These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Titus 2:15
We like big things. There are the big three auto makers. The tech big three of Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook. There’s even the big three when it comes to fast food restaurants. You get a sandwich, fries, and a drink. You see, you’ve been following the big three all these years and didn’t even know it.
And Paul pulls out another big three here with Titus. Paul doesn’t hold anything back and brings out the big guns for what Titus is to do. Paul commands Titus to do these three things as he leads the people.
Teach. He’s to talk with the people in front of him. Titus isn’t to do a dance or act out a play. He’s to use his month and say the words of life. It may not be very fancy. It doesn’t use a lot of technology. But it’s the way that God’s given to us and what he empowers.
Encourage. When Titus speaks, the first thing he’s to do is to encourage. He’s to use words to get right next to them. He’s to explain not only does he understand, but God really understands them too. With this close understanding, Titus is to share the truth about who we are and how God came down and saved us in Jesus. And his words are to be both true and powerful, as if he was testifying in court. In front of a judge and jury.
Rebuke. There are three parts to rebuking. First is showing the truth. What’s right and wrong. Second is showing how we come up short. How we’ve failed to live up to the truth. Third is convincing people that they need to change from where they are and what they’re doing to following the truth. To rebuke, you have to use solid, powerful evidence to move their heart.
When Paul tells Titus to teach, encourage, and rebuke, he’s not just giving him some off-the-cuff advice that he can take or leave. No, Paul’s ordering Titus to do these things with power. He’s commanding him to do them with authority. He’s not just putting it out there. He’s not sending up a trial balloon. He’s not to throw it against a wall and see what sticks.
There’s not to be any pussyfooting around when it comes to who God is and the truth. Titus has been given authority directly from the Apostle Paul. And he received it from Jesus Christ himself.
Speaking with authority doesn’t necessarily mean yelling and screaming. You don’t have to jump up and down, waving your arms. You also don’t have to threaten people either. The way I know this is because of the way Jesus taught during his Sermon on the Mount.
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Matthew 7:28.29
Did you notice what Jesus did? He said these things. He was speaking. Yes, I’m sure that he didn’t mumble his words. And I’m also sure that he wasn’t unsure about what he was saying either. How can we know this? Because of how the crowds reacted.
They were amazed at his teaching. They were astonished. They were shaken down to the core of who they were. They’d never heard anything like the words that Jesus spoke that day. They were dumbfounded. They were totally at a loss as what to think or what to do next. We’d say that they were totally blown away.
But it didn’t end there. You see, there was something else about Jesus. It was more than just the words themselves, but there was strength and power in the way he said them. People heard more than just the sound of his voice; they also felt the conviction of his heart.
Jesus spoke with authority. The way he spoke convinced the people listening that there was power in what he was saying. He moved the people with nothing more than his voice and who he was. Without anyone saying a word, everyone knew that this Jesus wasn’t just any old rabi. When Jesus spoke, people sat up and listened.
People were not used to people speaking like this. Not at all. When compared to the teachers of the law, they were rank amateurs compared to Jesus. Their speaking and teaching couldn’t hold a candle when compared to Jesus.
Paul’s telling Titus that when it comes to life, we follow Jesus – the one who died for us. And when it comes to speaking and teaching, he’s got to follow Jesus’ example too. Speaking the truth in love, and with the power of the Holy Spirit.
That’s why Paul also tells Titus not to let anyone despise him. He was sent from and represents the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He has nothing to be ashamed of, or afraid of. Just as God lovingly tells us the truth about us, we’re to share with others about the loving God who died for them. Now, that’s really big!
Noodling Questions
When it comes to Paul’s big three, which one do you drift towards? Why?
What makes you amazed when someone teaches from the Bible?
How can we better follow Jesus' example when it comes to teaching?
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