Titus 2:9-15 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Titus 2:9-15. Let’s go!
Titus 2:9-10 (NIV)
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
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.
On verses 9-10: When Paul tells slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, is Paul condoning slavery? Nowadays whenever we think of slaves, we might think of the barbaric practices of more recent Western slave trading, where people are kidnapped, treated inhumanely and forced to work as slaves against their will for little or no compensation. We might also think about the cruel enslavement of the Israelites by the Egyptians in Exodus. Keep in mind that slavery during Paul’s time probably looked quite different. During Paul’s time, a person would voluntarily enter into a formal contract with his or her boss to work for them as a slave for a period of time, in exchange for compensation, food and lodging. Back then to work as a slave in the Roman empire was a form of employment. For this reason, when Paul addresses slaves in verses 9-10, there are certain principles we can apply from his teaching to employer-employee relationships today.
When Paul tells slaves to submit to their masters, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, not to steal from them, and to show they can be fully trusted, notice why Paul is telling them to do so: it’s with an evangelical purpose in mind. Paul wants Christians to show through trustworthy, responsible, excellent conduct the difference that Jesus makes in a person’s life. He wants them “in every way” to “make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive” to others (v10). As we say at THRIVE, it’s about “living out loud”.
What can we learn from this? We make faith in Christ (“the teaching of God”) attractive not just with our words, but with our behaviour. At work, aim to be the most trustworthy, most responsible, hardest working person you can be. Don’t do it just for your own personal success, but even more do it so that others can see the difference Jesus makes in our lives.
Question: do you make faith in Christ attractive to those around you at work or at school? Do you make the teaching of God and faith in Christ attractive by being trustworthy, responsible, hard-working and excellent in your work? As Paul emphasizes repeatedly in the book of Titus, we are to lead others to Christ by our example as much as by our words.
Titus 2:11 (NIV)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
On verse 11: Jesus is the grace of God who brings salvation and who has appeared to all men. In other words, God the Father has made Jesus the Son and the salvation that comes from Him available to everyone. He now waits for each of us to receive Jesus personally so that we can be saved.
Titus 2:12 (NIV)
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,
On verse 12: “It” in verse 12 is referring to “the grace of God” in verse 11. If “the grace of God” in verse 11 is Jesus, then verse 12 means that Jesus is the one who teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to have self-control. As Christians we have access to a power that the world does not have.
The Bible says that if you have trusted in Jesus as your Saviour, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead now lives in you (Ephesians 1:19-20). Imagine that. If the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you, that means that in Christ you have everything you need to beat temptation or any other mountain that is in front of you today.
Self-control for the Christian is not like self-control for the non-Christian. That’s because when I trust in Christ, “I no longer live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Because we have access to Christ’s power, we have access to great self-control through faith in Christ.
Titus 2:13 (NIV)
13 while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
On verse 13: Notice how Paul refers to Jesus Christ as “our great God and Savior”. Jesus is God. For those who claim that the Bible never says that Jesus is God, they are missing numerous references throughout the Bible such as this verse that speak about Jesus’ divine nature as God.
Also, a recurring theme in the book of Titus is that God is a saving God. In chapter 1, Paul refers to God as “our Saviour” (1:3) and later to Jesus as “our Saviour” (1:4). Now in chapter 2 Paul does the same again: he refers to God as “God our Saviour” (v10) and to Jesus as Saviour (v13). Jesus is God and the Saviour we need.
Titus 2:14 (NIV)
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
On verse 14: Jesus Christ gave himself – that is, gave his life – to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do good. There are two important truths that stem from this.
First, Jesus is our all sufficient Saviour. For Paul’s opponents to teach that what Jesus did on the cross was not enough, and that in addition you need to do other things in order to be saved (such as be circumcised or follow the Jewish law), they were effectively devaluing the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. How about you? Do you teach or act as if Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is not enough to save you? Remember that the reason Jesus said “It is finished” when he hung on the cross was to indicate that His death was all sufficient to pay for our sins.
Second, this verse tells us that Christ gave himself for us not just so that we could go on our merry way and keep living for ourselves. Rather Christ gave himself for us so that we could belong to Him and be like Him in this world – “a people that are his very own”. Christ died not only so that you could be forgiven, but so that you could have a relationship with Him, belong to Him and become more like Him.
Titus 2:15 (NIV)
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
On verse 15: “Encourage” and “rebuke”. These are two things every leader must do from time to time. If all you do is encourage, the people who follow you will be friendly with you but they will not grow to their full potential. If all you do is rebuke, you will eventually push people away. A good leader knows that there are times to encourage and times to rebuke. A great leader knows when to do so and how. With those you lead, may you know when it is time to encourage, when it is time to rebuke, and how to express that encouragement and rebuke at the right time.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being God my Saviour, and for giving me through Jesus Christ all the grace that I need. Continue to change my life from the inside out, that those around me would see the difference You can make in a person’s life. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
