Why? Because he said the words they were preaching were damnable words that were “Subverting whole households” to go astray.
One of the sad things about those who fall into false religions is that they aggressively do everything they can to convert their complete families. This is typical of the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses.
After Paul exposed these false teachers, and told Titus that their mouths must be stopped, he wasted no time in telling Titus in chapter two what he must do.
Look at Titus, 2:1. “But speak thou the things which become SOUND DOCTRINE.”
This is in contrast to what these false teachers had been teaching.
WHY WAS PAUL INSTRUCTING THIS YOUNG PREACHER, TITUS, TO PREACH SOUND DOCTRINE?
Because is it is important that everyone in the church knows what God expects of them. And the only way they will know is when the Word of God is preached to them.
Paul does this by dealing with each age level, and also with some of the church officers.
Notice, first he deals with-
I. THE AGED MEN
Look at verse 2. We read, “That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.”
Now you would assume that an aged man would, after all these years, know how to conduct himself, but that assumption is not always correct.
Paul mentions six things for the aged man to consider.
(1) He must be sober
The word “sober”, is the word “nephalios”, which means moderate.
Young people live their life in extremes. There is nothing wrong with sports or eating, but many of them do these things to the extreme.
But the aged man has lived long enough that he knows he must do things with moderation.
(2) He must be grave
The word “grave” here is “semnos” which means serious. It is the opposite of being flippant, shallow, and uncommitted.
We sometimes refer to the elderly as going through their second childhood. The second childhood is a nice way many times of saying some elderly men are as mean as the devil. They are like spoiled brats, they have to have things their way.
(3) He must be temperate
The word “temperate” here is “sophron” which means self-controlled, disciplined, able to curb desires and emotions.
Some think their age is a license to sin. With all due respect, sometimes you can find that senior citizens are “Senior Jerks”.
Illus: A man was at a busy restaurant and the new cashier forgot to give this man his senior citizen discount. He got upset, and said some unkind words to her. But what this “Jerk” did not seem to realize is this; there is no law in the land that says all senior citizens must be given a discount. It is a privilege that some business establishments extend to the seniors, but it is not something that a senior should demand.
There is nothing anymore disgusting than for an old man that should be able to “curb” his emotions, to be popping off like some rebellious teenager.
(4) He must be sound in faith
The word “sound” means healthy in the faith. A young man has an excuse for being weak in the faith because he has not been around long enough to learn some of the valuable lessons of life.
• In the physical realm, the older we grow the weaker we become.
• In the spiritual realm, the older we grow the stronger we should become in the faith.
(5) He must be loving
That is, as a Christian, the aged man should not grow into an “old gripe”. The last thing the world and the church needs is one more GRIPE!
(6) He must be patient
The word “patient” here is the word “hupomeno”. It means cheerful endurance.
Patience is a virtue that we learn over a period of time. But it is sad indeed when a man has lived a long life, and has never learned patience.
Paul next turns his attention to-
II. THE AGED WOMEN
Look at verse 3, we read, “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.”
Paul tells us how the elderly woman should conduct her life.
(1) She should be holy
The word “holy” is the word “hieroprepes” which means reverent, devout, different and set apart in purity and behavior.
As they go through life, they are focused in on a spirit of holiness. Everything about her should reflect that she is a holy woman.
• The way she dresses
• The way she talks
• The way she looks
• The way she thinks
She should be HOLY, but also-
(2) She should not make false accusations
Look at verse 3. We read, “…Not false accusers…”
She should not be a person who is a slanderer, a talebearer, a gossip, a person who goes about talking about others.
(3) She should not be given to much wine
Everyone knows there are two kinds of wine: fermented and unfermented. But many times when the unfermented wine would reach the age of being fermented, a decision had to be made whether to drink it or waste it. When it had reached that stage, the caution was given that much wine was not to be consumed.
Certainly the Lord would never encourage us to put in our bodies anything that would control them, other than the Holy Spirit of God.
(4) She should be a teacher of good things
Look at verse 3, we read, “…Teachers of good things.”
All these things will take place in the elderly woman’s life, if she can meet the first requirement; if SHE IS HOLY.
Next, Paul addresses-
III. THE YOUNG WOMEN
When Paul addresses the YOUNG WOMEN, he ties it back to the elderly women. Remember the last thing we are told about her is that she is a “Teacher of good things.” What are the good things she is to teach to the young women?
Look at verses 4-5. We read, “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
Paul lists eight things that the older women should teach the young women. Most of these things are simple and easy to understand. Such as:
(1) To be sober. Which means she is to be disciplined.
(2) To love their husbands.
(3) To love their children.
(4) To be discreet. Sound in mind, self-controlled.
(5) To be chaste. Clean, innocent, modest, pure.
