Titus
2:1-8
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
A sound congregation
begins with sound doctrine. If the doctrine is
wrong, if it is not biblical, if it is not the priority of the gathering
of the church as taught in any serious study of the New Testament
books concerning church doctrine, then the congregation will never
be what God wants it to be, it will not be sound. The word
sound means, healthy, true, uncorrupted teaching. The congregation
will grow only if it embraces the truth. Otherwise, it will never
be a healthy, sound church. Paul tells Titus to keep speaking these
truths. This means that one of the functions of biblical leadership
is to continually teach sound doctrine and to urge all of you to a
continued course of growth in that doctrine. Now he begins to tell
Titus what the sound doctrine is.
2 That
the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity,
in patience.
The application
of this sound doctrine will be revealed in the relationships that
we have towards one another. The church is not an organization thought
it has organization. Rather, the church is a family, described in
the next few verses. Many pastors and hierarchies that run them treat
the church as some sort of business. Members are never told the truth
that the church body is a loving family of older and younger men and
women who care for one another, with leadership setting the example.
Older men are to demonstrate in their behavior a soundness in their
life. They should demonstrate qualities that reveal that they have
been truly living for God over a period of time.
Sober:
Sober-minded, control over his behavior.
Grave:
Dignified, respected, a spiritual character that is attractive to
others.
Temperate:
Sound understanding, discreet, self-controlled.
Sound
in faith: The word sound is the same Greek word
for sound used in verse 1. There should be an ongoing demonstration
of a healthy walk in faith, love and patience.
Older men should demonstrate faithful behavior. They should be men
who are trustworthy in their behavior. They should also be sound in
their love. This is God's love, demonstrated in actions of affection,
compassion, good deeds, and devotion to God. They should also be sound
in their patience. There are two Greek words for patience. One is
used for endurance under adverse circumstances and the other is used
for endurance under adverse people. The word used here is for adverse
circumstances. An older man who has been walking with the Lord for
a period of time should be models of patience. One of the reasons
why we have so many unhealthy churches, is because we have few, if
any, strong biblical older men who will set forth an example.
3 The
aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness,
not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Behavior
that becometh holiness: Older women, like the older men,
are to demonstrate a behavior or manner of life that is sacred.
That is what Paul is saying. It means to act like a sacred person.
Not false
accusers: Not given over to slander or gossip. Unfortunately,
this is the reputation of many an older woman. Embittered by life,
they teach others by example to carry on the work of the devil by
slander and gossip. The word for accuser is the devil. At the end
of a gossiper's tongue is the lips of the devil himself.
Not given
to much wine: Not a slave to wine. Not a drunkard. There
are multitudes of women today who are alcoholics. Older women should
not be dependent on booze to get them through, but on Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Teacher
of good things: There has been a grave
error in the church that women cannot teach. That
is not true. The role of their teaching IS
LIMITED to teaching other women, not men,
not being the chief speaker, pastor, bishop, etc. The
role of older women teaching younger women is clear and one of the
reasons why many churches are not healthy is that we
do not have older women teaching younger women, we have older women
trying to teach everyone else except younger women and
pastors having older women teaching none of the younger women. This
is wrong and a healthy church will have older women
in the role of teaching younger women. An older woman must
be an accurate handler of the scriptures. If she is not
skilled in the word, she cannot and should not be teaching anyone.
What are the older women to teach the younger women?
4 That
they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands,
to love their children,
That
they may teach the young women: This word, teach, is another
Greek word which means, to train to think and act soberly, discreetly
and in moderation. The older women will teach the younger women to
live a disciplined lifestyle by the example of their own
disciplined lifestyle.
To be
sober: Sober minded, having mastery over emotions and
passions.
To love
their husbands: One of the reasons for so many divorces
in the church is because young women do not understand their roles
and responsibilities as a wife and they do not have an older woman
as a role model to see how it is done. I will declare that God is
going to hold older women accountable for not taking the responsibility
of teaching younger women how to love their husband. The word here
for love means to be a friend. Wives need to learn how to be a friend
to their own husbands.
To love
their children: Older women need to teach younger women
the responsibility of motherhood. They need to learn how to properly
love their children. The word for love here also means to be a friend.
A younger woman needs to be her child's best friend.
5 To be
discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God be not blasphemed.
To
be discreet: wise.
Chaste:
Purity of life, free from moral defilement.
Keepers
at home: Workers at home. One who looks over the
domestic duties with wisdom and care. Older women need to take some
of these younger sisters home and teach them how to clean up a house,
how to cook a meal and how to care for their families.
Good:
Useful
Obedient
to their own husbands: Younger women need to be taught
by example and scripture the importance of their roles to their husbands.
They are to submit to them in everything according to Ephesians, chapter
5. But why, you may ask?
That
the word of God be not blasphemed: The purpose of living
a sound life, young lady is that your life does not bring reproach
to the word of God.
6 Young
men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Young
men exhort to be sober minded: Titus was to urge the younger
men, unsettled because of age and immaturity, to have a controlled
and disciplined life. (1st Timothy 5:1-2)
7 In all
things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound
speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Paul then gives
instruction to Titus himself as he urges him to be an example, a pattern
for the people in his:
Doctrine:
Purity and boldness in his teaching. Titus was to preach an unadulterated
message.
Sound
speech: Titus was to continue in teaching healthy doctrine.
If Titus was an example of the words he spoke, those who opposed
him world be made ashamed.
