The chat will start when you send the first message.
1Your duty is to teach them to embrace a lifestyle that is consistent with sound doctrine.
2Lead the male elders into disciplined lives full of dignity and self-control. Urge them to have a solid faith, generous love, and patient endurance.[#2:2 Or “old men.”]
3Likewise with the female elders, lead them into lives free from gossip and drunkenness and to be teachers of beautiful things.[#2:3 Or “old women.”; #2:3 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “good things.”]
4This will enable them to teach the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children,[#2:4 Paul is contrasting the “elders” with the “younger” (Gr. neos ) and could possibly be referring to those who are newly converted.]
5and to be self-controlled and pure, taking care of their household and being devoted to their husbands. By doing these things the word of God will not be discredited.[#2:5 Or “supportive of.”]
6Likewise, guide the younger men into living disciplined lives for Christ .
7Above all, set yourself apart as a model of a life nobly lived. With dignity, demonstrate integrity in all that you teach.[#2:7 “Integrity in all that you teach” would imply serious study of God’s Word and its personal application in our lives, and not teaching impulsively from one’s opinion, which only leads to arguments and divisions. This kind of integrity gives someone the right to be heard.]
8Bring a clear, wholesome message that cannot be condemned, and then your critics will be embarrassed, with nothing bad to say about us.[#2:8 Or “with sound speech.”; #2:8 Paul and Titus were a team. If one were to err, it would affect the other.]
9Servants are to be supportive of their masters and do what is pleasing in every way. They are not to be argumentative[#2:9 Or “bondservants.”; #2:9 Or “submitted to.”]
10nor steal but prove themselves to be completely loyal and trustworthy. By doing this they will advertise through all that they do the beautiful teachings of God our Savior.[#2:10 Businesses today lose millions of dollars to employee theft. Believers are to be meticulously honest in the workplace.; #2:10 Or “adorn [beautify] the doctrine of God.”]
11God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person , bringing salvation for everyone.[#2:11 Grace extends God’s kindness and love to us every moment and makes us “worthy” of his acceptance. Grace is unconditional, unmerited, indescribable favor from God.; #2:11 That is, grace has revealed a salvation available for everyone. Or “God’s marvelous grace has appeared to all, bringing salvation.”]
12This same grace teaches us how to live each day as we turn our backs on ungodliness and indulgent lifestyles, and it equips us to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age.[#2:12 The Greek word for “ungodliness” is singular, while the word for “indulgent lifestyles” is plural. This has led some scholars to believe that we are to turn our backs on both the root principle of ungodliness and the specific acts that result from ungodliness.; #2:12 These three adjectives—“self-controlled,” “upright,” and “godly”—refer to our behavior, our behavior toward others and toward God.]
13For we continue to wait for the fulfillment of our hope in the dawning splendor of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One.[#2:13 Or “the blessed hope and glorious appearing.” The Greek word is epiphaneia (epiphany) and is a nominalized verb that means “a brightness shining all around.” It was through epiphaneia , the beautiful appearing of Christ as a baby, that a wonderful hope was brought to all the world.; #2:13 Or “our great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.” Note the four great truths of grace in vv. 11–13: (1) Grace is a person—“our great God and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One.” (2) Grace brings salvation for all. (3) Grace educates us on how to live pure lives. (4) Grace brings a hope of the manifestation (appearing) of Christ. This is a hope worth waiting for.]
14He sacrificed himself for us that he might purchase our freedom from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people who are his very own, passionate to do what is beautiful in his eyes.[#2:14 We are a people encircled by God himself. The compound Greek word periousios is translated from “around,” as a circle, and the verb “to be.” It can mean something surrounded by something. It can be charted by a dot within a circle. As the circle surrounds the dot, so God is around each one of his saints. The circle has the dot all to itself. So God has his very own all to himself. We are unique in that we belong only to him. Uniquely his, we are monopolized by God, taken into himself by grace through faith and surrounded by his love.]
15So preach these truths and exhort others to follow them. Be willing to expose sin in order to bring correction with full authority, without being intimidated by anyone.[#2:15 Or “Speak these things; exhort or rebuke [speak in order to expose sin and bring correction] with all authority.”; #2:15 Or “disregarded.”]