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So maybe, well, let's see, we're live a little bit late, but it's okay, slightly delayed, but we're live, we're going to be studying Titus chapter two, reviewing verse five, and then on, I will pray for us, and then we'll get started.
Father, we're grateful that you are God. We pray that you would take care of each person at Faith Bible Church, protect them and provide for them in every way. Help them to know that you are there and that you care.
Help us to rely on Jesus every day. In his name we pray. Amen. All right. So let's turn to Titus two, chapter two, verse five. I think verse five was the last one. Verse five, it was talking about young women there to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their husbands.
And the purpose is actually God driven, right? That the word of God may not be blasphemed. We don't like this idea of obedience, especially wives obeying to husbands. But in the end, the purpose really is that God may not be, the word of God may not be discredited, right?
Remember the Cretan women, they probably weren't living in a faithful manner. They were probably worldly. So what Paul is saying to Titus is that the church women, they got to look much different. Because if they are living just the way, just the same way as the worldly women are living, then what is the point of Christianity?
What's the point of scripture, right? It's hypocrisy. So that's the reason. What this tells us means being a faithful wife has value. Despite what the world says now, raising up children well is valuable.
And women who are faithful to their husbands, they're valuable. Right now, let's go on to verse six. Who can read verse six?
Okay. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober minded.
Okay. So how are the young man supposed to live? Sensible, sober minded, right? Does anyone have another self-controlled, right? This is something we've seen for all the other groups too, right? Older men to be sober, right?
Older women, likewise, that they be reverent. And young women too, to be discreet, chaste. This idea of being sober minded is important. Self-controlled, right? This was for both older men and women.
And for young women, prudence, control of oneself. That also means soundness of the mind. Not driven by emotions or hypes and trends. Because in the end, how are young men more likely to live? If we consider young men even in our days, how would you characterize them?
In this kind of age? Yeah. Yeah, in this kind of age. Careless. Careless. For themselves. Sure. Careless. What is it? Selfish. Selfish, yeah. Sometimes impulsive, unruly, right? Erratic. That's how young men are now.
And they weren't... I mean, they might have been better. But that's how young men have been, right? In a fallen world, they are more erratic. They are more impulsive. That's why nations and governments send them to war.
They're the first ones to sign up because they don't calculate the cost, right? They're actually excited to go. While older folks are like, this is not right, right? Yet, but for Christian young men, they are to be the opposite.
Self-controlled. Control of oneself. Not driven by emotions, but driven by the truth of God's word. And verse 7 tells us who is supposed to model this. Who can read verses 7 through 8. 7 through 8. Go ahead, Jim.
All right. So who is supposed to model this self-controlled life to the young man? Titus, right? Yeah. Paul is telling Titus, in all things, showing yourself to be a pattern of good works. So young men, these young men are to be looking towards how Titus lives.
Presumably, Titus is younger than Paul. And he's the leader of the church. So Titus needs to model this. And how does he model this? Urging them to. What else? What does it say? Yeah, showing it through good works, right?
So this is important. Church leaders are to actually live the way they preach. Nothing really brings shame and dishonor to the teachings of Christianity, more so than church leaders who go against what they preach.
They need to walk the walk. They need to practice what they preach. And in comparison, how does this contrast with the false teachers? What are their works? They're the opposite. Remember 116? The false teachers profess to know God, but in works they deny him.
Being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. So Diane's right. The opposite, right? False teachers are the opposite. Yeah, like the Pharisees during Jesus' time. False teachers disqualify themselves with their works, while true believers model good works for the younger generation.
Right. That means true leaders of the church must serve as examples. Here are the other characters. Pattern of good works, in doctrine or in teaching, showing integrity. So there's purity, incorruptibility, purity in doctrine, right?
What they're teaching isn't sinful or even corrupt. They're dignified. There's seriousness to it, dignity. They lead quiet lives before kings. That's from 1 Timothy 2 .2. Paul exhorts the church to live quiet lives before kings as dignified, so they don't just mess with the governing authorities, right?
Young Titus is supposed to exemplify this. And this is also the same word for how elders are supposed to manage their household, dignified. And this is how they must treat themselves, right? Dignified, reverence, honor.
Oftentimes, young men partake in hobbies or habits that are dishonorable. I have many of teenage boys who are students who grumble for getting in trouble for their foolishness. And oftentimes, all I have to say is, how does that represent Christ well?
