Sermons from the Epistle to Titus

Living as Christians on the Home Front

Part 2

Titus 2:2-10

February 5, 2006

Camouflage has grown into a big business. Just take a look at some of the large sporting good stores to see an array of camo-gear that boggles the imagination! This sort of design in clothing and other products allows one to blend in with his surroundings without being easily detected, as the camouflaged material gives the user the appearance of being something that he is not. And so a hunter might look like a tree! A soldier might have the appearance of brush in a sandy area. But it is just camouflage, a ruse to the beholder, whether human or animal prey.

While using camouflage on military maneuvers or hunting trips may be wise, attempting to camouflage one's Christian character and virtues is not. And yet, it seems that many professing Christians prefer the camouflage of worldly appearance to the virtues of a living faith in Christ. The redemptive work of Christ grounded in the eternal purposes of God was, in part, "to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). What an amazing work this is! To think that God would deliver those at enmity with Him from their bondage to sin, and then begin the work of purifying them so that their character, speech, and behavior would mirror His own, leaves us overwhelmed with praise for such grace! So it is strange indeed when those who claim to have known this kind of grace prefer worldly, godless shades of camouflage to living as a people for God's own possession.

We admit that this happens. It shows up in attitudes that we develop, leading to irritability and impatience with family and friends. It may be the nursing of a secret habit, thinking that if the particular habit is undisclosed then no one is hurt by it. On some occasions, Christians appear to lose their heads, doing the most irrational things. Sometimes we find ourselves lured into conversations or actions or thought patterns or relationships that detract from the family traits of God's people. That apparently was happening among the Christians in Crete. They faced the danger of betraying the gospel in their communities and of hardening their own hearts toward more sinful behavior. So Paul gave Titus instructions on exhorting the varied ages, gender, and status of the Cretan believers to live as members of God's family, not that of the devil or the world. At every stage and station of life, Christian character and practice must reflect the effectiveness of the gospel. But this doesn't happen on auto-pilot. Instead we must practice the spiritual disciplines necessary to counter the temptations to camouflage our faith. How do we live as Christians on the home front?

In our previous consideration of this text, we saw that there is a relationship between our belief and behavior; what you believe propels your behavior. Consequently, Christians are to give attention to the standards of godliness inherent in the gospel. As we observed that Paul identifies different generations, genders, and stations in life among the Cretan Christians, we saw the need for interdependence in Christ's body, as every believer bears some responsibility for those about him. Now we will seek to look at the particular descriptions for Christians at every stage of life.

I. Exhortations for the older generation

Paul's generational categories are quite simple: older and younger. I think we overdo the intention if we have to find a specific cut-off age for each of these. Probably, you can figure that the older generation were no longer having babies or raising small children, while the younger were of child-bearing age. I'm dividing the exhortations for the older generation into two areas: issues of personal life and particular ministries.

1. Issues of personal life

Age has advantages. But someone else will probably say, "It has its disadvantages too!" Wisdom and the ability to handle delicate situations seem to go with age. Yet the slow effects of aging upon the body follow age as well! New temptations arise with aging: complaining about things that never bothered you before; becoming impatient much quicker when something is not done to your liking; casting care to the wind in your personal disciplines and restraints; trying to relive your younger days by pursuing the folly of sin; carelessness with conversations, especially when speaking of others. These were the kinds of things that were happening among the older Christians in the churches of Crete. And they still happen among older Christians in every community. So, those of us that fit into this stage of "older men" and "older women," (whether we admit to it or not!) must take the time to consider how we are handling living out gospel-centered lives. In the natural course of life, we will stand before the Lord sooner than the younger generation, so we must beware of carelessness in our Christian practice.

John Stott summarizes the exhortations for "older men" as being the call for "dignity and maturity" [Guard the Truth, 187]. It begins with older men being "temperate," which is a word sometime translated as "sober," referring not just to sobriety as regards alcohol but also regarding the things of the world. The temperate man has learned to pull back the reins on his desires. He realizes that indulging in worldly practices as an older man can be just as detrimental as when he was younger, perhaps even more detrimental. Yet some men cast off their moral moorings in their fifties and sixties to pursue fantasies drummed up by the imagination that it will renew their youthfulness. Instead, it only displays foolishness!

