SLB- 047: Rest and Godliness

SLB- 047: Rest and Godliness Titus 2 SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • Titus 1:16 They profess to know God [to recognize, perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind. • CHAPTER 2 • BUT [as for] you, teach what is fitting and becoming to sound (wholesome) doctrine [the character and right living that identify true Christians]. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 2 Urge the older men to be temperate, venerable (serious), sensible, self-controlled, and sound in the faith, in the love, and in the steadfastness and patience [of Christ]. • 3 Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 4 So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 5 To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited). • 6 In a similar way, urge the younger men to be self-restrained and to behave prudently [taking life seriously]. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 7 And show your own self in all respects to be a pattern and a model of good deeds and works, teaching what is unadulterated, showing gravity [having the strictest regard for truth and purity of motive], with dignity and seriousness. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 8 And let your instruction be sound and fit and wise and wholesome, vigorous and birrefutable and above censure, so that the opponent may be put to shame, finding nothing discrediting or evil to say about us. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 9 [Tell] bond servants to be submissive to their masters, to be pleasing and give satisfaction in every way. [Warn them] not to talk back or contradict, • 10 Nor to steal by taking things of small value, but to prove themselves truly loyal and entirely reliable and faithful throughout, so that in everything they may be an ornament and do credit to the teaching [which is] from and about God our Savior. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 11 For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. • 12 It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness and worldly desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world, SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 13 Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, the realization of our] blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One), SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 14 Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us (purchase our freedom) from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people [to be peculiarly His own, people who are] eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds. [Deut. 14:2; Ps. 130:8; Ezek. 37:23.] SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • 15 Tell [them all] these things. Urge (advise, encourage, warn) and rebuke with full authority. Let no one despise or disregard or think little of you [conduct yourself and your teaching so as to command respect]. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:1 • To establish order in the church Paul gave Titus instructions concerning the behavior of various groups of Christians that was appropriate for them. He had given directions concerning the appointment of proper leaders and had warned about subversive teachers in chapter 1. Now he advised regarding pastoral oversight. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:1 • “Paul here stresses the importance of building up the inner life of believers as the best antidote against error.”38 • “No condition and no period of life is to remain unaffected by the sanctifying influence of the gospel.”39 SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:1 • This verse introduces the instructions concerning individual conduct that follow. • In contrast to the false teachers, Titus was to teach the believers conduct that was in harmony with sound (i.e., healthy) doctrine (cf. 1 Tim. 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3; Titus 1:9, 13, 2:2). SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:1 • Paul wanted Christians to behave consistently with what they profess to believe. • The primary motivation Paul used in the advice to follow is that these exhortations come from and agree with sound doctrine. • A secondary motive that he also stressed is that the behavior he advocated would make a positive impact on unbelievers who would observe his readers. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:1 • (2:1) “Thou” is su (συ), the pronoun used intensively. • It is,“But as for you, in contradistinction to those I have just mentioned.” • This shows the vast difference between the false teachers and Titus, a true leader/teacher. • “speak” This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE (cf. I Tim. 4:13; II Tim. 4:2). The gospel and its implications must continually be articulated. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:1 • “Become” is prepō (πρεπω), originally, “to stand out, be conspicuous,” hence, “to become conspicuously fit, to be becoming, to be seemly.” • “sound” This is the recurrent term from v. 1, “healthy.” Christians are to be healthy and stable in their faith, in their love, and in their perseverance (cf. I Tim. 6:11; II Tim. 3:10), as well as in their doctrine. For Paul, believing and living were inseparable—just the opposite of the false teachers. • Translation. But as for you, be constantly speaking the things which are fitting to sound teaching. