The Best That You Can Be (Titus 2)

THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE (TITUS 2)

The story is told of a man and an angel who were walking along together. The man was complaining about his neighbors. “I never saw such a wretched set of people,” he said, “as are in this village. They are mean, greedy, selfish, and careless of the needs of others. Worst of all, they are forever speaking evil of one another.”

“Is it really so?” asked the angel.

“It is, indeed,” said the man. “Why, only look at this fellow coming toward us! I know his face, though I cannot remember his name. See his little shark-like, cruel eyes, darting here and there like a ferret’s, and the lines of hardness about his mouth! The very droop of his shoulders is mean and cringing, and he slinks along instead of walking.”

“It is very clever of you to see all this,” said the angel, “but there is one thing that you did not perceive—that is a mirror we are approaching.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 149)

You’ve got to give your best to others get the best from others.

In chapter 1, Paul advised the young minister Titus to straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town (Titus 1:5). After rending Titus to exercise his authority in appointing leaders in the church, Paul next taught the young minister Titus how to act as a young minister and how to attend to the various groups in church.

Speak Honorably to Adults
1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. (Titus 2:1-5)

One manager with a high tech company in Chicago shared how his subordinates were always coming into his office emphasizing the high priority of one thing or another.

He would listen to them and tell each one to leave their papers on the desk. Then as they were about to walk out the door, he would say, “Don’t forget Rule Six’

A young man once said, “Rule Six yes, of course.”

Then he turned to walk out but stopped and asked, “What is rule six?”

Rule Six is as follows: “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”

“Thank you sir, I’ll remember that. But what are the other rules?”

The reply was, “There are no other rules.”

In chapter 2, Paul begins with the need to speak sound doctrine. The verb “teach” (v 1) is essentially and technically “speak” in Greek, translated so by KJV, NASB, and ASV. The first teach is an imperative but the second “teach” (v 2) is missing in Greek, so the first “teach” dictates the passage till verse 5. At his young age as a rookie minister, Titus was not to act like a scholar, a sage or a superior, but to speak tenderly, truthfully and tactfully to his seniors. Speak/teach (v 1) is in the imperative mood, meaning it is obligatory and not optional, demanded and not discretional, stipulated and not secondary, firm and not flexible, insisted and not ignored. Titus should be attentive and active and not be afraid of or anxious to avoid the task at hand.

For the church to grow, she must practice “sound teaching.” The word “sound” features more prominently in Titus than any other New Testament book. What is this “sound” (“hugiaino”) doctrine or teaching (didaskalia)? Elsewhere it is translated as healthy (Luke 5:31), well (Luke 7:10) safe and sound (Luke 15:27). The word “sound” is an extension of the word “growth.” It means solid and not suspect, sure and not swaying, sensible and not sensational or sentimental hogwash. Sound teaching is the key to a strong, stable and steadfast church. A church without sound doctrine is like a chair without legs, a skater on thin ice, and a body without backbone.

What is sound doctrine like in action and how does it apply to men and women? For older men, it means to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance (v 2). How are they related? Temperate comes from the word vigilant and watchful – this is about circumstances; it appears most in Titus. Worthy of respect has to do with honor – it has to do with character. Self-control has to do the mind in Greek - control. The word “sound” reappears to qualify the words “faith, love and endurance” – to be comprehensive.

Older women (v 3), surprisingly, are mentioned for the only time in the Bible. Their task is three-fold to themselves, to younger women and outsiders. They themselves are to be reverent in their behavior, tongue (slanderers), diet or intake (wine) and contribution (teach what is good). Next they are to teach younger women to be sober/reverent (v 3), to devote their lives and attention to their husbands and children, to influence them, not to ignore them. Note, Paul instructs older women to “teach” younger women, but not Titus to teach ( NIV version) older men!

To outsiders - that no one will malign/blaspheme the word of God (v 5). The word of God is not spoken ill of, does not fall into disrepute, is not cause for controversy.

Share Helpfully to Youth
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:6-7)

Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said:
“Not long ago, I visited a Boys and Girls Club in a poor area in Florida. I was talking to a group of kids sitting on the floor around me about my own childhood. My family wasn’t rich; in fact, we lived in a tenement in the Bronx. But, I told the group, my parents had created an enveloping family environment that gave sustenance, structure and discipline to our lives. We were taught to believe in ourselves. As I spoke, a 9-year-old boy raised his hand. “General,” he asked, “do you think if you didn’t have two parents you would have made it?”

That kid cut me right to the quick. He was saying, “This isn’t my world you’re talking about. Can I still make it?” My answer was: “Yes, you can.” That boy may not have had what I had growing up, but, I said, “There are people here who care for you, who will mentor you, who will watch over you and teach you right from wrong.” (“Why service matters: there are problems governments can’t solve, so it’s up to the rest of us - before it’s too late” Newsweek 2/3/97)

To his seniors the young Titus should stick to his “speaking” role, but to young men he is to “encourage” (v 6) them – the second imperative in the chapter, which is one of my favorite verbs in the Bible – “para-kaleo,” or “side-call.” “Para” means parallel or by the side, and kaleo is “call.” Paul did not want Titus to lord over others nor lose his authority, so he taught his protégé to draw others to his side, to be approachable and not be aloof, to listen more than lecture as young people are more likely to be influenced by peers and partners than parent or professional figures. They respond more to authenticity than to authority, to reason than reprimand, to cheer than chastisement.

