DTS Devotional

Before discussing another aspect of Christian living, Paul summarized his exhortations to Titus. By his words, “Do not let anyone despise you” (Titus 2:15), Paul ended this section as he began in verse 1. However, he added that Titus should communicate these spiritual concepts with confidence: “Encourage and rebuke with all authority.”

Paul had spelled out for Titus what the apostle had learned by direct revelation from God about Christian living. And he wanted Titus to teach these truths to others with the same degree of authority—as if he too had received them directly from God. Adhering to God’s trustworthy message (1:9), Titus need not be intimidated nor have his confidence undermined. He had no reason to be “ashamed of the Gospel” (Rom. 1:16).

We too have an authoritative message—the Bible—to communicate to others. We need not apologize nor be ashamed of it. Though not everyone will receive it, we must not be intimidated. When we are speaking God’s truth and some reject it, they are rejecting God, not us.

Consider: We are to be authoritative without being authoritarian. We are to know what we believe, communicating it without reflecting a “know-it-all” attitude.

We must be sure when we “encourage and rebuke with all authority” that we are speaking the truth. And as we grow in knowing the Scriptures, God can use us to be “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15) so that no one will “despise” us (Titus 2:15) nor the Lord.