Men in the Church, Part 1
Thursday, June 19
As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. (Titus 2:1)
The more mature men in the church are taught to be self-controlled, sober, and worthy of respect (cf. 1 Timothy 3:2, 11), the better the church becomes. Such men are wise in their decision-making and careful when making judgments. They are clear on what really matters and decisive in making godly choices. They rightly utilize their God-given talents and gifts, as well as their time, money, and energy. They are men with right and godly priorities, and they have as their motto for life one simple dictum: “All that matters in life is pleasing God.” They are self-controlled men.
Second, men in the church should be “worthy of respect.” These men go after that which is noble and morally valuable and worthy. It is a character trait that God expects of the deacon (1 Timothy 3:8) and his wife (1 Timothy 3:11). This is the man who, while not being a prude or a Pharisee, takes no delight in inappropriate, off-color humor, vulgarity, or anything else that is suspect, questionable, or clearly out of bounds. He is worthy of honor and respect, particularly by younger men, because of the purity and integrity of his life.
“Teach older men to exercise self-control.” This is probably the key idea of this passage. Some form of the word appears to each of the four key groups of the church Paul addressed, though this is not readily apparent in our English translations (see verses 2, 4-6): in verse 2 the older men are called to be “live wisely”; in verse 4 the older women are called to “train” (or encourage) the younger women; in verse 5 the younger women are called to be “self-controlled,” and in verse 6 the younger men are also called to be “self-controlled.” This person has his passions under control and is self-disciplined. He is not careless or foolish with his words or in his behavior.
Doing the Word
Live by the Book.
Prayer
Dear Father, help me to live and promote a life that reflects wholesome and sound teaching according to Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.