Titus 2b-3

Titus 2b-3

Shawn Bumpers / General

Titus

Last week we did not finish out Titus 2.

We got close, but left off with verse 11, so we’ll be picking it up from there and moving into chapter 3 and finishing out Titus.

Now, let me remind you that the key to this short epistle is the first verse of chapter 2.

Titus 2:1 NKJV

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:

In this letter, Paul speaks not necessarily to the church, but to Titus.

The writers of the Bible wrote for specific purposes to specific audiences. 

John 20:31 NKJV

but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

If we make these descriptive texts prescriptive then we miss the true point of the texts!

We miss or undermine that David and Goliath is a picture of Jesus victorious over our great enemy.

Galatians 3:3 NKJV

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Grace not only brings about initial change; it enables us after that to live truly Christian lives.

v11-15

Up to this point in chapter 2, Paul had first commanded Titus to “Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.”

Following that, he commanded Titus to exhort certain behaviors to various groups of people … older men, older women, young men, young women, and slaves.

The verb “Appeared” is the Greek ἐπιφαίνω epiphainō, meaning “show; appear; give light to.”

God in His grace sent His Son to redeem those in the bondage of sin. 

1 Timothy 2:4 NKJV

who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Grace here in verse 11, has a duty.

It is a teacher.

Spurgeon wrote: “Wherever the grace of God comes effectually, it makes the loose liver deny the desires of the flesh; it causes the man who lusted after gold to conquer his greediness; it brings the proud man away from his ambitions; it trains the idler to diligence, and it sobers the wanton mind which cared only for the frivolities of life. Not only do we leave these lusts, but we deny them.”

The Greek word that is translated “teaching” is παιδεύω paideuō and carries the sense of discipline.

We are disciplined by God’s grace.

His grace trains us to be the kind of people that glorify Him.

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Of course, the setting of living soberly, righteously, and godly is “in the present age.”

Christians live “in this present age” (niv), but they do not live like it or for it. 

Galatians 1:4 NKJV

who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 2:2 NKJV

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Hebrews 6:5 NKJV

and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

Jesus Christ makes us able to live with the sobriety that has everything under control; uprightly toward our neighbors; reverently toward God.

Romans 8:29 NKJV

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

In verse 14, we are again reminded that it is Christ who redeems us … not ourselves … or any deed or many deeds we might perform.

We are dependent on the work of God, Who purifies us for Himself as His own “special” or “peculiar” people, zealous for good works.

The Greek word περιούσιος Periousios does not mean “odd” or “strange” … or even “awkward” as I’m sure many of us feel.

It’s closest Hebrew equivalent is סְגֻלָּה Sᵉgŭllāh (s-goolah) which means “personal property.”

Deuteronomy 14:2 NKJV

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Titus 3:3 NKJV

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Chapter 3

One of the reasons for Titus to speak things which are proper for sound doctrine was for the benefit of Christians to live without the frustration of feeling like they are only part time clothed in Christ.

Romans 13:1 NKJV

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

v1-2

The world is not a friendly place to those whose allegiance is to Christ.

John 15:19 NKJV

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The Lord does not take us to heaven the moment we are born again.

John 17:15 NKJV

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

The Greek word is ὑποτάσσω hupotassō, meaning “subject” but it is a conglomerate of two words, hupo meaning “under” and tassō meaning “an arrangement.”

1 Timothy 2:1–4 NKJV

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

He also says to be “gentle.”

The word gentle in verse 2 is ἐπιεικής epiekēs and means “Gentle, Kind, Tolerant.”

v3-7

This verse needs little explanation.

We each know what it means from our own experience.

Verse 5 reminds us that salvation came not only because of God’s kindness and love, but also because of His mercy.

We did not save ourselves.

Ephesians 5:26 NKJV

that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So then, as we see in these verses, there are two pertinent words, “Regeneration and Renewing.”

Not only have we who are Christians been washed and made new in Christ, but we have also been justified (Titus 3:7). 

Isaiah 43:25 NKJV

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

Hebrews 10:16–17 NKJV

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Paul wraps up this thought saying, that Christians should live godly lives and be “careful to maintain good works.”

The only evidence the unsaved world has that we belong to God is our godly lives.

v9-11

As opposed to doing good works that shine the light of the Gospel, there are things that we might devote ourselves to that would be unprofitable.

And Paul brings up things that we might debate about or spend inordinate amounts of time discussing.

In verse 10, “Divisive  man” is the Greek Word αἱρετικός hairetikon anthrōpon meaning “A person who causes divisions.”

Galatians 5:19–21 NKJV

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

In regards to how to deal with this person, Paul uses the word “Reject.”

This is a Greek Word meaning, “have nothing to do with.”

Titus 1:13 NKJV

This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Titus 1:11 NIV

They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

They were not to be permitted to go on peddling their false teaching unchallenged.

Now in chapter 3 Paul says something similar in regards to the divisive heretics.

And if  the warning is still ignored, Paul’s says ‘have nothing to do with him’. 

v12-15

As we have seen Paul often do, he ends this letter with personal messages and greetings.

We don’t know much about Artemas other than Paul might have sent him to relieve Titus of his duties at Crete so that Titus could come to him at Nicopolis.