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:2 • (2:2) “Aged men” (presbutēs (πρεσβυτης)) are here not to be understood as holding an ecclesiastical position but as men old in years. • “Sober” is nēphalios (νηφαλιος), “abstaining from wine, either entirely or at least from its immoderate use.” • “Grave” is semnos (σεμνος), “august, venerable, reverent.” • “Temperate,” sōphrōn (σωφρων), “curbing one’s desires and impulses, self-controlled.” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • “Faith” has the definite article, here, not “faith” as exercised, but “The Faith,” the body of Christian doctrine. • “Charity” is agapē (ἀγαπη), with the definite article, referring to that love produced in the heart of the yielded saint by the Holy Spirit. • “Patience” is hupomenō (ὑπομενω), literally, “rernaining under” trials and afflictions in a way that honors God. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • It is patience in the sense of meekness which Trench has defined as “that temper of spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.” • “Sound” is hugiainō (ὑγιαινω), “to be sound, well, in good health.” It is used of those whose Christian teachings are free from any admixture of error. The word here speaks of true and incorrupt doctrine. • Translation. That aged men be sober, venerable, self-controlled, sound in the Faith, in the love, in the patience. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • Summary of Verse 2 • Titus has reminded older men to be temperate (Gr. nephalious; sober, vigilant, clear-headed), dignified (Gr. semnous; worthy of respect, serious-minded rather than clowns), and sensible (Gr. sophronas; self-controlled. • These characteristics are all marks of maturity. They should also be godly. This means being sound in faith, love (Gr. agape; concern for other people), and perseverance (Gr. hypomone; patiently enduring in view of their hope as believers). SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:3 • NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:3-5 • 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:3 • 2:3 “reverent in their behavior” This is a compound term of hieros , that which is holy or sacred (from hierov, for temple) and prepei , that which is fitting or proper. Older Christian women are to behave in godly, holy ways (cf. I Tim. 2:10). SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:3 • (2:3–5) “Behavior” is katastēma (καταστημα). • Expositors says: “Demeanor (r.v.) is better than behavior (a.v.), which has a wide reference to conduct, in all respects and on all occasions. Deportment which includes a slight reference to dress, would be the best rendering, only that the word has become depreciated.” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:3 • “not malicious gossips” • The term used here ( diabolos ) is the same as is used of the Devil, the “slanderer” (cf. John 6:20; I Tim. 3:6). • However, it is PLURAL and does not have the ARTICLE (cf. I Tim. 3:11; II Tim. 3:3). • John Calvin said that “talkativeness is a disease of women, and it is increased by age.” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:3 • “not malicious gossips” • The problem referred to is not only tale-bearing but possibly the sharing of false information (cf. I Tim. 5:13). • The young widows may have been the surrogate speakers for the false teachers in the homes and house churches of Ephesus. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:3 • “Not given to much wine” is the translation of the Greek words for “much wine,” and the perfect participle of douloō (δουλοω), “to make a slave of.” • This is a PERFECT PASSIVE PARTICIPLE. This is a stronger statement than Titus 1:7 or I Tim. 3:3, 8. • Alcoholism must have been a problem in Crete.The tense speaks here of a confirmed drunkard. • Expositors remarks: “It is proved by experience that the reclamation of a woman drunkard is almost impossible.” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:4 • “Teachers of good things” is kalodidaskalos (καλοδιδασκαλος), the word for “good” (kalos (καλος)), and “teacher” (didaskalos (διδασκαλος)). We get our word “didactic” from the latter. “They may teach” is sōphronizō (σωφρονιζω), “to make sane or sober-minded, to recall a person to his senses,” hence “to moderate, chasten, discipline.” Here it should be translated “to school, to train.” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • “Sober” is not in the Nestle text. With reference to Paul’s words, “to love their husbands, to love their children,” Vincent calls attention to an inscription from Pergamum; “Julius Bassus to Otacilia Polla, my sweetest wife, who loved her husband and children and lived with me blamelessly for thirty years.” “Discreet” is sōphronōs (σωφρονως), “with sound mind, discreetly.” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:4 • “Keepers at home” is oikourgos (οἰκουργος), “caring for the home, working at home.” So Vincent, Expositors, Thayer. “Good” is agathos (ἀγαθος). Expositors says: “Mothers who work at home usually find it a more absorbing pleasure than ‘going about from house to house’ (I Tim. 5:13). But ‘the worker at home’ is under temptation to be as unsparing of her household as of herself; and so St. Paul adds agathos (ἀγαθος) ‘kind’ (r.v.) rather than ‘good’ (a.v.).” SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • “Obedient” is hupotassō (ὑποτασσω), “to their own husbands” • The term “obedient” or “submit” comes from a military term that referred to a chain of command. This is a PRESENT MIDDLE PARTICIPLE (cf. Eph. 5:21ff; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2; 11–12; I Pet. 3:1). • However, notice that Paul, in Eph. 5:21, links submission to being filled with the Spirit (cf. 5:18) and makes it a mutual responsibility of all Christians. