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Christian Public Life That Promotes Evangelism

November 10, 2024 Preacher: Jeff Griffis Series: Titus

Scripture: Titus 3:1–2

Christian Public Life That Promotes Evangelism – Titus 3:1–2

PRAY & INTRO: Does it matter to our witness, to our gospel proclamation, whether or not Christians live differently in the world from those who remain worldly? Does it matter to our gospel witness if our lives testify to the change God has made in us through Christ?

Some of us would likely answer, “Yes, of course!” But perhaps in practice this is not so perfectly obvious when the culture around us is applying pressure to conform, and the pleasures they seem to enjoy entice us. Add the complication of religious teachers and even the church being plagued with false teachers who seem to be succeeding in spite of, or even because of, their hypocrisy and greedy motives.

The Apostle Paul argues, here in his letter to Titus, that what is healthiest for the mission of the church—to be and make disciples—is that we must have public lives that lead people toward a Christ who mercifully and dramatically changes us.

In the context of the theological basis in verses 3-8 and the evangelistic thrust of the Cretan church’s continued mission, the point of Titus 3:1-2 might be summarized this way:

Positive Christlike behavior towards secular authorities and other unsaved people in our lives promotes gospel opportunity because it recognizes and reflects God’s merciful change wrought in us by the Spirit.

Similar to chapter two, the behaviors promoted in vv. 1&2 are clearly contrary to the way of false teachers (who profess to know God but deny him by their works, 1:16a), and the behaviors run counter to the Cretan cultural stereotypes that are unholy and unhealthy (1:12b). The emphasis now is on how those within the church and Christian households relate to outsiders, the broader public.

Christlike behavior towards secular authorities and other unsaved people around us is motivated by the gospel (in particular, by God’s mercy toward us in our sinfulness, to change us in Christ, by the work of the Spirit).

And the aim of this lifestyle is not just generically to create a good reputation for the church, or so that we can just be left in peace. The aim is to be a living testimony worthy of the Christ to whom we bear witness. The goal is the mission, it is evangelism, it is to actively promote a sincerely Christian way of life that is distinct from certain cultural norms and from the hypocrisy of false teachers.

So this is positive Christian behavior, in relationship to secular governing authority and all outsiders… with a view to evangelism. With that understanding of the thrust of it, let’s look more closely at vv. 1&2.

Titus 3:1 ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

Paul shifts focus back to Titus as the leader he left in his place to establish the churches more fully on healthy footing (1:5 this is why I left you in Crete, and 2:1 teach what accords with sound doctrine). Now Titus is to “remind them,” evidently meaning that these are things Paul had presumably taught them before when he was there in Crete. Titus was to repeat Paul’s previous instruction for them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be submissive through attitude and behavior. And by rulers and authorities he is referencing governing authority, the people and the positions that hold civil responsibility over others in their care, ranging from local authorities to even the emperor (cf. 1 Pet 2:13-14).

As Paul continues, he describes this submission as an active obedience that is ready for every good work. I’m concluding this by realizing that the next two infinitive verbs, “to be obedient” and “to be” (with the adjective “ready”) act as explanatory modifiers for the first command to be submissive.

So Paul is evidently saying that this submission to rulers and authorities is an active obedience that is intent on positively doing good deeds. In this way it has the same flavor as instruction to slaves, both here and elsewhere in Paul’s teaching. [Reread Titus 2:9-10] So the goal is obedience—to do what is expected, when it is expected, and in the way that it is expected. And not as if we are doing it grudgingly or under compulsion, but with an active desire to do them good in a way that honors God.

Paul’s intent here in this context is to counter any hypocritical falsehood that characterizes the false teachers, and to counter any spirit of rebelliousness that is ingrained in the rough, rowdy, and mercenary culture of Crete.

But is it his purpose to say that their obedience to governing authorities must be absolute, or are there any other Biblical parameters for such submission? I can only address this briefly today, yet it is both convenient and important that Paul says “remind them,” because it encourages us to search out what else Paul has written on this subject to fill out the context for such commands. We’re wise then to consider any other passages where Paul addresses governing authority, and even to consider the pattern of Paul’s own behavior with regards to rulers and authorities.

At an earlier time in his ministry, Paul had written a letter to the Romans (the whole letter which we hope to study together after finishing up Titus and the high priestly prayer of John 17). For our purposes now, Paul’s teaching about governing authority in that letter can give us a hint to the kind of previous teaching they might have received from Paul when he was personally present in Crete.

Without preaching Rom 13:1-5, let me highlight some things there that help us to not make wrong assumptions about what Paul means.

Romans 13:1–5 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

In verse 1 we see that governing authority is ultimately derived from God’s own authority. Their authority can therefore not be total; God’s authority will always be ultimate.

But in verse 2, if we resist their authority (when we should not), we are incurring God’s judgment. (So resisting their authority should never be taken lightly.)

