A Church Saturated in Grace (Titus 2:1–15)
Healthy doctrine produces healthy godliness in every generation of the church: older men, older and younger women, younger men, ministers, and servants. And it is all grounded in one little word — for — "for the grace of God has appeared." Godliness is not the price of grace but the fruit of grace, training us while we await the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Introduction
The purpose of Titus was to organize Christians into congregations through sound or healthy preaching that leads to sound living.
In that preaching, the pastor has two voices: one to exhort this people in sound or healthy doctrine and the other to rebuke or control the attacks of wild wolves seeking to devour the sheep with their false theology and piety (1:9).
In 2:1, Paul returns to that first voice, saying to Titus in contrast to the false teachers, but as for you, teach what accords with or, “what is consistent with” (NRSV), sound doctrine. Again, “sound” is related to “healthy,” but here it’s a present active verb: “health-giving” doctrine. There’s an active dynamism to the Word that is constantly bringing us to health from our sickness in sin. This is what he said at the opening of the letter: “thetruth… accords with godliness” (v. 1). Theology must become biography. Amen?
Theme
Here in chapter 2, Paul gives us a glimpse into this healthy doctrine and then the basis for it. Note that the doctrine is all about godliness and this is in accordance with the truth of God’s revelation of grace in Jesus Christ. What we learn 2,000 years later is that we are to be a church saturated in grace. Let’s note that in two ways this morning.
It Has a Healthy Practice of Godliness
First, a church saturated in grace has a healthy practice of godliness.
Older men
A healthy practice of godliness begins with the older men (v. 2; presbútas) in these new congregations.
They are to be sober-minded (v. 2). This means “a man who exercises sound judgment based on a dispassionate consideration of facts and circumstances.” (Bray, 502)
They are to be…dignified (v. 2), meaning, “someone whose conduct matched his profession of faith.” (Bray, 502)
They are to be…self-controlled (v. 2; sōphronos). We’ re going to see this used of other groups. It means “someone who was wise in a practical way and balanced in his [or, her] behaviour.” (Bray, 502)
They are also to be sound in faith (v. 2). This has an active sense; it’s not speaking abstractly but of commitment. Older men are to be committed men.
They are also to be sound…in love (v. 2). Recall Ephesians 5: biblical love is a deliberate choice to benefit another. That’s what God has done and that’s what we are to do; older men can be great examples.
They are to be sound…in steadfastness or “patience.”
Older brothers: aspire to these things and exemplify them to us all. We all need you!
Older women & younger women
A healthy practice of godliness then flows from older women (v. 3; presbútidas) to younger women. I mentioned that the language of the elder-overseer being the “husband of one wife” is one of the reasons why we only ordain men. Yet, women have a big role to play in the church, just not as apostles and ministers. The older woman are to have similar qualities as the older men, and also have a teaching function in relation to raising up a new generation of woman in the church.
Likewise [older women] are to be reverent in behavior (v. 3). They are “to behave in a way that reflected the sacred character of the life they were called to live as members of the church.” (Bray, 505) Gerald Bray says, “they created the atmosphere and their conduct might easily determine whether a congregation would survive and grow in a healthy state or deteriorate and eventually disappear.” (Bray, 506)
Paul also says they are not slanderers (diaboloi) or slaves “addicted” to much wine (v. 3). Wine was one of the only ways to numb pain and it was easily available; how much more today, so be on guard.
They are to teach what is good (v. 3). The word Paul uses(kalodidaskaloi) can mean they are teachers of what’s good or they’re to teach what’s good.
They are to train (the verbal form of sōphronos, “self-controlled,” above; sōphronizousin) the young women to love their husbands and children. Imagine being a teenager who has never socialized with men outside your own home! Imagine an arranged marriage! The advice and godly example of an older woman was and is necessary!
Older women were to train the younger to be self-controlled (v.5; sōphronas) as well as pure. In ancient Graeco-Roman culture, woman of marriageable age weren’t allowed to be unchaperoned outside or to speak with unknown men; point is don’t bring suspicion on yourself or disrepute on the church.
Younger women were to be taught about working at home (oikourgoi, “homemakers”). One of the reasons was that hospitality was a huge expectation and virtue in society but also because the home was like a small business as well.
They are to be kind (agathai, “good;” perhaps it goes with previous as “good homemaker.”
They are to be submissive to their own husbands (v. 5), not to all men. In fact, this was one of the ways the gospel sowed the seeds of cultural transformation as with slavery. (Bray, 511)
All of this was that the word of God may not be reviled (v. 5). Older women, the younger women here need your help. Your church needs you both in the overall life and ministry as well as outreach to the unbelievoing world.