"Dignified" is not a call for wearing a tuxedo and top hat! Rather, it implies that he focuses his life on what is "noble and good and of moral worth" [Hawthorne quoted by Wm. Mounce, WBC: Pastoral Epistles, 409]. This shows up in what he watches on television, what he discusses with his peers, as well as the pursuits of his time. "Sensible" is the unifying trait throughout these exhortations as we saw in our previous study. The word means soundness in the way you think or using your head and thinking skills rather than following some emotional whim of the moment. A number of scholars translate it as being "self-controlled." Rather than letting the difficulties of life plunge you into despair, the "sensible" man reels in his emotions, analyzes the situation in light of God's Word, and then responds appropriately.

The "older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine." "Likewise" links the previous exhortations for the men with the women; it conveys the idea of "in the same manner," applying the instructions for the men to the women with a little more amplification. "Reverent in their behavior" translates a term used only here in the New Testament but found often in other Greek literature. It literally means, "temple-like," as the word was used in ancient Greek circles to refer to the priestesses in their temples. Paul uses it to imply a reverent life or living in such a way that the older women are always conscious that they are engaged in serving the Lord. This is furthered by the restraints on gossip and being "enslaved to much wine." Apparently, the older women in Crete customarily enjoyed getting together for gossip and drinking sessions! Some scholars point out that heavy drinking was considered a virtue among the Cretans [Mounce per Spicq, 410]. Once the senses became unrestrained, so did the tongue in diabolic chatter (the Greek is actually diabolous, the root of diabolic). Putting down others by slandering their character was uncalled for; so Paul helps these women keep life in perspective by reminding them that they were constantly to be engaged in sacred duties, serving the Lord with life and lips.

Nothing encourages me more than being around godly, joyful, servant-hearted, gospel-centered older Christians! The reason is quite simple: they have proven through the test of years the sufficiency of Christ by the way they live out their last years in faithfulness to Him and in testimony to His grace.

2. Particular ministries

The older men were to be leaders by example. Through being "sound in faith, in love, in perseverance," they established for the younger generation a pattern of how to live for Christ. Paul places an article before each of these three areas which identifies them as more than simply good traits. "Sound" is a common word meaning healthy or vibrant or dependable. I agree with John Stott's assessment that "sound in faith" refers to "trusting God," so it is the ongoing experiential relationship of trust in the Lord. These men have weathered the storms of life by their anchor firmly holding with confidence in the Lord. "Sound... in [the] love," indicates "serving others" [Guard the Truth, 187]. It is the love that the older men have for the Lord, for His people, and for the lost. So, older men look for opportunities to serve the church body. They have not given up on service or retired from Christian action and benevolence. They continue to maintain their witness for Christ as well, since their love spreads toward those that have not know the joys of relationship to Christ.

Some older men have a "what's the use" attitude. Why get up, why get dressed for the day, why get out of my house, why get around people? What's the use? Here is the use: "older men are to be... sound... in [the] perseverance." They are to be "waiting patiently for the fulfillment of the Christian hope," as Stott puts it [187]. "Perseverance" implies a constant bearing up under trials with an inexhaustible hope in Christ. The persevering older man relies upon all that God has promised being fulfilled.

I've thought about this whole idea of soundness in faith and love and perseverance for some time. Now that I'm starting to get mail-outs from the AARP, reminding me that I can no longer grab a basketball rim or squat without it sounding like fireworks going off in my knees, I have a strong determination. I do not want to round out my life by getting soft in my understanding and practice of the Christian faith. Nor do I want to withdraw from others to think only of myself and whatever new aches and pains come with age! Soundness in faith and love and perseverance are the goals before me! I want to keep my perspective through persevering, remembering the faithfulness of God in the past and keeping an eye on the promises yet to be unfolded. And that is indeed a ministry for older Christian men. Last summer, I teamed with Emanuel Avila, Reuben's dad, in doing his granddaughter's wedding. As much as I enjoyed the interaction with the bridal couple, I must say that the biggest treat for me was being around Pastor Avila! He modeled exactly what Paul spoke of with soundness in faith, love, and perseverance. Seeing the joy and hope in Christ in a man that has seen quite a few more summers and winters as I have, motivated me for the days ahead.

Older women are given a special ministry, that of encouraging young women. "Older women are to be reverent in their behavior... so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible...." Titus did not understand the peculiar demands of being a wife and mother, just as no man can fully understand the same. But the older women who had remained faithful to Christ would have much to pass along to the younger ladies. Some things never change; and this is one of them. I can exhort, instruct, and counsel younger women but fall miserably short of what they need. That can come only from older women who recognize that God has taken them through the varied circumstances and demands of life so that they might "encourage the young women," that is, to help them to give heed to and think sensibly and soundly regarding their roles in life. An older woman that has grown cynical or despondent or careless has nothing to offer the younger generation. But those that have walked with Christ will be gladly heard. I've found that most young women are eager for the older women to share from their own experiences so that they might have guidance and motivation for the demands as wives and mothers.

