Week four: Titus 2.1-3 THE AGED
By Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
COPYRIGHT 2004
Titus 2
1. But speak thou
the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged
men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Sound doctrine has the thought of whole or wholesome as
well as sound. This is doctrine that will bring wholesomeness to the saints,
wholeness of life to those that profess Christ as the difference in their life.
I am told that Philo used this term of men over sixty,
however today the man of sixty isn't equal to the man of sixty of Philo's day.
Sixty back then was quite old and fairly rare. I'd guess in 2004 we are talking
men in their 75-80 range of years. Some sixty year olds today are not even all
that mature.
Aged men would relate to the older men, those mature in
years and lifestyle. Indeed, the old seems to be part of the word. It is of
interest that this term is somewhat related to the term translated
"elder" earlier in our study "presbuteros" - this term is
"presbutes." Both terms carry the thought of old or aged. Thus we
might apply this to the office of elder, one that is aged or old. This is not
popular in our society these days. The elders need to be young whipper snappers
that will set the church on edge.
To be "sober" was to be temperate or not using
alcohol to excess. It also relates to being vigilant. This makes sense in that
the one drinking alcohol is not vigilant in his manner of life or his ability
to function properly.
"Grave" is to be honored for your integrity,
honorable in all ways of life. Again, this is not necessarily a characteristic
of many of our younger men today. It ought to be, but many are far from
honorable in all their ways. With the aged, you will find most have found that
integrity has meaning and that they have allowed it to become a part of their
life. These are qualities to look for in all your old men, but especially in
your elders.
This seems to picture one that has some dignity, not
something that he puts on but his way of life, he is above the “roust about”
ways of the younger, he is more serious in demeanor and in thought life. He is
a man that gives himself over to important matters rather than wasting time on
meager items of life. He should be one that arouses respect in his younger
acquaintances.
At the same time these are qualities that you should be
teaching your young men - the future leaders of your church. In fact begin in
the Sunday school because they are your future younger men.
"Temperate" would give the thought that one is
in control of his life, he is controlling all things so that his life appears
to be calm and temperate. It is controlling all of one's senses to give a good,
rounded controlled life.
The word "sound" is a verb. It is "being
sound" or to "be in good health" - being sound in the faith. The
aged men are to be continuing on in the faith in a manner to assure good
spiritual health. This most likely won't allow for a man that is drinking or
allowing sin to creep in every day or two, this is a man that practices
allowing the Spirit to control his life all the time so that he is in good
spiritual health.
He is also practicing charity or love as well as patience
all the time so that he is in good spiritual health. He is one that walks with
God and shows forth the love of God to those he encounters.
"speak things which become sound doctrine:"
SOME POSSIBLE MEANINGS:
a. Teach things that will become sound doctrine in their
minds.
b. Speak and live the way you should in light of sound
doctrine.
c. Speak and live to bring about sound doctrine in the
lives of others.
In the context, it is clear that Paul wants what is
spoken to bring about proper living in the lives of the people mentioned. Thus,
a and c relate well. Actually both principles are valid teachers. The teacher
that lives what he is teaching will find that his students learn much quicker.
The specific of the text probably is in the teaching things that will bring
about sound doctrine in the students lives.
Now, just why does Paul single out aged men to pick on?
First of all the aged or elder men in the Jewish faith and life were the ones
that everyone looked up to for wisdom and guidance. They were the roll models
of their day, if you will.
Paul was not picking on the old men, but was telling
Titus where to start in his setting right of things. The people would look up
to the elders of their community and if they saw change, then all would feel
that the change was right and proper. Paul was setting forth good strategy for
the young preacher Titus.
Indeed, Paul was setting a good plan for church planting
in our own day to a point. President Clinton is a prime modern day example of
what a roll model should not be. He was doing his own thing - wearing what he
wanted - acting like he wanted - not attempting to be the right and proper
person he should have been as the leader of one of the most powerful nations in
the world.
People look to his office for guidance in living, and
just what has he been teaching those people. That it’s okay to look like a slob
most of the time - that it is okay to lie - that it is okay to go back on your
word - that being immoral is okay.
