Titus 2:15

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.—These words are the conclusion of this part of the Letter of St. Paul to Titus. A new division of the Epistle begins immediately after this verse with the third chapter. He is to speak the words—many of them sharp and bitter—told him by St. Paul; he is to remember now to exhort, now to rebuke, and all this “with authority,” as chief pastor of the flock of Crete formally commissioned and appointed.

Let no man despise thee.—“Speak,” wrote the brave-hearted old man Paul, “speak with decision, and rebuke and punish if need be with vigour, remembering the dark character of the people with whom you have to do.” And perhaps in the background of this stirring admonition of the aged master to his disciple, placed in so difficult and responsible a position, there is the anxious warning again: Yes, but show all diligence too in your own words and doings, so that every word of thine may have its full weight, that none may despise thee on account of thine own life.

Benson Commentary

Titus 2:15. These things — Namely, concerning the universality of divine grace, and the excellent purposes for which it is given, the coming of Christ to judgment, the end for which he died during his first appearing on earth, and concerning the character of his people as zealous of good works; speak and exhort — Show them their duty, and exhort them to comply with it. And rebuke — All opposers, or confute (as ελεγχε also means) such as teach otherwise; with all the authority due to truth, and as one that knows he has a divine commission to support him. Let no man despise thee — That is, let none have just cause to despise thee: yet they surely will. Men who know not God, will despise a true minister of his word.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:11-15 The doctrine of grace and salvation by the gospel, is for all ranks and conditions of men. It teaches to forsake sin; to have no more to do with it. An earthly, sensual conversation suits not a heavenly calling. It teaches to make conscience of that which is good. We must look to God in Christ, as the object of our hope and worship. A gospel conversation must be a godly conversation. See our duty in a very few words; denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, notwithstanding all snares, temptations, corrupt examples, ill usage, and what remains of sin in the believer's heart, with all their hinderances. It teaches to look for the glories of another world. At, and in, the glorious appearing of Christ, the blessed hope of Christians will be complete: To bring us to holiness and happiness was the end of Christ's death. Jesus Christ, that great God and our Saviour, who saves not only as God, much less as Man alone; but as God-man, two natures in one person. He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

These things speak and exhort - Notes, 1 Timothy 6:2.

And rebuke with all authority - 1 Timothy 5:1, note, 20, note; 2 Timothy 4:2 note. The word "authority" here means command - ἐπιταγὴ epitagē; 1 Corinthians 7:6, 1 Corinthians 7:25; 2 Corinthians 8:8; 1 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:3. The sense here is, he was to do it decidedly, without ambiguity, without compromise, and without keeping anything back. He was to state these things not as being advice or counsel, but as the requirement of God.

Let no man despise thee - That is, conduct yourself, as you may easily do, so as to command universal respect as a minister of God; see the notes at 1 Timothy 4:12.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. with all authority—Translate, "authoritativeness" (compare "sharply," Tit 1:13).

Let no man despise thee—Speak with such vigor as to command respect (1Ti 4:12). Warn them with such authority that no one may think himself above (so the Greek literally) the need of admonition [Tittmann, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

These things speak, and exhort; whatsoever I have in this Episple said unto thee, I have therefore spoke, that thou mightest speak to the same sense to others, and persuade them to the practice of them.

And rebuke with all authority; when thou hast occasion to reprove any for their errors, do not do it imperiously, but with meekness; nor yet slightly and cursorily, but showing all gravity and authority.

Let no man despise thee; and do not so demean thyself, as to give any persons occasion to despise thee.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

These things speak and exhort,.... Sound doctrine, the doctrine of grace, the doctrines of salvation and redemption by Christ, of peace, pardon, and cleansing by his blood; these speak out clearly, plainly, publicly, boldly, and faithfully: and the things which become sound doctrine; the duties of religion suitable to every age and sex, a denying of ungodliness and worldly lusts, a sober, righteous, and godly life and conversation, exhort unto; and encourage the saints to be zealous of good works, and comfort them with the expectation of the blessed hope, and glorious appearance of Christ.

And rebuke with all authority; such as imbibe errors and heresies, or indulge to vice and wickedness, with the authority both of Christ and his church, in the name of the one, and by the order and vote of the other, that the reproof may come with the greater weight; and in a grave and solemn manner, suitable to the dignity of the ministerial office and character, and with that sharpness and severity the offence requires.

Let no man despise thee; as negligent in the discharge of his office, or as doing it in a pusillanimous manner, or as behaving in his life and conversation unworthy of the character he bore, and so is a direction to himself; or else it may be considered as designed for the churches in Crete, and the professors of religion, and to be an instruction to them to value Titus, and treat him with respect, and not with contempt; which shows that this epistle was not written for Titus only, or for his own use, but for the service of others. The Ethiopic version reads, "let no man deceive thee".

Geneva Study Bible

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

(g) With all authority possible.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Titus 2:15. See on 1 Timothy 4:12.

ταῦτα is best connected with λάλει only, and referred to the positive instructions of chap. 2, “the things which befit the sound doctrine”; while παρακάλει and ἔλεγχε represent the two main functions of the pastor. See Titus 1:9.

ἐπιταγῆς: authority, imperio; πάσης ἐπιτ.: in the most authoritative manner possible; not to be connected with ἔλεγχε only.

μηδείς σου περιφρονείτω: another way of saying μετὰ πάσης ἐπιταγῆς. Do not permit thine authority to be despised, Be consistent. See 1 Timothy 4:12.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke] The three verbs rise as a climax, describing the degrees of earnestness and intensity to be put forth according to the occasion; ‘these things,’ all from Titus 2:1.

with all authority] The word looks back to the ‘authority’ of St Paul’s own commission Titus 1:3, and implies its delegated fulness. So 1 Timothy 1:1, where see note.

Let no man despise thee] ‘Do not thyself disesteem and cheapen thy authority.’ This is the exact force of the Greek verb used for ‘despise.’ Cf. ‘it is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer,’ Proverbs 20:14. ‘Believe,’ as we might say now, ‘in the grace of holy orders.’ ‘Believe there is something in the faithful pastors, the faithful priest’s, visit to the sick or whole, different from and beyond the faithful layman’s. Foster this belief for your people’s sake. Their faith in this matter will have much to do with their healing.’ Cf. Bridges, Christian Ministry, c. x, ‘Expect great things—attempt great things. This expectation is the life of faith—the vitality of the Ministry—that which honours God, and is honoured by God.’

Bengel's Gnomen

Titus 2:15. Μηδεὶς, let no one) 1 Timothy 4:12, note.—περιφρονείτω, despise) The minister of the Divine word, defenceless, unwarlike, is certainly despised by those who do not submit themselves to the word of God, but think that it is only political defences that are of any avail. But perverse hearers much more despise him who teaches somewhat slowly: they ought to be made to feel ἐπιταγὴν, i.e. what is inculcated, as coming from authority; not to draw it to themselves [to wrest the authority from the minister and draw it to themselves].

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - Reprove fur rebuke, A.V. Authority (ἐπιταγῆς); see 1 Timothy 1:1 and above, Titus 1:3, "authoritative commandment." Let no man despise thee (περιφρονείσω); here only in the New Testament; used in a different sense by the LXX. in Wisd. 1:1, but in the same sense as here in 4 Macc. 6:9, and also in classical Greek. In 1 Timothy 4:12 and 1 Tim 6:2 St. Paul uses the more common word, καταφρονέω. The apostle thus winds up the preceding portion of his Epistle.



Titus 2:15