Lights in the Darkness 2

Titus 2:6-10

Introduction

Tonight’s text is just a continuation of last month’s text where Paul is informing Titus how to speak the things fitting for sound doctrine. In verses 2-5, Paul tells Titus what to say to older men, older women, and younger women (via the older women) and this so that the word of God would not be dishonored or reviled or blasphemed or brought into disgrace (every translation I looked at said something different).

Now in verse 6, he tells Titus what to tell the younger men about how to act. He starts with being sensible, which is a word used for older men and younger women in the previous verses. (see below)

As always, each group overlaps in the right way to act. The next thing Paul says to Titus about younger men, is in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds (explain about Titus probably being a younger man, then.) He tells Titus what these good deeds could look like - pure doctrine (explain); dignity (explain); sound speech that is beyond reproach (explain) (1 Timothy 3:2 and 3:10 about elders and deacons)(read the passages) (explain where elders and deacons come from (the young men of the church)). This of course is not in the text, but an application I think we could derive from this as mothers, is that we always want to strive to teach our sons from an early age to be careful in what they say (obviously this is true for daughters as well). If we are to be good stewards of the gifts God has given us, we need to keep this application in mind (along with many others!) And then he says, “so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” I think this is an area especially in this time of social media that Christians definitely struggle in - too many times I have seen someone who is fighting for biblical truth ruin it by having their words not show purity, dignity, or soundness.

Sensible (other translations say temperate or self-controlled; discreet) - basically from last month’s definitions: keeping in control of one’s passions so one doesn’t get carried away into evil. The word can mean “safe in mind, self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion), discreet, sober temperate.” Matthew has a list of tenets he strives to live by and teach athletes under his care and one of those tenets is equanimity - the quality of being calm and even-tempered, composure; calmness or firmness; patience. Being sensible will cause equanimity and equanimity will help one be sensible.

Now, Paul moves on to bondslaves (servants under the subjection of a master). We can use the principles of this today as workers for a boss, but Paul was specifically talking about actual slaves as that was a common practice at that time and the Bible doesn’t really condone or condemn slavery itself in a concrete way. What the Bible does make clear is that whether slave or free, you belong to God and we are all subject to Him so the slaves needed to fulfill the role the Lord had them in by being subject to(obedient) to their own master in everything. 1 Peter 2:18-19, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.” Ephesians 6:5 -7“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,” “not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,” They were to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, they are not to steal from their masters. They were to be faithful to their master in all things (just as we all are to Christ). The bondslaves did so they could adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. What a beautiful picture. The slaves may have been low on the totem pole in society, but by their godly behavior, they could adorn (to enhance the appearance of). This brings us to a remembrance of Peter telling women how they were to adorn themselves (most women like to look nice or enhance their appearance - it’s the same idea - make the doctrine of God our Savior look attractive. In actuality, if we behave the way Paul told Titus to tell us to behave, whether older men, older women, younger women, younger men, or slaves, we can all make the doctrine of God our Savior look attractive. It’s how we can all be lights in the darkness! What a blessing!!