Titus 2:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

NIV: and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

NASB: not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

CSB: or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

NLT: or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.

KJV: Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

NKJV: not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Continuing his instructions to bondservants from the previous verse, Paul instructs them to not steal. Instead, slaves are to demonstrate faithfulness. In other words, servants are to give their masters every reason to trust them. Their actions are to be noble. The last phrase of this verse explains why: so that everything the servant does will bring honor and glory to God and His truth. The life-goal of a bondservant is to make the teachings of God appealing, by living them out. An ancient bondservant had no direct influence over his or her master, but through godly behavior, they could influence their master to come to faith in Christ.

The final phrase, referring to teachings about God, offers an interesting theological thought. Paul is a Jew, and is writing to Titus, an uncircumcised Gentile. And yet, Paul refers to God as "our" Savior. This means Paul saw both himself and Titus as brothers in Christ, part of a single family of God. This theme, often repeated in Titus, emphasizes unity through Jesus among all who believe in Him (Romans 10:11–13).

Titus 2:1–10 is Paul’s instructions to Titus, regarding the way various groups within the church should be coached. It includes specific instructions for older men and women, younger men and women, and servants. Titus is to encourage traits such as faithfulness, respectfulness, dignity, and self-control. Living this way not only draws others to Christ, it leaves critics with no room to attack our faith.

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.

Accessed 5/7/2024 7:52:55 PM