TITUS 3

Last time we saw in the second half of chapter one how Paul singles out false teachers and describes certain characteristics about them. They are insubordinate, idle talkers spewing out nonsense, and overthrow and destroy entire households. He closes out chapter one saying that, though they profess to know God, they deny Him in how they live.

Now in chapter two, Paul is going to turn his attention to local church fellowship and addresses four types of people—older men, older women, young men, and employees. But first, he begins with one of his favorite topics—sound doctrine:

2:1 “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:”

Remember, sound doctrine simply means healthy, balanced teaching. In another letter to another son in the faith, Paul told Timothy...

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim.2:15).

The phrase “rightly dividing” comes from a single Greek word meaning, “to cut a straight path.” It was used in NT times as a road building term. The idea was to cut a roadway in a straight manner so that people who travel over that road can arrive at their destination directly, without deviation.

This is what sound, balanced teaching does—it leads people in a straight path to the destination of Christian character and godly living without deviating down any other path.

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Since christian character and behavior always accompany balanced teaching, he next addresses the spiritual character that ought to be evident in older men who have been under such teaching...

2:2 “that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;”

The older men of the church were to take the lead in Christian living and behavior, beginning with:

SOBER: this literally means “free from intoxication.” I’ve said often that alcohol, on the whole, is not wise. The Bible stresses being filled with the Spirit. And while it does not say drinking moderately is forbidden, too often one thing leads to another and it can become a deadly habit, or can lead to bad judgment and regrettable mistakes.

REVERENT means “serious, dignified.” Older men have lived long enough to taste life’s sorrows as well as joys. They have learned tough lessons that younger people need to learn from. The Book of Ecclesiastes reveals a very grave and serious King Solomon, who is offering hard earned advice.

TEMPERATE means “right minded, wise, and discreet.” The Bible says, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (Pr. 22:3).

It is wise, older men who foresee the danger in false teachers and can help turn younger believers away from them.

SOUND IN FAITH: In the original Greek it reads “sound in the faith.” Paul is pointing out that the older men need to be sound in the one true faith, the faith in God’s only Son and what He taught. Jude uses the same wording when he encourages Christians to “earnestly contend for THE faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

SOUND IN LOVE: He uses agape here, the highest form of love that manifests itself no matter the conditions or circumstances. The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and spiritual maturity is marked by this kind of unselfish, undying love.

PATIENCE: This word means “patient endurance.” It is patience grown in the seedbed of trials. Young people want things “now.” But older men (and women) of God have learned the importance of learning to wait on God, and can teach the younger these valuable lessons.

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Next, Paul turns his attention to the older Christian women with another list of desirable character qualities resulting from healthy doctrine...

2: 3-4 “the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

REVERENT IN BEHAVIOR: refers to deportment or demeanor. This points to the way a godly woman should carry herself. The KJV says “as becometh holiness.” What she says or doesn’t say, the way she handles herself, her overall attitude are all included in ‘behavior.’

NOT FALSE ACCUSERS: the word translated “false accusers” is diabolos, meaning “devil.” It is used 38 times in the NT and 34 of those times refers to Satan. Slander—false accusation—is the work of the devil. The word implies a verbal assault. A person’s life can be literally destroyed by a false accusation, and Paul warns the older women to shun any involvement in baseless slander.

NOT GIVEN TO MUCH WINE: Look how often Paul mentions the sin of intoxication in his letters! Clearly it was a common problem in the early church. And again I say, while the Bible does not categorically forbid the use of wine, it does state principles like abstaining from activities that would cause a weaker believer to stumble (Rom. 14:21; 1 Cor. 8:9).

TEACHERS OF GOOD THINGS: The Bible tells the older women to teach younger women—

TO LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS: the word for “love” here is philandros meaning “tender affection.” The vast majority of homes experience various stresses and strains that test the marital bond, so we have to work to keep love preeminent in our relationships, and Paul charges the older women to teach the younger women this valuable lesson.

It is so important to keep love alive in the home. The three simple words “I love you,” can calm a stormy day like nothing else. “I” is the subject. “You” is the object. And “love” is the only thing in-between.

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And older women are to teach younger women—

TO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN: Isn’t it interesting that Paul tasks older women to teach younger women to do something that ought to come naturally!

But the truth is, some women weren’t loved when they were children, and if not taught to break that family curse, will only treat their children the way they were treated.

