Titus 2:6–10—Younger Men; Servants

“Exhort,” he says—persuade, appeal; for here neither the severity of a commandment nor the fear of authority is powerful enough to exercise influence. A fatherly admonition is more likely to take effect, implanting in the heart, through words of love, convictions capable of arousing and bracing the energy of the will to resist the carnal impulses that rise up against it.

c) A reminder that the one who teaches should himself be exemplary in all things

Teach, he says; but of course not merely so that people may know, but above all so that they may also live in accordance with the teaching. Since in this regard the very best incentive and guide is the example of the teacher himself, the Apostle adds:

Tit. 2:7–8. In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing ungrudgingness, gravity, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned: so that he who is of the contrary part may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us persistently.

The Apostle commands holy Titus to present in himself two kinds of exemplariness: exemplariness in life and exemplariness in teaching; so that everything said may be expressed briefly thus: but above all, be yourself an example in everything—both in life and in teaching.

Exemplariness in life is manifested by an abundance of good works: present yourself as a pattern of good works. “Let the older women teach the younger ones,” he says, “while you yourself instruct the young men in self-restraint; but for all alike let your radiant life, open to everyone like some original image embracing all the virtues and readily furnishing examples for all who wish to learn anything good, be their common school and pattern of virtue” (holy Chrysostom). “Let your life be a pattern of the teachings you propose, for a word borne witness to by deeds becomes worthy of belief” (blessed Theodoret). “How one ought to do what the word teaches, let the example of a life show” (Ambrosiaster). “It profits a teacher nothing to acquire a habit of instruction and to polish his tongue in speaking, if he does not teach more by example than by word. If an unchaste man urges his hearers toward chastity, his word will be weak and ineffectual, however eloquent he may be. On the other hand, if he himself is pure and chaste, then, though he be unlearned in speech and slow of tongue, by his own example he will move them toward progress in that virtue through imitation of him” (blessed Jerome).

The Apostle teaches what exemplariness in teaching consists of—both through the dispositions with which doctrine ought to be imparted, and through its content.

The exemplary dispositions in the work of teaching are defined by the words: “ungrudgingness, gravity, incorruptibility. — Ungrudgingness,” αδιαφθοριαν — in some manuscripts: αφθοριαν, in others: αφθονιαν. This last gave occasion for the Slavonic translation: “ungrudging.” An ungrudging source, for example, means one sufficient for all, closed to none—let anyone take from it as much as he wishes. Ungrudgingness in teaching means: to impart everything to everyone, not in such a way as to teach one thing while holding back another, or to teach some people everything while giving others only a part—but to give everyone everything, following holy Paul, who told the Ephesians that he had not held back from declaring to them the whole counsel of God. In this sense, ungrudgingness means the same as “wholeness”—as the Slavonic margin also notes—that is, impart to the whole community the whole body of doctrine. For διαφθειρειν a garment, for example, means to tear it into pieces. In any case the word αδιαφθοριαν must be given a distinct meaning, different from αφθαρσιαν, which follows in the next word. It is best to hold that the Apostle is urging: in teaching, impart everything to all; present yourself as a full fountain of doctrine, overflowing, thirsting to share with all what fills the heart, from the abundance of which the mouth also speaks, as the Saviour likewise said of teachers: “every scribe instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (Mt. 13:52). And should we not see here above all a reference to that thirst for teaching—that irresistible desire to pour forth in word from the fullness of the knowledge of God, held and loved with a whole heart?

“Gravity,” σεμνοτητα — in teaching, a teacher manifests this when he imparts doctrine reverently, as if speaking before God in Christ, and with respect toward those who listen, addressing them not as a superior to subordinates, but as a well-wishing father to his children (Oecumenius), with meekness and love. This requires that in the very manner of expression the teaching discourse maintain a strict gravity befitting its subject, with all the simplicity demanded by the necessity of adapting to the comprehension of the hearers—so that there be no pomposity, no lowness or vulgarity, no jesting turns of phrase, no refinement typical of vain sophistries, or—as blessed Theophylact writes—“so that there be nothing youthful that might distract the foolish and move them to laughter, but that all things be reverent, grave, and worthy of God.”