According to verses 3 & 4, their job is to promote good conduct and curb bad conduct. The law, and their authority to punish you, applies to you when you are a law-breaker. Presuming they don’t make evil laws or thwart justice (which God hates), you quite literally have no trouble keeping your nose clean when you live as a healthy citizen.

  1. 5 says that we should submit to human authorities then to have a clear conscience before God (not just whether or not we will suffer specific repercussions, of either God’s wrath or that of the civil authority).

I would reiterate again that governing rulers have limited authority under God’s complete authority, meaning that we will in fact have to be discerning at times about where the boundaries are for their authority over us. Whether or not it is convenient or we like it is not one of those boundaries, as Paul goes on to use the example of paying the taxes we owe (Rom 13:6-7) as an example of submissive behavior with a clear conscience. Jesus taught the same (Matt 22:17-21 - render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is his… meaning everything, especially our whole selves).

But there will therefore be times where our conscience under God discerns that we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29 - Peter’s reaction on behalf of the Apostles when told to stop preaching Christ in Jerusalem). You’ll recall the Hebrew midwives who would not obey the Egyptian overlords and kill Hebrew infant boys (Ex 1:15-21). There are plenty of other examples. Notable ones we remember easily, like that of Daniel, or Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (under Nebuchadnezzar), and especially the example we just quoted from Peter in Acts. What about the pattern of Paul’s behavior?

When we get to the era of his life where Paul is writing Titus and 1 Timothy, Paul is presumably traveling again after release from his first Roman imprisonment (at the end of Acts). (Even later when writing 2 Timothy, he is again imprisoned in Rome, which history suggests ended in his martyrdom there.) Paul has already lived a great deal under Roman rule, even traveling throughout the Roman empire as a missionary—a church planter.

Paul knows what it is to seek to be a good citizen with regard to Jewish authorities, and with local authorities in various places, and with regard to Roman authority, including his responsibilities and rights as a Roman citizen (a formal citizenship which many in the empire did not have). There were times when Paul escaped the authorities who were about to unjustly imprison or punish (while other times God allowed him to suffer it), and there was a season where he acted on his rights as a citizen by appealing to Caesar (the long end of Acts).

So Paul is not telling the believers in Crete to automatically roll over and let authorities abuse you when they are being cruel and unjust… although it is possible, even likely, that some believers would (and do) innocently endure unjust persecution. What he is saying is to live in obedience to the law in every way that you can (and should!) in order to in fact have a clear conscience that you are making every effort to be innocent as regards the law… again in all ways that you can and should in keeping a clear conscience that you also serve a higher law and authority, the law of Christ.

Here then, as we have been emphasizing from the outset, remember that the emphasis especially becomes… with a view to evangelism. We must not claim the name of Christ while not behaving like the Spirit of God has truly changed us because of Christ. Instead, we are to be the ideal law-abiding citizens in every way that we are able to do so with a clear conscience before God. Paul is not saying we submit only because they are good people who fear God and honor him in their priorities, policies, and personal behavior. We are to mindful that, as often as we can, we are to live in active submission to show that Christ is no rebel, but is instead the perfect fulfillment of what God, the highest authority, expects of all mankind.

And surely it is not a stretch for us to realize that actively doing good in submission to our government—a constitutional republic—we have not only the right but even the responsibility to seek to do good under this authority structure by being actively involved in whatever ways we are able to promote laws and order that are pleasing to God. And this leans into evangelism because all people will ultimately answer to a higher authority.

Or, when our laws still don’t reflect what honors God, we lean into evangelism and let individuals know that just because the law of the land might give you the freedom to do something, that doesn’t make it right. (To live in sexual promiscuity without the covenant commitment of marriage… or laws that allow same-sex marriages… or permit abortion.) We will answer to God. And here’s the reason we lean into these things, even loving people with truth when they have sinned in these ways: We have come to know personally that in the gospel of God’s mercy, of Jesus Christ forgiving our sin and restoring us to God, of saving and remaking sinners… there is sufficient grace and power to repent and receive God’s help to live in a way that honors him.

Now, without leaving entirely behind the context of doing good in submission to authority, in the second half of the sentence Paul evidently broadens the command to Christian behavior with relationship to all people (again, because of the verses that follow… we’re speaking predominantly of treatment toward unbelievers). 

Titus 3:2 ESV

2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Remind them not to slander anyone (Gk. blasphemeo). This does not mean to never evaluate and tell the truth about someone’s character and way of life and decisions—that is discernment. What it does mean is to never say unnecessary and unverified bad things about people with an intent to do them harm, to bring them down in the minds of your listeners.

Truly, it’s astonishing when we take stock of this in our lives just how much our sin nature prevails in this area, when envy and frustration, among other things, cause us to act and speak (and in the present era, “like” and “share”) things that are for the purpose of tearing others down. Christians—recipients of the mercy of God to us in Christ Jesus, and the work of the Spirit to regenerate and make us new in Christ—we must not be party to this. We must seek to do good.

