Titus Study #6

“Pressing Forward, Ignoring the Past”

Titus 2:15 - 3:7

Study #6 in Titus Series

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever watched a marathon race? The official distance of a marathon is 26.2 miles. That’s a long way to run! The current world record holder is Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya. In October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon, he won with a time of 2:00:35. That averages out to 4:36.0 min./mile. While watching that race on TV I noticed several things:

1.    Marathon racing is all about endurance, timing, and attitude as much as it is speed. I observed that during the race the front runner was replaced several times.

2.    The runner needs a plan, a strategy, and he must stick to it.

3.    Although he looked back occasionally, Kelvin mostly kept his eyes on the road ahead. It is hard to run forward while looking backward. The miles slipped away behind him and were forgotten – whether they were run well or not. Kelvin Kiptum, the winner, maintained a forward-looking perspective!

TRANSITION:

Paul had this attitude as well. In Philippians 3:12-14 he wrote, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Many people are hobbled in this life by things in their past that end up limiting their future.

·       Feelings of worthlessness

·       Guilt from bad choices and sinful behaviors (cf. Hebrews 12:1)

·       Moral defeats that they allow to define them

These past things will cripple you and rob you of your joy in the present and hope for the future unless you learn to lay them aside and let God take care of them. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

NOTES on the Text:

Our text for this study is Titus 2:15 - 3:7. You must remember that this was written as a letter. When Paul wrote it, he did not divide the text into chapters and verses. That happened many years later by scribes that subdivided the biblical texts to make them easier for us to study. When you read the context, it becomes obvious that the chapter break is in the wrong spot. The context needs the last verse of chapter 2 to make sense. 

Verse 15: These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

·       “These things” - WHICH THINGS exactly? We must look back to what Paul has been saying.

1.    1:1-9 – Paul taught that church leaders must live godly lives, above reproach, criticism, or accusation.

2.    1:10-16 – He said that false teachers and troublemakers in the church must be dealt with, not ignored.

3.    2:1-10 – Paul urged that all Christians should be careful to live in a way that will “adorn” the teaching of the Gospel because people are constantly observing our lives.

4.    2:11-14 – Paul said that we should live “sensibly, righteously, and godly” with an eye to the sky, always looking for Christ’s return.

·       “…speak” = Means to communicate, talk it up, proclaim

·       “…exhort” = Means to encourage, motivate, lift up

·       “…reprove” = Means to convince, convict, point out error

·       “…with all authority” (cf. Matthew 28:18). Christ has authorized us with His authority.

ü  Authority not from men

ü  Authority not from a denomination

ü  Authority not from an ordination certificate

ü  **But from God himself and His Word

·       “…let no one disregard you” = The Greek word is περιφρονέω (periphronéō). Literally it means, “to think around you” i.e., to try to go around you because they can’t defeat your argument head on. Paul, in writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, said “let no one despise your youth.” There he used a similar word, καταφρονέω (kataphronéō), which literally means, “to think down on you” i.e., think little of you, or underestimate you. You can see that these two passages are very similar in their intent and meaning.

Verses 1-2: Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, ² to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

·       “Remind them” – The Cretan believers had heard all this before from Paul when he was with them in Crete, but their memories needed to be refreshed.

·       N.B. Our biggest problem is not in not knowing what to do, but rather in doing what we know is right. Sometimes we need reminders to help us do what we know we should do, like children with chores or naughty behaviors.

·       For most Christians the problem is not knowing what we should do but in finding the energy, moral fiber, courage, and gumption to do it!

·       We would rather study the problem, have meetings on how to do it better than others have done it, analyze why we have not done it, etc... rather than just get out and do it! 

**So, according to Paul, what do we and the believers in Crete need to do?

·       “…be subject to rulers and authorities” – at work, at school, on the highway, with the IRS, etc.

