Titus 2.15-Paul Reminds Titus of His Responsibilities to God, the Cretan Christian Community and as His Delegate
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 15, 2014
Titus: Titus 2:15-Paul Reminds Titus of His Responsibilities to God, the Cretan Christian Community and as His Delegate
Lesson # 26
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 2:15.
Titus 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (NASB95)
“These things” refers to Paul’s instructions in Titus 2:2-14.
“Speak” is the verb laleō (λαλέω), which refers to the act of Titus speaking to the body of Christ on the island of Crete in the sense of communicating Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
The present imperative form of the verb is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Titus to simply continue making it his habit of speaking to the body of Christ on the island of Crete in the sense of communicating Paul’s teachings recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
“And exhort and reprove” defines specifically what Paul means when he instructs Titus to continue making it his habit of communicating his instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
“Exhort” is the verb parakaleō (παρακαλέω), which means “to exhort” in the sense of authoritatively training the body of Christ through instruction in the sense of communicating the gospel message to them so as to compel obedience in every area of their lives.
This authoritative training through instruction in the gospel would include teaching, reproving, correcting and training with regards to living out in one’s life the righteousness of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
The present imperative form of the verb parakaleō is a “customary present imperative” whose force again is for Titus to simply continue making it his habit of exhorting the Cretan Christian community to obey Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
“Reprove” is the verb elegchō (ἐλέγχω), which refers to Titus confronting members of the body of Christ on the island of Crete whose conduct is in violation of Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
Therefore, elegchō indicates that Titus was to continue making it his habit of rebuking those in the Cretan Christian community whose conduct was not in accordance with Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
He was to show them their conduct was wrong by presenting evidence from Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
The present imperative form of the verb elegchō is a “customary present imperative” whose force again is for Titus to simply continue making it his habit of rebuking those in the Cretan Christian community whose conduct was not in accordance with Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
“With all authority” means that Titus was to continue making it his habit of exhorting and rebuking the Cretan Christian community with regards to Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14 because Paul had delegated him the authority to do so.
It thus indicates that the apostle Paul delegated authority to Titus to act as his representative when communicating his instructions to the Cretan Christian community.
The apostle Paul is employing the figure of “asyndeton” which emphasizes the importance of the command to follow for not only Titus but also the Cretan Christian community since it will benefit their spiritual growth if they obey and hinder it if they disobey.
“Let no one disregard you” emphatically prohibits anyone in the Cretan Christian community disregarding Titus’ delegated authority.
Titus 2:15 Continue making it your habit of communicating these things. Specifically, continue making it your habit of exhorting as well as rebuking with full authority. Absolutely no one must disregard you. (My translation)
The apostle Paul reminds Titus of his responsibilities on the island of Crete.
He was responsible to continue making it his habit of communicating the apostle’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
Thus, Titus was to continue making it his habit of communicating Paul’s instructions in Titus 2:2-10 regarding the proper Christian conduct of older men and women, younger men and women and slaves in the Cretan Christian community.
He was also to continue making it his habit of communicating Paul’s teaching recorded in Titus 2:11-14 which presents the reason or the basis for the apostle’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-10.
The former presents the basis, the means, and the motivation for performing good works which the Cretan Christian community was to manifest.
Without understanding the truths regarding the purpose of Christ’s death on the cross, the exhortation to perform good works and to exemplify godliness is an exercise in futility.
Therefore, Titus was not only responsible to communicate to the Cretan Christian community these instructions regarding proper Christian conduct but he was also to communicate the reason why they were do obey these instructions.
Paul defines for Titus and the Cretan Christian community what he means that Titus was to continue making it his habit of communicating his teaching recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
Titus was to continue making it his habit of communicating Paul’s teaching recorded in Titus 2:2-14 in the sense that he was to authoritatively train the Cretan Christian community through instruction to obey these instructions.
This authoritative training through instruction would also involve encouraging and warning of danger of not obeying these instructions.
This communication of Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14 would also involve Titus confronting members of the body of Christ on the island of Crete whose conduct is in violation of Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
Titus was to continue making it his habit of rebuking those in the Cretan Christian community whose conduct was not in accordance with Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
He was to show them their conduct was wrong by presenting evidence from Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
This rebuke would be an expression of church discipline.
Titus was to state to erring members of the body of Christ that they have done wrong with the implication that there is adequate proof of such wrongdoing.
It speaks of Titus bringing a person to the point of recognizing they have committed wrongdoing in relation to Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
Therefore, there are only two commands in Titus 2:15 and not three since the commands to exhort and rebuke explain how Titus was to communicate Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14.
Titus was to do all this while being aware that he was delegated authority not only from the apostle Paul but also from the Trinity as well.
Paul’s young delegate was to continue making it his habit of exhorting and rebuking the Cretan Christian community with regards to Paul’s instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-14 because Paul and the Trinity had delegated him the authority to do so.
The apostle Paul delegated authority to Titus to act as his representative when communicating his instructions to the Cretan Christian community.
He was also representing the Trinity as well since they delegated Paul his apostolic authority.
The authority delegated to Titus by Paul was ultimately from the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father since Paul’s instructions were inspired by the Holy Spirit who acts on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ who in turn acts on behalf of the Father.
Thus, Paul emphatically prohibits Titus from permitting absolutely anyone in the Cretan Christian community from disregarding his authority since it was delegated to him by an apostle and God.
In other words, the message Paul is instructing Titus to communicate to the Cretan Christian community was from God.