Titus and Philemon

Friday, May 21, 2010

Titus and Philemon

Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
   These are the qualifications a man must meet before he can become an elder of the Church.

:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
   When a person is doing evil things, they always assume that others are too. When we are a godly person, we see the good in others.

2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
   Our older men are to be these things.

:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
   The older women have a big responsibility. They have a behaviour to maintain, and they are to teach the younger women how to act.

:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
   It is hard for young men to be sober-minded. I think that's why Paul thought it so important to remind them that that's what they needed to do.


:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
   We are to do good works, be uncorrupted, be grave and sincere, and have sound speech that cannot be found evil.

:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
   I believe these verses can apply to employees.

Philemon
   This book is actually a letter, from Paul to Philemon, telling Philemon that his servant, who had run away, was coming back and he needed to treat him as he would Paul.

The next chapters will be Jeremiah 32-36.