I remember as a child visiting a place where it appeared that everything was wacky and lopsided. It was in the Black Hills of western North Dakota – the first mountains we came to going west from Omaha. People walked as though they had weights on one side of their bodies which tilted them to one side. We had the opportunity it walk on the walls of buildings which they had built there. There were a couple dozen things which boggled my childish mind. But the most unusual was the water that appeared to run up the hill. But of course, it didn’t; it only appeared to run up hill. It is impossible for man or nature to reverse the laws of God in regard to the universe.
Similarly, have you ever noticed that the progress of Christianity in this world is not easy? Bible Christianity has more obstacles to jump than a Marathon-length Steeple Chase. For Biblical Truth to be implanted in just a single heart it requires a mighty miracle of God. And for Christianity to dominate a whole society requires the same miracle multiplied exponentially. Obviously, that is because the kind of Christianity found in the Bible is contrary to human nature. Then there is the opposition of Jehovah’s arch enemy, Lucifer, the Prince of the Power of the Air. That wicked one goeth about seeking what, and whom, he may devour. And then there comes the world system, Satan’s dominion, in all of its various forms. So the spreading of the Gospel has its problems. It is harder than getting water to run up hill. And one additional problem are the people who are supposed to get the work done.
These ten verses begin and end like piece of Hebrew poetry. It’s the special poetry called “Synchronous parallelism.” Verse 1 speaks of “sound doctrine” and then verse10 refers to the “doctrine of God our Saviour.” They say essentially the same thing in different ways. Verse 1 says, “Speak the things which BECOME sound doctrine.” What does that mean? Is it talking about things which grow into good doctrine? Good seed? Good fertilizer? Are our words supposed be like caterpillars which metamorphose into doctrinal butterflies? No! Despite looking familiar, the word “become” is a special word and a special verb form of another uncommon word “comeliness.” It means “to make something beautiful, to enhance, to improve the appearance of something.” And again, verse 10 says essentially the same thing: “Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.” Focusing our attentions on adorning the doctrine, I’d like to ask four brief questions.
First, what is meant by the word “Doctrine”?
Verse 1 speaks of “sound doctrine,” but it doesn’t specify any special kind, or area, of doctrine. Of course the word “doctrine” simply means “teaching,” and obviously this verse is talking about the teachings of Bible Christianity. The word “sound” refers to wholeness or health: “Speak the things which enhance healthy teaching.” So this is a general statement about the general doctrines of the Word of God. The doctrines of creation and the preservation of creation by Christ Jesus. The doctrines of the sovereignty of God over creation and over man upon that creation. The doctrines of the Holy Spirit, God the Father and the Son; deity, humanity, reconciliation. The doctrines of law and grace, the second coming, Christian living, Satan, etc. etc. etc.
But verse10 gets a little more specific about the doctrine of which Paul was thinking. It focuses on the Biblical teachings about “God our Saviour.” And Who is that? His name is “Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” All we have to do is to look to verse12 of this chapter to see about whom Paul was speaking. “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Look at the way this letter began: “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Verse 10 tells us in unmistakable terms that Jesus is God; that He is deity.
These things make up SOUND doctrine; they are so wholesome and healthy that they can’t be improved. Every time man tries expound them, apart from scripture, all he does is embarrass himself. What can anyone do to improve perfection? As the Son of God gave His life on cross, He said, “It is finished;” it is accomplished, done, finis. The sound doctrine of God our Saviour, cannot be bettered, – BUT it can be ADORNED. They can’t become something other than what they are, but they can be made more beautiful in the eyes of people unaccustomed to beauty. Does the average modern man enjoy the beauty of classical music? He needs to be taught.
All right then what is it to ADORN that gospel?
The literal idea behind the Greek word is that the gospel can be “polished” or “shined.” Many of our families have a little bit of silver – a piece of jewelry, a coin, some genuine silverware. Most of have noticed that it is the nature of silver to tarnish or oxidize. Silver oxide isn’t as shiny and pretty as pure silver. I am embarrassed to pull out my old flute – it is so tarnished that it looks more like lead than silver. And when I do play it, my hands come out smelling like oxidized silver.
