Our Witness In Our Family Groups

Titus 2: 1-10

Paul has just delineated how to recognize the false teachers Titus was to confront there in the churches on Crete.

(1) But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

So he tells Titus to be firm in teaching healthy, true doctrine; this the best antidote to error, in building up the inner life of the believers. Correct doctrine must result in good behavior. His emphasis falls on the family groups, where the false teachers did the most damage.

(2) Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

This is a different word from the one for "elders." This simply refers to age, not office. The value of their example will depend on their moral character.

Temperate usually refers to abstaining from alcoholic beverages, but has a wider meaning, "clear-headed."

Dignified is "worthy of respect" and seriousness of purpose that invites honor and respect.

Sensible is self-controlled, self-mastery in thought and judgment. Able to think it through and come to a reasonable conclusion.

Sound in faith refers here to personal faith in the Lord, trusting Him to have taken their place in death, and to lead them in their walk.

Sound in love, this is agape love, the love God has for us, unconditional and free. To have this love in a healthy way is the meaning here.

Sound in perseverance, the patience, the steadfast endurance and persistence that bravely bears the trials and afflictions of life. It's been called "mellowing." This is what reveals personal maturity and strength of character.

(3) Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

The older women are to likewise possess the same character qualities of the older men, and in addition to this, their reverential behavior would preclude them from spreading any vicious gossip, nor imbibing in very much alcoholic beverages, which two items are related to one another.

And by personal word and example they must teach what is morally good, noble and attractive. The word does not refer to public instruction, but the teaching function in the home.

(4) so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

(5) to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Titus is not to teach the young marrieds, but the older women, qualified to do so by position and character. What they are to teach is all the household functions, so they can learn to manage their own households.

Paul gives Titus a list of seven characteristics to teach these young wives:

To be devoted to their husbands and to be devoted to their children. These two lie at the very heart of every Christian home.

To be sensible and pure: here is another pair. To be self-controlled is a standing duty for all Christians. Pure denotes not only sexual chastity but also purity of heart and mind in all their conduct.

Workers at home and kind is a third pair. The first describes the many domestic activities of the housewife, and that she is to find her absorbing interest in the innumerable duties of the home; and kind, in not giving in to the irritability resulting in harshness, but cultivating this virtue, doing what is good and beneficial to others, especially those of her own household.

The concluding item, being subject to their own husbands, stresses her acceptance of the order of authority in the relationship between husband and wife as her Christian duty. This is in the middle voice, meaning that she is "subjecting herself to," accepting her voluntary intent to recognize the headship of her husband in the home. Notwithstanding the immeasurable elevation of the woman's status as equal to man's (Galatians 3: 28), this does not abolish her functional position as the support for her husband in God's order. As the Father is over Christ who is over the husband who is over the wife who is over the children.

The concluding purpose unites all seven of these items: that God's Word, His message of Love to the world through us, would not be dishonored, or "blasphemed." If Christian wives ignored these demands and flouted the role that culture demanded, both then and now, the Gospel would be maligned, criticized, and discredited by non-Christians.

This is a special duty God has given to women to be assertive in the culture, while also being subject to their own husbands, showing the world the order and peace of God that results in obedience to His ways.

(6) Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;

And the young men, of whom Titus is one, are to be sensible, sober-minded. Young men are notorious for being frivolous and foolishly danger-seeking, the opposite of this recommendation.

(7) in all things show yourself to be an example

As a young man, Titus, the pastor, is to be the example to the others.

of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

Good deeds, outward lifestyle, demonstrating the truth of what we believe, in integrity and seriousness, with honor and respect.

(8) sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

We all need to be careful of our words, and Paul cautions Titus to regulate his words so closely that no one would be able to gainsay him at all.

This is good advice to us all. We all get into trouble whenever we aren't careful with our words!

(9) Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

(10) not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

Now we come to the lowest rung of our human society, the slaves, the untouchable caste, the throw-aways. God loves them just as much as He loves the President and the CEO. Each human person is precious and is a prince or princess in His royal family when He redeems them.

But as placed under the authority of another, even as an employee, we are to still recognize God's order, and submit to the other. A slave had no choice, and Paul makes no distinction between the Christian or the pagan master, or despot, indicating that the slave-owner had total authority over the slave.

The one enslaved who is a Christian is to serve and obey their master in everything, stressing the comprehensiveness of this duty. The character of this subjugation is to endeavor to give full satisfaction to his or her master. This is in a positive frame of mind, not argumentative, disputing their orders. And not taking advantage of having access to the master's belongings, underhandedly diverting to themselves part of anything their master had not intended for them.

Their positive duty is to show that they can be trusted, demonstrating "good faith" in their whole relationship with their master, proving themselves to be dependable and trustworthy to be beneficial to their master in all that they do.

This is to show the beauty and practicality of the doctrine we believe as Christians, lived out by the most unexpectedly joyful people. 

O my Father, please help us all in our families and stations in life to recognize Your order, and enjoy our privileges as sons and daughters of the King as we submit ourselves to one another in humility and compassion, obeying You as the Father, and Your Son as our Christ and our King.

My Father, send out Your children, even as we live in our glass houses that the world is watching, to demonstrate our family dynamics as obedient to Your ways in submitting to one another, especially those who have authority over us. Help us to serve our employers with joy, doing all we can to benefit him or her.

And may our attitudes and lifestyles shout out to the world Your love, and how Your ways benefit all of us.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!