Instructions For Christians / Instrucciones Para Cristianos
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Instructions
Instructions
There are many lessons to be learned throughout life. Not all lessons can be taught and learned in every phase in life.
Children must learn to obey their parents, to listen, good manners.
Young people must learn responsibility, independence, and what it means to work hard.
Adults must learn to manage their household well, to save money for the future, to be responsible in their employment.
Seniors must learn how to continue staying active in their stage in life, how to be prepared to retire well, etc.
This is simply the way life is. There are certain things that we must learn in the various stages of life.
In the same way, Paul writes to Titus with a particular concern for Christians in all stages of life. He writes words of exhortation/counsel to:
Senior Christians
Young Christians
Working Christians
Many of us may not have had such a great upbringing. Some of us lacked discipline in the way we were raised.
Some of us may have come from broken homes where there really was no counsel or words of advice.
Others may have come from homes were discipline was constant and at times overwhelming.
Whatever the case may be we are instructed by God regarding these different stages in life.
I. Senior Christians
I. Senior Christians
I. Cristianos Maduros
I. Cristianos Maduros
Titus is given a very specific mission as it relates to his ministry on the island of Crete. Many things were lacking and he had much to do
You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
Tú, en cambio, predica lo que está de acuerdo con la sana doctrina.
He would be able to overcome any deficiency or need through the preaching of sound doctrine.
Many people think that the study of doctrine is for seminary students, professors, theology geeks, or for the super spiritual or super religious. The truth is that those who seek to be changed by God must study doctrine because doctrine tells us about God, tells us about our Savior, tells us about our sin, tells us about our need, tells us about how we can be changed!
We do not need a psychology to lead us to lasting change. The Word of God is sufficient. We have everything we need in the Word of God.
Titus only needs to be equipped with knowledge of the Word of God and a determination to preach its message to reach even the most senior saints in Crete.
Titus is exhorted to focus first of all on the senior saints in Crete.
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, 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.
Titus 2:2
A los ancianos, enséñales que sean moderados, respetables, sensatos, e íntegros en la fe, en el amor y en la constancia.
A las ancianas, enséñales que sean reverentes en su conducta, y no calumniadoras ni adictas al mucho vino. Deben enseñar lo bueno
Paul wants Titus to care for the older men and women in Crete.
Why would he start with the older men and women? Because the are the elders of the people many would naturally respect them and look up to their example.
It would not make sense to start with the youth or the children if the elders were not adequately addressed.
There are certain people that think that senior saints, because of their age and experience do not need to be encouraged to seek after God.
Others think that senior saints do not need to be exhorted against sin. It is wrong to think that senior saints to do not struggle with discouragement, temptation, greed, anger, etc…
Senior saints are human. They are fallible human beings and are prone to sin just as we who are younger.
Notice how both older men and woman are called to be temperate, worthy or respect, self controlled, sound in faith, full of love and endurance.
These are characteristics that senior saints should strive to experience in their lives.
It is easy to become complacent, to develop a negative a cynical attitude, or to demand respect just because of their age.
It is easy for a senior saint to become grumpy due to the aches and pains of life and loose love for others.
Paul focuses on senior female saints and he notices two specific vices: they can be slanderers and addicted to much wine. They are to live a reverent life. It could be that older women in Crete were being carried away with a lifestyle of alcoholism, gossip, and all around a disordered life.
Senior saints - you are needed in the church. We need your wisdom, we need your counsel, we need your prayers, we need your example of love and endurance. You have much to teach us regarding what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
II. Young Christians
II. Young Christians
II. Cristianos Jóvenes
II. Cristianos Jóvenes
In fact, the lives of female senior saints are specifically needed in the lives of the younger women.
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to 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.
y aconsejar a las jóvenes a amar a sus esposos y a sus hijos, a ser sensatas y puras, cuidadosas del hogar, bondadosas y sumisas a sus esposos, para que no se hable mal de la palabra de Dios.
