Titus 2.7-8a-Paul Commands Titus to Continue Being an Example for the Younger Men in the Cretan Christian Community
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 27, 2014
Titus: Titus 2:7-8a-Paul Commands Titus to Continue Being an Example for the Younger Men in the Cretan Christian Community
Lesson # 19
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 2:2.
Titus 2:2 Older men are, as an eternal spiritual truth to be characterized as level-headed, dignified, sound-minded by being characterized as sound in the Christian faith, in the uniqueness of divine-love, in the uniqueness of godly perseverance. 3 Likewise, older women are to be characterized as reverent ones in the area of conduct, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of good 4 in order that they would be able to train younger women to be lovers of their husbands, lovers of their children 5 sound-minded ones, pure ones, homemakers, performers of divine good, those who voluntarily obey their own husbands so that the Word originating from God will not be slandered. 6 Likewise, you continue making it your habit of exhorting younger men to be sound-minded 7 while in each and every circumstance continuing to make it your habit of showing yourself to be an example of integrity, dignity, sound speech, irreproachableness who produces excellent works by means of the teaching. (My translation)
Titus 2:7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. (NASB95)
“In all things” is referring to each and every circumstance Titus finds himself in with regards to the Cretan Christian community.
“Show yourself to be an example” is composed of the following: (1) reflexive pronoun seautou (σεαυτοῦ), “yourself” (2) verb parechō (παρέχω), “show to be” (3) noun tupos (τύπος), “an example.”
In Titus 2:7, the verb parechō means “to show oneself to be” something and speaks of Titus exemplifying Christ-like character for these younger men.
The participle form of this verb is a temporal participle indicating that Paul wants Titus to continue making it his habit of exhorting younger men to be sound-minded “while” continuing to make it his habit of showing himself to be an example with regards to each and every circumstance.
The reflexive pronoun seautou is used to highlight or emphasize Titus’ responsibility to show himself as an example to the younger men in the Cretan Christian community.
The noun tupos refers to Titus exemplifying godliness, the way of godliness or in other words, the Christian way of life so that he becomes someone to imitate among the younger men in the Cretan Christian community.
“Good works” is composed of the following: (1) adjective kalos (καλός), “good” (7) genitive neuter plural form of the noun ergon (ἒργον), “works.”
The noun ergon means “works, actions” referring to actions performed by Titus while in fellowship with God and are produced by the Holy Spirit through him when he exercises faith in the Word of God.
This faith results in obedience to the will of the Father, which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God.
It speaks of the works or actions that the Holy Spirit performs through the Christian as a result of the Christian’s obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God, which are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The noun ergon functions as a genitive of product indicating that Titus’ example will “produce” these excellent works or actions.
The adjective kalos means “excellent” and describes these works or actions as being of the highest moral quality or character because they were done by the power of the Spirit as a result of obedience to the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.
The implication is that these works or actions are useful and a great benefit to the Christian community on the island of Crete and to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
“In doctrine” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (9) noun didaskalia (διδασκαλία), “doctrine.”
The noun didaskalia is used in an objective sense and means “doctrine, teaching” and is referring to the content of apostolic teaching and is the object of the preposition en which is a marker of means indicating the means by which Titus was to produce excellent works.
This indicates Paul wants Titus to continue making it his habit of exhorting younger men to be sound-minded while continuing to make it his habit of showing himself to be an example who produces excellent works by means of the (apostolic) teaching.
“Purity” is the noun aphthoria (ἀφθορία), which means “integrity” and speaks of Titus being an example to these younger men of firmly adhering to the gospel which is proclaimed through the apostolic teaching.
This noun aphthoria is functioning as an accusative of simple apposition meaning that it stands appositive to the accusative noun tupos, “example” and is thus clarifying it meaning it identifies specifically for Titus what he is to be an example of for the younger men in the Cretan Christian community.
“Dignified” is the noun semnotēs (σεμνότης), which means “dignity” and refers to the way Christians project themselves in the communities that they live and work in.
This noun semnotēs is functioning as an accusative of simple apposition meaning that it stands appositive to the accusative noun tupos, “example” and is thus clarifying it meaning it identifies specifically for Titus what he is to be an example of for the younger men in the Cretan Christian community.
The phrase “sound in speech which is beyond reproach” in Titus 2:8 actually belongs with Titus 2:7 since this expression is composed of three Greeks words which are functioning as an accusative of simple apposition modifying the noun tupos, “example.”
“Sound in speech” is composed of the following: (1) noun logos (λόγος), “speech” (2) adjective hugiēs (ὑγιής), “sound.”
The noun logos means “speech” and refers to the content of the conversations that Titus has with the people in the Cretan Christian community.
The word denotes the manner in which he speaks to them and is related to the fact that with respect to the Cretan believers, he does not sin with his words (Ephesians 4:25, 26, 29, 31; 5:4; Colossians 3:8-9).
It also is related to the fact that he speaks in a manner that expresses the love of God by the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:25, 29, 32; 5:4, 19, 20; Colossians 3:12, 13, 16, 17).
This noun logos is modified by the adjective hugiēs which means “sound” describing the speech of Titus as being uncorrupted by the sin nature and the cosmic system of Satan.
It describes speech as reflecting godly standards found in the Word of God rather than reflecting the standards of the devil’s world.
“Which is beyond reproach” is the adjective akatagnōstos (ἀκατάγνωστος), which means “irreproachable” since it pertains to what cannot be justifiably criticized.
Therefore, Paul wants Titus to be an example for younger men in the Cretan Christian community who is irreproachable.
Titus 2:6 Likewise, you continue making it your habit of exhorting younger men to be sound-minded 7 while in each and every circumstance continuing to make it your habit of showing yourself to be an example of integrity, dignity, sound speech, irreproachableness who produces excellent works by means of the teaching. (My translation)
Titus 2:7 indicates that Titus was not only to teach sound doctrine to the younger men in the Cretan Christian community but he was also to exemplify or model this sound doctrine to them.
He was to show these young men by his lifestyle what sound doctrine looks like when applied by a young Christian man.
Titus was to be a model for these younger men with regards to Christian behavior.
He was to be an example to be imitated by these younger men in the Cretan Christian community.
He was to exemplify godliness, the way of godliness or in other words, the Christian way of life so that he becomes someone to imitate among the younger men in the Cretan Christian community.
A believer who is an example of Christian conduct is one who is in fellowship with God and is exercising faith in the Word of God which results in obedience to the commands and prohibitions of the Word of God.
A Christian who is exemplifying godliness is exercising faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God that they are crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ, which results in obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.
A believer who exemplifies the Christian way of life loves God with his or her entire being and neighbor as oneself.
They love others the way Christ loves by the power of the Spirit.
They produce fruit in the sense that they have Christ-like character, which is the fruit of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23).
The Scriptures teach that the pastor-teacher, i.e. the overseer fulfills this office by fulfilling four responsibilities that are the means by which he tends and shepherds the flock of God: (1) Study (2 Tim. 2:15) (2) Teach (1 Tim. 4:13) (3) Pray (Acts 6:1-4). (4) Exemplify the Christian way of life (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:10).
In 1 Timothy 4:12, the apostle Paul says something similar to Timothy by instructing him to be an example for everyone in the Christian community in Ephesus.
1 Timothy 4:12 Absolutely no one must look down upon your youth but rather continue making it your habit of causing yourself to be an example with respect to believers by means of speech, by means of conduct, by means of divine-love, by means of faithfulness, by means of purity. (My translation)