Explore the Bible: Look for spiritual excellence

• The Explore the Bible lesson for May 19 focuses on Titus 2:1-15.

This passage in Titus continues the emphasis on good teaching by noting sound doctrine is linked with how one lives his or her life. As one scholar pointed out, the letter’s concern with doctrine is “not speculative or ascetic but transformative for life in the world.”

In this passage, various stations of life are in focus, with specific attention on older and younger men and women. This section is organized by age so older believers (regardless of gender) provide an example for younger believers. Moreover, it is understood they serve as teachers in this regard. Therefore, we should recognize the similarities between the qualities of the older men and women: “temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance … reverent in the way that they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good” (vv. 2-3).

Faith, love and hope

We also should hear the echoes of the traditional Pauline triad of faith, love and hope in these verses. These are the virtues that guide Christian leaders—ordained or not—and give us a genuine picture of what following Christ looks like.

The next section refers to slaves and their responsibilities. Passages like this are exceedingly difficult to read and interpret for several reasons. First, notice that unlike other New Testament passages (such as Colossians 3:22-4:1) there is no corresponding responsibilities given to masters. This might leave us to think masters do not have any responsibilities.

Moreover, the tone of this passage moves in the direction of telling slaves to accept their place, using words such as “be subject,” “try to please” and “not to talk back.” The stated purpose of such behavior is to be seen as trustworthy by masters, which might “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (vv. 9-10).

Slavery addressed

In our contemporary context, where slavery in the United States has been outlawed and where a variety of charitable organizations—including Christian ones—are working hard to eliminate slavery around the world, encouraging slaves to remain as they are seems wrong. However, slavery was a significant facet of first-century life, taken for granted to some extent by texts like this.

Nonetheless, we should notice there is not a bold affirmation of slavery within this text or the New Testament. Instead, we find advice to slaves within their situations, with the hope of transforming those situations over time. Thus, despite our potential frustration with this passage, we know the overall thrust of the Bible aims at freedom: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Call to godliness

The final section of this passage turns attention to Titus himself, with a reminder that the Christian life is one of godliness between the two appearances (or “epiphanies”) of Christ. Titus 2:11 first mentions “the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” This appearance is the advent of Jesus Christ in the incarnation, marking the beginning of God doing a new thing in the world through Jesus.

The second appearance or “epiphany” is found in 2:13, which mentions a “blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” In between these two moments is learning from the gospel—that is, the story of Jesus—to say “No” to ungodliness and “Yes” to godliness and self-control (v. 12).

Even so, this interim period between these two epiphanies requires endurance and patience (v. 13). At the end of this journey, however, is redemption, but not just for individuals. The work of Christ is not just a private matter: Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people” (v. 14). Recall that God’s work in the Old Testament centered on the creation of a people who lived in covenant relationship with God.

‘Eager to do what is good’

The same pattern exists in the New Testament broadly and in this passage specifically. God’s response to sin in the world hinges on the creation of a people—the church—who live godly lives and are “eager to do what is good” (v. 14). T

his should remind us of Ephesians 2:8-10, where we are saved by grace through faith and “not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:9), but the people who are saved by this grace through faith have a particular purpose: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).