Sound Doctrine-6

Sound Doctrine – 6

Titus 2:1–5 (NIV84)

1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

4Then (so that) they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

Some young wives see their husbands as bores and their children as burdens. They fantasize about what life would be like if they were free from the responsibilities of family.

In contrast, young women who are Christians are to love their family.

5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Subject to = ὑποτάσσω hypotassō = subject oneself, be subjected or subordinated, obey. Of submission involving recognition of an ordered structure.

Submission does not mean Inferior

There is an ordered structure that God ordained for the family.

Ephesians 5:22–24 (NIV84)

22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands do not have unlimited authority over their wives, much less does every man have authority over every woman. But within the marriage covenant, both wives and husbands are asked to make great sacrifices.

While the wife is asked to submit,

the husband is asked to sacrifice whatever is necessary, including his life, to love and care for his wife.

When both husbands and wives are willing to make sacrifices for one another, each makes it easier on their spouse, and unity increases.

Your own husbands. Women are not subject to men in general; they are only to be submissive to their own husbands.

Genesis 3:16 (NIV84)

16To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Desire = תְּשׁוּקָה teshuqah 3x = an inclination to want things; desire, longing.

How can desire for one’s husband be part of the curse?

Genesis 4:7 (NIV84)

7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Sin is like an animal that when stirred up will assault Cain; it desires to overcome Cain.

Song of Solomon 7:10 (NIV84)

10I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me.

Desire in this verse referred to romantic desire.

Genesis 3:16 (NIV84)

16To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Genesis 3:16 (NET)

16To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.”

The desire of the woman is her attempt to control her husband, but she will fail because God has ordained that the man exercise his leadership function.

The desire of the woman for her husband is akin to the desire of sin that lies poised ready to leap at Cain.

It means a desire to break the relationship of equality and turn it into a relationship of servitude and domination.

Will rule = מָשַׁל mashal = rule, dominate, (have) control, have charge.

The man will seek to dominate her. Now he shall rule over her harshly, rather than with the sensitive, servant leadership pose he was intended to have in the beginning.

God originally intended that there would be a complementary relationship between husband and wife, with the husband in a leadership role. But that plan has now been distorted and damaged by sin.

This takes the form of desire on the part of the wife and heavy-handed rule on the part of the husband.

Eve will have the sinful desire to oppose Adam and to assert leadership over him.

But Adam will also abandon his God-given role of leading, guarding, and caring for Eve.

Instead, he will have a sinful, distorted desire to rule over her.

The emphasis on instructing the young women was due to the behavior of the young women in the Cretan church. The purpose of these specific exhortations was “so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Christians for their part must take care that they do not, by their own conduct, give cause for blasphemy against God or against his word (1 Tim. 6:1; Tit. 2:5).

Chales R. Swindoll: Like older men and older women, younger women are objects of scrutiny by a watching world. Paul reminded them that the credibility of God’s Word is at stake. Nonbelievers may not obey the commands of God, but they do understand the inherent link between belief and behavior among believers … and they expect the two to match.

Young Men

Titus 2:6 (NIV84)

6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

Encourage = παρακαλέω parakaleō = to urge strongly, appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage.

Exhort is “I beg of you, please; I urge.” It should not be a domineering, high-handed, demanding one, but a humble, loving, kindly, exhorting one.

The heart will respond to loving, kind treatment where it will rebel against the opposite.

Young men = νέος neos = a young adult male; refers to men ages 20–30.

Self-controlled = σωφρονέω sōphroneō = to be prudent, with focus on self-control, be reasonable, sensible, serious, keep one’s head.

to be soberly wise: to think and live wisely in self-control over one’s passions and desires.

a Spirit-endowed disposition that flows out of regeneration and a renewed mind.

Titus 2:7–8 (NIV84)

7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Titus, himself a young man, must set the right example for this group. He has to present himself as a model.

E. Glenn Hinson: Actions speak louder than words. One need not try to teach if his actions drown out what he says.

Set = παρέχω parechō = to exhibit.

Example = τύπος typos = a representative form or pattern; often for imitation or replication.

Literally refers to a mark or impression left by an instrument such as a pen, a sword, or a hammer.

It also came to be used figuratively of a pattern, mold, model, or copy of the original of something, whether a physical object, such as a statute, or a principle or virtue.

Titus, a young man, was to exhibit a model or pattern of life for the other young men to imitate and follow.

This pattern was to be displayed by doing what is good.

If example does not follow advice, the one giving it will be viewed rightly as a hypocrite, and hypocrisy never promotes righteousness, no matter how sound and biblical a person’s teaching and counsel may be.

Others may be inclined to accept the principles intellectually but will see no reason for living by them, and will themselves, like their teacher, become hypocrites.

