The Word Made Fresh
1As for you, though, be consistent in teaching sound doctrine. 2Tell the older men to be gentle, but serious and discreet, faithful, loving, and steadfast.
3Tell the older women to be reverent, and not to slander or drink too much. They should teach what is good 4so that they might encourage the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, modest, good managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their husbands so that the word of God may not be misunderstood.
6In the same way, counsel the young men to be self-controlled. 7Be a model for them of someone who does good works and teaches seriously with integrity. 8Speak in a way that cannot be questioned, and every opponent will be ashamed and will say nothing disrespectful about us.
9Tell servants to submit to their masters and do their work satisfactorily without talking back to them. 10Tell them not to snitch, but to be completely honest so that in all they do they will be an ornament of the teachings of God our Savior.
11The grace of God has appeared and offers salvation to everyone, 12cautioning us to turn away from impiety and worldly longings and live lives that are self-controlled, ethical, and holy 13until the blessed hope is made manifest in the glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. 14He gave himself for us so that we might be redeemed from every sin, and purified as his own people who are eager to do good things.
15Teach these things, then, encourage and reprove with authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.
Commentary
1-2: Doctrine does not exist for itself, but is rather an instrument by which right behavior can be directed. So, Titus is to advise older men to behave in such a way that exhibits sound doctrine. His primary concern in this chapter is that Christians must present a good face to the community so as not to disgrace the church. It would damage the church’s reputation (and thus the strength of its witness) for older men to behave rashly or foolishly.
3: Older women should likewise behave in such a way that demonstrates how their lives have been ordered by the gospel.
4-5: Older women are charged with the responsibility of teaching the younger women “what is good,” and there follows a list of things such character should produce, including family responsibilities and personal character. In that culture, for a wife to refuse to submit to her husband would have been scandalous and might have damaged the church’s reputation by proxy.
6-8: Likewise, young men are to conduct themselves in such a way that does not invite censure by opponents of the church.
9-10: Model behavior of servants would in a similar way show the church in the best light possible to the outside world.
11-15: All of this is predicated on a basic doctrine of the church: Christ gave himself up so that salvation might be available to all. God’s grace trains us to exhibit those qualities that make for peace in any community — self-control, upright and godly living. This is what Titus should teach them with boldness so that no one would have reason to look at him condescendingly.
Takeaway
Always be aware that your behavior is a reflection of your relationship with God through Jesus Christ.