·       “…be obedient” – follow directions without rebellion and resentment

·       “…be ready for good deeds” – means eager, looking for opportunities

·       “…malign no one” – means to speak evil of, with cancerous speech (N.B. the word malign is the root of the word malignant)

·       “…be peaceable”– uncontentious, not always fighting and arguing, not pugnacious

·       “…be gentle” – tender in words and actions

·       “…showing every consideration” – putting others first (like Christ did) (e.g., 2003 book by Robert Fulghum, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”) 

N.B. Paul’s “Remind them” in 3:1 is a key to this passage:

1.    3:1-2 – Of how they should act

2.    3:3 – Of how they used to act before Christ

3.    3:4-7 – Of what Jesus did to change them from the inside

Verse 3: For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

·       “For we also once were foolish ourselves” – Notice that Paul included himself in this scenario. He was very aware of who and what he was before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. But he was changed, and so have we been, so let’s act like it! We ourselves are no better than the unbelievers around us.

·       What we were like = Ephesians 2:1, 3; 4:17-19; 5:8 (N.B. “Christian goodness does not make a man proud; it makes him grateful.” William Barclay)

·       What were we like?

ü  Fools – This word goes way beyond silliness and includes wickedness. The Bible says, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.’”

ü  Disobedient

ü  Deceived and deceiving others

ü  Enslaved to all kinds of nasty stuff

ü  Wasting our lives in trying to get ahead of others

ü  Hateful toward other people, even to those close to us

ü  In other words, we were rotten to the core, bad to the bone

Verses 4-7: But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, ⁵ He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

·       So, in these verses Paul tells us what God did to rescue us from this gruesome picture!

ü  He poured out His kindness on us – “…the kindness of God our Savior” (cf. Psalm 34:8)

ü  He demonstrated true “philanthropy” toward sinners – “…His love for all mankind appeared” This “appearing” (epiphany, cf. 2:11, 13) happened when in the fulness of time God sent forth His Son, Jesus. (cf. Romans 5:8; 2 Peter 3:9)

ü  He saved us without regard to our works – “…He saved us not on the basis of our good deeds” (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 1:8-9)

ü  He saved us through His mercy – “…He saved us according to His mercy” (cf. 1 Peter 1:3)

·       N.B. Notice that God’s mercy and grace are evidenced in two ways:

ü  “Rebirthing” = Regeneration – “…by the washing of regeneration” (1 John 1:7; John 3:3)

§  We are reborn for eternity

§  We are reborn to “newness of life” = life begins over (Romans 6:4)

ü  “Renewing” – “…and by the renewing by the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

§  It is as if life was worn out, run down. When a man discovers Christ, there is an act of renewal which repeats itself ever day through the Holy Spirit constantly pumping in His new life.

·       God “…poured out the Holy Spirit on us richly through Jesus” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

·       God also “…justified us by His grace” (Romans 5:1)

·       Moreover, by God’s grace and mercy we were “…made heirs” (Romans 8:16-17)

·       This glorious inheritance includes “…the hope of eternal life.” (John 3:16) – As the children of God we look forward to everlasting joy in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus. 

But how can we get changed at the core of our being? – Only God can do it for us!

Ø  We must believe in Christ as our Sin-Bearer, trusting in nothing else.

Ø  We must repent of our sin and turn away from it.

Ø  We must accept His kindness, love, and mercy toward us.

Ø  We must receive His salvation by faith alone, apart from our own good works.

Ø  We must trust Him to wash us clean through His forgiveness by the washing of regeneration.

Ø  We must welcome His Holy Spirit into our life.

Ø  We must accept His justification by faith alone. 

This allows us to live according to verses 1-2 and enables us to have a righteousness that people can see and understand (cf. Matt. 5:16). 

CONCLUSION:

Have you been changed at the core, or is there still rottenness where only you and God can see it? He stands ready to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness if you’ll just believe in Him and entrust your life to Him. He’ll make you into a new person (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).

