April 18, 2023

Titus 2: 9, 10 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. (NIV)

God doesn’t call us to “good enough.” He calls us to “best.”*

Paul was not a political activist. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ. No matter his personal views about the Roman government, his job was to change the world one person at a time, from the inside out. Here he addresses Christian slaves about how they could be a witness to their owners. Did he approve of slavery? We might wonder if he had an opinion about it at all – it was so ingrained in the culture of his day, and if he wrote anything for or against the institution, it never made it to his epistles. So, distracting social issues aside, what was Paul’s intended message to Titus in this passage?

In his letter to Titus, Paul offered helpful instructions in dealing with the diverse fellowship of believers on the island of Crete. The natives were from five distinct ethnic groups, while other residents included sailors, pirates, and a large Jewish community. Titus had to be quite the diplomat to accomplish his original mission, which was to straighten out unfinished business and appoint elders in every town (1: 5). Paul addressed several specific concerns, including the qualifications of elders; dealing with rebellious people; and relationships between generations and genders.

As for those slaves who had been converted to Christianity, they may have lacked freedom but they were not exempt from responsibility. Respect, integrity, honesty, trustworthiness – characteristics of a Christian which might not have been found in your average slave. Christians, however, are called to be above average, regardless of our station in life.

Paul’s advice regarding slaves is relevant to any of us who answer to someone else. No matter who you are or how lowly your position, you can be a witness. Jesus warned that we would not always be well-received, but it is still our job to make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. We do that with our lives as much as with our lips.

Our holy living is not just to please God but to attract others to him.*