TITUS CHAPTER 2

[Kevin Young]

This week we will be discussing TITUS Chapter 2. After you read the chapter, please take time to post….

1. Your favorite passages from Chapter 2
2. Things that challenged you
3. Any special insights that you would like to share with us
4. Any questions that you may have
5. Any related thoughts at all
(This is just a guideline and doesn't have to be followed exactly)

We welcome all opinions and no question is ever a "dumb" question. We want everyone to feel welcome and have the freedom to share whatever they may like. The only thing we ask is that while sharing your opinion, please be respectful to others. In short, disagree without being rude and hurtful. Also, if you are reading these posts and part of the Bible Study but feel like you don't have anything to add or post, we would ask that you please at least check in and post that you are reading with us so that we know you are there. Even when you don't say anything, it is encouraging just knowing that people are in our group with us. We all learn so much from these studies, so with that being said….. LET'S GO!!!!

[Kevin Young]

1As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.

7And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

We naturally hold our leaders to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. Here we see Paul encouraging Timothy to embrace that, and be an example to the people under his authority... to live out what he is teaching.

9Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back 10or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.

Here we see slavery mentioned, which I hate because I think slavery is the worst kind of evil. But authority is extremely important to God. So even in the situation of slavery God would say "obey your masters and do your best to please them." This is one of those things I don't understand because I would say "escape and be free" as opposed to "obey and please." But we don't see that here. So this is one of those places in the Bible that even though I disagree, I have to honor God's Word and trust that not only is his way right and wise, but that there is also a good reason for why He said this. The way we would apply this verse to us in America where slavery is almost nonexistent is by changing the words to "Employees must always obey their Employers and do their best to please them." Like I said before, authority is a big deal to God. My favorite author John Bevere wrote a book called UNDER COVER that deals with authority. It's one of the best books I've ever read. It deals with some pretty big themes and topics such as the people under authority are called to obey, but it is the one who is in authority who will be judged on whether or not his or her command was righteous. Truly amazing book.

12And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Two big themes we see here
1. We are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. In the age of grace, we are truly tempted to not be afraid of sin... and embrace the love of God in such a way that we sin without shame and guilt. This is not God's desire for us. It is His desire for us to be righteous and devoted to Him, and use wisdom to make good choices.... and live in such a way that bring Him honor and glory.

2. Good works do not save us... BUT God saved us to do good works. We see that here that Jesus gave his life to free us from every kind of sin and cleanse us, and that he wants us to be committed to doing good works. We also see that in Ephesians 2:10 "10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Notice the last part of that... "He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so".... what is happening here is God is telling us a fact and then he uses the word "so." The fact is that God created us anew in Christ Jesus. And the reason he saved us and created us anew is "SO we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Well what does it mean to do good things? The world's definition of good and God's definition of good are two different things. I think it would be "good" to play in front of 100,000 people. I think it would be good to sell a million records. I think it would be good to make a million dollars. The world has taught me that these things are good. But what is good to God. What does He think is good. Listen to this......

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

We don't see things that the world sees as very attractive here. The world isn't making a big deal about people who visit other people in prison. But God does. The world doesn't glorify people who feed the hungry, but God does. The world doesn't lift up people who show hospitality to strangers, but God does. We were saved to do good things. But we must understand what this word "good" means. Because if we define "good" the way the world does, then we will only do good things to please ourselves. But God wants us to do things that are genuinely good. And those things almost always deal with how we treat other people. Good works do not save us. But God saved us to do good works..... To do good deeds for others.

[ECCENTRICSHEEP]

I just can't do the slave/master for a job. My boss is awesome. He actually goes to my church and he's someone I can really relate to and talk to about stuff I don't always feel like I have someone i can talk to. I've talked about a select few guys that God has sent as big brother figures, (Kevin is one ) and my boss is one.

Funny how getting laid off from a job lead me to a place where I would find someone like that.....

What I think of more now for the slave/master thing is how even in the worst situations where you are really getting ripped off or not treated right...we are still called to behave like we are told to. There is no situation where you can just you are justified in doing something wrong because you were wronged.

You ALWAYS have the choice to do good instead of evil...even in the worst of the worst situations you could possibly be put into.

