Making the Bible Believable

Frequently when women are given teaching from Titus 2, I've heard them say to me, "Oh no! Not this again!! Can't we move on to other things? Can't we study the deep things of God?"

I appreciate their desire to study Scripture. It is God's will that we be students of His Word (theologians), for it is only the truth of the Gospel (as found in the whole of Scripture) which establishes us firm in our faith, equipping us for every good work, and for every spiritual battle (2 Timothy 2:15,16; Ephesians 6:10-20).

So, why, out of all the books in the Bible, should Titus be one book that women keep coming back to? Shouldn't it be a book that is read once a year like all the other books as part of a "through the Bible in a year" reading program?

Good question.

First of all, the book of Titus isn't a "for women only" book. It is a book that should be often referred to by pastors, older men, young men, and people who work for a boss. There is truth in this book for everyone, no matter what their gender, age, or position. But this book does contain a specific focus for women where we find a specific command to teach and learn and live the Titus 2 way.

Also, there is nothing in this book that isn't taught elsewhere in the Bible. The book of Titus is consistent with the doctrine of manhood and womanhood found throughout scripture. Though this book is short, and could be easily overlooked, it packs a punch with its concise presentation of the Gospel and application to life. When we study the book of Titus, we are being theologians. We are studying theology. This is deep stuff. And it is mysterious. For in this book we learn specifically how the conduct of our lives makes a difference for the effective advance of the Gospel.

Paul realized the only way for the message of the Gospel to be communicated effectively in a culture steeped in a mix of religiosity and secularism was for the believers to live it in such a way as to validate the words spoken. In other words: Live in such a way as to make the Bible believable.

Some women get hung up on the specifics of the "Titus 2 woman." They quickly jump to conclusions about matters like submission and working outside the home. There are extremes in both directions and a lot of fuzzy thinking in between. Some will dogmatically assert that Titus 2 teaches that submission means wearing gingham jumpers, no make-up, homeschooling, and never expressing an opinion. On the other hand, there are others who are quick to assert that Christian women must not be governed by a list of do's and don'ts. They maintain that they must live in the "freedom of Christ" and be all that they can be (just like unsaved women only with Christ's name pinned to the lapel of their business suit). But this is not what makes the Bible believable.

So, what does make the Bible believable? The answer is found in chapter 1:16, "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works" and 2:5 "... so that the Word of God may not be reviled." The way we live makes the Bible either believable or unbelievable.

Let me put it to you with some questions as food for thought:

Do my children (young or grown) observe my overall lifestyle as being consistent with my profession of faith?
Do my neighbors see a difference in me, other than that they see me pull out of the driveway for church on a Sunday morning?
Do my unsaved family members see what faith looks like?
What do my girlfriends hear me talk about most?

Or:
Do my children think that God is not worth trusting since mommy still worries, frets, and gets angry with daddy?
Do my girlfriends wonder what difference Christ makes when they see me eating too much, talking too much, sleeping too much, and "dissing" my husband?
Do my neighbors wonder if I really mean what I say when I tell them, "God is enough" when I am scrambling to work in order to pay for more stuff?
Do my unsaved family members hear that the husband/wife relationship is to reflect the God the Father and Son's relationship (1 Corinthians 11:3), but get the impression from my marriage that God the Father and God the Son must be in conflict and competing with each other for their own rights?

As Carolyn Mahaney points out: Usually unbelievers are not interested in our doctrine. They are more interested to see if our doctrine works (paraphrase from Teach What Is Good).

For example: One thing most everyone knows about the Bible is that it tells us to "love our neighbor." Many years ago my neighbor changed the placement of her garbage can at the end of her driveway, which meant we needed to change where we placed ours. This really irritated me, and so, rather than love her, I began competing with her for garbage can placement. I thought if I put my can out before she did, then she'd get the point. Well, to make a stupid story short, I was not demonstrating Christ-like love for my neighbor. After several weeks of this silly game I did end up having a helpful, and humble conversation with her where I admitted my anger and asked for her forgiveness, which did open up a conversation about Christ.

Another example: Have you ever had the experience of receiving praise for the kind of marriage you have, or the good kids you have? These are powerful opportunities to witness for Christ. We must clearly communicate to people that it is ONLY because of what Christ has done for us and in us that we can even begin to have a marriage and family that is praiseworthy. When we do not (and I'm sad to say I've been guilty of this as well) we take praise onto ourselves and people lose an opportunity to hear about the Gospel.

"... the church is to have a godly impact on an ungodly world. This is what makes our evangelistic efforts and impact effective and fruitful.

You may claim to have true doctrine, biblical doctrine. In your head you may know true biblical doctrine. But if you’re living in a way that is contrary to the true biblical doctrine, then what you really believe is not true doctrine. Doctrine and life have to match each other (Nancy Leigh DeMoss - Revive Our Hearts ministry).

That's how we make the Bible believable.