“Incorruptibility”—in teaching, this straightforwardly conveys the thought that not only falsehood but also vain speculations that corrupt the word of truth must not be admitted into it. But since this thought is contained in the following words, “sound speech that cannot be condemned,” it is better to understand incorruptibility here as referring to an uncorrupted, unimpaired-by-passions disposition of spirit with which doctrine ought to be imparted—so that there be in it neither vainglory, nor love of filthy gain, nor any other earthly motive.

The exemplary content of teaching is defined by the words: “sound speech that cannot be condemned. — Sound speech” is that which edifies, so that the hearers may “be sound” in faith and remain steadfast “in sound doctrine” (Tit. 1:13, 1:9). As a body is healthy when, being unimpaired in every part, it lives the full life proper to it, so the teaching word is sound when it sets forth doctrine unimpaired in every part and containing everything it is appointed to contain according to the intention of the One Who sent this word of truth upon the earth. Such a word both plants and waters and causes to grow a sound faith and sound, dogmatic doctrine (Oecumenius). The word “that cannot be condemned,” ακαταγνωστον — that which cannot be reproached in anything, which is correct in every respect and possesses all that it ought to possess according to the requirements set forth above. “A sound word that cannot be condemned is an orthodox word containing nothing reproachable” (blessed Theophylact).

This blamelessness of the word may be regarded as the feature that comprehends within itself all the perfections required of it—perfections whose adornment in the word should be zealously pursued to the point that even the enemy, “he who is of the contrary part”—who watches it keenly and maliciously lurks to find something bad in it—is left put to shame in that attempt, “having nothing evil to say about us reproachfully.” Holy Chrysostom says: “By ‘the contrary part’ the Apostle means the devil and everyone who serves him. When the life of the teacher is radiant, and the teaching corresponds to it, when it is modest, meek, forbearing, and gives adversaries no occasion for censure, then there is great and inexpressible benefit. Therefore the ministry of the word is greatly needed—not just any word, but a skillful and blameless one, that would give no occasion for reproach to those who desire it.” Blessed Jerome adds this explanation: “In requiring speech that cannot be condemned, the Apostle does not mean that the teacher should present himself as so skilled in speech and so wise in life that he would suffer reproach from no one—for even Apostles and Evangelists were reproached by heretics and Gentiles—but that he should say and do nothing worthy of blame and reproach, even if enemies diligently seek to find something such in him; he wishes that enemies, struck by the holiness of life and teaching, should lack the boldness to condemn or to weave any plausible accusation to cast reproach. The Apostle himself showed this example, for he says of his own manner of conduct: ‘that I may cut off occasion from those who desire an occasion’ (2 Cor. 11:12).”.

d) In what does the good conduct of slaves consist?

Tit. 2:9–10. Slaves, to be obedient to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity: that they may adorn the teaching of our Saviour God in all things.

Teach “slaves,” he says. He passes over masters, perhaps because he is not writing a complete program of who should be taught what and how, or perhaps also because masters themselves could easily understand what manner of conduct toward slaves they ought to maintain and could readily carry it out; whereas slaves, having received and felt their great spiritual privileges in Christ Jesus, might easily be carried away and think that they were from now on free from their obligations toward masters. The Apostle therefore reminds Titus to forestall this deviation of slaves from the right path, perhaps presuming that Titus might think slaves could be left without any particular instruction. Blessed Jerome writes: “Since our Lord and Saviour, Who says in the Gospel: ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Mt. 11:28), excludes no estate, age, or sex from blessedness, the Apostle prescribes commandments also for slaves—that is, as members of the body of Christ, parts of His Church; and as above he showed what Titus ought to teach elders and elder women, younger women, and young men, so now he shows what commandments are fitting for slaves.”

Teach, he says, slaves first of all “to be obedient to their own masters”—this is the principal thing; for if this is present, it is hard for anything else contrary to the right conduct of slaves to break through—unless perhaps some wrongness may creep into the spirit of the obedience. This is why holy Chrysostom says at this word: “Rightly does the Apostle teach in another place: ‘serving as to the Lord, and not to men’ (Eph. 6:7). For although you serve your master, yet perhaps the foundation of this service is fear—a merely human fear—which takes away the value of your service. But one who serves with the fear of God will receive a great reward.”

