Bible Truths the Apostle Paul Says You Should Be Teaching
- Summary: Are you teaching the Bible truths that should be taught? This brief outline is intended simply as food for thought. It contains a list of Bible truths, some of which are often overlooked, but which the apostle Paul says are some primary subjects for teaching. May this short outline stimulate further study and, hopefully, some expanded sermons on these subjects that we “should teach”.
“These, then, are the things you should teach.”
(Titus 2:15)
- •• The apostle had just completed the first two chapters of his epistle to Titus. In the first chapter he gave instructions on the appointing of good elders, who would in turn preserve sound doctrine in the church.
- •• Then in the second chapter, Paul covers a wide array of the characteristics that should be found in Christians. And he closes the chapter by telling Titus that “these are the things you should teach” (vs. 15).
- •• In this short outline my desire is to present these characteristics in summary form. My hope is that you will be stimulated in three ways: (1) to evaluate yourself, to see if these wholesome characteristics are present in your life; (2) to study these topics in more depth; (3) and to incorporate many of these topics into your sermons, Sunday school lessons, bible studies, and other preaching or teaching activities.
To Titus, the church leader, was entrusted the responsibility of imparting “sound doctrine” — that is, sound teaching — which is a major theme in Paul’s Pastoral Epistles.
- •
1 Timothy 4:16, KJV Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. - •
2 Timothy 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching. - •
2 Timothy 4:2, KJV Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. - •
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. - •
Titus 1:9 [An elder] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
- •• Paul gives instructions for proper conduct by the “older men”. But these wholesome characteristics should also be emulated by all believers.
- • Temperate
- • Worthy of respect
- • Self-controlled. It is interesting that this trait (self-control) is mentioned four times in this chapter — verses 2, 5, 6, and 12.
- • Sound in faith, in love, and in endurance
- •• These instructions to the “older women” can likewise serve as examples of virtues applicable to us all.
- • Reverent in the way they live
- • Not slanderers
- • Not addicted to much wine
- • Teachers of good things to the younger women (vs. 4).
- •• These hoped-for traits in the “younger women” are best taught to them by experienced, older women.
- • Love their husbands
- • Love their children
- • Self-controlled
- • Pure
- • Busy at home
- • Kind
- • Subject to their husbands
- •• Interestingly, the only trait Paul here exhorted the “young men” to have was self-control. That suggests to me that self-control must be of primary importance for young men.
- •• The church leader (here, Titus) is to be a role model:
- • Setting an example
- • Doing good
- • Teaching with integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech.
- •• Thankfully, slavery has been abolished in most 21st-century cultures. But the principles here can easily apply to the employer-employee relationship. I will use the biblical terms; you can easily apply them in a modern context.
- • Subject to their masters
- • Pleasing their masters
- • Not talking back to them
- • Not stealing from their masters
- • Fully trustworthy
- • Bringing honor to God by their conduct
- •• Here Paul teaches a balanced view of grace, showing that grace is not to be confused with libertinism. Rather, grace requires a response of godly living.
- • Grace brings salvation.
- • Grace also teaches us to “Say no!” to ungodliness.
- • Grace teaches us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
- • Living in the light and anticipation of Jesus’ second coming
- • Note here the wonderful emphasis on the Deity of Jesus Christ — “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”.
- • Redeemed by Jesus from all wickedness
- • Purified to be a people for the Lord, His very own
- • Eager to do what is good
“These, then, are the things you should teach.”
- •• Why? For what purpose?
- • That we become in actuality, not just in theory, a people redeemed from all wickedness (14)
- • That we be a purified people belonging to the Lord, not to the world (14)
- • That we live proactively, not passively, always eager to do what is good (14)
I hope that this brief study has stimulated you to further study, and also that the pastors and other church leaders reading this will take the apostle’s words to heart — “
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Check out our related sermon on Sound Doctrine from the Bible: a Key to Spiritual Growth
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Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.