Titus 2:1-6: Sound Doctrine in the Household of God
2022-04-23
Titus 2:1
Contrasting with the previous sections on dealing with false doctrine in the church, we now turn to teaching sound doctrine. Here, we see a breakdown by age group and gender as to what to emphasize in teaching. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2, we saw how Timothy was instructed to interact with these same age groups. He was to treat them as family. Here we see how each of these groups are to conduct themselves.
This is the fourth and final time the phrase “sound doctrine” appears in the Bible, all of which are in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1). Sound doctrine is connected to sound living. False teachers, as we see, have lifestyles that contradict godly living: “in works they deny him” (Titus 1:16).
The following exhortations to the people are not all the same, because men and women are not the same, and the older and the younger are not the same. They have different qualities, different strengths, different weaknesses, and different roles. There are some common themes.
Titus 2:2
The aged men are indicated first. By an aged man, we don’t see any hard cut off at a certain age. It may be that different cultures may determine what this is considering generational boundaries (Baby boomers vs. Generation X vs. Millennials, etc.) or life expectancy. Recall that a true widow could not be considered for support until at least 60 years old (1 Timothy 5:9), which may give us some guidance. However, if we read the following verses, we see that the younger women are keepers at home with children. Having children at home may be that dividing line.
The words sober, grave, and temperate are all used as qualifications for an elder in 1 Timothy 3. There is an emphasis on self-control. These are desirable qualities for everyone. Sober, while not the same word in each case, is used for the young women and young men in the next verses. If the aged women are teaching the young women to be sober, it is also assumed they need to be as well.
It is important for the older men to have self-control because, though they may not be in the office of an elder, they are role models. The young men in the church look up to these men for what it means go be a godly man. Furthermore, the older men will likely be fathers and grandfathers. They have the bond with these younger people where they can wield great influence.
The word “sound” has the connotation of being healthy. This contrasts with being sickly or dysfunctional. The older man is to be sound in faith, charity, and patience.
They are to be sound in faith. In their natural leadership position as aged men, others can see what faith looks like practically when they have someone modeling it for them. For someone who has been in the faith for a long time, they have opportunity to help younger people who have not been in the faith so long.
We often emphasize faith as something that is exercised sometime in the past when we were saved. This is true. Faith also is something that we continue in daily. It is a vector; it has magnitude and direction. Faith is toward Christ, and 100 percent toward Him. It is active in every activity. So while we speak of faith as a past event in our justification, we very much speak of it in the present with our sanctification and in the future with our glorification. It is the same faith. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
The aged man is also sound in charity. Charity is love. This is another reminder that love is not the warm and fuzzies toward a person. It is the laying down of self for others, just as Jesus did. The aged man models this to others in the church and his family as well.
The aged man is also sound in patience. The idea is endurance. The Christian life is a long race and a marathon. It is consistency looking forward to the great day of the Lord gathering us to Himself. We endure whatever hardship here, looking forward to the day when hardship will be absent from our lives.
The aged man has been through a lot more of life. Even one not in the faith has endured much in their lives. They have seen society change. They have seen a lot of hardship and have worked hard in their lives and learned much. They have learned endurance through all those experiences alone.
In the faith, they have learned what it means to have died with Christ and live with Him. They have learned to trust Him through a long life. They are likely closer to the finish line than the younger brothers. In this, they teach others on how to finish well.
Titus 2:3
The aged women are to have “behaviour as becometh holiness.” They are to have a holy demeanor, with a connotation of reverence. Their attitude is distinct (“set apart”) from that of the world. It is holy behavior appropriate for one who is a Christian among other Christians.
They should not be false accusers. The “false accuser,” as we have seen in previous studies, is the word for “devil.” Not being like the devil is a good thing! Not being a false accuser is also a qualification for a deacon’s wife in 1 Timothy 3:11. She does not accuse people falsely. Otherwise, she would promote disunity among the people, and affect other’s judgment as well. If someone is falsely accused of something publicly, even if found to be false, it will always be in other people’s minds. There may always be that doubt in their mind.
They should not be given to much wine. This is also a qualification of an elder. This ruins one’s judgment. Others will see one’s habit of drinking and think that it is fine to do. “Well, I can drink a lot of wine if so-and-so does it!”
They are teachers of good things. This serves as a segue into the next verse. They teach others to do right. They correct bad behavior with the right behavior.
This is the other side of women not having teaching authority over men. Their teaching should target the younger women.