II. Instructions for the younger generation

Without pause, the Apostle moves right into the instructions for the younger generation.

1. Focus on the home

Specifically, Paul calls for the older women to encourage the younger "to love their husbands, to love their children." We might think that this would just be natural, but in a setting when few women were involved in picking their own husbands, loving a man picked for you would be a great challenge! It is not stretch to imagine that some of these teenaged girls married off to unappealing men, struggled over their plight! Yet, through Christ and the effects of the gospel working in the young women, they would have the ability to love their husbands and to love their children. What Paul is doing is helping the younger women to refocus their attention to their home life. In a culture where sexual impurity, compromise, and bitterness found plenty of attention, the Christian homes were to be different. The love called for implies selfless service toward husband and children.

Additionally, Paul returns to the word "sensible," that is, the young women were to keep their heads about them, to think clearly about the details of life, and to exercise self-control. The older women were to encourage sensibility, which interestingly is built on the same stem as the word translated "sensible." The purity called for is not simply sexual purity but also maintaining heart-purity. That comes by turning away from the things that would fill the imagination with impurity. While men tend to have a more virile response to the impure things they gaze upon, women likewise can fill their own hearts and minds with the kind of images that tend toward moral compromise. So the instruction calls for guarding the eyes and ears and thought life so that no breeding ground for impurity can exist.

The next couple of phrases have caused much angst in our present generation. The older women are to encourage the younger women to be "workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." I think William Mounce offers a clear word about the context. Workers at home "contrasts with the conduct of the younger Ephesian widows who were lazy and ran from house to house (1 Tim 5:13)" [Mounce 411]. Paul counseled Timothy about the conduct of the young women, presumably widows in this case, that spent their time in gossip, meddling in other's affairs, and sensual conversation. So, with Titus, he has similar concerns with the married women. The term he used is rare in Greek literature. As Mounce points out, "It does not require a woman to work only at home (cf. Prov 31), but it does state that she does have duties at home" [411]. We must guard against imposing our own cultural practices into that 1^st century world. Few women would have worked outside the home, with the exception being those who were bond-servants. Not many opportunities existed for employment for women. But they were subject to neglecting their home responsibilities in favor of gadding about with other young ladies, spending time in idleness and gossip and pursuing ignoble ends. Paul reorients them toward the home with kindness being the word to describe the way the young ladies were to treat their households. "Being subject to their own husbands" demonstrates that submission was not to all men or men in general-so nothing of male superiority can be implied, but rather the specific relationship of submission or dependence upon their own husbands. They were to place themselves under the care and leadership of their husbands. As husbands love their wives as Christ loved the Church, and wives submit themselves to their own husbands, proper order exists in the home. Submission never means that a wife cannot give her thoughts on any given subject or that she is to be a doormat for her husband. That's called abusiveness! She is to spur her husband toward wisdom and righteousness in all that he does. Her dependence upon him as the leader of the home should motivate him to love her as Christ does the Church. In all of this, the young women are to give priority "so that the word of God [read specifically, the Gospel of Christ] will not be dishonored." The ancient preacher John Chrysostom points out that when the wife so honors Christ by her right practice in the home, even if her husband is an unbeliever, "yet thou hast stopped his mouth, and dost not allow him to blaspheme Christianity" ["Homily"; NPNF 13:532, quoted by Mounce, 412].

2. Practicing self-control

One big, clear, encompassing virtue is to characterize the young men: "Likewise urge the young men to be sensible." Again, "likewise" offers a tie with what has come before. It is not that the young men have no need for soundness in faith or reverent behavior or kindness and diligence with the family. He needs all of that. But knowing the young men's tendencies, he uses this one word that calls for broad action. "Be sensible," here used verbally rather than as a noun as in the other cases, called for an ongoing action of self-control. Young men were to recognize their propensities for getting out of control with their tongues, passions, desires, and ambitions. So Paul reins them in with this one strong exhortation.

It makes good sense in the 21^st century, too! Young men, keep your head about you; restrain your sudden impulses that lead to greed, anger, lust, and moral impurity. Put your life under control of a mind being constantly renewed in the gospel.

