But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.
Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.
Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.
Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to answer back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Saviour.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.
I am always skeptical when someone claims to have all the right answers. And, it would be presumptuous for me to claim that I know the answers. Therefore, I think it is my job, as pastor, to help people live with the questions within the mysteries of God. I like to let God reveal the truth to others through my faith, in love, and endurance.
As I sit and think about this portion of the letter to Titus, I struggle with some of the imagery that swirls around in my head. Images of slavery, subjugation, and other old world patriarchal images. They are all there. However, if we look deeper at what Paul is trying to tell Titus, then the message (the sound doctrine) starts to surface above the social condition of the times.
If we take out all the literal and specific men, women, and slave talk, then several things that Paul says to Titus resonates with me. Paul lists a litany of behaviors for Titus: Consistency, temperance, seriousness, prudence, a sound faith in love and endurance… reverence, not slanderous, sober, self-controlled, committed to family, keepers of the house, a model of good works, teacher of integrity, confident speaker, humble, servant of others… These behaviors in any society would be considered correct or upright behaviors or traits for anyyone. Traits that would apply to all, not just men or women. Everyone, regardless of class or condition. The first sentence in the last paragraph drew me to that conclusion. Paul says “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all!” If salvation is brought to all, then God has made God's self accessible to everyone.
I wrote on Ash Wednesday about the “Spiritual Training Camp” that the writer of the letter to the Hebrew’s was describing. I saw the image of the season of Lent as being a time devoted to spiritual training. Today, Paul's words to Titus help guide us in our training, reminding us to continue to prepare ourselves because we are still a work in progress. We don’t have all the answers. We may never have all the answers. Nevertheless, part of not having all the answers, (part of living with the questions) makes ourselves open to the Holy Spirit and ready for anything that God might be doing with us. So, we should order our lives, be strong in the faith, and prepare. For the Glory of God has yet to be fully revealed in us.
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