And they can't answer that, right? Because that wasn't honorable, right? They might do illegal things, and they say, well, at least it's not this. But how does that represent Christ? How is that dignified, right?
Young men are to be that way because who models it? Yeah, in the end, Christ, right? And the church elders, leaders, deacons are supposed to model all that, right? Because Christ, right? Now, what is the reason?
What is the purpose of this sensible life for young men? What's the purpose? Yeah, that they would be ashamed. The opponents might be ashamed. And what is the reason? Why are they ashamed? That's right.
They can't say anything bad about you, right? Those who oppose the church, those who oppose Titus would be ashamed because they can't. They have nothing to grasp onto. Because oftentimes, when enemies of the church can't argue against Scripture, what would they try to argue?
Exactly. Because they can't argue against Scripture, they often assassinate characters of the church leaders, right? Yeah, right. You hear that, right? Oh, the church, they're a bunch of hypocrites, right?
For sure. Pastors, right? A bunch of hypocrites, right? And sadly, it's not without evidence. There are pastors, there are teachers in the church who have been hypocritical, right? They've been preaching against sexual immorality, but they themselves are adulterers, right?
Or abusers, right? Preaching against violence or preaching against abuse, and they themselves are domestic abusers. Yeah, for sure. They're hypocrites. But according to Paul, it must not be so, right?
They, church leaders, and really the church in general, must have nothing that the world can grab onto. See, they do this just like us. And really, the calling here is don't be like the world. Don't have anything the world can say evil about you.
The pure doctrine already is offensive to the world. The gospel is already a stumbling block to the world. We don't need to give them any more, right? All right, let's go over. Who can read verses 9 -10?
You want to go ahead, Diane?
9 -10? 9 -10. Church-born slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything. To be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not filtering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.
All right.
Some translations have bond servants. Some translations have slaves. Either way, they are the lowest of the social class back then. And now, what does this tell us that Paul addresses the slaves or the bond servants in his letter?
What is Paul's view? They're to obey, yeah. But what is Paul's view when he addresses the bond servants or slaves? What does this tell us?
Yeah, for sure.
Right. The fact that Paul actually addresses the bond servants slash slaves directly tells us that Paul actually cared how they live because they're part of the church. It didn't matter whether they're rich or poor or enslaved or free.
The bond servants were considered a part of God's people just as much as the young women, young men, older men, older women. And, of course, this order is not even in the order of importance. I don't think you can argue, right, like, oh, like, the older man came first, therefore they're the most important, and then older women, and then young women.
No, it's like it's kind of like topical, right? Older men, and then now the relation is, oh, older women next, and then older women you're supposed to disciple the young women. Now let me address the young women.
And then, okay, now I've talked about young women. Let's talk about the counterpart, young men. You're right. It's the fact that Paul mentions them is that they do matter, and they're part of the church.
They're equal members of the church. Another thing is Paul's not writing to start a revolution. In fact, that would have been extremely dangerous. Christianity has not really been about changing the system from outside, kind of like Barabbas, right?
It's not about the revolt, but rather it's the changing from the inside of the heart. It cares more about who each person is becoming, right, conformed into the image of Christ, more so than overthrowing a system.
And it just happens to be that systems do change when people change, right? That's why slavery is outlawed. I'm not saying we don't have slaves, but they're outlawed at least, right? The system changed.
Civil War for us, and then for Britain, it was more peaceful. Way more peaceful. Now, what kind of attitude must Christian slaves have? The bond servants, what's their attitude like? Yeah, be obedient to their own masters.
This doesn't sit well for the liberal world. No, obedience just in general is just the trigger word, but now it's the bond servants. They're to obey in all manner. And notice what Paul's not saying. He's not saying obey when you feel like it, or it's not obey just because you want to, because that's how the world obeys.
The world obeys. Well, that law doesn't make sense. I'm not going to obey that, right? Oh, just the illegal fireworks. Who cares, right? No, for Christians, it's obey because you're told, right? Partial obedience is the tune of the world.
Do it until you feel like it. Do it until it makes sense to you. But Christians who are serving must obey in all things. Of course, until it disobeys God, right? That's the sole authority. We obey the authorities above us as long as those authorities are under God. Right?
