God’s Order in the Home and in the Church, Part Two

Titus 2:6-10
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, April 19, 2015
Copyright © 2015, P. G. Mathew
Language [Japanese]

The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord. As God’s people, we are to live orderly lives according to the kingdom principles. Titus 2:6–10 deals with how younger men in the church and home should conduct themselves, how a pastor should live his life, and how slaves (or, in modern terms, employees) must work.

In the kingdom of God, its citizens live under the rule and order of our great King. Paul writes, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col. 1:13). Therefore, as believers, we are to hear and do the will of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, as it is revealed in the Scriptures.

The pastoral epistles emphasize the reality of both the preaching of the true gospel and the holy living of God’s people. The gospel must be practiced. Good doctrine must produce good works in the lives of God’s elect. Older men, older women, younger women, younger men, pastors, and Christian slaves or employees are all to live orderly lives in the world.

How do we know that we are God’s elect people? There is a simple answer: If we belong to God, we will obey God. All unbelievers obey the devil at all times; God’s people obey God. There is no third way of living.

A Christian is born of the Holy Spirit. He is a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, for obedience (Eph. 2:10). Paul declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17). He also says, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). A Christian is a “new heart” person.

Through our holy living, we make the gospel of God our Savior attractive to the world. In Jesus Christ, we are the light of the world and we are to live for the glory of God. So we bear witness to our Lord Jesus by our holy lives and by speaking the holy gospel to the people of the world.

The epistle of Titus emphasizes obedience, good works. Paul writes that Jesus “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” (Tit. 2:14). Paul speaks of the same thing in Ephesians 5: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:8–11).

 

Christian Conduct of the Younger Men

After telling Titus how to speak to the older men, older women, and younger women, Paul now instructs Titus to speak to the younger men (generally those between twenty and thirty years of age). He says, “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled” (v. 6).

Paul addressed young men in his epistle to Timothy also: “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity” (1 Tim. 5:1–2). And Peter says, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older” (1 Pet. 5:5).

In this passage, Paul is telling Titus to exhort the younger men of the church to be sober-minded, to be self-controlled. They are to exercise discretion and act with wisdom. They are not to behave like wild stallion, driven by lusts, making foolish decisions. As believers, they are to be Spirit-filled, word-filled, and Christ-controlled. They must exercise self-control, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The self-controlled life is a word-controlled, Spirit-controlled, and Christ-controlled life. Such a person is not governed by impulses. He is a serious student of the Bible. He refuses to conform to the world. He is transformed in his mind by the light of the gospel. He listens to the word of God so that he can do the will of God. The wisdom of God’s word governs all the decisions and deeds of such a man. So the psalmist asks, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Ps. 119:9). In Proverbs we read, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Prov. 1:7). We also read, “My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble” (Prov. 3:21–23). And Paul reminds Timothy, “how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15).

Younger believing men are to take the yoke of Jesus and learn wisdom from him. They are to throw away the yoke of the devil that only crushes them. The basic need of younger Christian men is to be under the control of their Master, Jesus Christ. Like young Samuel, they should say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is ready to hear and do.” As Jesus did, they are to grow up in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and men.

Younger men must have their biblical minds operating in all situations they face. Then, whatever they do shall prosper. This was the case of younger men like Joseph, Joshua, Caleb, Josiah, Daniel, the three Hebrew children. It is especially true of Jesus, who always opposed the devil and obeyed his heavenly Father. He himself said, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29).

The younger Christian men of the Cretan church needed to oppose vigorously the wicked Cretan culture surrounding them. Paul had earlier warned Titus, “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons’” (Titus 1:12). We could say the same thing about the modern culture that surrounds us.

Though it is not stated plainly, it is understood from Titus 2:4–5 that these younger men worked hard to provide for their wives and children. They ruled their households with wisdom for the glory of God. With self-control, they ruled their tempers, their tongues, their ambitions, and their sexual urges. They practiced chastity before marriage and fidelity after marriage. We must do the same. With self-control, we must rule our tempers, our tongues, our ambitions, our sexual urges, and all other appetites. We must live disciplined lives, ruling over our spiritual laziness, our work lives, our financial lives, and all other aspects of life.

 

Christian Conduct of True Ministers of the Gospel

Paul then writes, “In doing everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bud to say about us” (vv. 7–8). The pastor of Christ’s holy orthodox apostolic church is required to show himself to be a model (tupos) of good works. He must be an example to all others in the church, in both piety and sound doctrine.

My mother once counseled me from 1 Timothy 4:16, “Son, watch your life and doctrine.” Notice, it is life first, then doctrine. People must hear Titus preaching and teaching, but they must also see him and his family living out the gospel in all areas of their lives.

Paul had already instructed Titus about the qualifications of a church leader: “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:6–9). And I would exhort you to go to a church that has such pastors, if you can find one.

