To be self-controlled (Amp)

sober (YLT)

discreet (KJV)

to live wisely (NLT)

to use good judgment (GWT)

They can teach younger women to be wise (ICB)

"o be wise in mind (BBE)

temperate (Geneva)

Sensible (4998) (sophron) has the idea that they now have "saved" minds (derived from sozo = save + phren = mind) and a saved mind should lead to right thinking which leads to right living ("good deeds"). This means having a sense of what is appropriate for them as Christians and avoiding extremes. Such individuals should exhibit self restraint in their passions and desires. They should not allow evil conditions of Crete, including the immorality or foolishness that was rampant, to distract them and win over their attention and their interests. A modern day application would be "Don't soak your mind with soap operas for this wrong thinking could lead to wrong actions." Remember that ones outlook (or "uplook" for believers) determines one's outcome; and if a person is not thinking rightly, he will not act properly. Note that this same quality of sensibility or one who is in control of oneself should characterize elders (see note Titus 1:8), all older men (see note Titus 2:2), and, in fact, all believers (see note Titus 2:12). Common sense and good judgment should improve with age, but they should be evident even in early adulthood.

A sensible young women is in command of her mind. She has control of the things she thinks about and does. She does not allow circumstances or the immorality or foolishness of others to distract her and gain her attention and interest. She not only does not become involved in things that are outright immoral and unspiritual but also avoids things that are trivial, foolish, and unproductive. She knows her priorities and is devoted to them.

Spurgeon notes that this...

PURE: hagnas:

chaste" (Amp)

to be morally pure" (GWT)

clean in heart" (BBE)

clean minded" (TLB)

Pure (53) (hagnos) refers primarily to moral purity, and, especially in this context, to sexual purity and marital faithfulness. Christian women as young wives are “to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness” (1Ti 2::9 10). “Modestly” refers to a healthy sense of shame at saying anything, doing anything, or dressing in any way that would cause a man to lust. “Discreetly” refers to moral control, to keeping passions, esp sexual passions, subdued.

WORKERS AT HOME: oikourgous: (Ge16:8,9; 18:9; Pr7:11; 31:10-31; 1 Ti5:13)

homemakers (Amp)

to take care of their homes (ICB)

diligent in home work (Darby)

to take care of their homes (NLT)

to be busy at home (NIV)

to be good workers at home (NCV)

working in their houses (BBE)

good managers of the household (NRSV)

industrious in their homes (Weymouth)

fulfilling their duties at home (NET)

Workers at home (3626) (oikourgós from oikos = home, household + ergo = to work) one devoted to home duties, preoccupied with domestic affairs, or as we might say today "a homemaker" and stands in contrast with the conduct of the younger Ephesian widows who were "idle" and going "around from house to house" (1Ti 5:13).

The KJV translates this section "keepers at home" because it uses another Greek noun (Textus Receptus has "oikourous") but most authorities (A T Robertson, Marvin Vincent, etc) and most modern translations (NASB, etc) favor the older manuscript use of oikourgós. Even if one favors the KJV, it should be emphasized that “Keepers at home” does not suggest that the woman's home is a prison where she must be kept!  The idea is that she is “Caring for the home” and the wise husband allows his wife to manage the affairs of the household, for this is her ministry. It was estimated that in year 2000, up to 80% of women age 25-54 were involved in the the workplace. More women are entering or staying in the work force after having a baby.  These numbers are interesting in light of a survey by Family Circle magazine which revealed that 68% of women surveyed would prefer to stay at home with their children if economically feasible.

Spurgeon notes that...

KIND: agathas: (Acts 9:36,39; 1Ti 5:10) 

good-natured (kindhearted) (Amp)

Kind (agathos) refers to that which is "good" in its character or constitution, beneficial in its effect. Luke illustrates the meaning of agathos describing different quality of soil --

"other seed fell into the good (agathos) soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." (Lu 8::8)

Agathos then refers to that which has the proper characteristics for performing the expected function in a fully satisfactory way.  And so these young women are to be gentle, considerate, amiable, congenial, and sympathetic, even with those who are undeserving and unkind to them.

To be kind is to be godlike, for Jesus said that 

Himself is kind  (agathos) to ungrateful and evil men (Lu 6:35) 

Paul admonishes the believers at Ephesus to

be kind (agathos) to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you (Eph 4:32).

BEING SUBJECT TO THEIR OWN HUSBANDS: hupotassomenas (PPPFPA) tois idiois andrasin: (Ge 3:16; 1Co 11:3; 14:34; Ep 5:22-24,33; Col 3:18; 1Ti 2:11,12; 1 Pe 3:1-5)

to place themselves under their husbands' authority (GWT)

willing to adapt themselves to their husbands (Phillips)

in subjection to their own husbands with implicit obedience (Wuest)

adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands (Amp)

to place themselves under their husbands' authority (GWT)

to yield to their husbands (NCV)

living under the authority of their husbands (BBE)

under the control of their husbands (NAB)

who puts her own husband first (CEV)

Being subject (5293) (hupotasso from hupo = under + tasso = arrange in orderly manner, assign or dispose to a certain position or to a particular task) (Click word study on hupotasso) means literally to set something in place up under something else and in context refers to wife placing herself up under her husband and his authority. Paul is saying to the young wives

Be willing to place yourself in a position under your husband who is the authority of your family. Be in that position of being submissive.

