Paul has been conducting a
class so to speak for Titus who is the pastor of the church located
in the island of Crete. He has set out to have Titus bring order to
the church there and has done so by giving Titus directives of
doctrine to teach the membership. After addressing those who were
false teachers among them, Paul has been giving good counsel to Titus
for the aged men and women, young men and women, and even for Titus
himself who is to be an example in his conduct before the people.
Paul now turns his attention toward those who are “servants” or
employees in our day. He begins in chapter two and verse nine where
he wrote:
[Exhort] servants to be
obedient unto their own masters, [and] to please [them] well in all
[things]; not answering again
The idea
of exhorting has to do with “giving challenge toward” or “lifting
up” or “telling” someone a particular thought or idea. It is to
give directions in a manner that is assertive and demanding. Paul
says, “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters.”
Upon first glance Paul may appear to be approving of slavery, but
upon closer examination, the idea is that those who work for others
should be obedient to those who govern over them. This is like unto
the boss-employee relationship. The one who Lords over another is to
be obeyed. Servants are to be obedient to their masters.
Paul
adds, “and to please them well in all things;” Notice, “in
all things”. Paul knows the importance of a servant or employee
being one who pleases their master or boss. The members of the church
who work for another person should always be in a posture of desiring
to be obedient and pleasing to their master or boss, and their
attitude should be to “please them well” and not sloppily
that has no regard for good work. The example that one sets as an
employee often sets the tone for when and if they too are a master or
boss someday.
Finally
Paul says, “not answering again” which means not speaking
against, contradicting or gainsaying the master or boss. There should
be no “back talking” or “backbiting” from the servant or
employee. Too many times the reflection of a person's heart has been
revealed by the way they talk about their boss or master behind his
or her back. The Christians in the church of Crete were not to be
this way.
So what
can we learn from this? First, if we serve another person who is in
charge of us, what should our attitude and behavior be? Perhaps we
should consider how we appear when we are subordinate to others
whether it be in an official capacity or just within a group. If
others were to examine our lives would they find us servants who are
obedient to our masters? Would they note that we are always desiring
to please our bosses well? And would they say that we never backtalk
or backbite those who are in charge of us? May the Lord bless us all
with servant hearts as we remember the words of Paul who also wrote
in the book of Colossians chapter three and verse seventeen:
And whatsoever you do
in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by him.
Next
time we will continue to study the exhortation to Titus for servants,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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