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • “so the word of God is not Blasphemed” is blasphēmeo (βλασφημεο), “to speak reproachfully, to revile, calumniate, rail at.” • Believers’ lifestyles are significant. This is a recurrent theme in the Pastoral Letters, “no handle for criticism” (cf. vv. 8, 10; I Tim. 3:2, 7, 10; 5:8, 14; 6:1; Titus 1:6–7, 8, 10). • Believers’ lives and words should bring others to Christ SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • Translation. Aged women likewise, that they be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good, in order that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, workers at home, kind, in subjection to their own husbands, in order that the Word of God may not be reproachfully spoken of. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • These women were also to give evidence of their reverence for God in their behavior. Negatively they should avoid malicious gossip (Gr. me diabolous; slandering others; 1 Tim. 3:11; 5:13–14) and dependence on enslaving substances such as wine (Gr. mede oino pollo dedoulomenas; 1 Tim. 3:8). Positively they should teach what is good (Gr. kalodidaskalous) by deed as well as word and encourage the younger women to fulfill their responsibilities (v. 4a). SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • We have bought into the notion that older people have had their day of usefulness and ought to make way for the young. But the principle here is quite the opposite. With age and experience come wisdom, and many older women have discovered secrets of godly living in relation to their husbands, children and neighbors and in the workplace that could save younger women a lot of unnecessary grief. And when the unavoidable trials come to the young woman, who better to guide her through than an older sister who has been through it before? SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • Paul listed seven responsibilities of these women. They were (1) to be lovers of their husbands (to put their welfare before self-interests), (2) to be lovers of their children, and (3) to be sensible (Gr. sophronas; self-controlled). They were also (4) to be pure (Gr. hagnas) and (5) to be workers at home (Gr. oikourgous, producers of orderliness in the home, 1 Tim. 5:14; not necessarily occupied exclusively with household chores). SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • Finally they were (6) to be kind (Gr. agthas) and (7) to be subject to their own husbands (Gr. hypotassomenas tois idiois andrasin) as to God’s ordained authority in their family; Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:1). Such behavior would guard the Word of God from dishonor by those who would otherwise observe inconsistency between the teaching of Scripture and the conduct of these women. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2 • Here we have the first of several clear articulations of the need for good works for the sake of nonbelievers . . . [cf. 2:1, 10, 11, 14; 3:2, 8, 14]).”42 • The training of the younger women is the duty, not of Titus, but the older women, qualified to do so by position and character. • ‘Train’ means to school in the lessons of sobriety and self-control (cf. vv. 2, 5). ‘Younger’ is a positive adjective literally meaning ‘new’ or ‘fresh’ and probably suggests a reference to the newly married. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:6-8 • NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:6-8 • 6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:6-8 • (2:6–8) “Exhort” is parakaleō (παρακαλεω), “I beg of you, please, I urge.” • This word is a good commentary upon the manner in which Titus should deal with these various groups. • It should not be a domineering, high-handed, demanding one, but a humble, loving, kindly, exhorting one. • The heart will respond to loving, kind treatment where it will rebel against the opposite. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:6-8 • “Sober minded” is sōphrōneō (σωφρωνεω), “to exercise self-control, think of one’s self soberly, to put a moderate estimate upon one’s self, to curb one’s passions.” • The younger men are given only one guideline (be sensible, cf. vv. 2, 4, 5). It is the only IMPERATIVE in vv. 2–6. • (“Sincerity” is not in Nestle text.) SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:6-8 • 2:7 “show yourself to be an example” This is a PRESENT MIDDLE PARTICIPLE used as an IMPERATIVE (cf. I Tim. 4:12). • “of good deeds” This is a recurrent emphasis (cf. 1:16; 2:7, 14; 3:1</.8.14). Lifestyle change was the evidence of and an attraction to the Christian message. SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:6-8 • 2:7 NRSV - “in your teaching show integrity” • This seems to describe the way Titus is to teach (in contrast to the false teachers’ impure lives and motives), not only the content of his preaching and teaching. • 2:8 “sound in speech” This is the same recurrent term used in vv. 1 and 2 which meant “healthy” (in contrast to the false teachers). SLB-047 & 048

Rest and Godliness: Titus 2:6-8 • “the opponent” In context this could refer to • (1) the false teachers of 1:10–16; or • (2) the unbelievers of society who criticized Christianity out of pagan ignorance. • Believers’ lives should silence both groups and attract them to the gospel. SLB-047 & 048

SLB- 047: Rest and Godliness