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A personal note to my readers:

I love producing these studies and putting them online. While I am no longer in active full-time ministry since retiring, I still teach a weekly community Bible study here in Eastern Oregon where we now live. These study notes are what I am teaching each week. My prayer is always that they will be helpful to people seeking to know the Bible better. At the end of every study there is a comment box for people to weigh in with observations or questions but almost no one ever does that. I do not know why. Over the past few months, the number of people who are accessing the blog has increased and I am curious about who you are, how you found me, and how you are using the studies. Are you mostly using them in your personal devotions, or as source material for your teaching or preaching? Any way you choose to use them is fine with me. I am just happy that you are finding them helpful. Please tell me a little about yourself – where in the world you live, what your life is like, how you are growing as a Christ follower – things like that. You can use the comment box or if you prefer, my email address is nosliwekim88@gmail.com. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and your loved ones. Mike

Titus Study #5

“Living Looking Upward”

Titus 2:11-14

Study #5 in Titus Series

 

INTRODUCTION: 

·       What is your “perspective” on life?

ü  Are you an optimist, or a pessimist?

ü  Are you a giver, or a taker?

ü  Are you a doer, or a watcher?

·       Our English word “perspective” comes from the Latin verb, perspicere, meaning “to see through, to inspect, to look through, or to look closely at,” as with a lens or a telescope.

·       We all see through some sort of lens:

ü  our education

ü  our beliefs

ü  our values

ü  our convictions

ü  our experiences, etc.

·       For a Christian, the New Birth, God’s Word, and the indwelling Holy Spirit should determine our attitudes and everything we see or think.

·       A “new creature” should be new in every way. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

TRANSITION: 

Titus 2:11-14 tells us what our perspective should be. There are few passages in the NT that so vividly explain the moral and spiritual power of the Incarnation as this passage does. (i.e., God become a man so that He might redeem us to Himself through the Cross.)

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

·       “…the grace of God” (Greek χάρις, charis) = A gift freely given with no thought of receiving something in return; in this case shown even to enemies!

·       “…has appeared” = The Greek verb is ἐπιφαίνω from which we get our word, epiphany (see also in vs. 13). This occurred in the fulness of time in the past.

·       “…bringing salvation” = σωτήριος (sotérios) is a one-word Greek adjective qualifying the word grace, i.e., salvation bringing grace. (N.B. the word order does not change the meaning)

·       Note that Paul is not saying that all men are saved, but that God has graciously provided salvation all over the world for those who will take advantage of it.

 

Verse 12: …instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

·       “instructing us” = Greek παιδεύω, paideuō, is the word for teaching children, e.g., how to print their letters, brush their teeth, tie their shoes, etc.

·       “…to deny ungodliness and worldly desires” – (negative command). Deny = disown, not ignore. See Isaiah 1:16, “Cease to do evil; learn to do good.” We are not born knowing how to live godly lives. We must be taught.

·       “…worldly desires” – Chrysostom, one of the Early Church Fathers, defined worldly desires as things which do not pass over with us into Heaven but are burned up together with this present world. They are kindling, thus a waste of time and effort.

·       “…to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age” = (a positive command). We live in a wicked world in wicked times. We need to be instructed in how to navigate our way through the swamp. 

 

[N.B. Past = Verse 11, Present = Verse 12, Future = Verse 13]

 

·       “…to live sensibly” = The word means soberly and prudently, with temperance. Thus, we must be careful and watchful, living life with our eyes wide open.

·       “…to live righteously” = This word focuses on our horizontal relationships with other people. We are to live justly, giving people their just due, treating them fairly.

·       “…to live godly” = A synonym is “reverently.” It refers to our relationship with God, and speaks of a life of devotion, faith, reverence, and obedience.

·       “…in this present age” = The Greek phrase is νῦν αἰών, nun aiōn. We are immersed in this world. It is like the very air we breathe. But the world is not to be in us, and we are not to be of the world. (e.g., A boat on the water is good; but water in the boat is bad, very bad.)

