Being a Gospel Woman in a Proverbs 31 World

A review of a women-mentoring-women curriculum.  Biblical instruction is of paramount importance to life.  Without God's self-revelation in Scripture, or the direct denial of His self-revelation, we are prone to do whatever is right in our own eyes and the wisdom of this world runs amuck.  However, with hardly a mention of the Gospel in the midst of instruction, moralism and self-mediation arise.  In other words, if Jesus is not the mediator of our doing, our doing is worthless (Isaiah 64:6).  When Scriptural instruction is disconnected from the Gospel, the Christian life becomes a self-help, self-mediated, self-righteous, attainable ladder of success that anyone can follow.

For instance, in a women-mentoring-women curriculum the introduction says,

Paul instructed Timothy saying:  “…speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.  Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.  Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the YOUNG WOMEN to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.  Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.  Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.” ~Titus 2:1-10

Continuing on, as any good women-mentoring-women curriculum should do, the introduction focuses on the Proverbs 31 Woman:

Her Worth - vv10-12
An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Her Work - vv13-24
She looks for wool and flax
And WORKS with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.

Her Character - vv25-27
Strength and dignity are her clothing, ………………STRONG
And she smiles at the future. ……………………………CONFIDENT
She opens her mouth in wisdom, ……………………..WISE
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ….KIND
She looks well to the ways of her household, ……..EFFICIENT
And does not eat the bread of idleness. ……………..INDUSTRIOUS

Her Praise - vv28-31
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her WORKS praise her in the gates.

All of this is well and good; after all, these are biblical descriptions, yet the problematic feature is that which is missing- namely the Gospel.