Titus 2:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

NIV: It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

NASB: instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age,

CSB: instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,

NLT: And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

KJV: Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

NKJV: teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

The grace of God, mentioned in verse 11, brings salvation as well as changed actions. Two main areas are presented here in verse 12. First, God's grace is involved in teaching us to turn away from worldly, unrestrained, godless behaviors. The Greek of this verse uses two words with similar meanings. One is translated as "ungodliness," or "godlessness," the other as "worldly passions," or "worldly lusts." Ungodliness is simply anything which contradicts God's will or His nature. God's grace helps believers in Christ to reject ungodly living. In addition, it helps us reject sinful desires. God's grace trains us, or teaches us, to avoid behaviors that are sinful.

The second major point made in verse 12 involves living with self-control, morality, and godliness. "Self-control" is an idea frequently mentioned in Paul's letter to Titus (Titus 1:8; Titus 2:2–6; Titus 2:12). It emphasizes the importance of a disciplined life. This attitude was in sharp contrast to the lazy, self-focused lifestyle of many people in Crete (Titus 1:12–13). The Greek dikaios is translated as "righteously," or "upright," and literally means "proper," or "right." "Godly" is the polar opposite of "ungodliness," mentioned earlier in the verse. This is from the Greek eusebos, meaning "virtuously," or "piously."

Titus 2:11–15 explains the grace of God as something which encourages believers toward right behavior and right thinking. The previous Scriptures gave instructions for proper behavior of church members. Here, God’s grace is shown as the foundation on which traits such as self-control, respect, and godliness are built. Paul also commands Titus to teach these ideas boldly, and with authority.

Titus chapter 2 details instructions for various groups within the church. These include older men, older women, younger men, and younger women. Paul commands Titus to encourage these positive behaviors, and to correct anything which contradicts his teachings. Titus is also told to be bold, and authoritative, in his work.

Chapter 2 forms a bridge in the middle of Paul’s letter to Titus. Chapter 1 focused on the character traits of a church leader, contrasted to the immoral culture of Crete. Chapter 2 explains the ideal traits of church members, especially in their acts towards each other. Chapter 3 will focus on the relationship between Christians and their surrounding culture.

The book of Titus is a letter written by the apostle Paul, to a Christian leader on the island of Crete. This is one of Paul’s three Pastoral Epistles, where he offers instructions to younger believers caring for large groups of others. Paul uses the book of Titus to emphasize the importance of selecting church elders carefully. Many of the topics discussed in Titus are mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. Though the details of this message are specifically for Titus, and the believers of Crete, they offer insight useful for churches today.