Titus 2

What an odd way to start the tips for ministering to senior adult men: “Tell older men not to get drunk” (Titus 2:2). We can only guess why Paul started there. Any guesses?

Paul’s advice to slaves is particularly troubling in our culture that sees slavery as thoroughly selfish on the part of the slave owner, and absolutely unjustifiable. So how can we justify cutting Paul some slack and allowing him to get by with telling slaves to “do whatever their masters ask. . . . keep everything pleasant. No backtalk” (Titus 2:9)?

LIFE APPLICATION. Paul’s advice for elderly Christian women includes just four points: “behave like ladies devoted to God,” no “bad-mouthing others,” no “drinking too much wine,” “teach goodness” (Titus 2:3). Which piece of advice do you think would be the hardest for the ladies to practice, and why?

LIFE APPLICATION. Paul seemed concerned that bad behavior of Christians might produce bad PR for this emerging religious movement, and for God. He didn’t want to “give anyone a reason to bad-mouth the word of God that we’ve been teaching” (Titus 2:5). In what way do you think Christians today produce bad PR for Christianity and for God?

LIFE APPLICATION. Paul offers just a few suggestions for young Christian men. His list seems relatively paltry compared to the book of Proverbs, which many Bible experts say was compiled as a book of advice for young men. If you were going to add some of your best advice for young men, what would you include?

Paul said, “In a religious sense, everything is ritually clean to the person who is morally clean” (Titus 1:15). Really? What about prostitution, heroin, and rooting against the Kansas City Royals? Aren’t they bad? Well, at least two of them.