You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
Summary: Paul’s letter to Titus has explained who is qualified to be responsible for teaching “sound doctrine” and who is not. Now Paul turns to what and how to teach.
Paul has a detail oriented mind. Many of his writings are academic. He patiently explains the “why” and “how” of Christianity. What makes his letter to Titus unique is how practical it is. Paul has given Titus a clear mission: “… put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town.”
After describing people suited to serve as church leaders, Paul turns to those who are not well suited to be leaders. He writes a direct and succinct account of what to avoid. He does not waste any words, yet he draws a complete picture.
Paul has told us what kind of people should be leaders and who should not. Now he moves to the topic of what to teach.
What is appropriate to sound doctrine? (NIV)
The Mounce Reverse Interlinear translates the verse this way: “But you, speak what is fitting for healthy teaching.” This translation is a word-for-word translation of the Greek text. I like it because it offers a different perspective on Paul’s meaning. We wrote about the term “doctrine” in “Titus 1:9 (d) – Smooshed.” Given that the word “doctrine” suffers from contextual baggage, I prefer the Mounce translation for today’s study.
Paul wants “healthy teaching” to occur. He wants the trustworthy message that is the Gospel held to without embellishment.
Such teaching is a challenge because the message of the Gospel is so simple. It centers around Jesus. The life centered around Jesus is different than any life that is not. Faith can only be measured by God. In human terms, it is not a measurable quantity. So Paul is left to talk about the effects of faith. What does it look like when someone believes? How can we tell? We need to be able to answer this question at least in part. If we cannot, then we have no way of distinguishing between the believer and the unbeliever. We become lost.
When we read Paul’s words, we read through the eyes of the person we are at that moment. This colors what we see. If we read the Word as an unbeliever, our unbelief keeps us from seeing Jesus in the Word. When we read the Word as a mature believer, we see something different. The wisdom and light of God are magnified through Scripture. As we transition from unbeliever to believer, as our faith matures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Word reveals what we can see at each stage. It is like we are reading a new book every time we read through the Bible.
“Healthy teaching” is different for the mature believer than for the unbeliever or the new believer. How the “trustworthy message” is taught depends on who is taught. Paul describes this in his first letter to the church at Corinth:
“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3a)
What is “appropriate to sound doctrine” as the NIV puts it, is different depending on the situation. The underlying truths are the same. The mature leader is not limited to speaking from one perspective. Instead, the mature leader can apply healthy teaching to people at all stages of Christian growth.
Application: Never presume to know the whole truth of Scripture. The insight you are given today is keyed to where you are on your faith journey.
Food for Thought: How do you answer the question, “What is appropriate to sound doctrine?”
I find it interesting that the amount of worldliness and perhaps fleshly self service seems to be a key component in what the Apostle Paul refers to as immaturity.
So at least one element in recognizing maturity is the degree to which an individual understands life in God’s Kingdom is not about oneself.
Life and growth in about what God wants, living His way, glorifying Him, service to others, understanding one’s proper place, and the spiritual gifts, talents, and position He has and is continuing to call us to be and do in His church, in personal devotions, and all relationships, work, family, community, hobbies, how time is spent, what is important according to God and what is not.
It is not about me. It is about Him, it is about others, encouraging fellow believers, and being a great witness or testimony to those outside the faith.
One critical element is one does not gradually become a believer. We are drawn by the Father to see or become aware of our need for Salvation and a Savior, we understand what God’s sending His Son to be our Savior means and the eternal implications of Christ’s love, sacrifice and finished work mean and the implications this has for our personal sin problem.
We change our mind about sin (we repent), the accept what Christ has done for us and apply it personally to ourselves. We trust what Christ has done and appropriate it by faith in our hearts and minds.
When this critical event happens, at the moment of our conversion, acceptance of Christ, the placing of our faith in Him, the desire for forgiveness and a new relationship with the Father we are born again, instantly transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Light. We become God’s child. We are now his spiritual son or daughter. We have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and are now alive in Christ, before we were spiritually dead. We are either a Christian or we are not. We either know Christ Jesus as our Savior or we do not. This is a work God does in us. We cannot do it ourselves. He creates a new creature in us and makes what was dead come to life. It is a miracle which only He is able to perform.
