健全的教训

至于你,你所讲的要与健全的教义相宜: 年长的男人要节制、庄重、自律,在信仰、爱心和忍耐上要健全; 同样,年长的妇女在举止行为上要合乎圣洁、不恶意控告、不成为酒的奴隶,要教导美好的事; 这样,她们可以训导年轻的妇女爱丈夫、爱儿女、 自律、贞洁、善理家务、良善、服从自己的丈夫,免得神的话语[a]受到亵渎。

同样,你要鼓励年轻的男人清醒自制; 你自己要在一切事上做出美好工作的榜样;教导的时候要正直[b]、庄重[c] 要用无可指责的健全话语,使反对的人在我们[d]的事上因没有坏话可说,就感到羞愧。

奴仆要在一切事上服从自己的主人、讨主人喜悦,不可顶嘴、 10 不可私拿东西,反要显出所有美好的忠信,好在一切事上为神我们救主的教导增添光彩。

11 事实上,神拯救万民的恩典已经显明出来了。 12 这恩典管教我们,使我们拒绝不敬神的事和地上的欲望,在今世能过自制、公义、敬神的生活, 13 期待那蒙福的盼望,以及我们那伟大的神、救主耶稣基督[e]荣耀的显现。 14 他为我们献上自己,是为了救赎我们脱离一切罪恶[f],并且洁净我们做他自己特选的子民,做美好工作的热心人。

15 你要讲说这些,充分地使用权威来劝勉、责备;不要让任何人轻看你。

Footnotes

  1. 提多书 2:5 神的话语——或译作“神的道”。
  2. 提多书 2:7 正直——有古抄本作“坚贞”。
  3. 提多书 2:7 有古抄本附“廉洁”。
  4. 提多书 2:8 我们——有古抄本作“你们”。
  5. 提多书 2:13 我们那伟大的神、救主耶稣基督——或译作“那伟大的神、我们的救主耶稣基督”。
  6. 提多书 2:14 罪恶——原文直译“不法”。

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with[a] sound teaching. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled,[b] sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.[c] 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. In this way[d] they will train[e] the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled,[f] pure, fulfilling their duties at home,[g] kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message[h] of God may not be discredited.[i] Encourage younger men likewise to be self-controlled,[j] showing yourself to be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss,[k] because he has nothing evil to say about us. Slaves[l] are to be subject to their own masters in everything,[m] to do what is wanted and not talk back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith,[n] in order to bring credit to[o] the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.[p] 12 It trains us[q] to reject godless ways[r] 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[s] of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.[t] 14 He[u] gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his,[v] who are eager to do good.[w] 15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke[x] that carries full authority.[y] Don’t let anyone look down[z] on you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:1 tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).
  2. Titus 2:2 tn Or “sensible.”
  3. Titus 2:2 sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.
  4. Titus 2:4 tn Grk “that they may train” (continuing the sentence of 2:3).
  5. Titus 2:4 tn This verb, σωφρονίζω (sōphronizō), denotes teaching in the sense of bringing people to their senses, showing what sound thinking is.
  6. Titus 2:5 tn Or “sensible.”
  7. Titus 2:5 tn Grk “domestic,” “keeping house.”
  8. Titus 2:5 tn Or “word.”
  9. Titus 2:5 tn Or “slandered.”
  10. Titus 2:6 tn Or “sensible.”
  11. Titus 2:8 tn Or “put to shame.”
  12. Titus 2:9 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.
  13. Titus 2:9 tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”
  14. Titus 2:10 tn Or “showing that genuine faith is productive.” At issue between these two translations is the force of ἀγαθήν (agathēn): Is it attributive (as the text has it) or predicate (as in this note)? A number of considerations point in the direction of a predicate ἀγαθήν (e.g., separation from the noun πίστιν [pistin] by the verb, the possibility that the construction is an object-complement, etc.), though this is not usually seen as an option in either translations or commentaries. Cf. ExSyn 188-89, 312-13, for a discussion. Contextually, it makes an intriguing statement, for it suggests a synthetic or synonymous parallel: “‘Slaves should be wholly subject to their masters…demonstrating that all [genuine] faith is productive, with the result [ecbatic ἵνα] that they will completely adorn the doctrine of God.’ The point of the text, then, if this understanding is correct, is an exhortation to slaves to demonstrate that their faith is sincere and results in holy behavior. If taken this way, the text seems to support the idea that saving faith does not fail, but even results in good works” (ExSyn 312-13). The translation of ἀγαθήν as an attributive adjective, however, also makes good sense.
  15. Titus 2:10 tn Or “adorn,” “show the beauty of.”
  16. Titus 2:11 tn Grk “all men”; but ἀνθρώποις (anthrōpois) is generic here, referring to both men and women.
  17. Titus 2:12 tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.
  18. Titus 2:12 tn Grk “ungodliness.”
  19. Titus 2:13 tn Grk “the blessed hope and glorious appearing.”
  20. Titus 2:13 tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on Sharp’s rule see ExSyn 270-78, esp. 276. See also 2 Pet 1:1 and Jude 4.
  21. Titus 2:14 tn Grk “who” (as a continuation of the previous clause).
  22. Titus 2:14 tn Or “a people who are his very own.”
  23. Titus 2:14 tn Grk “for good works.”
  24. Titus 2:15 tn Or “reproof,” “censure.” The Greek word ἐλέγχω (elenchō) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
  25. Titus 2:15 tn Grk “speak these things and exhort and rebuke with all authority.”
  26. Titus 2:15 tn Or “let anyone despise you”; or “let anyone disregard you.”

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

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.

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.

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.