The polishing of sliver is a poor illustration of what it is to “adorn the gospel.” It is to make the natural beauty of the teachings of Christ – and the rest of the Bible – desirable. It is to advance the gospel’s beautiful reputation. Another illustration might be that of an exquisite painting; the finest of master. An over-wealthy Japanese cattle baron buys that painting for $83 million. But then he spends $99.95 to buy a plastic frame to enclose and enhance the beauty of masterpiece. You and I have been apprenticed by the Master into the framing business; framing the gospel of Christ. It is our duty as a Christians to polish the Truth of God – to frame it and color it with life.
But HOW do we do that?
That is what verses 2-9 are telling us. Some people have the idea that to adorn the gospel is to preach it to the multitudes. Not if you re-read these verses. Here we read of elderly ladies, young men, servants and even slaves. Titus was to exhort new brides to “adorn gospel and to speak things which become sound doctrine.” Here we read of honesty, faithfulness to duties on the job, sincerity and discretion. These verses talk about being good housekeepers, mothers and wives. We read here about holiness, chastity, sobriety, patience and love.
Without a doubt the preaching of the Word is essential to spreading of Kingdom Christ. “Preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is power of God.” We are to “preach the Word, instant in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking and exhorting.” Our commission is to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Humanly speaking Christianity will not survive without preaching. But even the best preaching is like building a fire in a cold, wet hearth. In its early stages that fire can be put out with almost anything. It must be nurtured, preached and re-preached, until it ignites something important, and it begins to roar.
For the sake of time, let’s summarize them with just one – “love.” How familiar are you with I John? There is only one book in the Bible which contains the Greek word “agape” more often than I John. And that is the Gospel written by the same man. But there it is in text in Titus 2:2 listed among several other ways to adorn the gospel.
Now, ask yourself this question: Does your life radiate the love of Christ towards the lost, to the backslidden and to the Church of Christ? Would you rather hit a man over the head with the hammer of doctrine or smother him with Christian love? Which would you prefer, especially if he was a person who seriously disagreed with you? How many times have we driven people out of church by arguing doctrine – before they get a chance to feel the flame? Love may not be the painting which our heavenly Rembrandt has painted, but makes for a very nice frame. If we love Christ properly, we will love those around us as well. Thus we will not purloin, but show good fidelity – verse 10. We will be obedient and try our best to please our wicked taskmasters – verse 9. Down through these verses we could go expounding each clause, and most of them in the light of love. Are you forgiving or condemning? Are you patient or boiling and fuming? Do you demand that everyone agree with you in all things? The true servant of the Lord “must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Are you quick to accuse? Do see the motes in other peoples’ eyes but not the beam in your own? Do think that you’ve reached perfection, while those around you are wallowing in false doctrine? Are you a pattern of good WORKS or only of good WORDS and doctrines? Do you cause the word of God to be blasphemed – verse 5? “Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in ALL things,” says the Apostle.
But WHY adorn that gospel?
Isn’t that obvious? Anyone can destroy the effect of the gospel by obnoxiousness in their lives. Note that I didn’t say… “by blatant and overt sin.” Nathan told David that his sin with Bathsheba was causing the heathen to blaspheme, and it was true. But it is not only overt sin which turns people away from the truth; it could simply be spiritual or emotional ugliness.
We are to be a light in the darkness of a sinful world – Matthew 5. But we too often put our candle under a bushel with our bad attitudes and response to life. We are to be the salt of the earth, but if all we possess is naked doctrine then our salt will leave no flavor on lips of the unsaved and the untaught. “He that believeth on Christ, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers living water.” Too bad in a lot of cases it comes out polluted and worthless.
When I owned my typesetting business, my most important responsibility was precision. A man would give me a paper with his hen scratches all over it, asking me to get it ready for printing. My task was to faithfully transcribe his doctrine into any of sixty different type-styles and over a dozen different sizes. It might be 8 point Helvetica or Souvenir, or 12 point Copperplate, or 24 point Corona. I adorned and enhanced his words, making them beautiful to the eyes of others – that was my job. But if I changed one word, or even one letter of his creed and doctrine, I could be in trouble. So it is with you and me in our Christian lives. We are in the enhancing business – the adorning business. Christ wants us to make His doctrine tasty and beautiful to others.