Encourage and rebuke with all authority.
Summary: The word “encouragement” is often translated as “exhort.” The word rebuke is almost always the same. Both are two sides of the same coin. How and when they are applied depends on the authority in the moment.
In “Titus 2:15 (a) — Syllabus,” we looked at the question of authority as it relates to us today. Today we have Paul urging Titus to use his authority to encourage and rebuke. Is there anything here for us to talk about? Is this something that was intended only for Titus?
There are three parts to Paul’s admonition. One is encouragement, the second is rebuking, and the third is authority. The encouragement part sounds easy. Everyone can be an encourager if they want to. The rebuking part is not so easy.
In fact, the two concepts behind these words are like two sides of the same coin. Instead of “encourage,” most translations use the stronger term, “exhort.” Encouragement might sound like this:
“You are really doing a great job! Keep it up!”
Exhorting someone might sound like this:
“You need to do a great job! You have to do better. It is important that you really focus on this and get it done.”
Encouraging people is a bit more passive, while exhorting involves strongly urging someone to do something.
If encouraging or exhorting someone is like stepping on the gas pedal, rebuking them is stomping on the brakes. The word “rebuke” is used extensively by English translations of the Bible. There is no passive version available like there is for exhort.
The rest of the sentence is “with all authority.” The Greek word for authority suggests a legal mandate, which is what we talked about in “Syllabus.” The sense of the letter, as I read it, is that Paul is conveying the mandate he has received directly from Jesus. He is sharing his authority with Titus.
So what kind of authority is Jesus passing along to Paul? One might think that coming from God, it would be a special kind.
The authority that Jesus passed to Paul is the same kind of authority that Jesus himself exercised on earth. Jesus’ authority is eternal. Here on earth, we live in a temporal bubble. It is a space carved out of eternity that allows us to live in the Here and Now. We can reject God’s authority here and now, but we cannot escape it. At some point, we all pass out of this bubble and find ourselves swimming in the waters of eternity. (See Mark 6:8-11, and Matthew 11:23-24)
The authority Paul mentions come partly from God, but it also comes from God’s people. God’s people submit to his authority. God’s people are hungry to be encouraged (exhorted) and rebuked if they are wrong.
Proverbs 9:8 adds this bit of advice to Paul’s admonition:
“Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.”
Application: Examine who your authorities are. They will tell you a lot about yourself.
Food for Thought: What happens when a man becomes his own authority?
The desire to be our own god or own authority is what Satan tempted Adam and Eve with in the garden. If we are our own ultimate authority, their is no standard but our own selfish desires. We replace the true God for a lie and pay the consequences. Romans 1: 18 – 23; James 1: 14 – 18.
Well said, Rich. Well said.
What happens when a man becomes his own authority?
The leader of all this monkey business is Lucifer. He was created by God and existed within God’s dominion as Lucifer, was called the Morning Star, Son of the Dawn. A very important servant in heaven with great responsibilities under the authority God. The Bible indicates he was the most beautiful possibly the highest of all angels. But serving our God was not good enough for Lucifer who at some point, filled his heart with pride. He became his own authority, believing he could rule better than God. He rebelled against God’s authority and became known as Satan “adversary”, the Devil, the Serpent. God had the Prophet Isiah write of his fall and Jesus tells us, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.“
Luke 10:18, Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-15
Satan and his followers lost their place in Heaven and their relationship with God. They became God’s adversary exiled from Heaven and confined to the earth. Their kingdom on earth is not motivated by love, but by selfishness, self-interest, SELF VS OTHERS. Satan rules to satisfy his own ego. He has tempted and contaminated mankind since creation, leading to their destruction by the flood, and is continuing to deceive mankind. The results of his contaminating “SIN” are seen in the insanity, chaos and evil practices all around us which are today being commonly referred to as, NORMAL. More and more people seek to become their own authority. Choosing to live as satan, choosing mans limited authority over God’s Sovereignty results in eternal death and separation from God.
Revelation 12:9, Luke 10:18, John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 4:4
We need to reject the lie of satan and receive, a far greater power. The Kingdom of God is an eternal Kingdom established through Jesus Christ, giving immediate access to eternal life and a refuge to all believers, now and forever. The power of death is destroyed, we are released from bondage and enjoy the powers of the age to come.
All we have to do is turn from existing by our authority, to living in God’s authority through Christ and we have life.
John 3:16, 5:12, Hebrews 2:14-15, 6:5, 1 John 3:14
Ron,
Great overview! Living in God’s authority is a worthy goal and for me, a daily challenge.
Thank you!
He becomes his own executioner,..
Thank you, John.
You point us toward the eternal consequences.
John. Good point. Proverbs 14: 12/ 16 :25.
👍🏻