Bible Commentaries
Titus 2

Verses 1-15

Chapter 2

But he said to Titus,

speak the things which become sound doctrine ( Titus 2:1 ):

Again, the emphasis and the exhortation is that of sound doctrine.

Now, teach

that the aged men ( Titus 2:2 ),

And this should be the older men. Well, age is aged, I don't know, probably eighty-five or a hundred, I don't know, surely not one in their fifties.

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in their faith, and in their love, and in their patience ( Titus 2:2 ).

You know, it's a beautiful thing and way, age does seem to mellow. The older men should be sort of mellowed out as they grow older. I personally feel that, and I am certain that it is with a great deal of prejudice, that my son Chuck Jr. is one of the finest Bible expositors I've ever heard. I'm so proud of that young man and his ability to teach the Word of God, his tremendous knowledge and understanding of God's Word. But he has had a problem in his ministry and that is his sharpness, and this has concerned me.

So that whenever he was going to speak here when I was gone I would tell him, Now Chuck remember the love of God and remember grace, because he has a tendency to use the whip. And as my wife and I have talked about his ministry, we felt that, that was the tremendous shortcoming of his ministry, the lack of mellowness. But I have told my wife, Honey, in time he will mellow out. And with the recent arrival of twins making five children, it is amazing how he has mellowed out. Age does that for you. You become more temperate, more patient, more mellow. And it's good; we need that. We need to be more understanding and more compassionate and dealing with the shortcomings of others with a great deal of compassion, and understanding, and meekness.

Paul said, "If a brother be overtaken in the fall, ye that are spiritual, restore such a one, in the spirit of meekness considering yourself lest you also be tempted" ( Galatians 6:1 ). The younger people have a tendency to be a little sterner, harder, because they have not experienced yet those things in life that have by their very nature, the tendency of causing a person to become more mellow. And so the aged men sound in faith, in love and in patience.

The older women, likewise, [forty or so] that they be in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, and to love their children ( Titus 2:3-4 ),

In that culture, where women for the most part stayed in their rooms, never mixed socially, would only go out into the public market in twos, never alone. There was little for the women, life became a drudgery. And alcoholism among women was very prevalent as they sought to escape the drudgery of life. And so that is why the emphasis upon "being sober, to love their husbands and love their children".

Oh God, we need such teachers today when our whole culture is pressuring women to find a career, to make their way in the world. Why be confined to a house? Why give your life for those children? Put them in a daycare center and you find your place in the world, make your mark. How we need those who will teach the younger women how to love their husbands and how to love their children.

[How]to be discreet [in discretion among women], [how to be] chaste, keepers of their homes, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed ( Titus 2:5 ).

One of the saddest byproducts of the failure of a Christian is that it gives occasion to the enemies of God to find fault with Christianity and to blasphemy God.

When David had committed his sin with Bathsheba, and Nathan was rebuking him for it he said, You have caused the enemies of the Lord to blasphemy, you give them a cause to blasphemy God. We must be careful in our life, the way we live, that by our actions we live a pure, chaste, discreet life so that the enemies of God will not have an occasion to blasphemy the name of Jesus on our account. Yeah, he's supposed to be a Christian and look at that blankety-blank so-and-so. If that's Christianity then blah, blah, blah, and you give cause for the enemies of God to blasphemy the name of Jesus Christ. God, help us that we don't do that.

Young men, likewise, exhort to be sober minded. In all things showing thyself a pattern ( Titus 2:6-7 ).

So Titus, don't just tell them. You be the example. That's what he said to Timothy, remember, Be thou an example unto the believers. Paul, when he was talking to the elders of Ephesus on his last recorded visit in the book of Acts, as he met them on the beach at the shores of Miletus, Paul said to them, You know how that over the space of the three years I was with you night and day, showing you and teaching you. He wasn't just teaching precepts, but he was actually demonstrating the lifestyle that he was espousing.

