(1) В¶ But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: (2) That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. (3) The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; (4) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, (5) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (6) Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. (7) In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, (8) Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. (9) Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; (10) Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
I admire the Apostle's expression, when he calls the great, and distinguishing truths of the gospel, sound: meaning, what is firm to depend upon, in opposition to what is rotten, and deceitful. The doctrines of grace, by which Paul means, the electing love of God to his Church; redemption by Christ; justification by his blood, and righteousness; the regeneration of the Holy Ghost; and the final perseverance of the saints. These are sound, solid, substantial truths; founded in the promise of God, who cannot lie; and such as God will have his people taught, and established in. For to this purpose, the Lord himself hath confirmed the whole, by word and oath. And at the time the Lord, did it, he expressly said, that it was on this very account, because, he was willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel. Hebrews 6:17-18. And can any man be so presumptuous as to suppose, that God hath appointed the means, and will not bless the end. Will any man daringly put forth his hand to touch the ark, as if God cannot without him, preserve it from falling? It is astonishing, what the proud presumptuous reasoning of the human heart is capable of producing on subjects of this nature. And hence; while the Lord declares, that he will have the heirs of promise comforted with the assurance of his unalterable purpose, and counsel; such men wish to guard, as they term it, the Gospel, lest the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, should lead to licentiousness. If those men would, or could, but attend to one single point of the Gospel; and make this the standard by which to ascertain their opinions, they might be modest enough to learn, that Christ himself hath formed the fence, which none can go over. Those five words of our Lord, puts an everlasting silence to all their presumptuous reasoning: Ye must be born again. John 3:7. everyone that is born again (and it is to such only that assurance is given) hath in him the testimony of God the Father's electing love; Christ's redeeming grace, and the Holy Ghost's sovereign work upon their souls. And all that are thus born again, are infallibly secured from finally falling. And it is awful, in any one, to call it unscriptural, and highly dangerous, to question concerning such, their final perseverance, or to withhold from them the Lord's assurance, when the Lord himself hath commanded concerning them saying; Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her: that her warfare is accomplished: that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand; (and so she hath, in the Personal sufferings, and death of her Head, and Husband, and Surety), double for all her sins. Isaiah 40:1-2. Reader! do you look to God the Spirit, for the testimonies and evidences, of the new-birth. And if through grace, you discern the precious marks, of the Lord the Spirit's regenerating work, upon your soul; listen to the same Almighty Teacher's own witness, to your sonship in God, and your redemption by Christ, against an host of self-righteous, and self-taught men! Romans 8:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:5
Let not the Reader overlook the very beautiful, and striking inferences which the Apostle raiseth, from the subject of sound doctrine. The aged men and women: the younger women, in their married state; and the young men; and servants also in families; all orders in social life, which are here commanded to be spoken to, by Titus, are the sound in faith. Let not the Reader overlook this: for this is the foundation, on which the Apostle grounds his exhortation. They are therefore the members of the Church; truly regenerated believers. It is to them, the precept is given, that they may all act, under the influence of the Spirit, which they have received, as becometh sound doctrine. Paul is not teaching Titus to expect those things from the unconverted. Make the tree good, (saith the Lord Jesus himself), and his fruit good. Matthew 12:33. But without the change of heart by the regenerating work of God the Holy Ghost: neither the aged, nor the young, can be sound in good works, not being sound in the faith. Men do not gather grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles. And that Paul so meant, and so said, is evident, from what he observes will follow, lives of grace, manifested in lives of practice; that the word of God, (saith he), be not blasphemed; and that they of a contrary part, (mark the expression), may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. By which, as plain as words can make it, the Apostle draws the line of distinction, between the Church of regenerated believers, and the contrary part of the ungodly and unawakened. All which plainly prove, that those scriptures are all along as Paul intended them designed for, the saints of God and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:1; Titus 1:4.