We tend to think of love as an emotion, but agape love is a matter of the will. We can literally choose to love, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will succeed.

HOW TO BE DISCREET: meaning “sensible, self-controlled.” Common sense can go a long way in preventing common shortcomings in parenting like showing favorites, overindulging children, or over-disciplining them, and so on.

Older women have been around long enough to take a young mother aside to impart advice that will save them many tears later.

CHASTE: meaning “pure, free from carnality.” Chastity has long ago faded from being “stylish” in our pornographic culture, which is also infected with the feminist movement.

But the so-called “new morality” is nothing more than the old immorality. The pressure to go the way of a godless culture is powerful, and that’s where the influence of older, godly women is needed in the lives of younger women, particularly to be chaste, pure, wholesome, and modest.

KEEPERS AT HOME: the Greek word literally means “workers at home.” Again, the feminist culture of America has disparaged the idea of a woman staying at home to raise children. But the Bible actually applauds it.

This is not to condemn moms who work for financial reasons. But the Bible ethic and advice is for moms to be as present as possible in the lives of their children.

GOOD: meaning “good in character.” A woman’s role is to make her home a refuge from the mean-spirited, callous, cruel, and ungodly culture the children encounter. Her husband battles these things at work, and the children primarily in the school.

A “good” mother, radiant with Christ, filled with God’s Word, and speaking God’s love in the home is the glory of being a wife and mother, and is a refuge to which to flee at the end of a trying day.

OBEDIENT TO THEIR OWN HUSBANDS: the word “obedient” is a military term meaning “to be in subjection.” Some women immediately say, “But you don’t know my husband!” No, but God does!

Now, there is a very important balance here. The Bible never calls a wife to submit to excessive or dangerous abuse. God would never expect a wife to submit to violence. Nor to a husband demanding some kind of sinful behavior.

The Bible likewise tells the husbands, “Love your wife as Christ loved the church.” How did Jesus love the church? Sacrificially—putting the church above his own needs. And unconditionally—with all her faults and shortcomings. So while the wife is to submit to her husband obediently, the husband is to love his wife amazingly!

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Next, Paul turns to the young men...

2: 6-8 “Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

SOBER-MINDED: meaning “self-control, to be of sound mind.” The young men, says Paul, are to take life seriously. Young David is a great example. When ordered by his father Jesse to take provisions to his older brothers on the battlefield, he heard about the giant, about Israel’s predicament, and about the reward being offered the person who brought the giant down.

David immediately declared that he would fight and defeat Goliath. He was very “sober minded” about it. As a young man, he soberly considered the gravity of Israel’s situation, and volunteered to be part of the solution. Though young, David was powerful enough spiritually to tackle a giant!

A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS: the word “pattern” is from a Greek word meaning “type.” A “type” is a living illustration for others to follow.

Titus was to be a living pattern, a walking illustration of a young man dedicated to good works. And young men and women today should strive to be living examples of those zealous for good works that glorify God!

IN DOCTRINE SHOWING INTEGRITY, REVERENCE, INCORRUPTIBILITY: The word for “showing” means “to offer, supply, or to give. And the word “integrity” means “free from taint.”

Once again, Paul returns to the subject of doctrine—sound, balanced, healthy teaching. Young men are the ones most vulnerable to being carried away with doctrinal novelties.

But older men have arrived at their convictions after years of study, meditation, and discussion. So Paul urges young men to get a head start on acquiring sound, healthy doctrine.

REVERENCE: the KJV translates the word “gravity.” It means “dignity.” This is talking about having veneration for something worthy of respect, which is God’s word. Treat it with seriousness, as it is the very Word of God!

INCORRUPTIBILITY: Sound, healthy doctrine is incorruptible. It is the eternal word of God. Hence the Bible says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Is. 40:8).

SOUND SPEECH THAT CANNOT BE CONDEMNED: the word “sound” means “whole,” and is usually used in the NT to refer to a healthy body. Young men were to teach healthy doctrine.

When this is done, it puts to silence those who seek to find fault with their message. He says, “that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

I have learned in dealing with lost people, who often argue about the claims of Scripture, that they rarely know what it actually says, and are often silenced once they hear it laid out.

It’s hard to call a book “evil” that speaks of loving both enemies and neighbors, of forgiving others, of helping the poor, and of a God who loved them so much He gave His Son.