Paul knew that these people needed some drastic living
changes, so began to work on them through Titus almost immediately. Again, we
have a principle for church planting. Lead the people to the Lord - don't
condemn them for their life style - but begin helping them to change their life
style. Notice should be made that the attempt to change their life style is via
the teaching of the Bible unto sound doctrine. As they see sound doctrine, they
will begin to conform to it.
Years ago in the hippie era two hippies were led to the
Lord through the ministry of an independent Baptist church in
Now, Paul moves on to the aged women. You know this
really hurts, he is telling people in my age group what they are supposed to be
like and I'm not sure we are - that means we need to change to come into
compliance.
3 The aged women
likewise, that [they be] in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers,
not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
The aged women or "presbutis" seem to relate to
the old women. Paul is really stomping all over our cultural norms. He is
putting the old up as being important and he is also telling them that they
should be living holy lives! When we get old it is the time when we get to kick
up our heels in this society, but Paul says no. They have a proper lifestyle.
They are to behave as with holiness - they are to live
their outward life in a holy manner - well their inward life as well, though
Paul comments on their outward behavior.
"False accuser" is the word "diablos"
which is the Devil. It relates to his slanderous ways. The old women are to
have none of his slander on their lips; they are to be holy and wise in the use
of their speech.
The tense of not being given to wine is a perfect passive
which gives the thought that she isn't overtaken by drink on a constant basis.
It doesn't say that she can't drink. This is not a passage many would
appreciate in that many today feel that the Bible does not allow believers to
drink in any manner. The thought of Scripture seems more that we are to do it
in moderation if we are going to do it, but in our society I personally feel
abstaining from all drink would be best for one's testimony.
Teachers of good things, is one Greek word and simply
relates to the teaching of what is good. Or it might go as far as saying
teaching goodness.
The old women have a specific job to do in the church and
I trust that you will allow them freedom to do it soon if they aren't free to
already.
I don't think that many churches are giving thought to
this idea of older women teaching. On a forum on the internet I recently asked
how churches were seeing to the idea of the older women teaching the younger
women to love their husbands. I asked how their church did this. Not one person
responded. I took it that there were none of the churches represented on that
forum that did anything to assure the younger women were being taught properly
in this area. This is sad at best, reprehensible at worst.
The "likewise" refers back to verse one,
"But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine...." Again, we
see the older singled out first to be taught. The next verse tells the
specifics of why - that they might teach the younger.
Now, this is also the culture of the day in which the old
women were the teachers of the younger. Today, however, we have another story.
Just how many younger women will listen to the older women? Not many in our
society.
Part of the problem is that we wait until the younger
women are adults to try to teach them what they need to know. If Christian
mothers and fathers would begin in childhood, to teach their daughters, they
would be open to listening in later life. Even then we have a real problem
trying to accomplish Paul's admonition in our own day.
This is due, in part to the society that we live in;
however it is due in more part to the society we have allowed into the church.
Our families are not driven by God's Word, but by what society is telling us.
When teaching at a Bible Institute, I was head of the
committee that was to provide activities for the married student wives. I gave
my wife and the other faculty member's wife this text to teach to the student
wives. The response was not all that good to the study. The young ladies found
many reasons why they could not attend the studies. They were not interested in
what God had to say to them. Holiness was not on their radar screen, they had
other things to do - better things to do.
We need to think about this text and its implications on
our modern day churches. Why don't we have our older women teaching our younger
women in Sunday school classes? Because the younger women, for the most part,
won't be told what to do, or how they should be.
American women have bought into the women's movement and
its false philosophy to the point that some of them will not even allow God to
have any say in their lives. Many Christian marriages have failed in recent
years because the woman would not allow anyone to have any say in their lives -
including God.
Before I get into any more trouble, I must state that it
is not only the young women, but the young men that have bought into societies
norms. Indeed, Christians in general are living more by the world's standard
than by the Lord's standard.