So, like, if the authorities tell you to disobey God, you wouldn't obey the authority, right? Yeah, I mean, like in countries where Christians are turned into the authorities, right? Like the police, Christians aren't doing that to each other, right?
Because the authority is no longer obeying God, right? That's the ethics of that.
You'd be showing all good faith.
Yeah, and they'd be showing all good faith. They'd be well-pleasing in all things, right? That's the attitude. Well-pleasing means also it's pleasing to God. They're to place the desire and need of those whom they're serving ahead of theirs.
They're to be selfless. That's what it means, right? And in all things, not answering back, so not argumentative. That's the negative side. Don't talk back. And I think of, I know we don't have bond servants, right?
We don't have servants at home, right? But I think one, like, pretty good application nowadays would be, like, the military. Yeah. They're serving not only the country, but they're serving their higher officers.
And they sometimes have to do things that they don't want to, right? They have menial chores, right? But it's not always guns blazing and really cool, right? Like, they have to mop the floor, right? And they have to do that.
Right, the top generals have to answer to the president. And even if they don't like the president, they have to answer, right? They can't argue back. They've got to be well-pleasing. So I think it does, this part usually works well with military because they have to serve the commanding officer well, in a pleasing manner, not arguing back, right?
And also anyone who works for a manager, right? Like, you have to serve them well, too, not arguing back, being pleasing. What else? Not pilfering. What does pilfering mean? Stealing. Yeah, not stealing.
Because you know what? The master is not omniscient, right? When he's not looking, if he's really mean, like, you don't really have much regard for his stuff, why would you? You just take some of his bread, right?
Who cares? But for Christians who are serving, who are in service, it does matter, right? It does matter when the master's not looking, right? But showing all good fidelity, I think Diane had showing in good faith, right?
Showing good faith.
Showing all good faith. Showing all good faith. They will abhor the doctrine of God. Yeah.
And the reason is what she just read. It is so that they adorn the doctrine of God. What does it mean to adorn? Kind of like show? Yeah. On you? Show on you, yeah. Uphold. Uphold. Where? Even like adorn a sweater, right?
It means publicly show the doctrine of God. In the end, what is the motivation for the Christian slaves to obey wholeheartedly?
I don't know.
Kind of coming back to verse 6.
Yeah. It's totally God-centered, right? In the end, living like this is not because you might get good rewards from your masters. That's not it. It doesn't say. Although that probably was the case for slaves who happened to be, I mean, Christians who happened to be slaves, right?
They probably were treated better because they were more faithful and honest, right? They're not stealing. They're not arguing back. They're doing what they're told. In the end, the motivation is that they reflect the beauty of Christianity in their obedience.
They are to reflect the beauty of Christ and how they live faithfully. What that means is every part of the social order in Rome. It's capable if they're Christians of reflecting the goodness of Christ.
Right. They show it by how they live. They show the doctrine of Christ by living faithfully and obeying wholeheartedly. Right. When they live like this, the beauty of Christ shines through each person, no matter the social background.
Right. Christian slaves were not exempted just because they're slaves from living faithfully, but they were to exemplify the gospel transformation. That's important. That is. That is an upside down. After all, in Rome and Greek Greece, they treated slaves as though they are lesser and they're less capable morally.
But Paul's saying actually do better. Not for your sake, but for Christ's sake, because then people will publicly know. You're basically proclaiming God's teaching by how you live. Right. How you what you practice matters.
And looking back, I think Dexter's went back to verse five and six. Right. Verse five. Tell us. Told us that God's word will not be slandered if women live faithfully and obediently. Verse eight. So that the opponent will be ashamed because they have nothing to speak out against.
Right. And verse 10. So that they may adorn the teaching of God, our savior in everything they do. And that's for the slaves. So no matter where you are in this household, whether you're the master or the older men, women, whatever, you have the obligation to live obediently and faithfully in your own setting in order to reflect who God is and what he's done.
Right. The driving force behind public faithfulness is God's honor and our testimony of him. Now, what would that look like in your individual life now? Obviously, you know, we're not slaves. Right. And what does what does this look like for the Christian household faithfulness to shine through in your life?
Yeah, that's right. Right. Right. Oh, just obeying even the state laws, the country's law. Right. For sure. I've seen so many kids like high school kids. It's like, what's the big deal about drinking?
