Sound doctrine is vital to the health of the church. In contrast to those who were empty talkers and deceivers (Tit 1:10), Titus was to teach the truth with an application for godly living. Paul highlighted some areas of focus for different groups within the church congregation.

He first deals with the older men, most likely those of the age who have raised a family who are now raising their own families. They are to be sober-minded, that is level headed and self-controlled. They are to be dignified or worthy of respect. They should be self-controlled or temperate. Self-control is clearly an important characteristic for the believer because Paul gives it double emphasis here in two forms and it is highlighted for every group of people in this passage. Older men should be sound in faith, love, and endurance. Their faith should be healthy resulting in a love for others and enduring to the end. Older men should be an example of a life lived faithfully, running the race to its end and finishing strong (2 Tim 4:7).

The older women are to be encouraged with the same exhortations as the older men but with appropriate differences. They are also to be encouraged to be reverent in their behaviour, they should display outwardly their godly inner character. They should not be slanderers, this word comes from the word for the devil and suggests devilish use of the tongue must be avoided. They should not be addicted to much wine, perhaps the focus on this group was because of a cultural predisposition but it is not exclusively a requirement for the older woman, it applies to every believer (Eph 5:18). Positively they are to teach what is good, specifically older women have a ministry to teach younger women.

Titus was not told to teach the younger women directly but to have the older women mentor them. There is a huge benefit to practical, biblically-based training between two people who have shared experience. A woman can relate more closely to what she is teaching in these areas. This mentoring should include how to love their husbands and children. Interestingly, this is something that should be taught, it doesn’t always come naturally. Again self-control is raised. They should be pure, faithful to their husbands. They should be homemakers, even if there is a need to work outside the home, the role of wife and mother should be prioritised. They should be kind, including hospitality and serving others. They should be submissive to their own husbands, this does not place women under all men, nor does it make her subservient to her husband, but a woman must respect the role God has given her husband as the leader of the home. The world keeps a keen eye on Christians and their families where we have the privilege and the responsibility of upholding God’s word and keeping it from being blasphemed. When our lives are inconsistent with our talk, then unbelievers discredit the word of God.

Paul has very little directly to say to the younger men except to emphasise self-control again. But they are included in some sense with everything that has come before with the use of the adverb “likewise”.

Paul gives focus to different characteristics in each group but that doesn’t permit any group to ignore the characteristics of the others. We are all expected to manifest the fruit of the spirit in our lives.

Which characteristic stood out to you? Did something concern you because it wasn’t highlighted for another group, why? Did you notice something in a group you don’t belong to that you recognise you need to work on anyway? Are you in a mentoring relationship with someone older teaching you, or are you teaching someone younger? Who can you ask or invite into a relationship like that?