TEXT
Titus 2:1-10 “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 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; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 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. 9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
INTRODUCTION
Remember Titus chapter 1. Paul left Titus in Crete to set things in order and ordain elders in every city. He gave the qualifications for a bishop, including that he must hold fast the faithful word so he can teach sound doctrine and answer those who contradict it. Paul also warned about false teachers whose mouths needed to be stopped.
Chapter 2 moves from those who teach sound doctrine to what sound doctrine should look like in the people who hear it. Verse 1 gives the controlling thought: speak the things which become sound doctrine. Become means what fits with it.
Paul then addresses aged men, aged women, young women, young men, Titus, and servants. Their responsibilities differ, but the standard is the same: sound doctrine should show up in the way a Christian lives.
I. SOUND DOCTRINE SHOULD PRODUCE MATURE CHARACTER — VERSES 1-2
Titus 2:1-2 “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.”
Paul begins with the aged men. Sober means clear-minded and controlled. Grave means serious and honorable. Temperate speaks of self-control. Then Paul says they should be sound in faith, in charity, and in patience.
Years in the faith ought to produce maturity. As an aged Christian man gets older, Paul expects greater stability, charity, patience, and self-control. His faith should be dependable, his charity active toward others, and his patience should help him endure difficulty without quitting.
Titus 2:11-14 shows that this conduct grows out of grace. Salvation is by grace, and the saved life should fit the doctrine we profess. If you have been saved for years, are you becoming more stable in faith, charity, and patience?
II. SOUND DOCTRINE SHOULD SHAPE THE HOME — VERSES 3-5
Titus 2:3-5 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
The aged women are to live in a way that becomes holiness. They are not to be false accusers or given to much wine, and they are to be teachers of good things. Titus 2:3 clearly condemns being given to much wine, but this verse by itself does not settle every question in the alcohol debate. We should say what the verse says and stop where the verse stops.
Verse 4 tells us whom these aged women are specifically to teach: the young women. Some use verse 3 to argue that women are given unrestricted authority to teach men in the assembled church, but the immediate context points directly to older women teaching younger women.
1 Timothy 2:11-12 “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”
Titus 2:3-5 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
Titus gives aged women a real teaching ministry, and the passage identifies younger women as the people they are to teach. They are to learn sobriety, love for husbands and children, discretion, chastity, household responsibility, goodness, and obedience to their own husbands.
Keepers at home has real household force. The verse does not say that a woman must never leave the house or settle every question about outside activity, but we should not empty the phrase of its meaning. Her husband, children, and household matter.
Paul also says she is to be obedient to her own husband. That command is plain, but every human authority remains under God.
Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Titus 2:3-5 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
A wife obeys her own husband under God. If any human authority commands sin, God is the higher authority. Paul gives the reason for this conduct: that the word of God be not blasphemed. The way Christians live affects what people say about the Bible we claim to believe.
III. SOUND DOCTRINE SHOULD BE SEEN IN YOUR EXAMPLE, SPEECH, AND WORK — VERSES 6-10
Titus 2:6-8 “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 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.”
Young men get a short command, but it reaches a lot of life: be sober minded. Learn to govern your thinking. Do not let every impulse, appetite, emotion, or influence around you make your decisions for you.
Titus himself must be a pattern of good works—someone others can look at and follow. Uncorruptness means his doctrine has not been corrupted or tampered with. Sincerity means he genuinely believes and lives what he teaches.
Verse 8 says his speech should be sound and unable to be condemned. He that is of the contrary part is the person opposing him. People may disagree with your doctrine. Do not hand them a legitimate accusation against your character.
Good works belong in the Christian life, but they must stay in their biblical place.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Titus 2:6-8 “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 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.”
Ephesians says salvation is not of works, and Titus tells a saved preacher to be a pattern of good works. Works do not purchase salvation. Good works are fitting conduct for somebody who has been saved.
Now Paul turns to servants.
Titus 2:9-10 “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
Not answering again means not talking back rebelliously. Purloining means taking what belongs to somebody else. Fidelity means faithfulness and trustworthiness. To adorn the doctrine means their conduct should make the doctrine they profess look fitting because their lives agree with it.
Gehazi gives us the opposite picture.
2 Kings 5:20-24 “But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. 21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? 22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. 23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.”
Titus 2:9-10 “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
Gehazi lied to get what his master had refused, took it, and hid it. Titus tells the servant to live the opposite way: do not purloin; show good fidelity. Be somebody who can be trusted even when nobody is watching.
People also ask whether Titus 2:9-10 endorses every historical form of slavery. Paul is instructing Christian servants how to behave in an existing relationship. Scripture separately condemns man-stealing.
Exodus 21:16 “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.”
Titus 2:9-10 “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
So Titus 2 tells servants to be obedient, honest, and faithful. It does not make kidnapping and man-stealing righteous. Their conduct can adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.
CONCLUSION
Titus 2 starts with sound doctrine and then shows us the conduct that should go with it. Aged men should be mature and steady. Aged women should live holy lives and teach younger women good things. Younger women should take seriously their husbands, children, character, and homes. Young men should be sober minded. Titus should be a pattern. Servants should be honest and faithful.
Different responsibilities, one standard: live in a way that becomes sound doctrine. Believe the Bible. Teach the Bible. Then live in a way that fits what you say you believe.
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