Teach the older men …
Summary: Paul has told Titus to teach. Now he provides specifics. Begin by teaching the older men. What he should teach is the topic of this section of Paul’s letter.
I am a little apprehensive about diving into this section of Paul’s letter. This section is like a cipher. Each word or concept presented in this part of Paul’s letter represents a larger concept. They are concepts discussed throughout Scripture. This means that each topic will be open to exploration in a wide variety of ways. So with that caveat in mind, let us begin.
Paul writes, “Teach the older men…” In doing this, he divides up the world of men into two categories: older and younger. I suspect that Paul’s perspective on the dividing line between older and younger is grounded in his Jewish upbringing. But that is not as simple as it sounds.
The age of adulthood for Jewish boys is thirteen years old. That is when they celebrate their bar mitzvah. At this point, a young man becomes responsible for keeping all the commandments. They may also take part in religious rituals. There is another date in the Bible we can consider. There are several examples in the Old Testament of a national census (Exodus 30:11-16, Numbers 1:1-3, and Numbers 26:1-4). In each case, the adults counted are twenty years old or older.
For our discussion, I imagine that Paul is talking about men twenty years of age and over as “older.” Younger men would fall into the age category of thirteen to twenty years. Feel free to divide this up any way you like, but keep in mind the topics that he reserves for this group. They are topics that would apply to all men of twenty and above.
Returning to the first chapter of Paul’s letter for a moment, we see Paul instructing Titus to appoint “elders” in every town (Titus 1:5). Then, in verse seven, Paul talks about overseers. The overseer is selected from the same group as the elders. I associate the term “elder” with people who are older and wiser than the average. Yet, Paul turns the tables on this thinking with his appointment of Timothy as a leader. He cautions Timothy to not let people “look down” on him because he is young (1 Timothy 4:12).
I mention the topic of elders and overseers because these are the people who are teaching the “older men” Paul mentions. It seems that given the nature of humans, elders would tend to be older and more mature, but not strictly the oldest, as the example of Timothy shows.
Those who teach the older men are first of all men, and then they must meet the criteria Paul outlines in chapter one. They must be able to teach, which is a gifting all its own. They must be able to stand up to those in their charge and “refute those who oppose” sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).
This last criterion is critical. Such a person must be able to withstand physical intimidation. At the same time, he must be able to apply sound reasoning to a disagreement. All this is done in a loving way.
Titus himself must have been a very special person. Not only is he entrusted with the task of selecting leaders for the Lord’s church, but he is also asked to teach them as well.
Application: Each of us has someone in our life we can teach about God.
Food for Thought: What qualities are needed for an older man to be teachable?
Open mind,..willing to listen to someone younger, willing to listen and respond to the message of Christ that’s been put forth,..willing to follow instructions other than their own.
Either way it is kind of hard to teach an old dog new tricks,..it can be done though only through the power of the Holy Spirit given to us through our Savior,… Christ Jesus,..
Thank you, John!
And thank God that he has the patience and power to teach us “old dogs” about his abiding love, his grace, his Son, Jesus, and the new life he offers us through his Son. (John 3: 16-21)
Thank you for the devotion. And thank you John for the good comments.
I will simply add that someone who is teachable realizes they still have something to learn. Humility and the ability to receive a loving rebuke or constructive criticism is helpful to be teachable.
Thank you, brother!
I agree, humility is key.
What qualities are needed for an older man to be teachable?
In 2 Timothy 3:16, Gods word tells us, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
The first mark of a truly teachable person is that he or she is eager to respond and listen to God in His word. The Bible tells us about Mary who was eager to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him while her sister Martha tended to things of this world. Mary did the better thing. The tax collector Zacchaeus was so eager to see Jesus, he climbed a tree and was called out by Jesus. He responded so he could learn more as Jesus stayed at his house. Teachable people fully understand the Word of God leads to daily renewal, growth of our spirits, a stronger relationship with God, as our bodies are wasting away. I listen to God each day, I am teachable because His wisdom gives me peace and contentment in the midst of turmoil and unrest.
Luke 10:30-42, 19:1-10, Colossians 2:6-10, 2 Corinthians 4:16
Another quality, another word for teachability is HUMILITY.”
God opposes the proud who place themselves and their achievements on the alter as they seek the praises of men. God gives Grace to the humble like John the Baptist who was a righteous man teaching the people about repentance from their sins. When Jesus came on the scene John showed true humility as he told his disciples “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John had to get out of the way so Jesus could be seen. We must change and become as little children. Empty trusting little beings totally dependent on God for our well being and growth. The Holy Spirit opens His word to us and for the first time see reality.
The Holy Spirit convicted me of my sins. I did not know any christians and God led me to a specific church where He had a man waiting for me to quickly get me into Bible study. I bought a bible, began the study and after 6 weeks in the book of John I became a christian. I continue daily devotions with my wife because this is where we belong. We have been left here to serve God and we do this best when we spend time with Him each day, listening to His truths opposed to the illusions of this world. We are in the process of decreasing so that Jesus may increase in us.
1 Peter 5:5, John 3:22-30, Matthew 18:3, 19:21
Thank you, Ron!
Eagerness for God’s truth and humility are two powerful characteristics for a learner.