Titus’s deeds were to be true reflections of what he preached and taught.

Titus 2:7–8 (NIV84)

7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Teaching = διδασκαλία didaskalia = instruction; teaching. The activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill.

Consistency of life with teaching is perhaps the most important aspect of effective spiritual leadership.

The word show does not have a Greek equivalent. It was added for clarity.

Integrity = ἀφθορία aphthoria 1x = purity: the state of being undiluted or unmixed with impure or tainted material; incorruption.

Seriousness = σεμνότης semnotēs 3x = 1 Tim. 2:2, holiness; 1 Tim. 3:4, respect; Titus 2:7, seriousness.

behavioral dignity: dignity; the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect; especially on account of one’s behavior.

Soundness = ὑγιής hygiēs = to being uncorrupted or correct.

Pertaining to being accurate, as well as useful and beneficial.

Of speech = λόγος logos = word; message; a communication that is most often spoken, but can come through other means.

That cannot be condemned = ἀκατάγνωστος akatagnōstos 1x = beyond reproach; not deserving or worthy of rebuke or criticism.

Titus must live and preach in such a way that there would be no just grounds for condemnation.

A pastor cannot make himself immune from criticism, but he is to teach and preach in such a way that everyone can see that there is no basis for any such condemnation.

Employees (Slaves)

Titus 2:9–10 (NIV84)

9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

Slaves. Refers to those in voluntary submission to another person due to debt or those in forced subjection to another person.

Slavery in the ancient Greco-Roman world was different from the form of slavery practiced by Europeans and Americans in the 15th to 19th centuries.

People in the first century often sold themselves as slaves to pay debts or climb the social ladder—essentially using slavery as a credit system.

Although slavery was not desirable, slaves in the Greco-Roman world could hold positions of authority and even own property.

Not all slavery was a permanent situation, and many slaves gained their freedom.

Slaves are to work as if they were serving Christ; masters are to keep in mind that they, too, serve a master—God—and therefore should treat their slaves fairly (Eph 6:5–9; Col 3:22–4:1).

There are no slaves in our society today, but there are employees.

Proverbs 22:7 (NASB)

7The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.

The borrower must realize that until the loan is repaid, he is a servant to the individual or institution that made it.

Titus 2:9 (NIV84)

9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

To be subject = ὑποτάσσω hypotassō = subject; subordinate; to be submissive: to be or become inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination.

to submit to the orders or directives of someone; to obey, to submit to, obedience, submission.

Titus 2:9 (NIV84)

9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

To talk back = ἀντιλέγω antilegō = speak against, contradict someone or something.

speaking against, objecting to, contradicting, or denying.

Christian workers must obey orders and not talk back.

To give certain personal insights and decisions of church councils equal authority beside Scripture is to contradict God’s Word—just as surely as is denying the deity of Christ or the historicity of His resurrection.

The final warning of Scripture is: “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18–19, emphasis added).

As children learn to obey their parents; they are setting the stage for obedience throughout their lives.

They are learning respect for authority.

And, they are learning to obey the other voices of authority, school, government, etc., that will become part of their lives later on.

Young people, you will always walk under someone’s authority!

Ultimately, children are learning to walk in obedience to the Lord when they walk in obedience to their parents.

Titus 2:10 (NIV84)

10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

To steal = νοσφίζω nosphizō = to misappropriate funds for one’s own benefit. Purloin (kjv)

to withhold: keep back; hold back; steal; to hold back; refuse to hand over or share.

Embezzle: steal or misappropriate (money placed in one’s trust or under one’s control).

Millions of dollars are lost each year by employers whose workers steal from them, everything from paper clips and pencils to office machines and vehicles.

“They owe it to me!” is no excuse. Neither is, “Well, I’ve earned it!”

Trusted = πίστις pistis = that which evokes trust and faith; the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment.

2 Kings 12:13-15 (NIV84)

13The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD;

14it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple.

15They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

What a testimony! What a contrast between the construction supervisors, who needed no accounting of their use of the money, and the priests, who couldn’t be trusted to handle their funds well enough to set some aside for the Temple (2 Kgs 12:7–8).

Though the priests were not dishonest, they did not have the commitment or energy needed to finish the work.

1 Corinthians 4:1-4 (NIV84)

1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.

2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.

4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

Proverbs 20:6 (NIV84)

6Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?

Proverbs 20:6 (NLT)

6Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?

How many times have you heard, “I’ll be there,” and they end up as “no-shows”?

Titus 2:10 (NIV84)

10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

Colossians 3:23–24 (NIV84)

23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,

24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

“May we, as Christians, be the best and most faithful workers wherever we are.”