15These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
3: 1Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Interesting Words
deny
(ἀρνέομαι – Greek) – arneomai ► intentional denial, refusal, to disown, to reject, [perhaps from (a negative particle) and the middle voice of ῥέω (rheo) – To flow… to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate — deny, refuse.] – Luke 9:23; John 18:25, 27; Titus 1:16;
desires
(ἐπιθυμία – Greek) – epithumia ► desire, lust, longing, from epí, “focused on” which intensifies thymós, “passionate desire” – Luke 22:15-16; John 8:44; Rom 1:24, 13:14;
exhort
(παρακαλέω – Greek) – parakaleó ► to call to one’s side, to exhort, to encourage, to comfort, to urge, to implore, beseech from close beside, (from pará, “from close-beside” and kaléō, “to call”) – Matt 5:4; Rom 12:1-2; 2Cor 1:4; Eph 4:1;
reprove
(ἐλέγχω – Greek) – elegchó ► to convict, to reprove, to expose, to refute, to correct – John 8:46; Eph 5:11; 2Tim 4:2;
for
(πρός – Greek) – pros ► preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward – many instances in the NT, 703 to be exact.
consideration
(πραΰτης – Greek) – prautés ► gentleness, consideration, humility, meekness, derived from the root pra-, emphasizing the divine origin of the meekness) – meekness (“gentle strength”) which expresses power with reserve and gentleness – Eph 4:2; Col 3:12; James 3:13;
Cross References
▪︎ People of God – 1Peter 2:9
▪︎ Once were lost – Eph 2:12, 13; Col 3:7-8;
▪︎ Love is poured out on us – Rom 5:5;
Discussion Questions
1. What are we challenged to do in Titus 2:11-12? Describe the specifics.
▪︎ Choose God over the world.
▪︎ Deny self and the desires of the flesh.
▪︎ Stand in opposition to the natural flow of things in the course of sinful man.
▪︎ Break the string of events that cause men to be hyper-focused on, and super-passionate about lust and sin.
▪︎ Instead, we need to be hyper-focused on the blessed hope that is brought to us by the redeeming grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Eph 1:18-19, Eph 1:19-20;
▪︎ We need to set our affections on things above and on the joys to come after Christ’s return. Col 3:2-3;
▪︎ Our affections need to be refocused on God and His goals.
2. In Titus 2:15, Paul sounds a little more intense. What is he concerned about?
▪︎ God’s plan for mankind is to know Him or at least be confronted with His claims. We need to be zealously about that business.
▪︎ Use all authority given to you to speak, counsel, exhort about the evils of sin.
▪︎ Do not let your audience simply ignore your message.
▪︎ Come at them in layers, repeatedly, over an over, redundantly.
3. Describe the various levels of exhortation mentioned here? There could be 5 or more.
▪︎ Exemplify – model the behavior God wants (Titus 2:14).
▪︎ Speak up about it (Titus 2:15)
▪︎ Instruct people in godly behavior (Titus 2:12)
▪︎ Remind people about God’s desires (Titus 3:1)
▪︎ Reprove – Guide people into the truth (Titus 2:15)
▪︎ Rebuke those caught in sin (2Tim 4:2)
▪︎ Exhort – How to stay away from sin (Titus 2:15)
4. How can you be ready for every good work (Titus 3:1)?
▪︎ Plan ahead. If you follow the rules, you know basically what is going to happen; be prepared.
▪︎ Pray about everything that is on your agenda at the start of the day.
▪︎ Pray about things that are unplanned, not even thought of yet. Pray as they come up.
▪︎ Pray every moment, without ceasing.
▪︎ Be obedient to God and the movement of the Holy Spirit. He is preparing you for what He has planned.
▪︎ Walk by faith, not by sight.
5. Compare Titus_3:3-5 (expand
3For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
) to the cross references in Colossians and Ephesians (Eph 2:12, 13; Col 3:7-8;)… What sticks out as a glaring difference or similarity?
3For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
▪︎ We ourselves were at that time foolish toward God, and clued in to the world. NOW, we are clued in to God, and foolish to the world (1Cor 1:23, 24-25).
▪︎ We were enslaved to sin and dead to God. NOW, we are alive to God and dead to sin and the world (Rom 8:11).
▪︎ We were envious, haters; NOW we love God and all men (John 14:12, 15:13, 13:34-35)
▪︎ We were lost, but NOW we are found (Luke 15:24)
▪︎ We were separate from Christ, but NOW Christ lives in us (John 14:16, 17), being renewed by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; 2Cor 5:17)
▪︎ We were deceived, strangers to the covenants of promise but NOW we have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13)
▪︎ We were separate and alone but NOW we are one with Israel, unified as a single new man in Christ (Eph 2:14, 15)