Paul commands Titus telling him that the teaching is to be
sound doctrine. He then gives a description of how the people (older men, older
women, young women, young men description & bondservants) in the church are
to act.
Paul tells Titus the 06 aspects
of A
Healthy Church…01. Teachers (Titus 02.01);
02. Older Men (Titus 02.02); 03. Older Women (Titus 02.03-04a); 04. Young Women (Titus 02.04b-05); 05. Young Men (Titus 02.06-08); & 06. Bondslaves (Titus 02.09-10).
05. Young Men (Titus 02.06-08)
As w/young women, the general
age for young men would be from marriageable age to about 60 years old.
Titus 02.06 “6 Likewise
urge the young men to be sensible;”
“6 urge” G3870. parakalew parakaleo par-ak-al-eh'-o;
from 3844
& 2564; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or
consolation):-- beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give)
exhort(-ation), intreat, pray.
Thayer-to
admonish, exhort
“6 to be sensible;” G4993.
swfronew sophroneo so-fron-eh'-o;
from 4998;
to be of sound mind, i.e. sane, (figuratively) moderate:-- be in right mind, be
sober (minded), soberly.
Thayer-to curb
one’s passions
Paul was telling Titus to personally strongly implore the
young men to be sensible or have good judgment, use common sense & have
self-control.
David said about the young man
to keep his way pure by the Word of God. Psalms 119.09-16
Solomon said to not forget your
Creator when you are young. Ecclesiastes 12.01
Paul encouraged Timothy to use
good judgment & use self-control. 2Timothy 02.22
Peter commands young men to be
subject to their elders. 1Peter 05.05
Paul wanted Titus to command these
young men to be sensible in all things.
Another word for sensible is
self-control, which is a fruit if the Spirit (Galatians 05.23). With the help
of the Holy Spirit, young men like all believers can learn to master all aspects
of their lives in a way that pleases the LORD.
By having self-control &
being sensible, it enables the young men to be a Godly example to others.
Titus 02.07 Paul
knew that young men generally are impulsive, passionate, volatile, ambitious
& sometimes arrogant.
Paul now gives Titus a personal
charge (since Titus was considered a young man) that he be a Godly example for
all believers.
For
what one believes must reflect in the way that one lives.
Loose doctrine leads to loose living.
Titus was a man who knew intimately the apostle Paul, &
saw firsthand how to deal w/a group of believers (at Corinth) who were selfish,
immature & worldly.
So for Paul to leave Titus
behind in Crete says a lot about how Paul felt regarding Titus, knowing that
Titus could be trusted to shepherd & guide the believers there in Crete.
Paul wanted Titus to confront
false teachers & expose them (Titus 01.09-16), but to literally be a Godly
example by the way that he lives.
Life must conform to doctrine. Grace should produce godliness.
Even the most powerful & convincing guidance will fall
of deaf ears if the one who gives it fails to live it out.
Titus 02.07 “show” G3930.
parecw parecho par-ekh'-o;
literally means a pattern
Titus 02.07 “example” G5179.
tupov tupos too'-pos;
from 5180;
a die (as struck), i.e. (by implication) a stamp or scar; by analogy, a shape,
i.e. a statue, (figuratively) style or resemblance; specifically, a sampler (“type”),
i.e. a model (for imitation) or instance (for warning):-- en-(ex-)ample,
fashion, figure, form, manner, pattern, print.
Literally refers to a mark or imprint left by a tool like a nail,
knife or a pen.
When the disciples told Thomas that they had seen the
resurrected Jesus, Thomas refused to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
John 20.25 “25
…But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint (G5179. tupov tupos too'-pos) of the nails, & put my finger into the place of the
nails, & put my hand into His side, I will not believe.””
Thayer-to show one’s self an example of good works
This Greek word is also used throughout the New Testament as
“type”
(Romans
05.14); “form” (Romans 06.17); “example” & “examples”
(1Corinthians
10.06; 1Corinthians 10.11; Philippians 03.17; 1Thessalonians
01.07; 1Timothy 04.12; 1Peter 05.03) & “model”
(2Thessalonians
03.09).
If advice is not followed by example, than the one giving
the advice will be correctly viewed as a hypocrite.
No matter how sound (healthy) a person’s teaching might be
hypocrisy never promotes righteous living. What eventually happens is that the
hearers will themselves become like their teacher & live a life of
hypocrisy.