And I just let them know. It's like, oh, you're not 21. What's wrong with that? It's like, you're not 21. It's a blatant disobedience of the law, among many things that could be could go wrong.
And if they don't like that, they tell us to get it changed.
Yeah. Or just obey it. Right. It's like, why? Why can't they just why? Why does it have to fit their limited mindset in order for them to obey? Right. It's such an entitled mindset. Right. Yeah. Marijuana, too.
But federally, it's still illegal. Yeah. So it's like I would say Christians are not to do marijuana because it's still illegal. That's one of many reasons. But also, it totally messes your mind. And the question is, can you love the Lord with all your mind when you're high?
And the answer is no, you can't. Right. So, yeah. So that's another one. Right. Good. Yeah. Obeying the law. That's lawlessness is kind of the tune of the world right now. For sure. Yeah. You're not able to read.
You can't understand scripture that well. Yeah. For me, it's saying the hard things when people like correcting people. Right. I have to do that really mainly for the school. Not as much here, but it's really the school.
But I have to do it even if it means angry parents email me that night. I still have to do it because that's what it means to adorn Christ's teaching. That's what I'm hired to do. For sure. Anyone else?
What does it look like in your life to obey and be sober minded? All right. What would that something else be? Oh, sure. Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah, I'm not against TV, but you're right. There are things on TV that we need to not choose to keep our sober mind.
Right, right, right. That's good. Yeah. Yeah. You want to fill your mind with God's word first. Yeah. Although that's like not required, but that's a great thought. That's a great lifestyle for sure. To put God's word first.
Sure. Sure. Yeah. Good. Now we're going to go over 11 through 15. God willing, if we have the time. Yeah. Two sessions at least. Right. All right. There are two major incentives to this. 11 through 12 is the saving grace of God.
And then 13 is the second coming of Christ. The major incentive to living so differently and obediently. Right. Because remember, this is Crete. Cretans were notorious for being just idolatrous, disobedient, foolish.
Right. That's what they're known for. And Paul is telling Titus, who's probably the leader of that area. Right. You got to be way different than that. Right. That's it. And Paul gives us the reason. Notice the motivation for faithful living is not to earn salvation.
Nowhere does it say it's to earn salvation. But all the cults and fake religions will say that that's not Paul. Paul's motivation is rather you live this way faithfully because you're already saved. It's the past event that's been determined.
It's the past event that motivates you. And then the future longing of what's coming. Right. All right. Who can read verses 11 through 12? Go ahead, Carolyn.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly possessions or passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age.
All right. This is the first incentive, first motivation to obey. What is the first motivation? Deny ungodliness. Deny ungodliness. But why can we deny ungodliness? For the grace of God. The grace of God.
Notice the grace of what is the grace of God? His favor. His favor. How do we know? Yeah, it's salvation, isn't it? The grace of God. His favor is his salvation. This word appear is a loaded term. It was used often to describe.
In the pagan sense, there are gods showing up to save people and usually from like physical sickness. Asclepius, that's the that's the god of healing of that religion. Was that Cretan? They were the Cretans.
They worshipped Asclepius, among many other gods. There's I forget whether it's a statue or some sort of inscription that says Asclepius appeared to save. Right, he has appeared by using this verb. Paul's actually arguing that it is not the pagan gods who manifest themselves to save, but it is the true God himself who came to save.
Not to a specific people who worship them. After all, Asclepius would come to the Cretans, but to all people. Right? So by using those two culturally well known terms, save and appear, that normally would have been attributed to pagan gods appearing to save.
Paul is overshadowing the act of the false gods and then telling them this is what the true God's doing, and it is God's grace that offers even greater salvation because it's from sin, not mere just illnesses.
And to all people, not just one. Right? This is huge because all these pagan religions, they're so limited to the geographic and ethnic background of that themselves. Even Judaism too, right? It's limited to that.
But Christianity actually appears Jesus salvation. It's manifested to all people, right? Whether slaves or free, rich or poor, whether Cretan or Jew, it's to all. Now the word savior or salvation is also important here.
In the first century AD, Crete had various pagan cults. Augustus, Roma, Asclepius, the God of healing, Egyptian deities. The word savior was actually used to dedicate Asclepius. So there's like an overtone here.
So when Paul uses savior and we can read this polemically, Paul's actually defending the faith. This savior, the true savior is not Asclepius, but rather it is God's grace that appears and saves not just the Jews, but all people.