Titus 2:4
When instructing the younger women, Titus does not seem to be the teacher. For the older and younger men, and the older women, Titus was their primary teacher. For the younger men, Titus was to delegate that responsibility to the older women. You can tell that many of these things to be taught are things that women are experts in. It makes sense to have women teach these things because they know them from experience. This assumes that the aged women have mastered these qualities and tasks themselves.
It is worthy to mention that the most is said about the younger women. Two full verses are devoted to their instruction. This tells me that their role is very important, and there is much instruction needed for their crucial role in the family and in the church.
This passage is chock-full of controversy. It is also filled with things I am not well acquainted with. Please be patient as we explore what is here.
Once again, we see the word “sober” here. The aged women are to guide the younger women into a sound mind.
They are to love their husbands and their children. Husband-lovers and children-lovers, as each of these is one word. These phrases mean being affectionate toward husbands and being maternal. They are not used anywhere else in the Bible. Much of their roles are family oriented. Because of this, the woman must love them.
When we think of the husband-and-wife relationship, we often think of husbands loving wives and wives submitting to husbands. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them” (Colossians 3:18-19). Here we see that wives should love husbands. This is said because sometimes, as we know, husbands are not always going to be loveable. This is here as a reminder that true love is service and unconditional.
Their children are a primary ministry. Because the wife is around the children the most, they will learn the most from the wife. Patient endurance is required for this task. There is slow learning and defiance in children. The goal is a mature person who can walk with the Lord when grown. This needs to be remembered daily.
Titus 2:5
Discreet is translated as temperate for the aged man. Once again, the emphasis is self-control. Discreet, if we take the word at face value, is controlling speech and actions as to not offend. One thinks of Euodias and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2) who had some manner of discord between themselves. Be careful with speech to maintain unity in the local church, and to love others.
Chaste is also translated “pure” elsewhere. Previously, we saw this word: “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22). There was a balance Timothy had to keep between being quick to accuse and enabling others in their sin. The younger woman is to likewise not be involved with other people’s sins, yet to stay out of it.
Consider 1 Peter 3:1-2. A pure way of life converts other people. The unsaved see Christ in you, and they possibly will respond.
Consider 1 John 3:1-3. We purify ourselves because we see the Lord coming. We may be positionally pure, but we also purify ourselves by shedding the things contrary to Christ because He is the only source of our life and joy.
The younger women are to be keepers at home. Because men typically are in the workforce outside the home, the primary caretaker of the home goes to women. As elsewhere, “keeping” implies “guarding.” With children at home, the wife is guarding them by teaching them the things of Christ. It also implies household affairs.
The younger women are to be good. It is sure better than the alternative! Elsewhere it is occasionally translated goods, good thing, well, or benefit. Consider Matthew 7:17-20. Being good means you will bring forth good fruit. By good fruit, people will know you belong to Christ.
The younger women are to be “obedient to their own husbands.” There is a purpose clause: “that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Why is this?
Consider Ephesians 5:22-24. The husband and the wife picture Christ and the church. A bad marriage portrayal reflects on Christ and His bride. When done correctly, people will see Christ and His church in the marriage. When done poorly, well, the word of God is blasphemed.
There is opportunity for feminist objection and calls of misogyny here. One might conjure up pictures of men forcing women to do their every absurd whim. This is not what is pictured here. Nobody is being asked to submit to abuse. The husband and wife are one, and communication happens between them. The husband makes decisions ultimately, but a definite collaboration happens on decisions. If the wife chooses not to submit in a situation, what choice does a husband have? Does he result to cruelty? The curse says, “...thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Genesis 3:16). Never. Rather, husbands continue to “love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). The love is unconditional. And as we said before, love means sacrificial service. Continue to act in a loving way, and just as the wife could win the husband with chaste conversation, the husband can do likewise.
Titus 2:6
The young men have the shortest admonition, which seems curious at first. I believe this for a few reasons. First, by the time you are done reading all of this, you kind of get the idea. Also, Titus himself was likely a young man, and he probably knew automatically what to teach them. In addition, because they have role models of godly aged men, they can learn from those examples. There may be an implication that the aged men teach the young men, just as it was for the women. Finally, the command is for the young man to be “sober minded.” This is a common theme that, if mastered, the rest falls into place.
In the mind exists all kinds of lust and ambition. Every distraction from the Lord lives there. Consider 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. With every thought on the things of God, the Spirit can truly reign and lead us. “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14). When this thought dominates the thoughts of young men, they are fully ready for the battle. They have already overcome the devil because by faith, they appropriated the completed work in Christ.