So this morning I read this in Titus 2:
You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self- controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self- controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
This didn’t make sense to me: “sound doctrine” is that old men should be temperate, old women reverent, young women pure, and young men self-controlled? Good advice, maybe, but not doctrine.
Doctrine is deep stuff like the trinity, and total depravity, and election. Doctrine, frankly, is what we need badly to know but hate to learn because it’s hard.This didn’t make sense to me: “sound doctrine” is that old men should be temperate, old women reverent, young women pure, and young men self-controlled? Good advice, maybe, but not doctrine.
These verses aren’t hard. Hard to do, maybe, but not hard to understand. Not doctrine, certainly. I didn’t get it, until I noticed the earlier words “appropriate to.” “Teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.”
The idea is this: Doctrine has to affect the way we live. Doctrine helps us understand who we are in relationship to who God is. If that knowledge doesn't change what we do, then it does us no good - what is meant to equip us for home and work and school and life becomes boring.
Sound doctrine means us old guys need to be temperate (showing moderation or self-restraint, Webster says). Grumpiness and impatience don’t show others the God we serve. Old ladies, don’t gossip about people who don’t meet your standards. Young men and women, control your emotions and behaviors, so that you don’t reflect badly on Jesus.
These are the lifestyle markers of Jesus followers. His way is different; only God-changed people can do it. These things make us examples; life itself becomes witnessing. As it was meant to be.
