Titus: A slave and his owner

Read Titus 2:6-10

The morning sun warmed Gaius back as he rode alongside his master. His horse snorted from the dusty road as the group clip-clopped toward Thessalonica. The city was at least two days away yet and Gaius enjoyed the lively discussion with his master as they traveled.

“Master, your talk with those rude travelers last night was kind,” Gaius commented.

Rufus smiled. The group had approached their camp with greedy demands for food and water. He would have been within his right to order them slain for their disrespect.

“I would have done differently before, wouldn’t I?” he said. “I did feel angry, Gaius.”

“I did also. I waited for your command,” the slave said.

“I’ve changed. I wanted to give them food and help them. They were obviously desperate.”

Gaius was silent for a moment. He had watched his young master fall on his knees before the preacher a few months before and had seen the changes in Rufus since that time.

“You are self-controlled, Master,” Gaius observed.

“What?”

“Self-controlled. Remember what Titus told us when we last met with him? He said you should be self-controlled.”

“So he did. And he said slaves shouldn’t steal from their masters.” Rufus playfully shoved Gaius’ shoulder. “How’s that going for you?”

“Master! I’d never….what….you can’t….oh,” Gaius sputtered for a moment before catching the grin on Rufus’ face. “I never steal,” he said indignantly.

“Well, I’ve seen a change in you, too, Gaius,” Rufus said lightly. “Titus is a good man, isn’t he? I enjoy spending time with him. You can watch him work and see the Savior in him.”

Paul instructed Titus, in our reading today, to teach young men and slaves how to live. How was Titus to do that, according to the first part of verse 7?


And, if the church did as Titus instructed, what would be the result, according to the last part of verse 8?

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