 

Verse 13: …looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

·       “…looking for” = Like the lookout up in the “crow’s-nest” of a ship watching out for icebergs; or like refugees coming into NY Harbor trying to catch a first glimpse of the Lady of Liberty; or like the families of the Colombia crew scanning the sky to see their loved ones coming back into the atmosphere.

·       “…the blessed hope and appearing”  – This is the same word, epiphany, that we saw up in verse 11. The “blessed hope” is the appearing of Christ. These are not two different things, but one and the same thing. In Greek grammar the Granville Sharp Rule states that when two nouns of the same case are joined by καί (and) with the first noun having the definite article, then the two nouns are equal. That means that “the blessed hope” and “the appearing” are equal, they are the same thing. The Blessed Hope equals the Appearing of Christ’s Glory. His glorious return is the blessed hope of the believer.

·       Paul is telling us that we are to “Live Looking Upward,” thus, the title of this study.

·       “…our great God and Savior” = The same Granville Sharp Rule applies to this verse. Paul is saying that Jesus is our Savior and our God. 

 

Verse 14: …who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

·       “…who gave Himself for us” = He gave Himself in our place, on our behalf, in place of us. (e.g., “I’ll give you this for that.” = meaning in exchange for, in trade) – cf. 2 Cor. 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

·       “…to redeem us…for Himself” = Meaning to buy us back out of the slave market of sin.

·       N.B. The Negative (-) = Notice, He redeemed us from the power of lawlessness, sin, and iniquity.

·       The Positive (+) = He purifies us and makes us fit for Heaven to belong to God.

·       “…for His own possession” In Greek “His own possession” is just one word, περιούσιος, perioúsios. The KJV translates this as “…a peculiar people” which to us implies weird or strange. But that is not the meaning! The word actually means “special, set apart, reserved for.” The word was used for that part of the spoils of a battle or a campaign that the conquering king set aside, especially for himself. Through the work of Jesus Christ, the Christian becomes fit to be the special possession of God. He becomes good enough to belong to God through no effort of his own but by the purifying work of the Word and the Holy Spirit of God.

 

CONCLUSION:

That is the power of Christ’s redemptive work! – for the past, present, and future

1.    Past = Christ liberated us from the power and penalty of past sin.

2.    Present = He enables us to live a victorious godly life here and now.

3.    Future = He cleanses and transforms us to fit into the life to come as God’s own precious possession. 

 

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A personal note to my readers:

I love producing these studies and putting them online. While I am no longer in active full-time ministry since retiring, I still teach a weekly community Bible study here in Eastern Oregon where we now live. These study notes are what I am teaching each week. My prayer is always that they will be helpful to people seeking to know the Bible better. At the end of every study there is a comment box for people to weigh in with observations or questions but almost no one ever does that. I do not know why. Over the past few months, the number of people who are accessing the blog has increased and I am curious about who you are, how you found me, and how you are using the studies. Are you mostly using them in your personal devotions, or as source material for your teaching or preaching? Any way you choose to use them is fine with me. I am just happy that you are finding them helpful. Please tell me a little about yourself – where in the world you live, what your life is like, how you are growing as a Christ follower – things like that. You can use the comment box or if you prefer, my email address is nosliwekim88@gmail.com. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and your loved ones. Mike

Titus Study #4

“It Always Comes Down to Character” 

Titus 2:2-10

Study #4 in Titus Series 

 

INTRODUCTION: 

D.L. Moody famously said, “Character is what you are in the dark.”

 

Our English word, “character” comes to us by way of Latin and Greek. In Latin the word described an engraving instrument. In Greek it described the engraving itself. Our word more closely follows the Greek meaning. Character sums up those qualities that have been so deeply etched into a person’s life that they come to be seen as essential qualities. Character is what a person really is, not just what he thinks he is, or pretends to be, or what other people perceive him to be.

 

For example, a person can pretend...

