Ready for good works

Relating to outsiders Titus 3:1-11

Submitting and obeying governing authorities Titus 3:1

Remind them to be submissive… Titus is to remind the believers in Crete to be submissive to governing powers and those who exercise authority. Rom 13:1-5

Romans 13:1–5 ESV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

ready for good works… They do this “willingly.”

Attitude towards unbelievers Titus 3:2

Two attitudes Christians should not display to unbelievers:

speak evil of no one. (Gk. blasphemeo); to revile; slander. It is the same work Christ used in Luke 12:10. Christians should not slander unbelievers See Eph. 4:31

Ephesians 4:31 ESV

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

2. avoid quarreling. (Gk. amachos); not quarrelsome; peaceable. describes someone who is contentious and a brawler. Instead of being quick to fight, believers should desire peace, and avoid being contentious.

Two attitudes Christians are to display to unbelievers:

be gentle. means kind; tolerant; forbearing. Christians are to forbear with unbelievers. We are not to tolerate their sin, but be gentle and kind. We do this by avoiding a Pharisaical attitude.

courtesy towards all people. means meekness; humility. Timothy was to correct his opponents in meekness for the purpose that God may grant them to repentance. Believers are to show humility to unbelievers, putting their needs above their own. Especially when correcting them in their sin.

Remembering our former selves produces humility Titus 3:3

Paul describes believers prior to conversion as:

foolish. having poor judgment.

disobedient. disregard to God’s moral law.

led astray. deceived. wandering in error.

slaves (Gk. serving; do service); to passions and pleasures. Christians once served their deepest desires and sensual pleasures.

passing our days in malice and envy. hating others and hated by others. Christians were once full of wickedness and envy towards others.

Remembering who we were before God’s grace intervene will produce humility. For we once were what unbelievers are now. 1 Cor. 6:9-11

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Remembering and preaching God's grace Titus 3:4-8

But when. loving kindness (Gk. philanthrophia); is formed by two root words “phileo” (love) and “anthropos” (man). Meaning, “love for mankind.” Thus the NET version renders this verse, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared.”

God our Savior. The Father is the author of our salvation and saved us through Jesus Christ.

he saved us. the words “saved” here is in the past tense as is the word “appeared” in v4. in some sense, when Jesus stepped into human history, he saved us. salvation is both present and future 1 Cor. 1:18; Rom. 5:9-10. our salvation was totally independent of our merit. It is owed to God’s mercy Eph 2:4; 1 Pet. 1:3

washing...regeneration...renewal. verses 4-7 may have been apart of an early Christian confession that some would ready during his or baptism. Some see these verse as a reference to baptism. A few things to consider:

water baptism doesn’t save us. this would contradict what Paul is saying here for water baptism would be a work of righteousness.

water baptism is the sign of what the Holy Spirit has done inside of us. we have been cleansed and washed by the Holy Spirit.

Washing. refers to cleansing operation of the Holy Spirit. In Greek the word refers to the act of washing. Ezek. 36:24-27

Ezekiel 36:24–27 ESV

I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

John 3:5 ESV

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

regeneration (Gk. palingenesia); new birth; reproduction; renewal, re-creation. Augustine: moral renovation, regeneration, the production of a new life consecrated to God, a radical change of mind for the better. seen in one more place Matt. 19:28

Matthew 19:28 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The new birth Christians experience now will eventually give way to the birth of the new world.

renewal of the Holy Spirit. a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better.

Ephesians–Philemon Comment

In particular, this is the “washing of regeneration,” which is the new birth effected by the Holy Spirit. This new birth effects an ongoing “renewal” by the Holy Spirit that sanctifies the sinner.

poured out upon richly. echos OT passages Joel 2:28. Believers received a full measure of the holy spirit.

Joel 2:28 ESV

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

justified by his grace. the Spirit produces faith in Christ 1 Cor 12:3

1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

and God declares believers legally righteous by faith alone Rom. 4:5

Romans 4:5 ESV

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

because of Christ 2 Cor. 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Justification gives believers the right to inherit eternal life. It is our hope, meaning it isn’t just wishful thinking.

Preaching God’s grace

the saying is trustworthy (Gk. “reliable”). refers to trustworthy teaching.

Insist. “speak confidently.” “to affirm strongly.”

careful...”intent.”

profitable...beneficial; useful for people.

Preaching the grace of God will cause believers to be intent on performing good works which is useful and beneficial for unbelievers.

V. Identifying and avoiding heresy Titus 3:9-11

controversies “debate” “dispute”

unprofitable Gk. “useless” even harmful.

worthless... μάταιος, vain, unreal, ineffectual, unproductive: practically godless.

heresy compared to reliable teaching is useless and vain, godless. all the more why we should reject heretical teaching.

Titus is to warn those who cause division once then twice. Aafterward have nothing to do with them. Matt. 18:15-20

warped… ἐκστρέφω, I pervert. heretical teachers pervert the truth.

self-condemned. after being admonished and they continue to do so, they are willingly rejecting the truth.

Maintaining good works

providing urgent needs Titus 3:14

Staying fruitful Titus 3:14

unfruitful...ἄκαρπος, fruitless, profitless. christians are not to be unfruitful. Involves looking out for one another in the church 2 Pet. 1:8; Php. 4:17; Col. 1:10

Conclusion and application

Sound teaching produces sound living. The bible instructs Christians on how to live in the world. How do we behave around unbelievers? How do we treat outsiders? Are we judgmental or are we humble and gentle? Do we strive to toward good works or have we neglected the needs of others?