How can we get the best out of the young? Paul has a four-fold advice for Titus to pass along. First, to exercise good judgment, or to be sober minded/self-controlled (v 6). Sober minded or “sophroneo” means to be in the right mind, to be sound in judgment, to be clear and not convoluted in thinking, not to be extreme, go crazy, or over-think things.

The second exhortation to young people is to exemplify good behavior, which is “in everything set them an example by doing what is good.” (v 7). The word “example” has been translated elsewhere as deep as a nail “mark/print” (John 20:25), pattern (Acts 7:44), and model (1 Thess 1:7). The personal pronoun “them” is missing in Greek because emphasis is not to do it for “others” bur rather to be who you are - an example. “Set” is “showing” in Greek, a participle, which means unfaltering, unfailing, unflagging, not spotty or in spurts.

The third is to ensure good teaching. Other than 1 Timothy, the noun “doctrine” is central to the Pastoral epistles, including 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. This word occurs only six times outside these three books but an astonishing 15 times in the Pastoral epistles, 8 times in 1 Timothy and thrice in 2 Timothy and four times in Titus (Titus 1:9, 2:1, 2:7, 2:10). The early church was not grounded in sound preaching but in sound teaching. Preaching is just the communication – occurring just once in Titus (1:3), teaching, which occurs four times in Titus, is the content.

The fourth is to embrace good reasoning (again from the same root word of “sound” teaching) information, interpretation and instruction that cannot be “condemned,” or to have knowledge against (akatagnostos)

The four are related. The first is to guard against misjudging things, the second against misrepresent Christ, the third misleading others and the fourth misusing facts.

There is reason for Paul’s four-fold advice: so that those “opposed” (v 8), or cause to be “anti” in Greek, may be ashamed, or “turn upside down” in Greek, when they do not have anything bad to say about them. The early church was always under the gun or microscope, everything is scrutinized.

Serve Humbly at Work
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. (Titus 2:1-15)

One of the most touching employer-employee stories in Hong Kong is from the family of Wing Lung Bank (永隆銀行) founder Wu Jie- yee (伍絜宜). In November, 2010, Wu’s trust fund donated HK$20 million to the cancer research development center at the Baptist University, which promptly changed the center’s name from Centre for Cancer and Inflammation Research to the Shum Yiu Foon Shum Bik Chuen Memorial Centre for Cancer and Inflammation Research (岑堯寬岑碧泉紀念癌症炎症研究中心) in honor of two deceased sisters who served his family members faithfully for many decades.

The Shum sisters devoted their lives to the care of the family who loved them in return (“Maids honored for their love and loyalty,” The Standard November 11, 2010), from wartime, when the sisters were in their 20s, till the next 60 over years, when they were in their 80s and 90s. The older did household chores, the younger one working in the kitchen, both have their respective jobs. When the day was rainy, they prepare umbrellas for the family members so that they do not get wet. Through the years the sisters raised six siblings as if they were family. http://thosewerethedays.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/

The role of slaves has always been a hot potato for believers and a hot topic to historians, many which are critical of Paul and Christians for not doing enough to abolish slavery. Paul, however, challenged slavery in another way in another book. He reminded slave-owner Philemon that his runaway slave Onesimus is “not a slave but above a slave, a dear brother” (Phm 16) in the Lord.

In Titus, Paul uses two infinitives (“to”) two positive roles for slaves (v 9) and two negative examples. The first role is to be obedient – an infinitive (“to”), the second is “to be” –another infinitive – to be well-pleasing. The first addresses the arrangement and the second the attitude. To “show” or “show-ing good” (v 9) is actually a participle, which is the “how” in Greek. Shockingly, unlike to older or younger people, Paul did not use an imperative to force slaves, knowing the plight of slaves and the power of their owners demands a more sensitive approach. The two negatives, which slaves can handle, are not to talk back with their tongue and not to steal things with their hands.

“Subject” or “submit” (hupo-tasso) in Greek is to arrange oneself under, not anything different from wives who have to subject themselves to their husbands (2:5) and citizens to (Titus 3:1). The first preposition “under” has to do with a slave’s position at work, but the second is the quality of work, to be well-pleasing (eu-arestos) in Greek, not just pleasing. This word occurs nine times in the Bible, all eight of them in the context of pleasing the Lord (Rom 12:1 “pleasing to God,” Rom 12:2 “his pleasing…will,” Rom 14:18 “pleasing to God,” 2 Cor 5:9 “to please him,” Eph 5:10 “what pleases the Lord,” Phil 4:18 “pleasing to God,” Col 3:20 “this pleases the Lord,” Heb 13:21 “what is pleasing to him.” The contrast is with tongue and hands. To talk back (anti-lego) is to be contradictory, caustic, and cynical. Pilfering or stealing (v 10) applies only incident in the Bible, with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:2, 5:3). Stealing has nothing to do with money but honesty because Ananias and Sapphira stole their own money. Note that contradicting and pilfering are participles.

“Show” (endeiknumi) in verse 10 is showing or indicating, a participle. Greek tells us what they are to show is faith or the awkward “fully trusted” (v 10) translation in Greek. To a person of faith, the workplace is not a prison but a platform.

In conclusion, Paul exhorts all believers – young and olde, men and women, free or slave - to live self-controlled (same root as v 2’s temperate) , upright (which is righteous) and godly lives in this present age (v 12). The first has to do with themselves, the second to do with society and the last to do with the church.