Titus 2:1-2

Titus 2:1-2

¹ But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.   ² Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.  

Instructions for Godly Living

Paul is changing directions again here.  Paul first greeted Titus and told him a bit about his mission.  Then he told Titus about what to look for in an Elder that is to be appointed.  What character traits should be present in a believer who is mature, and how they are consistently exhibiting those traits.  Then Paul warned Titus against the false teachers that would plague the Church, trying to put them under law, or deceive them into following another way, or path. 

  But now Paul is back onto the positive.  He has accurately described the character of the people, but he doesn't dwell on it.  Her recognizes it, but then moves forward with the way they should act as a result of the Holy Spirit's great work within them.  He now starts by talking about each demographic, if you will.  He follows the basic order of: 

–      Older Men (2:2)

–      Older Women (2:3)

–      Younger Women (2:4-5)

–      Younger Men (2:6-8)

–      Slaves (2:9-10)

Verse 1

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

But as for you

Here Paul is drawing a strong contrast.  He has just told about the horrible works of the false teachers and has denounced them completely in saying that they are completely unfit to do ANY good work.  Everything they touch is horribly corrupted by bad motive and bad doctrine.  But here we are turning the corner.  The Holy Spirit is being quite clear here, “That is how it is with them, but not with you, it should be an entirely different thing with you...”

speak

This is the in present tense.  The present tense in Greek would be better translated with our present continuous tense.  It has the idea of “be continually speaking...”.

We know imperatives quite well.  We hear them every day.  “Take out the trash.”  “Make sure you get this task done before you clock out today.”  “Do this before lunch!”  It is a command.  It is not a question, nor is it a suggestion.  It is a command.  It is important to understand commands in the Pauline sense.  Paul is not saying “Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine OR ELSE YOU WILL LOSE YOUR SALVATION!”  That is NOT at all what Paul is saying.  Paul is rather saying, “Jesus has done a good work in you and as he lives his life out in you, and expresses Himself through you, it is imperative that you realize that speaking bad doctrine is inconsistent with who you are in Christ.”  Paul is showing these people who have been lied to by their cultures what is and isn't consistent with who they are in Christ.

Sound

This word translated “sound” can mean “Sound, whole, to be whole, wholesome, and healthy.”  We are to be speaking things that are whole and healthy.  This obviously includes things that are good doctrine.  “Doctrine” is a word that has received a great deal of misunderstanding, and many mainline churches today are trying to stay away from doctrine for fear of offending someone, or putting people off.  But the reality is that the Bible is not that difficult to understand.  If we choose to take scripture at what it says then our lives will abound with good doctrine.  This means that we have to be careful and observant readers of scripture because we don't want be living or believing anything that opposes the word. 

  This excludes two things:  1 – unsound, or unhealthy teaching.  And 2 – (indirectly) the kind of talk that tears people down, and degrades ourselves and those around us.  This includes filthy language, cursing, horsing around and tearing each other to pieces, and certainly excludes all manner of gossip.

Doctrine

  The word “doctrine” simply means teaching.  When we talk about doctrine we are talking about the things we believe or don’t believe, based on the Bible.  There are many who will try to say that they “don’t want to get into doctrine”, but they have already established that their doctrine (the teaching that they follow) is not to look, learn, or observe the teaching (doctrine) of the Bible.  This word has turned into something of a whipping boy for divisive and hurtful words and behavior in the church…which is the result of bad doctrine!  Understand, this is not to say it is all the fault of those people who don’t see eye to eye with us, the bad doctrine of some has been, “If you don’t agree with my view, you are clearly out.”  Thus splits are made over non-essential issues.  It is bad doctrine not to “speak the truth in love” as Ephesians commands.  We are to speak the truth, we are to do so in love.  There is not a tension between them.  Speaking the truth is a loving act, if done without love it is wrong, even if the point being made is actually correct!  Hiding from doctrine is not a solution, it just causes more problems, and greater ones!  Bad doctrine is the problem and healthy doctrine is the answer.

  Often times if you ask for a doctrinal statement at a Church they will say, “Oh we decided we didn't need one, it causes too many divisions.”  The trouble is that a good doctrinal statement SHOULD cause divisions!  Who are we worried about offending?  Mormons? Jehovah's Witlesses?  People who don't believe in the Trinity?  A good doctrinal statement weeds out who does and doesn't really believe what the Bible says!

