Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Titus 3:1-2

Passage

Remind them to submit to the rulers and authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work, to blaspheme no one, to be lacking in conflict, to be gracious while demonstrating every humble submission to all people.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As Paul begins to wind up this letter, he reminds Titus of some general lessons for successfully living among community.  In these two verses, the overarching theme is once more humble submission.  We are not only to submit to our authorities but to all people.  We are to be a people of peace, not conflict.  Humble submission is difficult to achieve in this world as our world teaches us to be self-centered.  Yet, God wants us to think of the other person.  God wants us to think of their needs.  God wants us to submit and be willing to let others have their way and be in control if they need to be.  After all, we have eternal life to enjoy; why do we have to be in control and dominate over these few years here on earth?

Why can submission be hard to achieve?  Why do you think this topic keeps coming up in the New Testament letters?  When is it easy for you to submit?  When is it difficult?

Second Thought:

Paul also tells Titus to teach people how to be ready for good work and to be gracious.  These ideas pair nicely with the concept of submission.  When we are genuinely interested in doing good, our submission comes across as genuine.  When we are gracious, our submission will not be confused with patronization.  There is an art and a skill – a way of life, really – to being submissive to God and those to whom God has asked us to submit.

When are you gracious?  With whom is it a challenge to be gracious?  How interested in doing good works are you?  With what kinds of good works do you think that you excel?

Third Thought:

Paul also reminds Titus to tell people that they should not blaspheme against one another.  Literally, blasphemy is speech that harms and injures the reputation of another.  When we blaspheme God, we harm His reputation.  When we blaspheme one another, we harm the reputation of the other.  Sometimes we call this slander or gossip.  But blasphemy is really a challenging word for it.  God doesn’t want us intentionally harming or injuring the reputation of one another.  It is hard enough to have a good reputation to begin with, much less when we have to combat the attacks of one another!

Do you blaspheme other people and their reputations?  About whom do you find it difficult to say anything nice?  Why is this true?


Passage for Tomorrow: Titus 3:3-4

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