Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
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.
Continue reading “Titus 2:2 (a) — Older Men”
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.
Continue reading “Titus 2:1 — Milk or Meat?”
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.
Summary: “Actions speak louder than words,” is an old saying that is very true. We might think we can hide our motives in our hearts and minds, but God knows our hearts and our actions speak volumes.
Continue reading “Titus 1:16 (a) — The Big Ouch”
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”
… or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.
Summary: Paul has been explaining why churches need an overseer. Today’s passage points us toward another threat that the overseer is to protect against.
Continue reading “Titus 1:14 (b) — Tofu Turkey”
… and will pay no attention to Jewish myths …
Summary: Paul draws our attention to Jewish myths so that we can avoid them. He does not go into detail, but it is clear that he wants us to focus on Jesus.
Continue reading “Titus 1:14 (a) — Myth Understanding”
Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith …
Summary: Some people are more sensitive than others. Some are less sensitive. What we are used to creates an expectation that we often apply to other people. Sometimes this has disastrous results.
Continue reading “Titus 1:13 (b) — My Normal is Your Pain”
One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true.
Summary: Looking closely at this passage we find ourselves challenged to look at the meaning of the Greek word, “krino.” Krino means “judge,” and there are many ways of using that word. We need to apply it correctly in this case.
Continue reading “Titus 1:12-13 (a) — Anomaly”
—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
Summary: What is honest gain? From that we can learn what dishonest gain is. Knowing what to look for, we can avoid entanglements with those who are working against God.
Continue reading “Titus 1:11 (c) — Dishonest Gain”