Titus 2

J.B. Phillips New Testament

Good character should follow good teaching

2 ^1-8 Now you must tell them the sort of character which should spring from sound teaching. The old men should be temperate, serious, wise—spiritually healthy through their faith and love and patience. Similarly the old women should be reverent in their behaviour, should not make unfounded complaints and should not be over-fond of wine. They should be examples of the good life, so that the younger women may learn to love their husbands and their children, to be sensible and chaste, home-lovers, kind-hearted and willing to adapt themselves to their husbands—a good advertisement for the Christian faith. The young men, too, you should urge to take life seriously, letting your own life stand as a pattern of good living. In all your teaching show the strictest regard for truth, and show that you appreciate the seriousness of the matters you are dealing with. Your speech should be unaffected and logical, so that your opponent may feel ashamed at finding nothing in which to pick holes.

The duty of slaves—and of us all

^9-10 Slaves should be told that it is their duty as Christians to obey their masters and to give them satisfactory service in every way. They are not to “answer back” or to be light-fingered, but they are to show themselves utterly trustworthy, a living testimonial to the teaching of God our saviour.

^11-14 For the grace of God, which can save every man, has now become known, and it teaches us to have no more to do with godlessness or the desires of this world but to live, here and now, responsible, honourable and God-fearing lives. And while we live this life we hope and wait for the glorious d?nouement of the Great God and of Jesus Christ our saviour. For he gave himself for us all, that he might rescue us from all our evil ways and make for himself a people of his own, clean and pure, with our hearts set upon living a life that is good.

¹⁵ Tell men of these things, Titus. Urge them to action, using a reprimand where necessary with all the authority of God’s minister—and as such let no one treat you with contempt.