And it also helps to know that the false teachers were dabbling with Jewish mysticism. So this is a polemic against them too. Unlike their religion, Jesus actually saves all people groups, not just one.
There's nothing more inclusive than actually Christianity. People say Christianity is exclusive, but Christianity is open to anyone as long as you believe in Jesus, right? This is very important. Now, that's the motivation to living faithfully.
You living faithfully has nothing to do with earning salvation. It has nothing to do with gaining God's favor. Now, what does this saving grace allow us to do? Teach us.
Living soberly. Living what? Soberly. Denying ungodliness and worldly desires.
That's right. Denying ungodliness and worldly desires. Now, what that means is it is not up to our own strength and our own capabilities to live a holy, sober life. It is because God's grace has appeared in Jesus Christ.
That's the only reason we have the power, right? To live sensible lives, we can actually deny godliness because of God's grace. Your salvation is not something you squander on sin. That's what it means.
You're free. Yes, you're freed from sin. Don't go back to it, right? This is in conscious with the false teachers because they themselves deny God with their actions, but for Christians, they deny godlessness, godlessness or ungodliness, right?
With our actions. Lastly, 13, who can read 13 through 15? Oh, my turn. All right. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works, speak these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority.
Let no one despise you. So what is the second motivation? Yeah, now it's future, right? The first one was the past event, which is Jesus came first to save us graciously. Now it's the future and it's longing for his second coming.
Notice it's the blessed hope. Hope in the New Testament is not something that's without substance or without evidence. You know, we say like, yeah, I hope, you know, I hope we get a good governor next, but that's not with evidence nor substance in California, right?
We hope for things as if it's a wish, but really we're just hoping that's not hope. That hope is actually based upon substance, based upon evidence. And here it's actually that blessed hope of the appearing, again, appearance, right?
Paul's using this theme here. Just as Christ appeared to save, now he's coming back and with glory. And what will he come and notice? It's our great God and Savior. Is it? Are they two different people?
Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. They're the same. Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ is actually referring to the same person. Jesus Christ. There is no difference because it refers to the same person.
Christ is the title, right? It's the Messiah, the King.
Isn't there a subtle thing where they put Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ? I wouldn't say so. When they talk about Jesus Christ, they talk about Jesus. And then they put Christ first and talk about Christ.
But Christ is Jesus.
I wouldn't make a huge difference of it because remember in Greek, the word order, it doesn't really make a big difference, right? Yeah. So it's like, and especially if it refers to the same person in this case here, I would say Christ, the Messiah, is Jesus, who's also our God.
Remember, this is the Granville Sharp rule. When there's two nouns referring to person, a person, and it's separated by and two singular nouns, then those two singular nouns refer to one person, and that's Jesus Christ.
This is actually the deity of Christ. What Paul is saying here is your God is not Asclepius or whatever mystical gods you worship, right? Your God is Jesus Christ, and he's the one who's saving you, right?
And that's what they're looking ahead. And verse 14 is the gospel. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us. Redeem here means to purchase us, buy us out, right, from every lawless deed. And not only are we just neutral but purified.
We're made pure in him. Only Jesus can break our bondage of sin by dying the death that we deserve, right? Salvation is more than just you being neutral. Salvation is until the very end. That's why I believe when you're saved, God will make sure that he will see through, see to it that you're saved until his return, right?
Because he's going to purify you as his own special people. Zealous for good works. That's our identity. We are faithful in everything we do. We're passionate about it. And that's why we can live faithfully as Paul exhorts us, right?
And verse 15 is that conclusion. Speak these things and teach them, correct them with all authority. Let no one despise you because obviously you speak like that, people will despise you. Nowadays, if you preach that, people will despise you, right?
But Paul's saying you got to do that.
He said let no one disregard you.
Yeah, let no one disregard you, right? Just you got to keep doing it. Don't let them stop you, right? Any questions before we close in prayer? All right, let's pray. Father, we're grateful that you have saved us for good works.
You have saved us, not because of our good works, but for good works. You've saved us by grace alone, and you have saved us so that we live faithfully with sober minds. Help us to do that. Protect and provide for this church in every way.
Thank you for all that you have done already. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, thank you all for joining online. Sorry we were late, but we covered everything we needed to. Well, sorry. No worries. It's okay.
