Untitled Sermon

Titus 2:1–2 ESV

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

Compare: Titus 2:1–2 (NIV)

1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.

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

Older: presbútēs; an old man. Zecharaiah (Luke 1:18); Paul (Phil 1:9)

Life spans were short in antiquity: “The consensus of modern scholars is that life expectancy in the Roman Empire as a whole in our period fell in the range of twenty-five to thirty years, comparable with that of other preindustrial societies.” Of course there are always those who outlive statistical norms. There is evidence that Paul had in mind the age of about forty or fifty and upward.148 Quinn too places the division between older and younger at about fifty1

1 Yarbrough, R. W. (2018). The Letters to Timothy and Titus. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 509). Grand Rapids, MI; London: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

It is important that Titus stabilize and confirm the oldest and presumably most reliable elderly men in the Cretan congregations in all three domains so they may be sheet anchors against the winds of aberrant faith and practice that Paul writes to counteract.1

1 Yarbrough, R. W. (2018). The Letters to Timothy and Titus. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 510). Grand Rapids, MI; London: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

1 Tim 5:1-2. Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

Leviticus 19:32 (ESV)

32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

1 Timothy 5:1 (ESV)

1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,

Paul begins with “the older men” (v 2). Titus needs to teach them “to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance”. This suggests their temptations may be to be grumpy, or to pick arguments, or to be cynical, or to be weary of giving themselves in service. Again, the word “sound” literally means “healthy”. And it is so unhealthy for our faith, and for the church we’re part of, when we give rein to thoughts such as: This won’t work, we tried it before; I don’t know why we’re bothering; If only things were like they used to be—it wasn’t like this in my day.1

1 Chester, T. (2014). Titus for You. (C. Laferton, Ed.) (pp. 57–58). The Good Book Company.

Caleb offered as an example of an old man who remains faithful and zealous - Joshua 14:6-15.

Sober-minded: temperate. Levelheadedness.

A levelheaded person never goes overboard. He speaks and acts in ways that commend him to others. He is balanced and, while cautious and careful in making decisions, nevertheless, having made them, acts. Levelheaded persons know how to evaluate accurately and what to do in most situations. When they do not, they do not become flustered, angry or frustrated; they find out.1

1 Adams, J. E. (2020). I Timothy, II Timothy, and Titus (p. 108). Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies.

Dignified: actions and demeanor make him worthy of respect

self-control: sophron. sound mind. Self-disciplined in one’s freedom, self-restrained in all passions and desires.

Faith, love, endurance/steadfastness.

D.A. Carson, from his 80 year old Father who was a preacher:

He started serving and started visiting some more. When he was about 80, I found a note in his diary. “Merciful Father, save me from the sins of old men: too much looking backward, a tendency toward self-pity, whining because of aches and pains, the ease with which I now turn on the television. Save me from the sins of old men.”1

1 Carson, D. A. (2016). Living Priorities. In D. A. Carson Sermon Library (Tt 2:1–3:11). Bellingham, WA: Faithlife.

The very fact that young Titus is told to instruct older men indicates that these men must hold a teachable spirit, with a humility which will receive direction from a younger man. Not “set in his ways” or “too old to learn”.

Too, this must be a man who has accepted his station in life as an older man. He does not long to be younger, thus behaving unbecominlingly or in an undignified way. He embraces his stage of life and seeks God’s instruction in how he, and older man, ought to live.

this class would have comprised males older than 40.1

1 Laansma, J. C. (2009). Commentary on 2 Timothy. In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews (Vol. 17, p. 255). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Older men are those around fifty years old according to the medical formula used by Hippocrates in a world where life-expectancy for males was probably mid- to late forties.1

1 Wall, R. W. (2004). Titus. In C. A. Evans & C. A. Bubeck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts–Philemon (First Edition, p. 683). Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook.

Dignified: Actions and demeanor make him worthy of respect or serious and worthy.

“worthy of respect.” The word occurs three other times in the New Testament (Phil 4:8; 1 Tim 3:8, 11). It refers to “that which is sublime, majestic, holy, evoking reverence.” A godly dignity should mark their character and shine forth from their lives.1

1 Yarbrough, R. W. (2018). The Letters to Timothy and Titus. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 509). Grand Rapids, MI; London: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

Thus the older men should manifest a healthy “trust” in God, “love” toward others, and a hopeful “perseverance and endurance.” These three nouns repeat the common NT trio of faith, hope, and love, with patience appropriately taking the place of hope (cf. 1 Tim. 6:11; 1 Thes. 1:3; 1 Cor. 13:13).1

1 Knight, G. W. (1992). The Pastoral Epistles: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 306). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

Because there is an expected rate of growth among believers (see Corinthians/Hebrews - milk, should be teachers, etc) it is right to assume that those who have been believers for a long time would possess a mature, father-like spiritual character. Although, those in Crete would not have been believers for long.

Sound in faith: In sound in faith (cf. 1:13: for the opposite, cf. 1 Tim. 6:4 and Rom. 14:1—‘sick in faith’) he is not referring to correctness of doctrine, faith being equivalent to ‘the faith’, but to the old men’s subjective attitude; this is borne out by the subjective connotation of the two other nouns.1

1 Kelly, J. N. D. (1963). The pastoral epistles (p. 240). London: Continuum.

There are some failings which age has, that youth has not. Some indeed it has in common with youth, but in addition it has a slowness, a timidity, a forgetfulness, an insensibility, and an irritability. For this reason he exhorts old men concerning these matters, “to be vigilant.” For there are many things which at this period make men otherwise than vigilant, especially what I mentioned, their general insensibility, and the difficulty of stirring or exciting them. Wherefore he also adds, “grave, temperate.” Here he means prudent. For temperance is named from the well-tempered mind. For there are, indeed there are, among the old, some who rave and are beside themselves, some from wine, and some from sorrow. For old age makes them narrowminded.1

1 John Chrysostom. (1889). Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to Titus. In P. Schaff (Ed.), J. Tweed & P. Schaff (Trans.), Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (Vol. 13, p. 531). New York: Christian Literature Company.

Fickleness, rash passion, and impulsiveness should be things of the past for men in this stage of life, now that they have made Christian confession and are engaged in Christian life and service.1

1 Yarbrough, R. W. (2018). The Letters to Timothy and Titus. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 510). Grand Rapids, MI; London: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.