Being a person who speaks good of others wherever we can (or even to be silent rather than to slander) promotes the gospel.

“To avoid quarreling” is literally to be un-hostile. This is to be peaceable. It means to be a person who is disposed toward peace in personal relations rather than hostility (stirring up argument and strife). Listen up, church: you need to know yourself. If you are like me, and people-pleaser by nature, being a peacemaker comes a little easier, but then your concern is to do the necessary hard things and not fall prey to pleasing people rather than God, doing what protects yourself and the feelings of others too much, instead of doing and saying what is necessary for their good. BUT, some of us, for whatever reason, have a bent toward argumentativeness and even jumping readily toward hostility when we are uncomfortable, unhappy, and disappointed.

Being a person who is peaceable in our relationships promotes opportunities for evangelism. Think about your relationships to your neighbors, your coworkers, your classmates. If you jump down your neighbor’s throat over things that don’t matter, you’ve created a great difficulty for witnessing. Or maybe there is an issue that must in fact be resolved, but the way you handle yourself matters a great deal for your testimony and ongoing relationship with those neighbors and coworkers.

Notice that the next two things are even further the opposite of being slanderous and hostile.

Titus, remind them to be gentle - Interestingly, there are two words for gentleness in a row here, where this translation has gentle and courtesy. The first is a gentleness that is lenient and merciful and kind, being reasonable about errors and slip-ups.

For me I take this as not being picky and intolerant about things that are of lesser priority, not really the most important things. In parenting I could use up all my relational capital, of trusted correction and formative instruction, on being overly picky about things being picked up around the house and put in their proper place. Although indeed positive and healthy to teach such things as responsibility to steward well the things God has provided to us, frequently or fervently lecturing on “picking up your stuff” is much less important than having the trust of my daughters that they can come and talk to us about anything. I truly want them to know that I am gentle and reasonable so that they can come to me with their sincere questions and even to tell us they’ve messed up and need our help. 

We are to live in this understanding, gentle way with outsiders as well. Here we are to think of being mercifully gentle to our treatment of unsaved friends and acquaintances, being gentle and patient with their wrong views on things, knowing that we have been sinfully inclined the same way if not for God’s mercy to us in Christ Jesus by the work of His Spirit (vv. 3-7)!

And as I said, to show perfect courtesy toward all people… this final instruction is showing or demonstrating or being marked by “courtesy,” another word for gentleness, only this time with slightly different emphasis on a humility that leads us to be mild and even-tempered. And this humble gentleness is to be complete or perfect. It translates the word all, but as an adjective here the sense is indeed the full quantity or extent. In English, translations like “demonstrating complete courtesy” or “showing every consideration” are truly helpful efforts to communicate a behavior that matches humble gentleness.

When I think of being perfectly courteous, or considerate in every way, my mind can immediately conjure up mental pictures of negative and positive examples of this. I picture the person in Walmart just verbally thrashing an employee or other shopper because they didn’t get what they wanted the way they wanted it, or the angry traveler in the airport taking out their frustration on some employee behind the counter who undoubtedly has zero authority or ability to fix the problem of canceled flights due to mechanical problems or weather patterns.

By contrast, I picture the young man who lets the mom with a baby get in front of him in line, or the people who let others in front of them at check out simply because they can see they have very few items,… or the people on the plane who jump up to help the elderly get their carryon in the overhead compartment. In fact, many of us have experienced meeting someone somewhere briefly, and for almost no exact reason, being inclined to think that that person might just be a follower of Jesus. Why? Because there was a kindness and courtesy, being understanding, and probably a hint of deep-seated joy and peace in the way they carry themselves.

Add to this that we should be this way even and especially when others do not treat us with courtesy and respect and kindness. We should patiently be humbly gentle and mercifully kind, un-hostile in our reaction and not slanderous or abusive in our speech.

When we remember that God saved us not because of our works nor by our works, but because of his own mercy and by justification in Christ and the regeneration of the Spirit, we should dwell on that to help us be a lot more mercifully gentle and lenient towards others, and to make us un-hostile and not slanderous.

[Conclusion] What Paul reinforces for Titus to reinforce among believers in Crete applies to all believers and churches in the present as well.

In our speech and behavior towards secular authorities and other unbelievers around us, our lives should bear witness to the gospel we proclaim: that God has mercifully saved and re-made sinners like us, and he can do the same for them.

Remember that such interactions happen on a regular basis, that such relationships are a consistent part of our lives.

I want to ask us, then, to carefully consider our patterns of speech and behavior in terms of promoting gospel opportunity…

Shying away from truth does not promote evangelism… rather, speaking the truth in love and living differently with our whole lives shows that the gospel we proclaim is as true and powerful as the Bible says it is.

And when it’s particularly hard to respond in these ways… when you don’t feel like it… remember God’s example and enabling. Dwell on God’s mercy as motivation for good works that promote gospel proclamation to an unsaved world.

PRAY

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