the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.
"As with an article of clothing, the church has its seams, created naturally by age differences, gender differences, economic differences and so on. These seams, where these various groups come together, often show visible signs of stress. It falls to the Christian leader to cross all these lines from time to time in order to minister effectively. But crossing these lines requires sensitivity and care." [Note: Towner, 1-2 Timothy . . ., p. 113.] 