Titus 3.2-Paul Instructs Titus to Remind Cretan Christian Community of Their Responsibilities to Every Human Being
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 29, 2014
Titus: Titus 3:2-Paul Instructs Titus to Remind Cretan Christian Community of Their Responsibilities to Every Human Being
Lesson # 28
Please turn in your Bibles to Titus 3:1.
Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. (NASB95)
“To malign no one” is composed of the adjective medeis (μηδείς), “no one” and the verb blasphēmeō (βλασφημέω), “to malign.”
The verb blasphēmeō means “to blaspheme, to slander” since it pertains to defaming someone’s character as a result of bitterness towards them.
The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present indicating that the Cretan Christian community was to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one.
The emphatic negative adjective medeis functions as a substantive and means “absolutely no one” referring to both non-Christians and Christians or in other words, the human race as a corporate unit.
Christians are prohibited from slandering each other or any person (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; 1 Peter 2:1).
“To be peaceable” is composed of the adjective amachos (ἄμαχος), “peaceable” and the verb eimi (εἰμί), “to be.”
The verb eimi means, “to exist in a particular state or condition” indicating that Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan Christian community that they are to exist in the state of being peaceable.
The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present indicating that the Cretan Christian community was to be characterized as peaceable and magnanimous.
The adjective amachos means “not a fighter, not contentious, not combative, not argumentative” indicating that Paul is instructing Titus to remind the Cretan Christian community to not be characterized as contentious or in other words, they were to be characterized as peaceable.
“Gentle” is the adjective epieikēs (ἐπιεικής), which means “magnanimous” which speaks of a wise person who remains meek in the face of insults and of a judge who is lenient in judgment, and the king who is kind in his rule.
It speaks of someone who is considerate, thoughtful in legal relationships and does not demand his own rights at all costs.
The New Universal Unabridged Dictionary lists the following definitions for the adjective magnanimous: (1) Generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous towards one’s enemies. (2) High-minded; noble: a magnanimous king (3) Proceeding from or revealing nobility of mind, character, etc: a magnanimous love of justice.
If we paraphrase this definition and apply it to the Christian, we would say that a Christian must be: (1) Generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness especially towards one’s enemies. (2) High-minded; noble (3) Possessing nobility of mind, character, having a magnanimous love of justice.
Magnanimity is related to forgiveness (Col. 3:13-14).
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are inherently magnanimous and is one of their attributes.
The Lord Jesus Christ during His First Advent revealed this magnanimous character of the Trinity.
The greatest manifestation of God’s magnanimity was at the Cross when every sin in human history, past, present and future was imputed to Christ on the Cross and He was judged as our substitute.
Our Lord’s magnanimous behavior was demonstrated during His First Advent by the manner in which He demonstrated the quality of being generous in forgiving insults and injury without being pettily resentful or vindictive.
Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive all of them, for they know not what they are doing.” (NASB)
He was noble in character, loving justice but not insisting upon the letter of the law in order to preserve the spirit of the law.
The Lord was generous in forgiving insults and injuries without being vindictive and becoming involved in petty resentfulness.
He was generous, tolerant, patient, moderate, courageous, and noble and did not insist upon his own rights to the fullest.
“Showing every consideration” is composed of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “every” and the verb endeiknumi (ἐνδείκνυμι), “showing” along with the noun prautēs (πραΰτης), “consideration.”
The verb endeiknumi is used of the Cretan Christian community “showing” or “demonstrating” every consideration for each and every human being.
The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present indicating that the Cretan Christian community was to be characterized as showing every consideration for every human being.
The middle voice of the verb endeiknumi is a reciprocal middle which emphasizes that the individual members of the Cretan Christian community are “together” show every consideration for all people.
The participle form of the verb endeiknumi is a result participle indicating that as a result of being characterized as slandering absolutely no one, and being peaceable, magnanimous, the Cretan believers would show every consideration for all people.
In fact, being magnanimous is the direct result of being considerate of others and speaks of someone who is considerate, thoughtful in legal relationships and does not demand his own rights at all costs.
The noun prautēs means “consideration” since it pertains to being thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others, or thoughtful and having sympathetic regard for others.
This word is modified by the adjective pas, which pertains to being each within a range of opportunities indicating that Paul wants the Cretan Christian community to show “every” consideration for all people in the sense that whenever they have an opportunity they were to show consideration for people.
“For all men” denotes that Paul wants the Cretan Christian community to show every consideration for the benefit of each and every member of the human race without exception, both Jew and Gentile, regenerate or unregenerate.
Titus 3:1 Continue to make it your habit of reminding them to make it their habit of voluntarily subjecting themselves to governmental rulers, or in other words, governmental authorities by making it their habit of being obedient, to be ready for any kind of act which is divine good in quality and character. 2 They are to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one, to be characterized as peaceable, magnanimous with the result that together they show every consideration for each and every member of the human race. (My translation)
Paul’s instructions in verse 2 is an addition to his instructions in verse 1 which contains reminders for the Cretan Christian community with regards to their relationship to the governmental authorities.
His instructions in verse 2 contain more items that Titus was to remind the Cretan Christian community about but this time they address their relationship with all people, non-Christian and each other.
Here in Titus 3:2, the apostle is instructing Titus to continue making it his habit of reminding the Cretan Christian community to be characterized as slandering absolutely no one, to be characterized as peaceable, magnanimous.
Consequently, by doing so, together they would show every consideration for each and every member of the human race or in other words, everyone they came into contact with.
The Cretan Christian community would automatically manifest all these characteristics and obey Paul’s instructions here in verse 2 by loving their neighbors as themselves.
By treating others the way they would want to be treated would automatically result in the Cretan Christian community obeying Paul’s instructions here in verse 2.
The fact that Paul is telling Titus to remind the Cretan believers of their responsibilities in relation to their fellow human beings, saved and non-saved implies that they were taught these responsibilities in the past by Paul and Titus.
Paul was very concerned that no one would think and speak badly of the gospel and thus the apostolic teaching.
He did not want the Cretan church to become involved in slander and contentious behavior, which he knew would bring the apostolic teaching of the gospel into disrepute.
By being obedient to Paul’s instructions here in Titus 3:2 the godly character of the Cretan Christian community would stand in stark contrast to the ungodly character of the apostate pastor-teachers on the island of Crete who rejected the gospel and adhered to the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers.
By being obedient to Paul’s instructions their godly character would stand in contrast to the ungodly character of the unregenerate Cretan people.
The purpose of such obedience is not only for the purpose of developing Christ-like character in the Cretan Christian community and to glorify God but it was would also to serve to evangelize the non-Christian and rebuke the apostate Christian.
By obeying Paul’s instructions here in Titus 3:2, the Cretan Christian community would be reflecting the godly standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the apostolic teaching which communicated the gospel.