Younger men
A healthy practice of godliness has to include younger men: likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled (v. 6; sōphronein). This was in contrast to Roman society, where young men would carouse at night, hit the local tavern, drink too much, then on the way home stop off at the local brothel or temple prostitute. Imagine the difference Paul was calling young men in the church to be in contrast to the world. It’s not hard, is it? How amazing if all the young men in this church lived differently than what the world expects. Reject smoking pot, but instead lift up the sweet-smelling incense of prayer! Resist getting drunk but be filled with the Spirit! Resist porn and instead cultivate godly relationships. Resist staying out all Saturday night and missing church, but get to church, bring someone who needs to hear the Word, spend time with believers, then come back again. Be different!
Ministers (Titus)
A healthy practice of godliness doesn’t exclude the minister! Paul speaks to Titus as a minister to be a microcosm of all he’s saying: doctrine accords with godliness.
The example of life is described like this: show yourself in all respects to be a model (tupos) of good works (v. 7).
The character of his teaching is also to show integrity (not leaving anything out that has been deposited), dignity or “gravity,” and sound (“healthy”) speech that cannot be condemned (vv. 7–8). Note the purpose: so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us (v. 8). That’s the minster’s “other voice” we learned about last Sunday! Ultimately, everything we do is for the evangelistic purpose of the church!
Slaves
Finally, Paul addresses bondservants (v. 9) or “slaves” (NRSV) as having an important role in the church’s healthy practice of godliness. As much as 20–30% of those within the Roman Empire were slaves, so of course Paul addresses them! They’re people too and many became believers.
They are to be submissive to their own masters (not to everyone as doormats of society) in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn or “they may be an adornment to” (NRSV) the doctrine of God our Savior (vv. 9–10). In other words, their lives especially illustrated the truth according to godliness.
As a church, we need to be a living picture to the world that we are saturated in God’s amazing grace by having a healthy practice of godliness. Amen? Godliness matters.
It Has a Healthy Doctrine of Grace
The second way we are to be a church saturated in grace is by having a healthy doctrine of grace. Note how all exhortations to the practice of godliness are rooted in grace with that little word for. For the grace of God has appeared (v. 11; epephánē). This is the verb from which we get the word “epiphany.” There was an epiphany of God’s grace in the past.
Note also this is what we call personification. This is when we attribute human qualities and actions to something inanimate. Grace is a thing or better, an attitude of God towards us. But here Paul says grace… appeared in a personal way. What’s he talking about? Christ! The Son of God appeared in this world as the gift of God’s grace! Paul says this grace, or Christ himself, is bringing salvation for all people (v. 11). Don’t get hung up on this; celebrate it!
The big thing is that salvation is no longer confined to Israel; it’s international. It’s not just confined to the Jews; it’s pan-ethnic. Is Christ available to every sinner? Yes, although if he hasn’t actually been brought to every person that’s on us to do. Is Christ offered to all? Again, yes, in the sense of the must or the ought of evangelism. Is there any group that is off limits, too sinful, too far away, etc.? No! The gospel of Jesus is for all. He’s brought salvation for people in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. He’s brought salvation sufficiently for all; he’s all that’s necessary; there’s nothing else anyone can do to be saved other than come to him! Amen? Whoever you are, come to Christ today!
Notice what this grace of Jesus Christ does when it saves a sinner: training us (v. 12). Jesus is our trainer in godliness. He’s already walked the walk and talked the talk. In grace, he was active when he appeared. Now, in grace, he’s active in us by training us. Notice the negative (“defensive”) and positive (“offensive”).
First, Christ as the grace of God has appeared to save sinners like you and me to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions (v. 12).
Second, Christ as the grace of God has appeared to save sinners like you and me to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (v. 12).
While we’re being trained to live in the here and now, Jesus’s grace also has a future-focus: waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing (epipháneian) of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 13). He’s appeared once and he’ll appear again. This is so important for us to have our hope in the right thing or better, person. So many American Christians hope for the secret rapture to get them out of this world; closer to home, too many Reformed Christians are over-influenced by a hope for this world to get better. Note the Christian’s blessed hope is the appearance of Christ! What kind of appearance? The appearing of the glory…of Jesus.
Paul goes back to what he was saying about grace training us to renounce and to live godly lives. Grace does enable us to hope in his future appearance, but don’t forget, he’s the one who gave himself for us (v. 14).
For us. Can you personalize that and say, for me? For whom did Christ give himself? Say it: “for me!” After saying Christ came with salvation for all (v. 11), his big concern is those to whom he’s writing. For us! For you! For me!
Why did he give himself on the cross for us? To redeem us from all lawlessness (v. 14). He’s purchased us back from being slaves to sin. He’s redeemed us in his amazing grace to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (v. 14).
Conclusion
Verse 14 concludes with our sermon in a nutshell: OURC, let’s be a church saturated in God’s amazing grace by practicing genuine godliness because of our biblical doctrine of grace.