Titus 2 \\ Servants & Godliness

Servants (2:9,10)

Slaves too, who made up a significant portion of first-century congregations, responsible for honoring God with their lives Paul listed five qualities which were to characterize Christians who found themselves serving others. Titus was to teach them to be subject to their masters in everything; The duty of submission is emphasized in several other passages. In Ephesians 6:5 Paul writes, ‘Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.’ Again, in Colossians 3:22 he says, ‘Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it not only when their eye is on you to win their favor but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.’ Peter takes up the subject as well in 1 Pet. 2:18 saying ‘Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh’. Lying back of these commands is a recognition that masters have a legitimate authority over their slaves and that their authority is not to be rebelled against. Just as people, in general, are to be subject to rulers (Titus 3:1) so slaves are to be subject to their masters.

They are to be well-pleasing; They are to endeavor to give them satisfaction. This involves being conscientious and hardworking. If a slave is lazy or does his work carelessly and half-heartedly, he will certainly not please his master. Does God require anything less of those who are involuntary, paid employment? It ought to be a constant aim of Christian employees to give their employer satisfaction. And that means exactly the same as it did in the realm of first-century slavery. Lazy workers or workers who do their work carelessly and half-heartedly will certainly not please their superior. We need to be conscientious and hardworking.

Neither are they to be argumentative; Here we come to the spirit in which the work is to be done. A slave receives his orders and is not happy with what he is told to do. So he makes a surly remark. He grumbles and complains. He may go on and do the work well enough, but he has done it in a resentful spirit and with resentful words. ‘That’, says Paul, ‘is wrong. Teach slaves not to talk back to their masters’. Regardless of how common and acceptable it may be in the eyes of many, it is forbidden to the Christian slave. He is to do his work in a right spirit, willingly fulfilling the tasks that his master has assigned him. The standard is surely no lower for workers in employment situations. Christians are to be characterized by self-control in the use of their tongues.

Nor pilfering; This word translated in the greek is νοσφίζω (nosphizō) which is misappropriation of funds for one’s own benefit; hence “to embezzle”. Many slaves were in positions of trust. The opportunities were there to take things that did not belong to them and either keep or sell them. And human nature being what it is, many of them would have done it. Here again, however, the will of God is plain. Christian slaves are to be honest and not to steal from their masters. Regardless of what others are doing they are to submit to the authority of the eighth commandment and have nothing in their pockets or their homes that they have not been given or earned. The legitimacy of applying this to the workplace today is utterly beyond dispute,

but showing all good faith. Slaves are to show that they can be fully trusted , without using fraud or doing injury, in transacting the affairs of their masters. The purpose of the slaves’ behavior is made clear in the last part of this verse, namely, to ensure that people regard the Christian message in a positive manner—‘so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior’.


And finally, a call for godliness (2:11-15)

”For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

God’s Grace is so powerful in our lives as believers. As it says in verse 12, ‘it teaches us to renounce [ἀρνέομαι (arneomai) which means to deny] ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’. Grace not only brings about change; it also enables us consequently to live genuine Christian lives. In verse 13 the Greek for waiting [προσδέχομαι (prosdechomai)] often carries an air of zeal and eagerness. The Gospel of grace encourages godly living by focusing on the future as that of the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. In verse 14 Paul grounds his address for godliness in the fact that one purpose of Jesus’ death was to make his people holy. Paul roots this with the phrase to redeem us from all lawlessness. There is no room for claiming to be redeemed while failing to show evidence of actual transformation. Paul ends this chapter by emphasizing Titus’ responsibility to the various groups of people he has been given responsibility over to teach: ‘Declare these things; exhort[encourage] and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard[despise] you’. Right at the beginning of the chapter Titus is exhorted to ‘teach what is in accord with sound doctrine’ (v. 1). Now that exhortation is repeated. He is also to encourage them to follow the instructions that they have been given, as well as to rebuke them for any failure to do so. Titus is to command the people’s respect as he labors among them as a teacher, by being an example of the godly lifestyle that he is preaching to others.

Closing Thoughts.

In study this chapter in the book of Titus I was reminded again, and again, of the virtues in which my mother and father have been so faithfully teaching me for as long as I can remember. I cannot say that I learned a lot from this study. But it was good for me to spend such devoted time in the study of these verse, giving me a stronger foundation on which I stand as a young woman in this world today. The virtues of Titus 2 are greatly need in our culture. 

At the end of Titus chapter 2, Paul tells us that the world often judges the gospel by the way we [Christians] live. Our behaviors, should not cause people to despise the word of God. And if they do, let us pray that they are in the fault and not us—lest we be misrepresenting God in any way shape or form. Perish the thought.