In Matthew 23, Jesus condemned the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, who sat in the seat of Moses but did not practice what they preached. Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, brood of vipers, meaning children of the devil. They did everything for a show. Their piety was all an act. From the outside, they looked beautiful, but inside, like tombs, they were full of dead men’s bones and stench. They were like the liberal ministers, televangelists, and seeker-friendly church pastors of today, whose goal is fame and fortune, not preaching the gospel and bringing people to heaven. Such seeker-friendly preachers stand in stark contrast to true preachers, such as John the Baptist (Luke 3:7–9).

Throughout the Bible, God tells his people, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” He also says, “I am the Lord who makes you holy.” Our God will make all of his children holy. And if a man is not holy and learned in the Scriptures, he is disqualified to be a minister of the gospel. God from all eternity chose his people to be holy and blameless, and they will be made holy and blameless.

A pastor must be a model for others to imitate. After Paul said that he and his fellow ministers worked hard among the Thessalonians so they would not be a burden to them, he says, “We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow” (2 Thess. 3:9). He also said to the Philippian church, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Phil 3:17). To Timothy he wrote, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim. 4:1). Now he was telling Pastor Titus to be an example to those under his care.

The ultimate example, of course, is Jesus. Paul writes, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1–2). But, in fact, all believers are to live lives that others can imitate. Paul told the Thessalonian church, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thess. 1:6–7).

All delegated authorities must live exemplary lives, whether they are husbands, parents, pastors, employers, magistrates, Supreme Court justices, and even presidents. All people are to live by the word of God, whether they are believers or unbelievers. They must not be hypocrites, thieves, liars, or scoundrels.

Pastor Titus was to be a model of good works for his congregation. As a teacher, he had to be incorruptible. His motive was to be the glory of God, not self-enrichment. Paul wrote, “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” (2 Cor. 2:17). The apostle was to tell the church what to believe and what to do. So he had to show seriousness when he preached and taught. He had to do all things with dignity as an ambassador of Christ the king. He could not be a joker or an entertainer. This did not mean he should always look dour, sour, and miserable. But he must be respected in the church. Paul told Titus, “Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you” (Titus 2:15). Paul told the same thing to Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). How can a pastor preach about the wrath of God, sin, hell, judgment to come, the cross, and forgiveness, unless he is serious?

A pastor must also be biblically sound in the content of his preaching. He must preach the whole counsel of God, the whole Bible, the whole body of orthodox doctrine. He must preach the whole truth and nothing but the truth, especially when truth is very unpopular. He must not preach lies such as liberalism, Barthianism, and materialism, Marxism, the prosperity gospel, pluralism, or universalism. He must not be a worshiper of science and technology.

A pastor must not show respect of persons, nor should he seek after money or power. He must not add to, subtract from, or misinterpret the word of God. He must not preach demonic liberation theology. Rather, he must preach the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He must preach the absolute authority of the Scripture. He must preach Jesus Christ crucified, risen, and reigning Lord, the only Savior and Judge of the whole world. He must preach about total depravity, unconditional election, atonement for the elect only, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. He must preach about regeneration, repentance and faith, justification, adoption, sanctification, glorification, heaven and hell. He must preach that holiness must evidence salvation, for without holiness, no one shall see God. And he must preach truth to silence the mouths of the enemies of the gospel, as the apostles did: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say” (Acts 4:13–14).

 

Christian Conduct of Christian Slaves, Workers, Employees

Finally, Paul writes, “Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 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” (vv. 9–10).

There were many slaves in the New Testament church. These slaves were not freeloaders; they worked very hard to support themselves. The Bible demands that everyone work six days. It tells us, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). And nowhere does the Scripture say that slavery was a sin, not even in Paul’s letter to Philemon. Yet in due time, wherever the gospel was preached, slavery disappeared, especially in the Western world of Christian civilization. Slavery does exist in some parts of the world today.

In Titus 2:9–10, Paul was dealing with slaves who were members of God’s church. They were exhorted, not on the basis of age or gender, but based on their social status as slaves.

All believers in Christ belong to God’s holy family, whether slave or free. They are brothers and sisters in Christ, and they love one another as God’s beloved children. Paul says, “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col. 3:11). There is no discrimination: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28–29). He also writes, “Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave” (1 Cor. 7:21–22). And consider what Paul says about the gospel. “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (Eph. 2:19); “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:6).

Titus was to instruct Christian slaves to do the following:

 

