Titus 2:1-10

1But as for you, teach what accords with sound[healthy] doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show 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. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

“The church must teach sound Biblical doctrine, or it is not a church.”

In his book The Spiritual Fingerprints of the Visible Church John Stott breaks down Act 2:42. The visual marks of the early church: the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

“It really doesn’t matter how high the steeple may be or how beautifully the chimes may play, it is the message that is going out from the pulpit which will tell you whether the church is really a church, organized as Paul understood it and as the Word of God declares it.” John Stott

1But as for you, teach what accords with sound[healthy] doctrine.

• “Sound doctrine” means the apostles’ doctrine. The number one thing of importance to the early church was the apostles’ doctrine.

“Let your teaching be uncontaminated, wholesome, and health-giving. May the purity of your teaching disinfect what has been contaminated and then stimulate healthy growth.”

The apostle then outlined how Titus should organize the renewal of each congregation’s character, first by dividing them into distinct groups. In addition to the visible leaders of the church like Titus himself (2:1), Paul named five groups:

• Older men (2:2)
• Older women (2:3)
• Young women (2:4)
• Young men (2:6)
• Bondservants (2:9)

Older men
2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

Paul expected older men to cultivate in themselves six qualities that help to visibly define the church as a whole.

1. “Sober-minded”
2. “Dignified”
3. “Self-controlled”
4. “Sound in faith”
5. “[Sound] in love”
6. “[Sound] in perseverance”

Older women

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

Young women
4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

3 terms deserve special attention.
1. “Pure”
2. “Workers at home”
3. “Subject to their own husbands”

Young men

6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show 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.

Bondservants

9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

How do I adorn the doctrine of God our Savior?

so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.