·       To be moral, while secretly being a disgusting pedophile,

·       To be honest, but cheat or steal if he sees a personal advantage,

·       To be a Christian, but have no heart for God, for prayer, for the Word of God, or desire to congregate with God’s people.

 

CHARACTER is what you are when no one is looking, what you are when you think your actions will never be discovered. It is what you are when you are alone with your thoughts.

 

Here is an analysis I wrote several years ago about the difference between Reputation and Character.

Reputation VS. Character

The circumstances in which you live might determine your Reputation; the truths by which you live show your real Character.

Reputation is the photograph; Character is the true image behind the photo.

Reputation comes to one from without; Character grows from within.

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Character is what you’re known by when you leave.

Reputation is what people think you are; Character is who you truly are.

Your Reputation may be earned in an hour; your Character is built over a lifetime.

Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak tree.

A single newspaper story can give you a Reputation; a life of toil establishes your Character.

Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you contented or makes you miserable.

Reputation is what men write on your tombstone; Character is what angels speak about you before the throne of God.

Some examples:

1.    I recall a scandal with the Portland Police Bureau back in 1999 that brought the issue of character into sharp focus. It involved 30+ officers from Central Precinct, including a Sergeant and the Precinct Commander. They were accused of padding their time sheets with overtime hours they had not worked but still got paid for. When no one was looking, the people who were supposed to be a cut above the average person on the street, revealed their true character. 

2.    Even before his election to the presidency there were serious scandals attached to Bill Clinton’s name, and his character was repeatedly called into question because of patterns of behavior. Whenever the right situation came along his weak character once again became obvious. Even with all that he managed to get elected. When his opponents were saying, “Character counts in a president!” the people in his camp shouted back, “It’s not about character, stupid, but about the economy!” But it was his flawed character that got him disqualified in the end.

 

The Bible sheds some helpful light on the human predicament. We all come into this life with a fatal character flaw called SIN. We are all sinners both by nature and by choice (cf. Romans 3:23). We may look good on the outside but on the inside, we are all rotten to the core (cf. Romans 3:10-18). Oh, we can do many good things, humanly speaking, and even fool ourselves and one another, but the Bible makes it clear that we are all flawed by sin, and thus unclean in God’s sight. 

 

Jesus had some fascinating discussions with the Pharisees about this subject. From a human perspective they were good, honest, upright, religious people and they were very proud of it. But Jesus looked at them through God’s eyes. He criticized them, not based on what they did or did not do, but on their motivations, and He repeatedly confronted them with the condition of their hearts (cf. Matthew 23). He called them “white-washed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Then He said to them, “Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” They did not like hearing that, to say the least! 

 

Illustration: 

CHARACTER is like the foundation of a high-rise building. Everything depends on it. The righteous moral decisions we make, the integrity, the honesty, and the kindness we demonstrate, are the steel structure of our life. The whole rest of the life is built on and around these things. You can readily see that if the character (i.e., the foundation) is flawed, then the steel structure will automatically be jeopardized and the whole building is in serious trouble. Oh, it may look fine on the outside but with the first crisis the building’s lack of structural integrity will be revealed for all to see. 

 

From God’s standpoint, for the Christian, character not only counts, but it counts for everything! If the world cannot see godly character in a professing Christian’s life, then it’s not there! Let’s stop kidding ourselves! Godly character will always show through, because it cannot be hidden.

 

TRANSITION:

In Paul’s letter to Titus, it is obvious that Paul was concerned with the Christians in Crete demonstrating godly character both in the church and in their community. There were 

some who professed to be Christians (1:16) but their “walk” did not match their “talk.” Paul was concerned that the Christians in Crete should grow in Christ and in the Word of God, so that they would be “…sound in the faith” (1:13). He repeats this same desire in 2:1. But this whole passage has an underlying presupposition; namely, that he was talking to genuine believers whose lives had already been transformed by the power of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). Because without that, a person remains unchanged at the core and consequently unable to respond to this challenge to godly living.