And so he is telling Titus now, Look Titus, let your life be the demonstration. Show them Titus; live before them this kind of a life. Teach them that they should be sober-minded, but in all things showing yourself the pattern. You set the pattern for them, the pattern of good works.

in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, and sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, because he cannot say any evil thing about you ( Titus 2:7-8 ).

Now, there are people who will say evil things about you just because you are a Christian and they do not like you for that fact.

We were told recently by a young girl that her parents are constantly lying to her about us because they don't want her to be drawn to Christianity. And she said, Did you say this to my mom? And I said, Oh my, no. She said, I didn't think you did. I said, No, of course not. I said in fact she had done something, and her mother said, Oh he is very angry with you. He came out and is just really upset for you doing that. And she said, Are you upset with me? And I said, No I think it's really great. In fact, remember I gave you a pick to help you. I think it's great what you did. It was the only wise thing to do. And she said, Well my mom told me that you were really upset and mad, but she lies a lot about you, to me because she doesn't want me to like you. She doesn't want me to be drawn to Christianity.

So they're going to lie about you. They are looking for things and if they can't find anything, they are going to make up something, and that's sort of sad. But don't give them any fuel for their fires. Don't give them any cause for speaking evil, but live a life of commitment to Jesus Christ, dedication.

Now,

the servants exhort them to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not talking back ( Titus 2:9 );

Now that's under your breath because you wouldn't dare talk back out loud, if you were a servant. But so many times we go away mumbling.

Not purloining ( Titus 2:10 ),

Goldbricking. Do you know what that means? Probably not, a bunch of you young ones. Those that go back to World War II days know what that is all about.

but showing all good faithfulness; [that is the servants] that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world ( Titus 2:10-12 );

Now the grace of God that brings salvation, I'm saved by grace. Does that mean that I can live any old way? No. What does the grace of God teach me? That I should deny ungodliness, that I should deny the worldly lust, that we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly. God's grace teaches me that. It doesn't teach me that I can go out and live any old way I want and the grace of God will cover for me, but it teaches me that I am to live a righteous life.

As I look for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ ( Titus 2:13 );

And this is the thing that keeps our life in perspective better than anything else; the realization that Jesus is coming soon, looking for the glorious hope of the blessed appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

John in his epistle said, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, it doesn't yet appear what we are going to be: we know, when he appears, we'll be like him; for we will see him as he is. And he that has this hope in him, purifies himself even as He is pure" ( 1 John 3:2-3 ). It's a purifying hope. Knowing that Jesus is coming at any time, live righteously, live godly.

The book of Jude, the central message is found in verse twenty-one when Jude said, "keep yourself in the love of God". And one of the ways by which he tells us that we can keep ourselves in the love of God, as we are looking for the glorious mercy of God at the appearing of Jesus Christ, again, to keep my life in perspective. It's important, so important that I know and realize that Jesus is coming at any moment and that I need to live in anticipation and expectancy of His immediate return, the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior. Here Jesus is called our great God, much to the chagrin of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. And let no man despise thee ( Titus 2:14-15 ).

He said to Timothy, "Let no man despise thy youth"( 1 Timothy 4:12 ). Titus was probably older, just don't let any man despise thee.

Now Jesus gave Himself for us that He might redeem us, the redemption through the death of Jesus Christ, through His shed blood. Redeem us from what? From all iniquity. The redemption is also positive, "to purify unto Himself a peculiar people". Now, some people have taken that wrong.

I can remember years ago in my college days, that there was this one gal who always dressed so peculiar. I mean weird. And I one day asked her why she always wore such weird clothes. And she said, God told us we were to be a peculiar people. We are different from the world, that's for sure, but it shouldn't be in the dress, but in our total lifestyle that the difference is observed. Peculiar because I want to do good works, that's where I stand out from the world.

Now,

rebuke with all authority, don't let any man despise thee ( Titus 2:15 ). "