Titus 2:
As a conservative southern baptist church we believe that God has called men to be pastors in the local church. We do not believe the pastoral role is open to women. Not because women are inferior to men or less competent; rather we believe God has called us to fulfill specific roles in the life of the church.
This does not mean that women do not have any type of teaching role within the life of the church.
In fact, in this letter we are told about the wonderful teaching ministry that women can exercise as it relates to teaching younger women.
Older women are called to teach younger women in how they treat their husbands and children.
They are to teach younger women to love their husbands.
They are to teach younger women to love their children.
They are to teach them to be self-controlled and pure.
They are to teach them to be busy at home.
They are to teach them to be kind.
They are to teach them to be subject to their husbands.
They are to teach them…with the goal that the word of God is not maligned.
Younger women need to be supported in the congregation by older women so that they may grow in their role as wives and mothers.
Young men are exhorted to be self-controlled.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
A los jóvenes, exhórtalos a ser sensatos.
Young men are given to impulsive decisions, others to indecisiveness, sloth, some are disorganized, others are fearful about the future - and Paul says - teach them to be self controlled.
They must not be controlled by their impulses but be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God.
Young men need to be mentored and counseled by older saints in the life of the church.
Young men must be discipled so that they may grow into strong men of God that know how to care for their wives, children, and know what it means to be a servant of the people of God.
As a society we are facing a whole generation of young men and women that seem lost. Some are married and are experiencing many marital problems.
Many of these young couples are facing financial issues as well - one of the main reasons is they have not been mentored.
Others, have rebelled against their parents and refused to accept their counsel and therefore find themselves in difficult circumstances.
We must pray that God will soften their hearts to his Word and have an open ear to the voice of wisdom.
III. Working Christians
III. Working Christians
Paul wraps up his words of counsel focusing on those who were slaves in the ancient world.
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and 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.
Enseña a los esclavos a someterse en todo a sus amos, a procurar agradarles y a no ser respondones. No deben robarles sino demostrar que son dignos de toda confianza, para que en todo hagan honor a la enseñanza de Dios nuestro Salvador.
Slaves were to be subject to their masters in everything.
They were called to please their masters.
They were called to not talk back to them.
They were called to not steal from them.
They were to prove themselves to be trustworthy.
The goal was that they would be a living testimony of a life changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ thereby making the Gospel attractive to those who observed their daily lives.
This word of counsel can be applied to us in the way that we behave in our place of employment.
We should be faithful to our jobs.
We should work a full day for that is what we are being paid for.
We should not steal time or supplies.
We should be trustworthy in terms of our attendance, our willingness to accept change, and be extremely dependable.
Our Christianity should not make us less dependable employees but rather it should make us invaluable.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Ultimately, the goal for exhorting senior saints, younger saints, and those who are employed - it is not to make us more acceptable in society, or simply to make us better people. The ultimate goal is to make the Gospel attractive to all those who encounter a Christian at any point in their lives.
Our actions should speak louder than our words.
It is interesting to me that Titus was exhorted by Paul to teach these groups using two strategies:
Titus 2:7-8
In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and 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.
Con tus buenas obras, dales tú mismo ejemplo en todo. Cuando enseñes, hazlo con integridad y seriedad, y con un mensaje sano e intachable. Así se avergonzará cualquiera que se oponga, pues no podrá decir nada malo de nosotros.
Titus was to preach sound doctrine. He was to have firm confidence in the Word’s sufficiency to equip senior saints, younger saints, all the people of God to walk in accordance with God’s will.
Yet…at the same time he was to be an example of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. Titus was not only to teach through his Words but through a living example of self control, of love, of kindness, of being worthy of respect.
It is imperative that we walk in accordance to the Word of God. The world will oppose the Gospel of Jesus Christ, however, we should be extremely careful that our lives do not contribute to their reason for opposing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.