Our Salvation is not dependent on us, our deeds, any merit, but on the faith which God gives or endows us with. It is all of God. This is why it can be guaranteed. If any part of it was dependent upon me God’s salvation might fail. It won’t. God absolutely, without fail, will bring every single one of His children from forgiven, through being sanctified, justified, into His presence and into being glorified.
By the way trusting Jesus as your Savior is something even a small child can do. In fact the younger the age it is likely the easier it is for the Lord to complete the salvation process. Children are simple, trusting, possibly more innocent and able to just believe what is told them. Jesus makes it clear it is approaching God as a loving Father and trusting Him is the best way to come to Him so their lack of sophistication is a great benefit from God’s perspective. It may take a while or a lifetime or even an eternity or at a minimum being in heaven with the Savior to understand all the implications of God’s salvation but at least Christian’s are on the path to glory
What we do, and how much we are willing to cooperate with Him, understand what His desires are for us, and our faithfulness to Him in growth and development may influence the amount or degree of our rewards but our salvation is not in doubt.
A Christian who is growing, trusting, and obeying is a far happier person in the Lord I can testify to this. As we yield our life to Him, the life He has for us being and doing what He wants rather than any fleshly former desires or supposed pleasures of sin or worldliness which are actually totally and completely unsatisfying is astronomically a better, fuller, more abundant, and more satisfying and joyful, peaceful experience.
It it amazing. The creator actually know better what is best for us than we do ourselves. We are only truly fulfilled in knowing Him, having Him in our lives, and becoming, being, saying and doing what He wants and what He desires us to be doing. The means of growth and its process is another discussion a significantly longer one.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37: 4). As His desires become ours God delights in granting good gifts toHis children ❤.
Jeff,
Thank you for your words! I especially appreciate the insight that our Creator knows better what is best for us. Well said! 🙂
What is appropriate to sound doctrine?
That which is in adherence to God’s word and taken in its proper context. 2 Timothy 2: 15.
Thank you, Rich.
“What is appropriate to sound doctrine?”
In our school we had a curriculum which contained subjects for a given year, History, Social Studies, English, Math, etc.
Sound doctrine is Gods truth purposely delivered to us in teachings regarding our creation, Our sin nature, His path for our eternal salvation, contending for our faith, walking in our freedom, being Light in this darkness and more. God delivers us from our sinfulness as He changes our appetite and transforms our behavior by the Holy Spirit and we can glorify Him to the world around us..
According to one definition, sound doctrine is teaching from God about God that directs us to the glory of God.
Sound doctrine curbs corrupt conduct, I Timothy 1:9-10 lists sins like rebellion, murder, lying, and slave trading and concludes with “whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.” In other words, bad behavior is out of sync with true belief.
Sound doctrine must always have Christ at the core or foundation. Christ died for our sins as prophesied in Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day as prophesied Scriptures. The entire word of God surrounds this truth. Without Christ in all His Glory, there is no sound basis for our faith. Jesus is eternal, the Alpha and the Omega.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Acts 2:22-36, Matthew 7:24-27, John 3:16-17, Revelation 1:8
Sound doctrine must address our struggle against our flesh for the Glory of God. Contend for our faith that was once for all delivered to believers. To “contend” means to strenuously fight for something and to hold nothing back in our struggle against our old self, our flesh. Study and live by God’s Word, as it is written to us, never adding to or subtracting from it. Reject the flesh and apply the truths revealed to us as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:3; Philippians 1:27; Revelation 22:18-19; 2 Timothy 1:13
And more. Within the box of Sound doctrine there are multiple pieces, to be used as directed by God for healthy teaching.
Ron,
I like the idea of a “box of sound doctrine.” Almost like a toolbox!
As always fun diving into this.
Ron