Especially for Men Titus 2:2 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
When you read through the Bible looking for something especially for men, you cannot miss Titus 2:2. It is addressed to “the aged men.” The qualities of men listed in this verse must be taught. At first glance you may not know what all these mean. We can learn about these characteristics by cross referencing them and defining them. Aged men are to be:
Sober – you can see from the scripture that soberness encompasses several attributes:
- Acts 26:25 “I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” Sober means dictated or guided by sane and sound reason: rational.
- Rom 12:3 “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly.” One of the definitions is “unpretentious, humble.”
- 2 Cor 5:13 “whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober…”. Sober implies cool composure, dispassionate unprejudiced reason and analysis, or freedom from unreasonable excess [contrast David in 2 Sam 6:14-16, 20-22].
- 1 Thes 5:5-8 “let us watch and be sober.” The context speaks of drunkenness. So the definition “free from the influence of intoxicating beverages; not drunk” fits [see Eph 5:18 and contrast Matt 24:44-51, particularly v.49, before the return of Jesus].
- Titus 2:12 “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly.” Sober here means indicating or expressing a temperate or moderate character or demeanor.
So to be sober is to be rational, humble, cool-headed, sober (not drunk), and moderate
Grave – deacons must be grave [1 Tim 3:8] their wives must be grave [1 Tim 3:11] and the aged men must be grave [Titus 2:2]. Grave means having a serious, sedate, and dignified appearance or demeanor. Remember that the Lord intends for you to reign as kings and priests with him during the millennium [Rev 1:5-6]. In the barracks you ought to be able to identify the captain even in his briefs. Dunk said, “A weakness in man which dictates many of his actions is the fact that man is not a logical creature, but an emotional one – he wants to be liked.” He may wear skinny jeans and tennis shoes in order to relate to his crowd. That’s not being grave.
Temperate – 1 Cor 9:25 every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Read the context; he has his body in subjection. Temperate means moderate in indulgence of appetite or desire: self-controlled [Eph 5:18, we have the Spirit’s help, Gal 5:23]. Temperance is moderation in action, thought, or feeling. I say, “He’s even-keeled.” [Existing in the middle ground between extremes]. Temperance is in the building blocks of a fruitful life, 2 Pet 1:5-9.
Sound in faith – Sound means “marked by solidity, firmness or stability.” Contrast the double-minded man in Jas 1:6-8. We say he’s wishy washy. Sound faith is faith based on truth or right: free from error or fallacy. So, he’s solid in his faith and his faith is true according to the Bible [Rom 10:17]. We must have a working knowledge of the Bible. Notice some things that can shake your faith:
- Love of money [1 Tim 6:10];
- Doubt [Mk 11:22-24];
- Deceit [Eph 4:14, 2 Tim 2:17-18];
- Vain babblings and science falsely so called [1 Tim 6:20-21]. A college education can destroy a young man’s faith.
Oddly, I have met about 4 Jehovah’s Witnesses who were former Southern Baptists. The reason they got “picked off’ is that they knew what they believed but they didn’t know why they believed it.
Sound in charity – Charity is defined in 1 Cor 13:1-8. Charity is the underlying motive for all we do. And don’t be fickle. Abound in love.
- Love God [Matt 22:37-38].
- Love His word [Ps 119:163-167].
- Love the brethren [1 Jn 4:20-21].
- Love your wife [Eph 5:25].
Sound in patience – Patience is the capacity or habit of enduring evil, adversity, or pain with fortitude [the strength to bear it]; forbearance under stress, provocation, or indignity; toleration for the faults of others: courageous endurance. These definitions are a real eye-opener. Patience is not just being able to handle the waiting room in your doctor’s office or a long red light when you are late for work. Patience is much more than that.
- Jas 1:3-4 we must let patience have her perfect work.
- Rom 5:3-4 patience is a key ingredient to finally having the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
- 2 Cor 6:4 Paul endured all of his trials patiently.
- 2 Thes 1:4 the Thessalonians had to patiently endure.
- Heb 12:1 we must patiently run our race. We must patiently trust God to load us up in our trials because he knows better than we do just what we need. We want out of the trials and he wants us in them.
Finally, notice that young men are to be sober minded, as well, Titus 2:6. They will need to be sober minded as their first step in growing into these other qualities of the aged men.