III. Wise counsel for Christian leaders

While on the subject of young men, Paul doesn't want to leave Titus out. In doing so, he offers wise counsel for Christian leaders.

1. Setting the pace

"Yourself" is emphatic in the Greek, showing that Titus had to exercise self-control as much as any of the other young men. In doing so, he, and all other Christian leaders, is to be "an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine." As Luther put it, "Because the heathen cannot see our faith, they ought to see our works, then hear our doctrine, and then be converted" [quoted by Mounce, 413]. Titus must set the pace for the rest of the churches in the way he served, the way he obeyed, and the way he maintained sound doctrine in conversation and teaching. In this way, he modeled not only how to live but what to believe. The reality of the gospel being lived out daily would bear influence on those about him.

2. Sending a signal

In addition, Titus would be sending a signal for the rest of the church that gospel-centered living affects every aspect of life. So he was to be "dignified" as were the older men, "sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us." His dignity would call attention to the seriousness of the gospel, as he refused to join in the silliness and pettiness that sometimes creeps into Christian gatherings. With a mind fixed on Christ and the gospel, he would be "sound in speech," that is, healthy, solid, dependable in what he had to speak. A careless word uttered in conversation or during a time of teaching and preaching can distract from the eternal realities that we deal with each time we consider the Word of God. Because Titus preached and taught the gospel, he faced opposition. That is the case with all believers. That's even one way that we know that we're preaching the gospel! But by keeping his head about him at all times, exercising self-control, guarding his speech, and maintaining seriousness about the things of God, the opponents will have no fodder for their bad-mouthing. They may disagree with the doctrine, but they will not be able to find fault with the life affected by the gospel.

IV. Counter-cultural directions for Christian laborers

I call this last section, counter-cultural directions for Christian laborers for two reasons. First, since slaves made up as much as fifty-percent of the Roman Empire, and the bulk of the work force, it is appropriate to consider Paul's instructions to them in terms of Christian laborers. Their situation varied. Some were well-respected and honored in the Empire while others likely suffered at the hands of evil masters. Though still slavery and an evil that needed to be eradicated in that time, it is not completely accurate to parallel it with the slavery institution that we've studied in our own nation. Slaves ran the gamut from agricultural and domestic workers to doctors, teachers, and artisans. Yet they still did not have the freedom of citizenship enjoyed by the Romans. So how were Christian slaves to respond? They were not to follow the typical pattern of slaves that argued, bad-mouthed their masters, and pilfered from what did not belong to them. They were to go against the cultural practices of the day to adorn the gospel.

1. Exemplary conduct

First, being "subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative" established the Christian slave as most unusual in that era. Whether his master was Christian or not is not addressed. Rather, outside of compromising his own convictions regarding the practice of the Christian faith, the believing slaves were to have such an attitude and work at such a level of efficiency that it befuddled the minds of the Romans. The same can be said for modern Christian laborers at any job. No one should outwork a Christian worker. No one should have a better attitude, since Christians labor to be "well-pleasing" to the Lord in everything. "Argumentative" translates a word describing backtalk, either openly or under the breath. The Christian's attitude, shaped by the gospel, must dictate his speech. Whatever you do in word or deed, do it heartily as unto the Lord, as Paul tells us elsewhere.

Make sure that you are not engaged in "pilfering," which means to set something aside for yourself that does not belong to you. The idea of embezzling also is found here. Whether of tangible goods, money, or time, the Christian must guard any greedy or lazy motives that would cause him to pilfer on the job.

2. Model of the faith

Being exemplary in conduct serves in "showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect." It appears that what Paul had in mind was that the Christian slave openly spoke of his faith in Christ. To have spoken of Christ and then not followed through in work ethic, attitude, and dependability would have discredited the gospel. Rather, the Christian adorns the gospel he speaks of by the way he lives out the gospel in the workplace. That word was used of arranging jewels so that their beauty and radiance might be displayed. That's what happens when the faithful believer testifies of Christ as his life with it evidenced in the way he handles the pressures and load of his work life.

Conclusion

Older men and women must set the example of how to live faithfully as a Christian in the home and in the workplace. That challenge must keep us sharpened to help the younger generation press on in faithfulness to Christ. Keep your head, whether young or old, by exercising self-control in all things. The goal in all of our behavior and practice is that we might adorn the gospel of our God and Savior in every respect.

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