When I was growing up I attended a Christian church were
an old woman in her 60's - in the 1950's a 60-year old was considered old! -
taught the women's class and an old man taught the men's class. I wish churches
today would follow that lead.
Some older Southern Baptist churches still follow this
format and I applaud them for it.
APPLICATION:
1. This passage should draw us all to evaluate how we
view our aged and it should draw the aged to evaluate themselves. Just how do
they stack up against this list? How do we allow them to minister in our
churches? Are they part of the leadership? Are they in the teaching business?
Or more to the point, do you have any aged folks in your
church? Many churches have changed so much that the aged don't feel comfortable
there any more. They have left and moved on to other churches or in many cases
just stopped going to church.
Many are aghast that older believers would dare stop
going to church, but when they can gain more fellowship talking to their spouse
than they can with other believers at church, why bother getting out and around
to go to church.
The church has bent over backwards to draw in the young,
to draw in the lost, to draw in all sorts, but they have done nothing to
maintain the elder portion of their church. In fact most churches have
alienated their older generation. Sure, it is easy to blame the elders, they
are being picky etc. are the reasons given to excuse the concerns of the older
folks.
A friend in the mid-west told me of their church’s methods
in bringing in contemporary music. They didn't talk about it, they just did it.
They moved to a completely contemporary service with no thought to how it would
be received. When some of the folks gathered to question the elders, who by the
way weren't elders in age, only in office, they were told that the music would
stay and that the young people liked it.
Now, we see - the church is for the young - not sure what
the Biblical basis for this thought was. The people were also told that the
music policy had been changed by the elders months before the service and that
the contemporary service was the outgrowth of the music policy - a policy which
the older folks had never heard of nor had any input into.
No compromise was offered, it was "Here is the
reality and if you don't like it, that is too bad." The church lost all
their elderly and most of their wisdom it would seem.
On the other hand we see many churches doing worship any
old way. Some have informal, contemporary as well as traditional services. That
is just another way to split up the congregation so that the aged can't teach
the younger.
It should shame these congregations when they read in the
Old Testament about the Israelites - of
2. Pastors and teachers I would challenge you to go over
your next few sermons/lessons and see if they are filled with things that will
bring about sound doctrine in your people's lives. Are you feeding them meat
that will nourish and build up or are you serving up froth that will not
satisfy?
Think of the wasted time in many of our churches and
Sunday schools when we have been serving up milk toast to people that have need
of mature teaching to build their lives. It is no wander that many are falling
away from the church. They aren't falling away from the Lord, only the lack of
teaching and the lack of worship in our churches.
I know many of all ages that have opted to refrain from
church on this basis. Many sanctimonious preachers would tell those folks they
ought not forsake the assembly. I would charge, make sure you have a proper
assembly, one that is teaching sound doctrine, one that is promoting holy
living and one that is promoting proper worship.
3. I mentioned the church I grew up in. It was also the
practice for the elders to give a devotional before serving the Lord's Supper.
I didn't listen to them, because I didn't understand what they were talking
about, but I knew that it was a very important time for the congregation. They
were all very quiet and attentive to their thoughts as well as the observance.
This church gave me healthy understanding of holiness, of
decorum in a church, and of the older teaching the younger. My Sunday school
teacher as a child was always an older woman, my mother attended the older
women's class and even the ladies aid was run by the older women for the
benefit of the younger. A church as it should have been - too bad they forgot
to give me the gospel.
4. I have held the church accountable for not using the
older folks, but now I must chide them for not necessarily being a ball of fire
when someone asks them to take on responsibilities in the church. Many older
folks feel they have given their due and that they don't have to do any more.
They are retired, and they have no thought of getting involved with those young
folks that don't respect them.
Lots of truth on both sides, I must admit, however the
older are told to do certain things and they ought to get to it as soon as they
are allowed to.
Years ago I was asked to teach an older adult class. I
had a ball giving them a hard time about their age and one Sunday it became
perfectly clear that they felt they had absolutely no ministry in the church.
I, again, gave them the raspberries about what could they do, they were old and
couldn't raise a pencil to paper.