(6) To be keepers at home. Domestically inclined, a "good housekeeper".
(7) To be good.
(8) To be obedient to their own husbands.
The word “obedient” here is the word “hupotasso”, which means to put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.
“Woman’s lib” would not like that verse of scripture, but a Christian woman should love her husband enough to submit to him as the head of the household, and if she is not willing to do that, she shouldn’t get married.
And if she does get married and does not submit, she probably will not stay married to him, because eventually the man that is married to her will know something in his life is missing.
Let me give you an example. A woman who professes to be saved tells everyone that she submits to her husband. But she only submits when it is something she wants to do.
For example, she tells people the reason she does not tithe is because her husband won’t let her. She is more than happy to accommodate him on this issue, because she does not want to tithe herself. But he takes no pride in her submission because he knows all she is doing is using him for an excuse. In other areas of her life, she will let him know that she is going to do what she wants to do, if he likes it or not. It should not surprise anyone who knows this couple, that he has already told her many times that as soon as the children get grown, he is out of there!
And unless the Lord is allowed to do a work in this woman’s heart, this is exactly what is going to happen.
The Bible says elderly women should teach the younger women to be obedient to their own husbands (Submit).
Why should the elderly women teach these things to the younger women? Look at the last part of verse 8, we read, “…That the word of God be not blasphemed”.
That is, that the Word of God not be reviled or spoken evil of.
IV. THE YOUNG MEN
Look at verse 6. We read, “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.”
Notice, only one instruction is given to the young men.
It is not because:
• He needs less instructions
• He is not important
Why is it that he is given only one instruction? Because again the word “sober” is the word “sophroneo”, which means to be restrained, curbing the emotions, disciplined.
One of the biggest problems that a young man has, is when he reaches that certain age that he discovers the opposite sex is not something you pick on. Then he needs to learn how to curb his emotions.
God made young men this way, so that they could be the aggressive one to seek a young woman for themselves. But this is the very reason God inspired Paul to tell the young men that they need to “curb” their emotions and restrain them.
V. THE MINISTERS AND TEACHERS
Look at verses 7-8. We read, “In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 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.”
After Paul tells the elderly men, women, the young women, and the young men how to conduct themselves, he next speaks to MINISTERS and TEACHERS.
Paul has a few things to say to them.
(1) “In all things showing thyself a PATTERN of good works.”
Notice the word, “pattern”.
The word “pattern” is the word “tupos”, which literally means to make an impression with a die, to mold or form.
As ministers and teachers, we can never mold lives for the Lord Jesus until we become a PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS.
Illus: We have too many Sunday school teachers who will stand before a Sunday school class on Sunday morning, and teach from the Word of God, telling people that Christ should be first in our lives, yet on Sunday evening, the same teacher puts all kinds of things ahead of the Lord Jesus. And then we wonder why the young people are not taking God’s Word seriously. WHY SHOULD THEY? Our lives speak louder than our words, and many, by example, are teaching young people that you only serve God when it is convenient.
Ministers and Teaches should be a PATTERN of GOOD WORKS, and an example of the DOCTRINE THEY TEACH.
IN WHAT WAY ARE THEY TO BE A PATTERN?
(A) They are to be “uncorrupt”
That is, as they preach and teach, they do not have CORRUPT motives.
One of the temptations for ministers and teachers, is to do what they do for the wrong reasons. It is a temptation for ministers and teachers to try to impress those we preach and teach the Word of God to.
For example, some, when they have corrupt motives, want to:
• Show their preaching skills
• Show their charisma
• Flaunt their education
• Flaunt their mastery of the language
But when a preacher or teacher does this, they have corrupt motives.
(B) They are to preach and teach with gravity and sincerity
A preacher cannot prevent accusations being made against him, but he can make sure the accusations are not true.
Look at verse 8, he is to preach in, “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.”
The last individual that Paul speaks to is-
VI. THE WORKMEN
Look at verses 9-10. We read, “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”
Paul has these things to say to the workmen. They are -
(1) To be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things
(2) Not to talk back Verse 9 says, “Not answering again.”
(3) Not to steal from their employers
Look at the word “purloining”. This is the word “nosphizomai”, which means to embezzle, to keep back.
A lot of Christians feel justified in stealing because they feel they are not getting what is due to them in their salaries, and they make up the difference through stealing.
There is no excuse for a Christian to steal. When you steal from someone, you are taking that which belongs to someone else. Many steal by not working when the boss man is paying them to work.
Conclusion:
I. THE AGED MEN
II. THE AGED WOMEN
III. THE YOUNG WOMEN
IV. THE YOUNG MEN
V. THE MINISTERS AND TEACHERS
VI. THE WORKMEN