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 2: Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance [patience].

·       “Older men” – Titus had some older men among the Christians in Crete. They had to be approached with love and wisdom and respect, or they might easily become offended when taught by a younger man like Titus.

·       Paul wanted Titus to teach the older men that they must live with the maturity and wisdom that their years should give them. This means temperate, dignified, and sensible lives. Paul’s command to teach these things means that they do not come automatically with age. I wish they did, but they don’t. They must be taught.

·       They must also have soundness (i.e., healthiness) in faith, in love, and in perseverance. As we get older, we tend to “harden” in our ways. Of course, this is a good thing if we “harden” in the ways of faith, love, and perseverance.

·       Perseverance here is the Greek word, hupomene. It literally means, “to abide under.” It implies steadfast and active endurance, not passive waiting. Older men are not to just patiently sit around and wait to die. They are to actively endure the challenges of life, even the challenges of old age.

 

Verse 3: Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

·       “Older women likewise” – Just as Titus had to give special consideration to the older men in the church, he must also take care in how to approach the older women. They have their own set of temptations and opportunities.

·       “…reverent in their behavior” – This adjective, reverent, means “suitable to a sacred office.” The conduct of the older Christian women must reveal that they regard life as sacred in all aspects. This includes how she dresses and carries herself.

·        “…not malicious gossips” – The word for gossips is diaboloi, the same word used for “devils.” When the older women – or anyone else, for that matter – maliciously slander and gossip, they are doing the devils’ work.

·       “…nor enslaved to much wine” – This was a common failing of older women in Roman and Greek culture, due to their cloistered lives. Paul recognizes that this special challenge needs special instruction.

·       “…teaching what is good.” Here Paul uses an interesting compound Greek word here, kalodidáskaloi, which means, “teachers of good things.” If the older women have special challenges, they also have special opportunities. God can use their wisdom and experience as they teach, admonish, and encourage the young women. This gives the older women something positive to live towards, instead of the negative things of slander and alcohol abuse.

 

Verses 4-5: …so that they [i.e., the older women] may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

·       Notice that according to Paul’s instruction, Titus was not to make it his ministry to teach the young women directly. Instead, he was to equip and encourage the older women to teach the young women. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the young women were barred from listening to Titus teach and preach. It simply means that it was wrong, and dangerous, for Titus to make the young women a focus of his ministry, which is true for pastors today as well. If there was a young women’s Bible Study group, Titus shouldn’t teach it. The older women should.

·       “The older women teaching the young women to love their husbands, to love their children” – Instruction for the young women begins with home matters. God has given them a strategic position from which to influence and assist their husbands and their children, and love should be the driving force behind that.

·       Paul says that love for husbands and children must be taught. Certainly, aspects of this love are inborn, to be sure. But other aspects – especially aspects that reflect the self-giving sacrifice of Jesus – must be taught.

·       “…to be sensible, pure, workers at home” – Young Christian women must be taught these attitudes and skills.

·       “…kind, being subject to their own husbands” – Goodness isn’t always easy in a world that blurs the line between good and evil, so the older women need to teach the younger to be good. “Subject to their own husbands” is another way of expressing the wife’s duty of obedience and submission in the marriage relationship (cf. Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18).

·       “…so that the word of God will not be dishonored [blasphemed]” – This shows how important it is for the older women to teach these things, and for the younger women to learn them. There is much at stake here. When Christians do not live in a Biblical, godly manner it means that the Word of God may be blasphemed among the ungodly. We know that many young Christian women struggle with this teaching because it runs counter to the attitudes and beliefs of our modern Post-Christian world. Nevertheless, this is the Word of God and must take precedence even if the world doesn’t like it.

 

Verses 6-8: Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible; ⁷ in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸ sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

·       “Likewise” – This is a linking word. It shows that what the young men need to learn isn’t all that different from what the younger women, the older women, and the older men need to learn. We may need a slightly different emphasis depending on our station in life, but the essential message of godly Christian living is the same.