They began telling me in no uncertain terms what they
could do in the church and we filled a fairly large black board with the jobs
they knew they could do for the church. I later wrote the list down and gave it
to the pastor and his response was a belly laugh and tossing the list on the
desk in disgust. He said that he had been trying to get them to do something
for years and that they wouldn't do anything for him.
I left wondering just what leadership qualities he hadn't
picked up along the way. The old folks continued to attend but were never
allowed to minister to the congregation. It was so sad, that a couple dozen
people wanting to minister were not allowed to.
Indeed, the very fact that I was appointed to teach them
was in gross contradiction to the Word of God, but that didn't bother the
church leaders either.
5. The "old men" and "women" is of
interest. Paul was not talking of the office of elder, but was using a general
term that is only used here and in two other places. Luke
Let's consider the old folks in our churches. What are
they like? What would their qualities be?
I fear that they run along the lines of crotchety, stand
offish, opinionated, and uninvolved. These qualities may have risen out of a
culture in which they are worthless, abandoned and a pain in the neck. For a
moment, young folks, put yourself in the place of being treated as worthless,
lacking intelligence, and being isolated from your peers. How would you get as
time progressed? Maybe a little isolated, maybe a little cranky, maybe a little
fishing or hunting to get away from those treating you incorrectly.
What do we expect our older folks to be in our churches
today? How can they come out any other way? Yes, holiness is the answer but it
gets tiresome to keep yourself holy when you constantly see younger folks
treating you so miserably, in an unbiblical manner and never seeing anyone
chasten them for it.
Not giving the old timers a free ride here, just
wandering if they were treated with proper respect if they wouldn't become what
they are supposed to be in the church.
6. I don't think that most young folks appreciate what
the older generation has gone through. I once asked a class of college kids what
they remembered in the major historical event time line - in their lifetime.
They listed a few major events. I then started listing the events that I had
lived through. This list was much longer and they were surprised that I was so
old. I then listed the major events that my father lived through. This list was
major long, and I think they realized that the old folks in their churches had
some major miles on them.
I challenged them as I would the reader - these are the
folks that have the wisdom you need to train up the congregation in holiness.
Don't throw all that wisdom and knowledge away because you think it worthless.
Can you imagine what wisdom these folks have when
assisting young folks with the problems of life? Maybe this is why the divorce
rate in the church is so high - we haven't had any of the older folks modeling
what marriage is all about.
I recently heard that more Christians feel divorce is
okay than lost people. That, I would guess is a direct result of our emphasis
on younger people rather than allowing the older folks to teach the younger as
they ought.
The church is paying greatly for the lack of respect we
have shown our elder ambassadors for the Lord.
7. Keathley raises the issue that all believers are to be
fully engaged with the world, rather than totally concentrating on themselves
or the future. We are to live as if heaven were our home, but we are also to be
fully able to work with the lost world around us.
While in Wyoming years ago I met a couple that were retired.
They could have gone off in their camper and done their hunting and fishing,
but they did not opt to do so. They belonged to a Christian camper group that
took on building projects around the country. They all were self contained in
living quarters, and self sufficient in finance so they could pull up and spend
a month or two building at no expense to the host church or group.
Not only were they involved with this, they found that as
they did their relaxing and traveling that they could be effective in their
evangelism. They were fully engaged in their world while fully ministering for
their God and raising up reward for the next life.
Many older folks in the church are set aside and totally
disengaged from the world. They seldom go anywhere but to church and to buy
their needs. This is a sad status for our older believers, and I would trust
that you readers will see the need to change it in your churches of the future.
8. It is not specified in the text, but since the false
teachers were interfering in the family life in some manner, this might be
Paul's answer to that invasion into realms where sound doctrine is the
requirement. There may have been false teaching that was undermining good
family structure and relationships.
Now, we can't say that we have this today - well, I'd say
we could and that we should. The world's way of life has been accepted as the
standard for Christian living. You can't get along with the wife, get a
divorce, can't get along at work, be a sloth and quit and go on welfare or
unemployment until someone forces you to go to work.