  A good example is the issue of baptism.  Most of these “anti-Doctrine” churches will avoid this issue because it may cause too many fights.  However, if someone believes that they are somehow saved by baptism then they obviously don't believe that they are saved by Grace through Faith in Christ.  That person believes that the act, or work, of baptism is what saved them.  There is a strong suggestion in scripture (specifically in the Book of Galatians) that if you believe that you will be saved by any works (whether baptism, circumcision, communion, or good deeds) then you haven't trusted fully in Christ and may never have been saved.  Do people with bad doctrinal beliefs need to be catered to or corrected?  What is the most loving course of action?

Verse 2

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

Older men

The word for “older men” here is presbutes it is the same root word that is translated “elder” in other contexts.  The fact that the passage is talking about the whole Church in general here leads us to believe that this is referring not exclusively to the elders, but to all of the older Christian men here.

  It shows us another snapshot of Christian maturity.  It shows us what it looks like when Christ is at work in a submissive person's heart for some amount of time.  We need to study this because it is God's plan that we are moving closer to this model every day!

to be

We see the word “to be” here in the present tense.  These character qualities have their place in the present.  We must assume that if the Lord makes a command for these things in the present tense that they must be possible in the present tense as we rest in Jesus Christ and His word.  We need not view these things as the impossible standard that none will attain, but as the things we can naturally expect to flow out of our lives as we live in union with Christ Jesus.

Temperate

This word can mean “temperate”, “well balanced” or it could also be translated as “sober.”  It has both meanings of someone who is not drunken, and someone who has a good perspective on things.  It is someone who is not abusing alcohol, or a drunkard. As well as someone who is not silly.

Dignified

This is how the older men are to be carrying themselves.  It has also been translated “grave” “honorably” and “seriously.”  This is not to say that Christian maturity is to have no sense of humor.  But it is about being honorable, and showing integrity in even the smallest areas of life.  We must remember who we are and what we stand for.  We may want to be liked by the people around us, or want to be funny, but we are the adopted children of the Most High God.  We do well to remember this as we walk through our daily lives. 

Sensible

This is a compound word built out of the word sophos, meaning wisdom, from which we get the word “philosophy”  (i.e.  - the love of wisdom) and the word ferneo meaning mind. So this is a wise minded person.  It also carries with it the sense of one who has denounced the pleasures of this world as the source of their joy and life.  It is not to say that we are all to become aesthetics, not eating any good food, or enjoying any good entertainment, it is saying that we don't indulge in those things to the point of sin.  Whether in terms of sinful sexual acts, or in terms of being consoled by what foods we will eat or what we will drink.  This is the part of maturity that is growing against the urge to say, “I had a horrible day at work...I just need a beer.” or to veg out in front of the TV or...the list goes on and on.

sound

Sound is actually the verb for the last three elements of the mature older mans character.  Just as in the previous verse it means whole and healthy.  It means that the believer is to be whole and complete in the faith, whole and complete in love, and whole and complete in perseverance.  Notice that the constant focus of Paul here is the concept of health.  The goal of good doctrine is health.  This is talking about spiritual health, of course, but if we see ourselves as being spiritually, or emotionally unhealthy we should look first to our doctrine, then to our lives

Faith

Actually in the Greek we find that the definite article “the” is present in this phrase.  So it is not just “sound in faith” but rather “sound in THE Faith.”  When the definite article is used in the Greek it means the specific thing that is being talked about.  So this is not faith generally, not any faith, or faith in anything, but THE SPECIFIC FAITH that was taught by the Apostles and Prophets in the Bible.  The specific teachings.  This is another reference to the importance of knowing what we believe and why we believe it.  We do not need to be shoulder shrugging “I don't really know what the Bible says about that” Christians.  We are to be secure in our understanding of the Word.  Every believer is to be mature in the faith and he knowledge of the Word, it is not just the few, nor is it just the pastors, teachers and elders.  It is every single believer that needs to know what they believe and know the Bible!

Love

Here the Apostle uses the word for Divine Love.  God's Love.  Agape love.  This is the love that is unconditional and has God as its source.  This is not something that we are to contrive or make up, or try to make ourselves feel.  But we are to be healthy in God's unconditional, saving, perfect agape love.  This love that constantly looks to the best interests of the one who is loved. 

Perseverance

This word literally means “to remain under.”  It could also be translated “be patient.”  It has to do with dealing with every ordeal and situation with a courageous and abiding staying power that is not easily torn away, or abandoning the situation that we are in.  It is the trait that is needed in marriage, the trait that is needed in life that will face longstanding trials with a smile, knowing that God's glory is the very reason for each passing day of the difficulty.