KJV has "obedient to their own husbands" but that is not accurate translation of the verb hupotasso.

There is a different Greek verb for "obedient" (hupakouo from hupo = under + akouo = hear) and it refers to the relationship of an inferior to a superior. For example God commands

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right (see note Ephesians 6:1)

God tells the children that they must obey their parents and that they have no option. This verb is NEVER used in reference to the interaction of a husband and wife. 

Hupotasso in contrast is the word that talks about two people who are absolutely equal in God’s eyes. The wife makes a choice to place herself as an equal underneath another equal, her husband, in order that there can be order and function in the family. The purpose is so to meet the design that God has ordered.

Hupotasso was a military term describing soldiers lining up under their authority and also referred to the arrangement of military implements on a battlefield in such a way as to facilitate effective warfare. As Paul explains (see note Ephesians 5:22), the structural function of the family, like that a successful military regimen requires both authority and submission. Submission is a general spiritual attitude that is to be true of every believer in all relationships. If a wife is more gifted and capable than her husband, rather than dominating him, she should encourage and aid him to be more active in home leadership and in serving the local church. If tempted to nag, she should resist the temptation and praise him instead. Here what Paul is saying is that the young wife is to subject herself continually (present tense) to her "own husband" and that this is not something the wife does one time so that she can get something but that submission is to be a way of life so that daily she is to be being under her husband's authority. And what should be the motivation?  It’s not because she loves her husband so much, but it is because she loves Jesus. "Out of loving You, Lord, I am going to do what You have told me to do." That is the genuine motivation of submission.

Please understand what hupotasso does not mean. It does not mean that the wife is commanded to obey her husband as a child would obey his parents. A lot of men treat their wives as "door mats" walking over them as if they were inferior.

Hupotasso does not allow for such dictatorial behavior by the husband.

Hupotasso in no way implies superiority of the husband over the wife in God’s eyes. However, by God's design for an order and function in the family, He does say in essence

Wives, voluntarily choose to put yourself under the headship of your husband

so that the family will function as was originally intended by God and all the Cretans would see the impact of the gospel. 

THAT THE WORD OF GOD MAY NOT BE DISHONORED: hina me o logos tou theou blasphemetai (3SPPI): (2Sa 12:14; Ps 74:10; Ro 2:24; 1Ti 5:14; 6:1)
 

so that God’s Word may suffer no scandal” (Kelly)

Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us" (ICB)

a good advertisement for the Christian faith" (Phillips)

in order that the word of God may not be reproachfully spoken of." (Wuest)

that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited)" (Amp)

Then no one can speak evil of God's word" (GWT)

Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us" (ICB)

that the word of God may not be evil spoken of" (Darby)

Then they will not bring shame on the word of God" (NLT)

so that no one will malign the word of God" (NIV)

Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us (NCV)

so that no evil may be said of the word of God" (BBE)

so that the word of God may not be discredited" (NAB)

so that the message of God is not disgraced" (NJB)

Then no one can say insulting things about God's message" (CEV)

so that the Christian teaching may not be exposed to reproach" (Weymouth)

Dishonored (987) (blasphemeo from bláx = sluggish, slow, stupid +  phémē = rumor, fame) OR MORE LIKELY (derived from bláptō = to hurt, injure, harm + phémē from phēmí = to speak) means literally to speak to harm and in general therefore means to bring into ill repute and so to slander, to defame (to harm the reputation of by libel or slander), speak evil of, to rail at (revile or scold in harsh, insolent, or abusive language and rail stresses an unrestrained berating), to speak calumny (noun form = a misrepresentation intended to blacken another’s reputation = the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to damage another’s reputation), to calumniate (verb form = to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about - calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions)

In short blasphemeo means to be spoken of slanderously. In this case if the young women failed to live as Paul has outlined, the message their lives proclaim is one that slanders the reputation of the Word of God. Those opposed to the Gospel of grace are quick to spot the inconsistent lives of those who profess to be influenced by the Gospel and don't hesitate to point out the inconsistency. Genuine conversion ought to produce the virtues listed here by Paul and when their walk does not match their talk, the Word of God and the transforming power of the Gospel is impugned as no better than their Cretan paganism. In sum, the evil things we say and do and good things we fail to say and do, dishonor God and His Word before everyone.

J. H. Jowett rightly said that

Fine living is not only a fine argument, it is also an effective silencer of bad men.

As Phillips paraphrases it we are to be

"a good advertisement for the Christian faith".

Unbelievers judge the genuineness and value of our faith more by our life 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, and how we respond to trials...anyone can look ''happy'' when everything's coming up roses!. The world judges the gospel, the heart of God's word, by the transformed character of those who say they believe.

The 19th-century German philosopher Heinrich Heine said,

“Show me your redeemed life and I might be (emphasis on "might") inclined to believe in your Redeemer.”

For a person to be convinced that God can save him from sin, he needs hear the gospel for that alone is the power of God (see note Romans 1:16) but his "hearing" might begin by his observing a believer who has been saved from sin and who lives a life relatively separated from sin, someone who has hope where there was once despair, someone who now radiates Christ in them the hope of glory.

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