Titus · chapter 2 of 3
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Titus 2 teaches that sound doctrine translates into a concrete life for each group in the church: older men, older women, younger women, younger men and slaves are to live so that the word of God is not reviled. Paul grounds it all in the grace of God, which appeared bringing salvation and trains us to renounce ungodliness and live godly lives while we wait for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.
After describing the leaders and the false teachers, Paul asks Titus to teach what fits sound doctrine. The chapter shows that Christian theology is not only ideas: it shapes how each person lives at home, in church and at work. It also contains one of the clearest statements about grace and the deity of Christ.
Paul tells Titus to teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love and in steadfastness. Older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, teaching what is good; so they may train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Younger men he urges to be self-controlled.
Titus himself must show himself a model of good works, with integrity, dignity and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about them. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
The reason for all of it is grace: the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Paul closes by asking Titus to declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority, and let no one disregard him.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Titus must teach what accords with sound doctrine. Paul joins teaching and conduct: what is believed shows in how one lives, which is why the instructions that follow are so practical.
Slaves, by their faithfulness, adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in everything. Even those with little social freedom could make the gospel attractive by a life of integrity.
The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. Grace saves, and it also forms.
We wait for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us and purify a people for himself, zealous for good works. Hope, redemption and service are joined here.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: What accords with sound doctrine. — Titus 2:1
Answer: To love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, working at home. — Titus 2:3-5
Answer: As a model of good works, with integrity and dignity. — Titus 2:7
Answer: They adorn it in everything. — Titus 2:10
Answer: For all people. — Titus 2:11
Answer: To redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people zealous for good works. — Titus 2:14
Sound doctrine does not stay in books: it shapes homes, jobs and friendships. In church you can talk about how each generation can learn from the other: who are our mentors, whom do we accompany? Older men and women have a role to play, and so do the young.
The heart of the chapter is grace. We do not obey to earn salvation, but because grace trains us to live differently, waiting for Christ. A good exercise is to pray through verses 11 to 14 and ask that grace teach us to renounce something concrete and to do something good this week.
Paul has shown how grace forms the life of every believer. In chapter 3 he widens the view to relations with authorities and with everyone, and reminds us that God saved us by his mercy, not by our works.
The phrase can be translated our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, and many Christians understand it that way because in Greek both titles refer to one person. Others translate the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In either case the New Testament affirms the deity of Christ in other passages.
They reflect first-century society, and their purpose is that the word of God not be discredited and that the gospel appear attractive. Christians apply them today in different ways, distinguishing what belongs to the context from what is a permanent principle: faithfulness, love, self-control and good witness.