"About Sound Doctrine" November 28 Readings: Titus 1-3
Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022
This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened." Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.
Bible Readings: Titus 1-3
Background:
You may be wondering why we did not continue from 1 Timothy into 2 Timothy. While there is no hard and fast evidence of chronology in the Pastoral Epistles, it is generally believed that 2 Timothy was the last of Paul's letters, so we turn to the letter to Titus.
Titus, not mentioned in Acts, appears in Galatians 2, accompanying Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and seek reconciliation. He was on the island of Crete, leading the church, and this book is filled with Paul's instructions to him about how to lead in the church of Christ.
Paul's instructions to Titus are practical and specific, telling him how to lead his church. Chapter 2 describes the "sound doctrine" he is to preach - doctrine that guides people's daily lives. Chapter 3 is another series of practical instructions from Paul to this young pastor.
Titus, not mentioned in Acts, appears in Galatians 2, accompanying Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and seek reconciliation. He was on the island of Crete, leading the church, and this book is filled with Paul's instructions to him about how to lead in the church of Christ.
Daily Devotional: About Sound Doctrine
"It's very important that we teach sound doctrine, isn't it?"
Some of you cringed when I said that because you aren't big fans of deep theological issues or you've been driven crazy by people who want to dig into the minutiae of theological issues. Others felt your hearts go thumpity-thump because you love to dive into the deep end and study those issues and you believe the church needs to be founded on doctrinal truth. You read systematic theologies for recreation.
Some love doctrine and theology and others don't. But while our reactions to the word "doctrine" may differ, what is probably identical is our understanding of what the word means. Doctrine is a mental exercise, often divorced from practical concerns.
But look at Paul's admonition to Titus that opens chapter 2. He tells him to "teach what accords with sound doctrine." But he does not then delve into some kind of academic exercise, but he deals with a series of very practical and relational issues - how older men, older women, younger men, and younger women were to behave. Husband and wife relationships. Bondservants and masters. Renouncing ungodly and worldly passions. Living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
"Doctrine" as Paul defines it is not a mental exercise. It's understanding the work of Christ and applying it in such a way that we live righteously in the power of Christ. Egg-headed Christianity held no appeal to Paul and the idea of "sound doctrine" that did not deal in real-life holiness, that did not deal with relationships and lifestyles was absurd to him.
Yes, doctrine deals with the story of Jesus and his wonderful work of grace, but true doctrine - the teaching of truth - leads to a life that is obedient to and pleasing to the Savior. Doctrine is never just a series of ideas about theology, but truth that changes the way you live your life.
Some of you cringed when I said that because you aren't big fans of deep theological issues or you've been driven crazy by people who want to dig into the minutiae of theological issues. Others felt your hearts go thumpity-thump because you love to dive into the deep end and study those issues and you believe the church needs to be founded on doctrinal truth. You read systematic theologies for recreation.
Some love doctrine and theology and others don't. But while our reactions to the word "doctrine" may differ, what is probably identical is our understanding of what the word means. Doctrine is a mental exercise, often divorced from practical concerns.
But look at Paul's admonition to Titus that opens chapter 2. He tells him to "teach what accords with sound doctrine." But he does not then delve into some kind of academic exercise, but he deals with a series of very practical and relational issues - how older men, older women, younger men, and younger women were to behave. Husband and wife relationships. Bondservants and masters. Renouncing ungodly and worldly passions. Living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
"Doctrine" as Paul defines it is not a mental exercise. It's understanding the work of Christ and applying it in such a way that we live righteously in the power of Christ. Egg-headed Christianity held no appeal to Paul and the idea of "sound doctrine" that did not deal in real-life holiness, that did not deal with relationships and lifestyles was absurd to him.
Yes, doctrine deals with the story of Jesus and his wonderful work of grace, but true doctrine - the teaching of truth - leads to a life that is obedient to and pleasing to the Savior. Doctrine is never just a series of ideas about theology, but truth that changes the way you live your life.
Father, teach me who you are and what Christ did so that I may live as you want me to live.
Consider God's Word:
Do you either avoid God's word and its teachings, or do you get bogged down in mental exercises that do not produce practical life changes?
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