Good works might not save us....but nothing gets my mind out of depression quicker than seeing someone going through the same thing I am, and wanting to do ANYTHING to stop them from feeling that same way I do. I will switch right out of those selfish I's in depression to "God I will do ANYTHING to keep them from feeling this way!!!!" in a heartbeat. sometimes good works save my sanity even if they can't save me.

[ECCENTRICSHEEP]

Brief interruption in memory of someone to make sure those that need to see it do see it...


I am BEGGING ANYONE that sees this to PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE if you are considering suicide. Do you need someone that understands? I'VE BEEN THERE I UNDERSTAND!!! I fight those thoughts every day, I get it!! And I've also chose to stay here and I can tell you ITS WORTH IT TO STAY!!! PLEASE STAY WITH US AND TALK TO SOMEONE!!! I'm eccentricsheepie on Instagram, you can DM me!! My email is eccentricsheepie@gmail.com...PM me on here too , I'm always here if you need me!!! I check that stuff all day long too.

[J5*]

Hey, Kevin!
My name is Angela Ketelhut. I am a new fan of yours, and just read your TITUS Chapter 2! I love it how you explained each time what the verses are saying and gave an insight into what the word of God is telling us. It helped me understand better, and gave more clarity. I thank you!

[ECCENTRICSHEEP]

12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

definitely working on this one...

I reigned in a moment of anger triggered by abandonment a lot quicker this week. I've noticed that instead of just saying "no that's not true" to lies running through my head, but still acknowledging how I feel helps a lot more. Like adding "I feel like" to it adds relief of validation but also takes it's power away as being my truth at the moment. Just wanted to throw that here in case its useful to someone.

I had this thought this morning....I wish I could pull the outgoingness and comfortableness I have with being a little more rebellious and crude in my humor into being more Godly and appropriate for God. I do not feel that comfortable and talkative at church and when I am serving him. Whatever energy or feeling that is...I want to pull that into a place I can use it for God instead of being worldly....and make that crude humor not a part of me anymore. Easier said than done since its been a part of me so long.

I'm also trying to get back my faith that God hasn't abandoned me, because one span of a few hours of feeling abandoned by him has shaken me a little and left me pleading "please don't abandon me this time!!" more than once...even though he has never taken a step away from me.

[Columbia]

I am probably not as much into the slave/master comparison as seems to be the traditional interpretation of this passage. But if my boss tells me to do something, that's what I do, so long as it is not immoral, ungodly, or illegal. I do still have the opportunity to question mistreatment. Also the ability to leave his or her employ at any time I may wish to do so. The "slave" or "bondservant" in this passage is a δουλος. That term is used to describe the slave who has voluntarily become a servant to his master's family for life. There are probably not many of us who fit into that category at all. But the concept of being submissive and respectful to those we submit to is not negotiable if we are to be servants of the Lord. Who we submit to is a matter of our own choice. An authority/submissive relationship is always begun voluntarily except in familial (child to parents and elders), incarceration, and natural born citizen issues. There is some wiggle room for us even in these situations. But our service to the Lord is to be in the form of unquestioning obedience. It amazes me how many church people equate blindly submitting to church leaders with submitting to the Lord. These are definitely two separate animals. There is nothing wrong with submission to church leadership but a person needs to be certain that the leadership is in submission to Christ before yielding their life to them. There are always moral boundaries in submitting to human leadership. It is good to have these boundaries in order to avoid being horns-waggled. My wife's submission to me is purely her business with the Lord to define and to determine. I may end up serving under a female employer. It is then my responsibility to submit to her as I would to any man who is in the same situation. The way I read the Bible, I see submission issues in the home and church as also separate from the secular marketplace. That is because the Lord wants His church and His Christian families to be separate from the world in the way we carry out our roles. Anything I do is my responsibility. If a leader tells me to do something sinful and I obey them it is still my sin. I have to deal with that. By the way, I know that Kevin Young is the leader of this site. So I respect that. So anything I post that appears to contradict Kevin's posts are not intended as an attempt to usurp his role as the leader of this site. Now the part that really hits home for me: I am to be "sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness." That is a reasonable, but tough, order. What I really notice here is that even though I fall into the category of "older men," my wife is not in the "older women" category quite yet. So our roles are distinguished from each other by age as well as by gender. The thing I really praise the Lord for, when reading this imperative, is that my young wife has more maturity in her little finger than most of the old ladies I know. She is my trusted confidant. I have no complaint against her. As an old sinner, I still gripe about petty things sometimes. But that is never the fault of my dear sweet wife. She rates on the top of all that God has created in my book. My love is not wasted on her. If anything, I need to love her more each day. Got carried away. Sorry. Thanks for reading this.

