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Titus

About this book
Chapter 2

1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching. 2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. 3 Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good. 4 In this way they will train the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, fulfilling their duties at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message of God may not be discredited. 6 Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled, 7 showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss because he has nothing evil to say about us. 9 Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything, to do what is wanted and not talk back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, in order to bring credit to the teaching of God our Savior in everything. 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.⁠ 12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires⁠ and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives⁠ in the present age, 13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness⁠ and to purify for himself a people who are truly his,⁠ who are eager to do good. 15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.

Texts in conversation

Compare 4 Maccabees 1:6 and Titus 2:12

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry · New Testament

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Summary

4 Maccabees opens by claiming that piety and reason control the passions, listing the same Hellenistic virtues of self-restraint, justice, and piety that Titus echoes when teaching about living a disciplined Christian life.

Passages

4 Maccabees 1:6

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry
1 Since I am about to present a deeply philosophical argument, whether religious reasoning is absolute master of the emotions, I would rightly advise you to pay close attention to philosophy. 2 For the subject is essential to everyone as a path to knowledge, and it also includes the praise of the greatest virtue, I mean good judgment. 3 If, then, reasoning is seen to master the emotions that hinder self-control, such as gluttony and desire, 4 it is also clearly shown to rule over the emotions that hinder justice, such as malice, and over those that hinder courage, such as anger, fear, and pain. 5 Perhaps some may ask, “How is it, then, that reasoning, if it rules the emotions, isn’t also master of forgetfulness and ignorance?” They attempt a ridiculous argument. 6 For reasoning does not rule over its own emotions, but over those that are contrary to justice, courage, and self-control; and it rules over these not to destroy them, but so as not to give in to them. 7 I could show you from many different sources that reasoning is sole master of the emotions,
19–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 4 Maccabees

Titus 2:12

New Testament
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Titus

References

... The term eusebeia (along with its verb and adverb) is a crucial one in these letters. In popular parlance it meant roughly what religious means in popular English. For many it is difficult to imagine Paul’s using such a word, which belongs to Hellenism and Hellenistic Judaism (see especially Ecclesiasticus and 4 Maccabees), to describe either the Christian faith or Christian behavior. But the answer to this, as with many such terms in the Pastoral Epistles (see the Introduction), lies with the false teachers. Most likely this is their word, being used by Paul to counteract them (compare the use of wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1–3). ... The positive side in this passage picks up language regularly used in these letters, which is also that of Hellenistic moralism. Many in fact see the three words self-controlled, upright, and godly as expressing three of the four cardinal virtues of Platonism-Stoicism. ...
Gordon D. Fee, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, NIBC (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1988), 63, 195.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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4 Maccabees 1:6 and Titus 2:12

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