Titus 2

What’s Happening?

The apostle Paul sends a letter to his coworker Titus, who's currently leading a church in Crete. Cretan culture is notorious for its self-indulgence and immorality (Titus 1:12). But Paul hopes that families who follow Jesus will transform Cretan culture for the better. When a family doesn’t look like a Cretan family, but reveals in their conduct the counter-cultural life of Jesus, God’s family will grow as it attracts more people. 

A family that is transformed by Jesus will be like Jesus in their relationships with each other. Older men, instead of being brash and quick-tempered, will be self-controlled and loving (Titus 2:2). Older women will patiently teach younger women to reject the impulses of their culture: to be respectful instead of slanderous, self-controlled instead of drunkards, and kind instead of demanding (Titus 2:3-5). Younger men should follow Titus’ example in hopes that their example will bring honor to the name of Jesus and shame to the Cretans who want to harm the reputation of their church (Titus 2:6-8). 

Most Cretan families would have owned slaves in Titus’ day. So slaves who follow Jesus are also expected to act differently than their enslaved but non-believing peers. They should be trustworthy employees to masters who might not otherwise deserve it (Titus 2:9-10). Unlike other slaves, they shouldn’t bad-mouth their masters or steal from them. This type of counter-cultural behavior will cause outsiders to wonder what makes God’s family unique. Ultimately, Paul is hopeful that as God’s family chooses to say “no” to Cretan culture, more and more Cretans will be attracted into God’s counter-cultural family (Titus 2:12).

Where is the Gospel?

Paul isn’t asking Cretan families to do anything that Jesus hasn’t done first. When Jesus came to an ungodly world, he showed it counter-cultural grace (Titus 2:13). He willingly died for them and rescued them out of immorality by his death, creating a new counter-cultural family eager to do likewise (Titus 2:14). 

Paul wants all churches to continue this redemptive story. As we love one another, contrary to our cultural norms, the sacrifice of Jesus will be readily apparent. As God’s family respects each other, our culture will become curious. Paul is hopeful that when God’s family acts like they have been saved by Jesus, the world will take notice and want to join God’s family too. 

Living counter-culturally in this way will be hard. But we can be encouraged by the fact that Jesus has already come and will come again. Jesus appeared once to offer salvation to all people. And Jesus will appear again to gather his family to himself (Titus 2:11-13). Jesus wants the word to be saved. And Jesus has chosen a family that is eager to do good works as one of the primary ways that will happen. Our respect to our superiors, our love to our children, and the examples we set to the next generation are God’s means of demonstrating that we’ve been saved by Jesus and that Jesus is now offering salvation to the world. So be encouraged! The hard work of following Jesus is one of the ways Jesus will expand his family throughout the world.

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who graciously calls people out of ungodliness. And may you see Jesus as the one who appeared in grace to make us his family.