“In all things”—blessed Jerome relates this to “to be obedient.” “First teach, says the Apostle, that slaves should be obedient to their masters in all things. Yet that ‘in all things’ refers to what is not contrary to God: that is, if a master commands something not contrary to Holy Scripture, the slave should obey his master; but if he commands something contrary to it, then the slave should obey the Lord of his spirit rather than the master of his body. Mark how fitting are the commandments the Apostle gives for each person!” Blessed Theodoret, without specifying to what this word refers, defines only its relative sense: “It says ‘in all things’—that is, in what relates to rendering bodily service to masters, for if the master bids one to act impiously, this does not oblige the slave to obey.” — But ordinarily “in all things” is related to the following word:

“To be well-pleasing,” ευαρεστους ειναι — not obsequiously pleasing, but such that it is good and pleasant for masters to have them, so that the possession of such servants affords them satisfaction on account of their obedience, sensible diligence, and constant fidelity, by virtue of which they can be relied upon in everything and one can be perfectly at ease regarding them. But blessed Jerome finds it possible in the phrase “to be well-pleasing” to see also the thought that servants should find it pleasing to be servants and should be content with their condition. He writes: “This word, though not fully, we can at least in part interpret thus: that they should be content—that is, that it should not seem to them that God is unjust in assigning them such an estate. But as the poor man may be saved according to his measure, and a woman is not excluded from the Kingdom of God despite the weakness of her sex, and every estate according to its rank may attain blessedness, so let slaves also be content with the fact that they are slaves, and not think that they cannot serve God for the reason that they are subject to men, but let them believe that by remaining in all things obedient to their masters and being content with their condition, they are pleasing the will of God and are thereby saved.”

“Not contradicting”—so that they should not contradict, not out of a better understanding of the matter, but from sheer quarrelsomeness and grumbling, when they do what is asked and yet mutter throughout. “The greatest vice in slaves,” writes blessed Jerome, “is to oppose their masters and to grumble to themselves when they give a command. The Apostle bids Titus to turn Christian slaves away from such a fault by sound teaching. For if a slave cannot but carry out what the master commands, why not do it with good will? By his contradiction he offends the master, and yet he cannot avoid doing what has been commanded.”

“Not pilfering,” μη νοσφιζομενους — not setting apart something from the master’s goods or secretly diverting it for their own benefit or their own share. This means such appropriation of the master’s property as does not catch the eye, is done in secret and without leaving traces; what is forbidden is the cunning are of enriching oneself from the master’s goods while at the same time remaining in the master’s good graces.

“But showing all good fidelity. — All” fidelity—every kind of faithfulness; fidelity “good”—with good will, with good purposes, in good deeds and for good ends; not merely seeming faithful, but being so in the disposition of the heart. “Do you see what he requires of slaves? That which above all sets masters at ease: namely, that they should not contradict, not steal, but be faithful in everything” (blessed Theophylact).

“That they may adorn the teaching of our Saviour God in all things.” “By such good works, he says, let servants adorn the teaching of our Lord. Then masters will not only not forbid them to believe, but will even be glad of it, seeing that the faith proves beneficial to themselves as well” (Ambrosiaster). On the other hand, “if a slave does not restrain his hand and does not bridle his tongue, what occasion will the Gentiles have to admire our teaching? But if they see a slave philosophizing in Christ, displaying greater self-restraint than their own philosophers, and serving with great readiness and zeal, they will undoubtedly marvel at the power of the proclamation. For the Gentiles judge doctrines not by teaching but by works and life. Let wives and slaves, therefore, be teachers for them—by their conduct. Among them, as everywhere, it is acknowledged that slaves are generally coarse, uneducated, stubborn, and little capable of virtue—not by nature, no, but by upbringing and the neglect of their masters. So when the Gentiles see that the power of the proclamation, having tamed this coarse sort of people, has made them the most honorable and modest of all, then, even if the masters are the most foolish of men, they will form a high opinion of our doctrines. And the worse such people—slaves—were before, the more the masters will marvel at the power of the proclamation. So too do we admire a physician when he heals and restores a man who was given up as hopeless and would take no food” (holy Chrysostom).