by Edwin Crozier<\/p>\n
Not only is Titus to teach what accords with healthy teaching, but he is also to be a model of good works. That is, he should model self-control, sober-mindedness, dignity, soundness in faith, love, and steadfastness. He is to demonstrate purity. He is to place special emphasis on being a model in his teaching. He is to display integrity, dignity, and sound speech. He is to speak truth and speak truly. He is to be honorable and respectful in speech. He is to display in his speech the very seriousness of the work he is pursuing. Titus is to be this kind of model, so the opponents will have nothing evil to say about him. And nothing evil to say about the church or God.<\/p>\n
It seems to me in today’s milieu, this instruction needs special application to social media and online interactions. How easy it is to get caught up in arguments online and type in ways we would never speak to someone face to face. How often do preachers type in a way online that opens themselves and Christ’s church up to reproach. Let us be models of good speech and teaching.<\/p>\n
I am so pleased that in my life Christians have more grace for preachers than the stories I’ve heard from older preachers. I am so glad church members have come to recognize that preachers are not perfect men to be held to impossible standards. That being said, I fear too many preachers are letting that idea get to our heads. I hear preachers talk as if their own sins should practically be ignored because they are a normal person just like everyone else. It seems many are forgetting we preachers really are supposed to be models of proper behavior. As James said, teachers will face a stricter judgment (see James 3). No doubt, being models of good works means modeling confession and repentance when we’ve sinned.<\/p>\n
Being a model doesn’t mean being perfect. Jesus is the only perfect model. But we do need to recognize our behavior stands out not only to the brothers and sisters, but to the world. When preachers fail, the world notices, and our foul speech and improper behavior not only says something about us; it gives Christ’s church a black eye.<\/p>\n
Brothers, be models. God deserves it. God’s church deserves it.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Edwin Crozier Not only is Titus to teach what accords with healthy teaching, but he is also to be a model of good works. That is, he should model self-control, sober-mindedness, dignity, soundness in faith, love, and steadfastness. He is to demonstrate purity. He is to place special emphasis on being a model in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1543,1511],"class_list":["post-96987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-good-works","tag-preachers"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39138,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/godliness-in-conflict\/","url_meta":{"origin":96987,"position":0},"title":"Godliness in Conflict","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford The book of James has the reputation of being the most practical book of the New Testament, but Paul's epistle to Titus surely must be considered in the same light. Titus is only three chapters long, but all three chapters are light on abstraction and heavy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/conflict-300x169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16056,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-have-more-verses-on-the-importance-of-being-respectable\/","url_meta":{"origin":96987,"position":1},"title":"Do you have more verses on the importance of being respectable?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 15, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Are there verses that address the issue of what we look like in other people's eyes? How it's important to be respectable? Something like Titus 2:6-8, but I'm looking for more verses like this. 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