Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Likewise, teach the older women … to teach what is good.
Summary: Paul introduces a simple but profound concept: teach what is good. As easy as it may sound, the successful teacher needs to master the material first.
Continue reading “Titus 2:3 (d) — Teacher”
Likewise, teach the older women … not to be … addicted to much wine …
Summary: Being nearsighted means we do not always “see” the long term impact of our choices. The word “addicted” has a very technical meaning in our culture. Other translations offer a more general way of looking at this passage.
Continue reading “Titus 2:3 (c) — How Much is Much?”
Likewise, teach the older women … not to be slanderers …
Summary: In Greek, the word “slander” comes from the root word for “devil.” Slander is a tool for hurting others. Envy and jealousy are two of the motives for hurting others.
Continue reading “Titus 2:3 (b) — The Devil’s Trap”
Teach the older men to be sound … in love …
Summary: Love may be a “many splendored thing,” but it also has many different definitions. In this meditation we look at the kind of love Paul is referring to (agapē) and some examples of what he is not talking about.
Continue reading “Titus 2:2 (g) — A Kind of Love”
Teach the older men to be … worthy of respect …
Summary: Respect is different for the worldly than it is for the believer. Worldly people are impressed by outward appearance. Spiritual people are impressed by one’s closeness to God.
Continue reading “Titus 2:2 (c) — Mr. Diggs”
In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
Summary: The mind and the conscience are like the steering wheel and the brake on a car. They each have important functions. If they don’t work properly, the car is not safe to drive. The same is true for people.
Continue reading “Titus 1:15 (c) — Wheel and Brake”
… but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.
Summary: Pure water is rare. Any amount of anything that is not water makes it impure. Like impure water, we cannot makes ourselves pure nor do anything that is pure. Only through Jesus can we be cleansed.
Continue reading “Titus 1:15 (b) — A Drop of Arsenic”
… because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach …
Summary: Paul has been describing something he has seen many times. The enemy of God has been working hard to derail Paul’s efforts. Paul is very concerned that new believers will also come under fire from the Enemy.
Continue reading “Titus 1:11 (b) — The Enemy”
… full of meaningless talk and deception …
Summary: Paul points us to a key facet of rebellious people: They are full of meaningless talk and deception. These two things are very real and very dangerous. If we let them, they can steal our lives.
Continue reading “Titus 1:10 (b) — A Waste of Air”
… and refute those who oppose it.
Summary: Who has the authority to decide what is right? Who is able to refute those who oppose the Word of God? I will tell you who it is not: It is not the one who yells and bullies others into submission.
Continue reading “Titus 1:9 (e) — Perspectives”