1. They must be obedient to their own masters in everything. This is in accordance with the Bible. However, if the master was asking them to do something evil, they must refuse, as Peter and John did when they said, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’” (Acts 4:19–20). The authorities had said to them, “Keep your mouths shut! Don’t speak about Jesus.” They responded, “We cannot do that.”
2. They must be well-pleasing to the masters in their service, even exceeding their expectations. Jesus was well-pleasing to his Father, and the Father said about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.”
3. They must not talk back to their masters or in any way be rebellious or defiant.
4. They must not steal from their masters, as non-Christian slaves routinely did. Elsewhere Paul instructed those who had become Christians, “He who stole, let him steal no longer, but let him work with his hands, that he may have something to give to those in need” (Eph. 4:28). They must not steal as even some believers did. (PGM) For example, Ananias and his wife stole God’s money and lied to the Holy Spirit. But God killed them both. Judas stole God’s money, and he killed himself. In Malachi we read about Israel stealing God’s tithes, and God punished them because the tithe belongs to the Lord. Achan stole God’s money, and he and his family were killed. Some people appropriate the Sabbath day for themselves, and God punishes them in this life. He does so because the Sabbath day is the Lord’s Day, to be used in the service of the Lord exclusively.
5. They must demonstrate to God and to their masters that they can be totally trusted. Slaves, like all Christians, must practice Christian deportment, disposition, and dependability at all times. Thus, the holy lives of these Christian slaves would prove to the world the transforming power of the gospel. By their holy lives, these Christian slaves would make the teaching of our God and Savior, that is, the gospel, attractive and glorious. For example, Philemon was the master of the unbelieving slave Onesimus. Then Onesimus became a fellow believer, a brother in Christ, a child of God through the ministry of Paul, who called him his son, his very heart. Before, Onesimus was useless to Philemon because he stole from him and ran away. But in Christ, he became useful, as certified by Paul himself.

 

Truly, we were all at one time useless to God and other people. We were by nature wicked, rebellious sinners. But Jesus paid all our debts by his blood, and now we have been made useful to God and God’s people. Just as Onesimus made the gospel attractive by his transformed life, so all Christians, slave or free, through their obedience make the gospel sparkle. This is the qualification required of every Christian boss, or employee, or anyone else, to witness to the gospel. We must live the gospel life so that we will be qualified to share the gospel in the world. In evangelism, there must be two aspects: our life and our word, the visual and the verbal. Our witness is not just verbal. We must live out the gospel message in our lives.

I pray we will all watch our lives and doctrine closely. If we do not live out the gospel, our proclamation will not be effectual. A sinning Christian causes the gospel to be despised by the world. The Lord’s brother James said, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:17). A sinning Christian causes God’s name to be blasphemed. Our sin affects the reputation of God, the reputation of the church, and the reputation of the pastor.

Let us, therefore, forsake all sin and shine as God’s lights in the world. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14–16). He also said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35).

The holiness of Christians’ lives will cause the gospel to sparkle as the most precious jewel that it is. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:45–46). The gospel is the greatest jewel, and we must wear it by doing good works. Thus will we make the gospel attractive to the world.

What happens when Christian slaves or employees face great hardships in their jobs? How can they live holy lives and shine as stars in this world? The answer is, they can do so by grace (2 Cor. 9:8). And God will abound his grace to us so that we may abound in every good work by grace. God tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9). God gives grace to the humble (Jas. 4:6). We need grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to live out the lives that God wants us to live. Paul tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). There are people today in various parts of the world facing tremendous hardships for the sake of Christ. But I believe God’s Holy Spirit will help them live the lives God wants them to live.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul and Peter were enabled to suffer martyrdom. By the same power and grace, Christian slaves, servants, and employees, have been and are still enabled to work for even unbelieving and harsh masters or bosses. Therefore, may we not murmur or complain when we face hardships in our jobs. Instead, may we demonstrate God’s grace as we strive to work hard to please God (1 Cor. 10:31).

Without the Holy Spirit, none of us can live the Christian life. Paul instructs slaves in Ephesians 6:5–8 how to live a holy life:

 

1. They must obey their earthly masters.
2. They must obey with fear and trembling.
3. They must obey with a sincere heart.
4. They must obey as they would obey Christ himself.
5. They must not obey as mere people pleasers.
6. They must obey as servants of Christ himself.
7. They must obey as those doing the will of God.
8. They must obey from the heart.
9. They must obey the Lord wholeheartedly.
10. They must obey as to the Lord, not to man.
11. They must obey, knowing that whatever good they do will be rewarded (1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 5:10).
12. They must obey, whether they are slaves or free (1 Cor. 10:31).

 

 

Suppose people come to us, as they came in John 12 to the disciples, and say, “We want to see Jesus.” We could say, “Jesus is not here. Jesus died. Jesus rose from the dead. He is not here. He is in heaven. You cannot see him.” But that is not the whole truth. Jesus is dwelling with us now. He dwells in us, in our families, and in our church. And he will never leave us nor forsake us, for he promised to be with us forever.

We are the light of the world. So when people come to us desiring to see Jesus, invite them to see him in our holy lives and in our proclamation of the gospel. In fact, we can say, “You want to see Jesus? Come to my house. See my children. See how we live. See how we love one another. It is all because Jesus is here with us.” Then invite them, “Did you say you want to see Jesus? Come to our church. You will see him and you will hear him. He is in our church.”

Whether slaves or masters, employers, employees, older men, older women, younger men, younger women, pastors, rich or poor—we are all members of God’s household, members of the body of Christ. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Let us therefore live as children of God, shining as stars in the universe. Let us hold forth the word of life for the salvation of God’s elect, and above all, for the glory of God. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So no matter what our position or calling in life is, may we live orderly lives of the kingdom of God.