The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (CL)

Titus 2:1-15

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹ Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. 

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. 

Teach one another to lead better lives. Train one another to avoid abominable or ungodly activities. Be an example for one another in how to live a life of faith and devotion to God. These three simple lessons can teach us all St Paul really wants us to know.

St Paul first mentions that Titus needs to teach healthy doctrine. This he furthers by talking about Older men and Older women teaching young women and young men on how to live with one another. We need to teach people today how to have healthy relationships in the Lord.

How are we going to teach them if we do not train people. We need to train our children into having healthy relationships with each other at young ages. We also need to train children in having proper relationships with those who are older than they are. Furthermore, children need to learn how to appropriately treat the opposite sex. (Now that may be going to far with regard to children, but it is important to train them.)

But if you are going to train someone to act a certain way, or behave a certain way, and you act and behave differently, this is not going to work. Therefore, we need to set a good example for all those around us. How to show proper respect to one another.

Thus, we teach them, we train them, and we provide a good example. This goes for all God's people. For we have been taught by Christ, trained by his apostles, and provided with a good example in Christ and even in his apostles. So we can live a life not of perfection, but of confession. None of us will be perfect, but we all can be forgiven.