Christ's Law

[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 2:6 . . Encourage the young men to be sensible.

Paul urged Titus to "encourage" the young men in his church to be sensible; which
is quite a bit different than hounding them or getting on their backs.

Relentless criticism and ridicule, unreasonable expectations, zero sympathy, and
disapproving everything they think, say, or do are the surest ways I know to ruin a
young man's attitude.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 2:7-8 . . In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with
purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order
that those who oppose us may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say.

Young men today desperately need morally sound, grown-up male role models
because you can't just disapprove their life-style and not show them an alternative;
and the best way to do that is by your own example; viz: instead of preaching to
youngsters with words; preach to them with your lifestyle.

NOTE: It's very important for church officers to practice what they preach because
conduct unbecoming reflects on Christ. (cf. 2Sam 12:14)
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 2:9-10a . . Bond slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything,
to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering;

A bond slave is someone who has sold themselves into slavery for any number of
reasons. But the one aspect I would like to dwell on is pilfering because this is a
serious problem for employers here in the USA.

The Greek word translated "pilfering" basically means to squirrel something aside
for one's self, viz: embezzle; which Webster's defines as: to appropriate (as
property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use.

Embezzling isn't limited to strictly stealing money; no, it's also the misuse of an
employer's property such as company cars, office materials and office equipment,
and/or shop materials and shop equipment; including water and electricity.

My last job before retiring was as a civilian employee with the US Army Corps of
Engineers in the Portland Oregon district. It was a violation of Federal law for us to
even take anything out of a dumpster, or use a battery charger to jump-start our
cars, or even to so much as pump up a low tire on our cars with the air produced
by a government air compressor. We were definitely not supposed to use the
government's computers for surfing the web or composing personal e-mails.

Everything on the facility where I worked was US Government property, including
the trash, and could not be used in an unofficial capacity without first obtaining
special permission. Violators were subject to prosecution for Fraud, Waste, and
Abuse.

Unofficial use of office computers alone is costing employers multiplied thousands
of hours of wages and benefits paid to employees who are online during working
hours for personal reasons. The most outrageous case I heard of at work was a
lady downtown in the district office who was caught conducting her Mary Kay
cosmetics business via a US Government computer; and on official time no less.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 2:10b . . but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God
our savior in every respect.

When women buy a pretty new dress, they usually get things to go with it; things
we call accessories; like a purse, shoes, stockings, necklace, earrings, and/or a
watch and a bracelet. In the old days, women usually bought some gloves to go
with their new dress too-- thus they create an "ensemble" which gives them a
complete look rather than an unfinished look as if they just threw the dress on to
work around the house or run down to a nearby convenience store.

Well, a Christian who's merely a card-carrying Christian is like a pretty dress
without accessories. In point of fact, they are quite basic: just a house-dress
Christian. In other words; religion without piety is like leaving the house for work in
the morning half dressed.

NOTE: This touches on the very thing that hampered Cain's association with God.
Cain had religion, that much is evident (Gen 4:3) but he didn't have piety. That
much is evident too (Gen 4:7). In other words: Cain had a faith, but his wasn't an
"all good faith" like Abel's.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 2:15 . . These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let
no one disregard you.

I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean that pastors should speak with a bullying,
imperialistic, intimidating tone of voice. Pastors, after all, are supposed to be
shepherds rather than a bull o' the woods bossing a logging crew; so to speak.

The Greek word for "disregard" basically means to depreciate; viz: to marginalize.
i.e. to consider superfluous, expendable, and/or nonessential.

Once a minister has been made to feel that he's weak and ineffective and/or that in
the grand scheme of things he doesn't really matter; then for sure he'll lose heart
in his vocation and likely won't give it his best effort. The ministers with whom I've
been in contact over the years all agree that one of their most difficult personal
obstacles to overcome is discouragement.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 3:1 . . Remind your people to submit to the government and its officials.
They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.

A popular form of anarchy here in the USA is something called civil disobedience--
defined as the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws of the
state, and/or demands, orders, and commands of a government, or of an occupying
international power; i.e. non compliance with constituted law and order. In other
words: civil disobedience is criminal.

Henry David Thoreau insisted that individuals should not permit governments to
overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing
such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice.

At first glance, Thoreau's ideas makes good sense. However; it's important to take
into account that Thoreau was a secular humanist indifferent to the dictates of a
supreme being whose commandments, laws, rules, statutes, and edicts trump all
other forms of control. (cf. Rom 13:1-5)

Self-rule in accord with one's conscience got its start in the garden of Eden.

● Gen 3:22 . .Then the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one of us,
knowing good and evil.

Unfortunately the conscience that Adam obtained via tasting the forbidden fruit
transformed himself into a tin God guided by his intuition instead taking directions
from his maker.

Self-rule was the primary form of government during the Judges' era of spiritual
decadence in the land of Israel.

● Judg 17:6 . . In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that
which was right in his own eyes.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 3:2 . . malign no one, be non-contentious, gentle, showing every
consideration for all men.

The Greek word translated "malign" means: to vilify, defined by Webster's as: to
lower in estimation or importance, and/or to utter abusive statements against. In
other words; it's is talking about tearing someone down and changing people's
impression of them; mostly for the worse. There's a lot of that goes on in the world
of politics.

It probably goes without saying that the kind of vilification were talking about here
is mean-spirited and unwarranted. For example; is it tearing a Ponzi scheme mogul
like Bernie Madoff down to say that he's a louse of marginal integrity who can't be
trusted with other people's money? No; the man has been proven to be exactly
that.

"non-contentious" refers to peaceable; i.e. not ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

"gentle" actually means mild, i.e. temperate: exercising self restraint; viz:
controlling one's impulses.

"showing every consideration" is simply making an effort to avoid hurting people's
feelings for no good reason. This no doubt includes common courtesy along with
keeping a civil tongue in one's head.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Titus 3:8 . .This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want
you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to
engage in good deeds.

To "speak confidently" implies speaking with an assertive, "no buts" attitude; viz:
the things a preacher teaches his congregation should not be open to debate and/or
perpetual questions that never get to the bottom of anything.

The Greek word for "deeds" is very common throughout the New Testament; more
often translated "works" than deeds. We're not talking about Boy Scout kinds of
deeds but just simply the spiritual morality of one's day to day conduct; viz: a life
that pleases God instead of one that irritates Him to no end.

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption." (Eph 4:30)

NOTE: The protection from retribution afforded folks unified with Christ is a done
deal (1Cor 7:19-20 & Gal 3:13) The day of redemption likely refers to redemption's
entails, i.e. taking possession of something packaged but not yet delivered. For
example a new body (Rom 8:23-25) and a share in Jesus' inheritance. (Rom 8:16-18)
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