Paul’s final encouragement to Titus in the second chapter of his letter is a poignant reminder to us as well, especially as the year closes. This short verse is a very encouraging reminder to us as we enter into the coming year.

You can find this passage in Titus 2:15:

Paul has encouraged Titus throughout this chapter with several different specific teaching opportunities. He explained to Titus what to teach to older men, to older women, who in turn teach the younger women, the younger men, and slaves. From there, Paul shifted to some basic discipleship and the very foundations of the gospel itself.

In this verse, he expresses to Titus that these are the things that he must teach. The word translated “teach” here is literally the word “speak.” These are the things that Titus is to speak to the people on Crete. These are the things that Titus is to speak to his church. These are the things that Titus is to speak to those he comes into contact with daily.

Titus is called to exhort. That is what this mean. He is called to speak, to teach, to preach these things to the believers on this island. This is no small or light task. The responsibility is huge. But it is powerfully important.

Titus is to encourage the church with his words. And he is to rebuke them with his words, when necessary. The word “encourage” is closely tied with the word “teach” or “speak.” The idea here is to exhort those who are growing and give them the encouragement to carry on.

Correction is occasionally necessary, however, and so Titus must rebuke, or reprove, the believers when they neglect that which they should be doing, or step out of line with the message of the gospel.

Paul tells Titus to do these things with all authority. This indicates the seriousness of the matter. Titus is delivering the message of the gospel, and the church on Crete must accept his teaching as directly from God.

I love how William Barclay summarizes this passage:

This is a task of proclamation. There is a message to be proclaimed. There are some thing about which argument is not possible, and on which discussion is not relevant. There are times when the preacher must say, “Thus saith the Lord!”

This is a task of encouragement. Any preacher who reduces his audience to bleak despair has failed in his task. Men must be convicted of their sin, not that they may feel that their case is hopeless, but that they may be led to the grace which is greater than all their sin.

This is a task of conviction. The eyes of the sinner must be opened to his sin. The mind of the misguided must be led to realize its mistake. The heart of the heedless must be stabbed wide awake. The Christian message is no opiate to send men to sleep; it is no comfortable assurance that everything will be alright. It is rather the blinding light which shows men themselves as they are and God as he is.

Titus is faced with a huge task and responsibility. And Paul finishes this verse with one final instruction. The message is so important that Titus must not let anyone despise him or the message that he brings. This is similar to Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, although Titus may not have been as young as Timothy. However, he does seem to be included in the instructions to younger men earlier in the chapter.

As Titus teaches these things, God’s truth is at stake. Titus, must present himself in such a way that the message is conveyed with integrity and power. God’s authority lies behind Titus as he teaches and preaches. He must live his life in such a way that he does not compromise that power and authority.

The same is true today. One of the ways that God speaks is through messengers who faithfully preach the Word each week. The authority of the message does not come from the messenger, but from the One from whom the message comes. We would do well to listen and obey.

Question: How do you recognize the authority of God and his message in your own life? You can leave a comment by clicking here.