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BEREAN COMMUNITY CHURCH

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Titus 2:1-5

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Wednesday October 20, 2021

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Titus 2:1-10

¹But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 

²Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 

³Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 

⁴so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 

⁵to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. 

⁶Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 

⁷in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 

⁸sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. 

⁹Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 

¹⁰not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

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Group Discussions

1. Share the inductive questions and observations that you made from 2:1-5.

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2. What are some things that have been taking place in American churches today that dishonor the Word of God?

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3. What is one practical application you can make from your study of this passage?

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Backdrop

Titus 1:10–11 (NASB95)

¹⁰For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 

¹¹who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

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Titus 1:16 (NASB95)

¹⁶They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

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• What does a person who knows God look like?

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• What does it mean for a believer to be acceptable, obedient and fit for good deeds?

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Backdrop

How should we behave as Christians?

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Why should we behave as Christians? [Important!!!]

• Good example to next generation of Christians
• Faithful stewards of the Word of God
• Non-believers and scoffers will be silenced
• Make the doctrine of God attractive and beautiful to non-believers

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Ch. 2: “Evangelistic impact of a spiritually healthy congregation” (John Macarthur)

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Titus 2:1-15[NASB]

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Titus 2:1-15[NASB]

So that.. ἵνα

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a prim. conjunction denoting purpose, definition or result

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Titus 2:1

Sound Doctrine

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“But as for you” (su de)

• This phrase occurs 5x in the Pastoral Epistles
• God’s people need to be starkly different from those living in the prevailing culture.

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Sound [healthy] Doctrine 🡪 Application in Character and Behavior

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Titus 2:10 (NASB95)

¹⁰not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn (cosmeo) the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

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Titus 2:2

Older Men

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Older Men (50+)?

• Luke 1:18
• Philemon 9
• 1 Timothy 5:9 (list of widows: need to be 60+)

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Temperate (nephalious): soberness; cautiousness; not drunk on wine

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Sound in perseverance

- 2 Timothy 4:7

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Titus 2:3

Older Women

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Reverent (hieroprepeis) – used only here in NT; in all secular literature 🡪 like holy priestesses performing at religious events

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Malicious Gossips (diabolos) – used 34x in the NT as a title of Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44)

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- 1 Timothy 3:11 🡪 wives of deacons

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Titus 2:4-5

Older Women 🡪 Younger Women

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Only place in NT where women are told to love their husbands.

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Workers at home (oikourgos): “good managers of the household”

• 1 Tim. 5:13 – lazy widows going from house to house.
• Titus 1:12 – “lazy gluttons”

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Workers at Home

It would not be legitimate to base on this word either a stay-at-home stereotype for all women, or a prohibition of wives being also professional women. What is rather affirmed is that if a woman accepts the vocation of marriage, and has a husband and children, she will love and not neglect them. J. B. Phillips’ word ‘home lovers’ sums up well what Paul has in mind. What he is opposing is not a wife’s pursuit of a profession, but ‘the habit of being idle and going about from house to house’.

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 Stott, J. R. W. (1996). Guard the truth: the message of 1 Timothy & Titus (p. 189). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

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Titus 2:4

Older Women 🡪 Younger Women

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… so that the word of God will not be dishonored

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• Older men being childish; abusive in authority; unfaithful; unloving and selfish
• Older women being bitter; abusive with their words; enslaved to worldly desires
• Women wanting to “rule” over husband; lacking self-control; impure

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How to Be “Temperate”

Ephesians 5:15–21 (NASB95)

¹⁵Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 

¹⁶making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 

¹⁷So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

¹⁸And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 

¹⁹speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 

²⁰always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 

²¹and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

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Application

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1. Are there elements in your Christian witness that could potentially cause the Word of God to be dishonored?

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• Which of the “fitting for sound doctrine” qualities do you feel you need most growth in?

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• What enables us to grow in these areas?

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For (Wednesday 10/27)

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1. Read Titus 2:6-10

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• Ask inductive questions of these verses and come up with observations.

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• How do these verses fit into the context of the rest of the section, chapter, and letter?

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• What are some practical and measurable applications you can draw from these verses?

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