Page 94 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

Crete was an island in the Mediterranean Sea. In the first century, it was a training center for Roman
soldiers – so if a church was going to exist it needed strong leadership.

This pastoral letter from Paul to Titus was intended to offer encouragement and wisdom as Titus

endured ongoing opposition from the ungodly and from legalists within his congregations. Paul
instructed Titus to complete his assigned job of establishing overseers (elders) for the churches under
his care. He described what sort of people these leaders should be, and how all believers should live in
relation to each other as well as in their interactions with nonbelievers. Proper Christian behavior is
based on the fact that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” and
therefore those who believe in Christ are to “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” as they
await his return (2:11-13).
Titus 2:1-15.

If it is true that since God has made us in His image, then we need to know and understand how we
are supposed to live and act. But we, as Christians, should also know why we act the way we do. We
need instructions about the kind of people we should be.

We need to understand … what is Christian behavior?
Titus 2:1-5. 1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound
doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-
controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

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. 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.

The church is called both the body and the bride of Christ. The church should be developing as the
beautiful body, as it displays the splendor of our Savior. As His bride, the church should develop into a
beautiful body to attract others to our Savior.

V1. Notice the emphasis on sound doctrine.
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