What I Would Do Differently
Lesson 4: Titus 1:5-16 Truth and Character Matter 2.24.21
Lesson 4: Titus 1:5-16 Truth and Character Matter
these twelve verses. One issue is cultivating leadership in the church. The other is dealing with false teachers.
Before we go into this letter there is another important distinction we need to learn about to help us better understand and apply what we read. When we approach a passage, we need to keep in mind how we should understand the text. Is it, write this down, descriptive, as in it is describing events that have happened? Or, is it prescriptive, as in it is prescribing how to do something? Other than Acts, all of the writings in epistles are prescriptive – meaning they prescribe how to go about things. This is an important distinction because this is where a lot of people take the Bible out of context not because of what it says but because of what was intended by the writer is not being fully
understood in light of what the reader is hoping to make the Bible say. Here is an easy example. In the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we read of Jesus having 12 disciples. This is descriptive writing. The writers are describing how Jesus went about discipleship and teaching. We can learn from this but the primary reason for these accounts is to know and understand the life of Christ better. It is not prescriptive –
meaning you do not have to have a group of 12 people following you around who you are teaching and sending out into the world. You should be discipling and being discipled but how you do that is better learned from prescriptive teaching, like that of epistles, than it is from descriptive accounts like the gospels. We learn about Jesus and want to be like Jesus from the descriptive accounts in the gospel, but not all of that is commanded of us. For example, you can’t die for the sins of the world but you certainly benefit from learning about the one who did. Summary: descriptive describes something that has taken place which we can learn from but isn’t necessarily directly promised to happen to us.
Prescriptive is prescribing how to do something. Prescriptive writing includes directions, commands, and even promises that we should apply to ourselves and our church. Titus is prescriptive. Paul is telling Titus, and us by extension. how to deal with things.16
Knowing this is prescriptive, it is telling us how to go about something, let’s look at Titus. Let’s start with the leadership, or elder qualifications, in 1:5-9. Paul has told Titus to appoint elders, now he tells Titus what qualifies a man to be an elder. Elders are to be mature believers. What does a mature believer look like? “If anyone is above reproach” serves as the summary and what follows is how one is above reproach.17 Follow with me starting in verse six. They are married to one woman, their own children should be Christians and not rebellious, he must not be arrogant, quick-tempered, a drunk, violent, or greedy. He is to be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to what the Bible says, teach according to what the Bible says, and he must rebuke, or correct, those who don’t.
That is some serious responsibility. However, if we stop and think about it, especially in light of the bigger story of the Bible, these are really characteristics that should be true of all of us as a Christian. While these characteristics are specifically listed out to help Titus assess who can be an elder (and someday when you are looking for a church when you move away, make sure the leadership meets these character standards) but these things should also be true of us as Christ followers. The more mature we are in our faith the more these things should characterize our lives. As we follow Jesus these things should become every increasingly true of us.
16 John Stott, Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity, 2006), 21-3.
As Paul explains why this kind of character matters, he also explains why holding to God’s Word matters. Paul starts in 10-13, essentially describing the opposite of what an elder should be, then tells Titus to “rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith.” Titus needs to tell them what the truth actually is so that they will believe and teach truth instead of lies. It matters because truth and character matter and the way you live will ultimately reveal what you truly believe. What you believe will impact how you live on this earth and where you spend eternity.
The last two verses really drive home the need for Godly character. To those in Christ, all things are pure, we have the Spirit renewing us and growing us in Christ
likeness but those outside of Christ can do nothing spiritually good. Their minds and their consciences are defiled. How can you tell what someone believes? Look at 16, “they profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” Why should you care about your character and holding to the truth? Because if you don’t you will believe almost any lie that sounds good or promises you happy feelings – these lies will ultimately leave you empty, broken, and drifting ever further from the Truth of God.
Your actions will reveal what you truly believe. You may not read 1:5-9 and say “this is me” but because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, if you confess and believe, the Holy Spirit will grow you into maturity so that this is reflective of who you are. Your effort will not bring about Christian character and maturity, only God can do that. Seek Him. Confess when these things are not true of you and ask the Spirit to work in you and bring you to maturity.
We are going to wrestle with these things in small group.
PRAY.
Lesson 5: Titus 2:1-10 Hold to Truth and Live It Out