The world is now dictating the Christian life rather than
the Word of God. We need some godly, holy people teaching our younger couples,
our youth and our children. This is the way to a strong church not the powder
puff fluffy slop of the current teaching in some churches.
To see the Vacation Bible schools advertised today you'd
think they were sending the kids to a Disney land park for the week, rather
than teaching them some serious Bible. Sad to say there is little Bible
teaching going on, mostly just entertaining and control.
Keathley mentions a woman that used to belong to the
National Association of Home Economics Teachers but the organization had
changed its name to the National Association of Consumer Education. The
teaching of home economics is a part of American history, not a current part of
most educational systems.
9. We mentioned holiness earlier. Let's dwell on that
word for a moment. I Peter 1.16 tells us "Because it is written, Be ye
holy; for I am holy."
Observation one: This isn't an option, it is a command.
It isn't multiple choice, there is only one choice. Being holy is the only item
up for consideration. Why are we to be holy? Because God is holy. He is the
basis of our holiness, He is the reason for our holiness, and He is the way of
our holiness. He commands that we be, and gives us the way to be, via the Holy
Spirit within.
Observation two: This letter was written to believers so
there must have been some that weren't holy in life. Thus we can know that the
believer has the choice of being holy or not being holy, though we are
commanded to be holy. To not be holy then is breaking a command of Almighty God
- realize that before you consciously step off into sin.
What is holiness? Is it something we can maintain all the
time? Can we be too holy to be any good to God here on earth?
If we could be too holy, it would seem that God would
have phrased the verse something like this, "Be holy but not too holy for
I am holy but not overly holy." NOT!
The Greek term is "hagios" meaning holy or holy
saint. The Bible dictionaries relate the word to God's perfection of moral
character, or that which makes God the perfection in moral character that He
is. We, as humans, on the other hand can achieve a semblance of holiness in our
outward lives and to an extent in our moral character, but we tend to fail
because of our bent toward serving self and our own wants.
Our moral character may see heights of moral perfection,
but it also sees the depths of the lack of moral perfection. It is between us,
as individuals, and the Holy Spirit within as to just how morally pure we are.
If we allow Him to have His way then we will be pure, but we seldom allow Him
that much control over our lives.
The concept is identical for God and with us - it is just
the perfection thing that is a difference. The same term is used of both God
and man in this verse so this pictures that identical character.
Let's reinforce this concept a little.
Lev. 11.44 "For I [am] the LORD your God: ye shall
therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I [am] holy: neither
shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth."
Lev. 11.45 "For I [am] the LORD that bringeth you up
out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I
[am] holy."
Now, before anyone suggests that we can't be holy, let me
stop you before you embarrass yourself. Read Psa. 86.45 "For I [am] the
LORD that bringeth you up out of the
Life Application Bible notes suggest a number of things
that make us holy today when they comment on I Peter 1.16.
Being devoted to God
Being dedicated to God
Being set aside for His use
Being set apart from sin and the world
Being different from the crowd
Being focused on Him
Being a light house might be another way of putting it.
We are to be a bright shining light amidst the total black of darkness. We are
also to be the salt of the earth. We are to add the flavor of life to the death
of no savor.
Holy has the definite idea of being set apart for God's
use. I might add that this has nothing to do with church attendance. A person
can be holy of life without attending church. I will be quick to admit, however
that attending church and having the support of Christian fellowship makes
holiness a whole lot easier. It also tends to keep you evaluating your holiness
from time to time, which might not occur as often if you weren't attending
church.
This set apart concept relates well to Romans 12:1-2
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your
reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
The setting apart is on our backs to do. God does not
automatically do it, nor does he require it be done, it is a voluntary item of
obedience that he wants of us. Voluntary in the aspect that we are told to do
it in I Peter.
If you are beset with sin, then Romans 12.1-2 is for you. If you try and try and try, then I John 1.9 is for you. Keep confessing and seeking forgiveness, while asking for strength to stand against the temptation that draws you into sin.