It was to the religious leaders that Jesus spoke critically
against because they were hypocrites. Matthew 15.07-08; Matthew 22.18;
Matthew 23.13
Jesus said that hypocrites say
things but do not do them. Matthew 23.03
The 1st way
that Titus (a younger man) was to be an example was in doing…“good deeds” Titus
02.07
Titus 02.07 “good” G2570.
kalov kalos kal-os'; This
word does not mean something that is superficially or cosmetically good, but
instead something that is genuine, from a pure heart. Something that is morally
good.
Titus 02.07 “deeds” G2041.
ergon ergon er'-gon;
toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act:-- deed, doing,
labour, work.
So everything that Titus did was
to be in line w/what he preached & taught.
The 2nd way that Titus (a younger man) was to be an example was
in…“purity
in doctrine” Titus 02.07
Titus 02.07 “purity” G90.
adiafyoria adiaphthoria ad-ee-af-thor-ee'-ah;
from a derivative of a compound of 1 (as a negative particle) & a derivative of 1311;
incorruptibleness, i.e. (figuratively) purity (of doctrine):-- uncorruptness.
Thayer-incorrupt,
incorruptible, soundness, integrity of mind
Titus 02.07 “in doctrine” G1319. didaskalia didaskalia did-as-kal-ee'-ah; from 1320; instruction (the
function or the information):-- doctrine, learning, teaching.
Thayer-teaching,
instruction
Paul was exhorting Titus to make
sure that all he preached was pure, unadulterated doctrine, which Paul had
already said in Titus
01.09 & Titus 02.01.
Commentary on the Bible by Adam Clarke,
1832
Mixing nothing w/the truth; taking nothing
from it; adding nothing to it; & exhibiting it in all its connection,
energy, & fulness.
The 3rd way that Titus (a younger man) was to be an example was
living…“dignified,” Titus 02.07
Titus 02.07 “dignified,” G4587. semnothv semnotes sem-not'-ace; from 4586; venerableness,
i.e. probity:-- gravity, honesty.
Thayer-honor,
probity, purity
This is the same word that is
used of older men in Titus 02.02.
The dignified person is not one
who laughs at or encourages anything that is sinful, such as anything that is
vulgar, immoral or just ungodly.
Living a dignified life is
having your eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12.01-02) & holding in high esteem
whatever is pleasing to God.
Paul says that those who follow
Jesus ought to be dignified. Philippians 04.08
Paul mentioned this to Timothy
as a requirement for a pastor/elder (1Timothy 03.04), as well as for deacons (1Timothy 03.08).
Titus 02.08
The 4th way
that Titus (a younger man) was to be an example was to be… “sound in speech which is beyond reproach”
Titus 02.08
Titus 02.08 “sound” G5199.
ugihv hugies hoog-ee-ace';
from the base of 837; healthy, i.e. well (in body); figuratively, true (in
doctrine):-- sound, whole.
Thayer-of a man
who is sound (whole) in body
This is the same word that is
found in Titus
02.01,
Logos (G3056 logov), the word for “speech” in Titus 02.08 is often
translated “word” & is often referring to the Word of God which is written
Scripture (Mark 07.13; Revelation
01.02; Revelation 01.09) as well as Jesus, the Son of God (John 01.01; Revelation 19.13).
But the Greek word Logos (G3056 logov) has other meanings such as “talk”, “statement” & (Titus 02.08) “speech”
among others.
In context, what Paul is saying
here is that Titus is to be a young man who is a good example in having sound
healthy conversation, meaning whether he is speaking formally or informally, it
is healthy, edifying, appropriate & “beyond reproach” in Titus 02.08 (that cannot be condemned or need
to be censored).
The effect of being a Godly
young man (& for all believers) that lives his life as a daily example is Titus 02.08 “…so
that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”
Titus 02.08 “the opponent” G1727. enantiov enantios en-an-tee'-os; from 1725; opposite;
figuratively, antagonistic:-- (over) against, contrary.
Thayer-our
opponent, adversary
The Godly lives of older men, older women, young women &
young men all can play a part in putting to shame the critics of Christ, His
church & His people.
We should be living our lives in
such a way that the public testimony that we have should be so well known that
when accusations occur, everyone knows that they are false.
This is why Peter warned
believers to “abstain
from fleshly lusts” in 1Peter 02.11
Peter then exhorts them to have
excellent behavior among the world. 1Peter 02.12-15
This goes in line w/what Jesus
said about letting our lights shine brightly in this dark word. Matthew 05.16
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