Titus 2:15 (a) — Syllabus

These, then, are the things you should teach. 

Summary: Who is Paul saying should “teach?” The kind of things Paul is talking about can be taught by example. 

In his short letter to Titus, Paul lays out what is essentially a syllabus for Christian living. His emphasis is also on church structure and church life.

But who should teach? 

It is an interesting question. Titus has a pedigree of sorts. He is, of course, a contemporary of Paul’s. He has spent enough time with him to know how he teaches. Titus, like Paul, has also been chosen by God. He is to be an instrument for establishing the church. So how much of this instruction should we take personally? 

Over the years, I have led hundreds of Bible studies. My preferred method of leading a study is to pick a book of the Bible to study and then go through it chapter by chapter. For each chapter, I list out a given number of discussion questions. When the study group meets, we read the chapter and discuss the questions. 

What I don’t do is as important as what I do. I do not tell people what the Word of God means. I do not tell them what they should think about God’s Word. I let them come to their own conclusions. 

Can we do that? Yes, we can, actually. And I do. And it is effective. Do you want to know why it is effective? Because God is alive, and so is His Word. 

But Paul is not talking about teaching theology. He is talking about teaching behaviors. He is answering the question, “How should God’s people act?” 

He tells Titus to teach things like being temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, sound of faith, in love, and endurance. (Titus 2:2) These are all personal characteristics. They are behaviors, not theological positions or beliefs. 

When people come together to study God’s Word, and they have different viewpoints on what God’s Word means, it tests the character of those people. People who are temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, etc., can disagree. People who are the opposite of this are threatened by disagreement. 

So am I a teacher? No, I do not claim to be one. Teachers speak with authority, and I have no more than any other man. If I teach anything at all, it is by example. If people learn anything in my study groups, it is because of God’s Word and His Spirit. 

As Paul writes this letter, he knows to whom he is speaking. He knows Titus and trusts him. In writing this letter to Titus, he transfers authority to Titus. While Titus is acting for Paul, he speaks with authority that comes from Jesus himself (Acts 9:6). This authority that Paul gives to Titus does not extend to me.

Without the authority that Titus has, we are left to put Paul’s words into practice. By living them, we demonstrate them and set an example for others. In this way, the authority of Paul’s words comes alive in our actions. People can see the truth of God’s Word lived out before their very eyes. 

Application: Practice what Paul preaches. 🙂

Food for Thought: How do the behaviors that Paul wants Titus to teach lay the groundwork for understanding the theology of Paul’s teachings?