[ECCENTRICSHEEP]

So he tells everyone but the older woman to be self controlled. When I am old enough that I don't have to worry about that then?

I'M JOKING!!!!

I do recommend the "be busy at home" part because I wouldn't have sold my soul to Pokemon Go if I hadn't of lost my job for 6 months lol.

((P.S. this was my 2000th post and I'm sorry you've had to read that many of my posts))

[ECCENTRICSHEEP]

I have fallen a bit behind on my J Vernon McGee book because I like Barclay more, but here's some stuff for Titus 2.

2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

They are to be sound in their love and in patience. They are to be "sober", that is, very vigilant, very serious They should be men who are respected and self-controlled.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

---the aged women are to be reverent in their behavior, and "not given to much wine", or not drunkards. "teachers of good things,". The older women are to teach the younger women

((oops, sorry some of y'all are stuck with me then! ))

4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

My friend, the biggest and most important business in the world is making of a home. (and he talked about how the wife's first responsibility is her home here)

((its true though...how will another any workplace and profession have good workers if we do not have a good home for them to grow up and learn in?))

8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

In other words, your conversation should reveal the fact that you are a child of God.

((oops.......))

9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

In the early church there were many slaves. In fact, 90 percent of the names on the walls of the catacombs are those of slaves and ex-slaves. The gospel met a great need for this class of people in that day.

10 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

adorn=making attractive (different translations sorry)

The Greek word for "adorn" is the same word from which we got our English word cosmetics. I am often asked whether I feel Christian women should weak makeup. I would say yes, the kind Paul is speaking of here, and plenty of it. "Adorn the doctrine of God"---in other words, if you sound in the faith, you should be wearing the appropriate cosmetics. I would like to see more of the lipstick of a kind tongue. Speaking kindly is a mighty fine lipstick. And then the face powder of sincerity and reality. My, there are all kinds of cosmetics that you should use today as a Christian

((this metaphor did not work well for me lol))

12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

God is not trying to reform this world; he is redeeming men who accept Christ. The gospel does not appeal to Christ-rejecting men to do better. When a person says, "I am going to try to do better, " I think he is a liar. If you have rejected Jesus Christ, you might as well try to get all you can out of this life, because this life is all that you are going to get. Today our government is trying to get people to stop smoking; they're trying to educate people to the dangers of cigarettes. However, God is not asking you to do such things. You might as well eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you'll die. God doesn't want to reform you; he wants to redeem you."

((I honestly don't quite get what his point is there honestly....))

[Columbia]

Not sure what happened. My post ended up as a private message this time. Was wondering why it required me to enter a "subject." So I entered "Happy Husband," which is who I am.

[cindyddavis]

Good works do not save us... BUT God saved us to do good works

I love how you said this Kevin!

It's when I decide for myself to stop volunteering for stuff, stop praying for others, stop being sincere..That's when I know I've slid. It happens more then I care to admit. It's so darn easy to get caught up in the world.

[WanderingStar]

Not sure what happened. My post ended up as a private message this time. Was wondering why it required me to enter a "subject." So I entered "Happy Husband," which is who I am.

The boards split it into a separate topic, so I moved the post back into this thread. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Columbia]

Not sure what happened. My post ended up as a private message this time. Was wondering why it required me to enter a "subject." So I entered "Happy Husband," which is who I am.

The boards split it into a separate topic, so I moved the post back into this thread. Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks, Mary.

[barn43]

John and Molly Barnes from Michigan. Enjoying your Bible Study with you. The verses that we like the best are : 7Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

These verses speak to behavior and conduct instead of just saying the words but not putting them in to action. Essentially, if you are going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk. As Christians, people are constantly watching us. Whether it is to mock and criticize us or to learn from afar. We need to be aware of our conduct and our words at all times. We are probably role models to some without even knowing it so we must be careful to match our words with our actions.

Also, in this chapter we are reminded that it is important to mentor the young men and women in our lives. Lead by example and teach them God's ways, not the world's way. As a woman, being a submissive wife is not somehthing to be ridiculed or ashamed of. When a husband loves his wife, he will not shame her with his authority. It is with mutual respect, and love and understanding of how marriage is supposed to be.