·       “…to be sensible” [or sober-minded] – The Living Bible translates the thought well: “Urge the young men to behave carefully, taking life seriously.” This is the only command Titus is told to emphasize to young men, but sometimes it is a difficult one for younger men. The Greek word for sensible used here is sophron, and according to William Barclay, “It describes the man with the mind which has everything under control…. strength of mind which has learned to govern every instinct and passion until each has its proper place and no more.”

·       “…in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds” – Here Paul turns his focus specifically onto Titus, who himself was a young man. Titus had to be more than a teacher; he also had to be an example. His guidance of others could not be taken seriously if he himself was not walking after the Lord, and living out loud the things he was teaching.

·       “…with purity in doctrine, dignified” – Titus had to be an example in doctrinal stability and integrity. If he wasn’t comfortably settled in his understanding of the Scriptures, he wasn’t ready to lead and teach.

·       “…sound in speech which is beyond reproach” – How many times in these letters to Timothy and Titus have we heard this phrase, “beyond or above reproach”? Paul is urging Titus to make sure that the words that come out of his mouth leave no room for criticism or attack.

·       “…so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say [i.e., report] about us.” – Notice that Paul ends this sentence with the word “us.” His Christian reputation was on the line right along with Titus’. So that your accusers will be embarrassed, having nothing bad to report about us. Jesus could say to an angry mob, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46)

 

Verses 9-10: Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

·       “Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative” – Titus was to teach bondservants about their specific duties as Christians. In the ancient world, Christians shocked the larger culture by mixing slaves and masters in the social setting of the church service. This meant that a slave might go to church and be an elder over his own master. That sort of thing was unthinkable in the broader culture.

·       Much to the frustration of many modern people, not even once did Jesus, or Paul, or any of the other biblical writers ever address, much less condemn, the practice of slavery as an evil social institution. For many of us that offends our modern sensibilities and ideas about justice and fairness. However, we should also not jump to the conclusion that Jesus and Paul and the others condoned slavery, because I’m sure they did not. C.H. Spurgeon explained the situation this way: “I do not think for a moment Paul believed that the practice of slavery ought to exist. He believed to the fullest extent that the great principles of Christianity would overthrow slavery anywhere, and the sooner they did so the better pleased would he be; but, for the time being, as it was the custom to have slaves, they must adorn the doctrine of God their Savior in the position in which they were.”   

·       “…subject to their own masters” – Paul does not say that bondslaves should be obedient to every free man, only to their own masters. Paul recognized that bondslaves had obligations, but only to their own masters. At the same time, as in every arena of human submission, our obedience and submission is limited by our higher responsibility to obey God first and foremost. As Peter explained in Acts 5:29, whenever there is a conflict between the two, we must obey God rather than men.

·       “…not pilfering but showing all good faith” – This type of offence was so common in the ancient world that sometimes the words servant and thief were used interchangeably. It was assumed that servants would steal from their masters in these small ways every time they got a chance. The word pilfering signifies not only stealing but embezzling another’s property; keeping back a part of the price of any commodity sold on the master’s account. In Acts 5:2, this was the crime of which Ananias and Saphira were guilty. They “kept back” i.e., pilfered, part of the price, then lied about it.

·       “…showing all good faith” – Simply, Titus must direct servants to be good workers in all ways. By their hard work and humble submission, they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

·       “…so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.” – In one sense the Gospel does not need adornment. At the same time, we can show the beauty of the Gospel by the way we live. We often think we need better words to adorn the Gospel. Better words are fine, but what we really need are better lives.

 

CONCLUSION:

Ironically, in this context those who best have the ability to adorn the doctrine of God are bondslaves. This shows that even a Christian in a low or disadvantaged station in life has the potential to beautify God’s truth by the way they live. The Gospel is adorned when its effects on life and character are expressed in Christlike conduct.