not a one contends for your definition.
So while I agree with your general assertion about the priority of women working at home, and the Koine text does indeed support this, it doesn’t support your contention for “keeper” = “guardian”.
As for your specific question, it’ll take me a bit longer to chew through. For now, let me at least note that “blasphemy” in Greek doesn’t always mean “blasphemy” in the same sense as English. We take it as a very serious religious term only; Greek knew it as that and as a general term for slander. Not to diminish your point… I’m just thinking out loud at this point.
Hatushili
I have also been trying to decide what the Bible says about this subject. I looked up Titus 2:4-5 read a commentary regarding it. I think the point of the passage is that us wives are to behave in such a manner that our disciplined life, love for our husband and children, purity and modesty, our home life, and obedience to our husbands show the world that there is something different about us.
When they come to our house, it is neat and tidy. Our children are well behaved and neatly dressed. We don’t speak ill of our husbands. There is a calmness, organization, etc. about our home. We don’t panic if someone stops in unexpected. We’re even able to feed them on short notice. Instead of unsaved people looking at us and thinking, WOW, if that messy, unkempt, always fighting family with all the fast food wrappers littering the yard is an example of a Christian family, I don’t want any part of that! It is part of keeping our testimony unblemished so we will be able to share Christ with them and so His name is not marred by our actions.
Just a couple thoughts about the Proverbs 31 woman, in verse 16–she considered a field and bought it, then planted a vinyard, which can not be done from home. In verse 24, she delivered girdles to the merchants.
I think this is something that is best left up to the individual family. I believe it is important for us to search out God’s will for our family. I’m not sure that God gave us a definite answer on this, probably because He knew that if He did, those of us who stay at home with our kids would be likely to be a bit more prideful than we should and those of us who work outside the home would think we were a bit better at time management than those who don’t.
) We need to trust God to give us the strength to manage the responsibilities He gives us.
Hatshuli,
That is interesting info about the Greek translation…my Strong’s concordance is where I found the word “keeper” meaning “gaurd”. Nevertheless, I don’t see a lot of difference between a “worker at home” and a gaurd, since both imply the need to be present at home. Thank you for expounding on the meanings of the word.
And thanks for the plug on your blogroll!
Anon. brings up a sad reality about the lack of obedience in the church and family among divorced/abandoned women.
It’s a cause/effect situation…if one area of God’s command is not obeyed (family and church taking care of women in need), it leaves a gap somewhere else. And then that gap affects the next thing, and so on.
I am thinking, though, about how we would respond if we did truly have a deep conviction about working outside the home. I’ve thought about the scenario of being a single mother with seven children. Although I have no doubts that my family and my church would help supply our needs, if I were one of the unfortunate ones that didn’t have that support, I would do everything I could to establish a home business. (There are numerous possibilities these days.)
I thought about comparing it to such a scenario as…my kids are starving. I need to make money to feed them. I get offered a job as a prostitute. Do I accept, given my desperate situation? No, I just figure out something else.
(I know I have the reputation of making outlandish comparisons, so please don’t point it out. I use them to make a point.) If it means enough to me that I am home with my children taking care of my job here, I would do everything possible to solve the problem without leaving.
becky makes an excellent point. the emphasis of titus 2 is that our lives “adorn the doctrine” of God. In other words, that our conduct be above reproach and that the world can find no means by which to slander (blaspheme) things of God.
in the context of titus 2, the word blaspheme is, like hatu pointed out, commonly referred to slander or contemptuous speech against sacred things.
we cannot say that to blaspheme the Word of God is women working outside the home. this is simply not what Scripture says and we must be careful not to go beyond what is written.
i might only add that women working outside the home was not common for one huge reason: most goods and wares were made at home because there were no factories to manufacture goods. in our day, a woman doing comparable work to that of Lydia or the Prov. 31 woman would most probably need to work outside the home simply because that is where/how goods and services are made in today’s world.