A Torah Verse By Verse Commentary Of Paul's Epistles by Re'tzon Ha'El - HTML preview

Chapter 2

V1 Titus was not to conjure up any old doctrine that he considered to be sound in his own estimation. After all, even the deceitful members within the ecclesia, had convinced themselves that their version of ‘truth’ was without error. The following cross-references confirm to us what this sound doctrine could possibly be: 1 Tim 6:3; 2 Tim 1:13. We can elucidate from these verses that Paul was referring to the words of Yeshua of teachings linked to faith and love. Yeshua is the personification of Torah, and this very Torah is summarized in love for Elohim and for one’s neighbour. Anything that opposes Torah is contrary to love cf Matt 22:37-40. Sound doctrine ultimately must line up with the laws of Elohim, and no matter how hard one may try teaching otherwise, there is no escaping this glaring truth when scripture is carefully studied.

V2 The presbutes/elderly men in society are expected to be a source of wisdom. However, without sound doctrine hinged upon the laws of Elohim, most societies have rogue, puerile, and even delinquent men, leading their countries, whose behaviour has resulted in widespread, national depravity. A holy elderly man must have the following qualities:

a. nephaleos/temperance, sobriety, which also means abstinence from wine or at least from its abuse. A sober mind is less susceptible to the wiles of the devil cf 1 Pet 5:8

b. semnos/august,honourable

c. sophron/self-controlled, of a sound mind

d. Sound in faith, brotherly love and endurance

V3 The presbutis/elderly women are expected to support the conduct of the elderly men. They must exhibit:

a. hieroprepes/reverence, holiness

b. Must not be diabolos/slanderers

c. Not douloo/enslaved to wine

d. Teach goodness found nowhere else but in Torah

V4 -5 By living righteous, law abiding lives, elderly women become a source of knowledge and wisdom for young wives and mothers, especially in their relationships with their husbands and children. Young wives consulting their wisdom will inevitably inherit their qualities cf 1 Tim 3:11. With the so-called emancipation of women, the headship of husbands in families has been usurped, and children are raised by maids or neglected altogether, due to their mothers being fixated with their professions.

Furthermore, magazines, books and all manner of psychological resources are consulted for answers to breakdown in family relationships, largely due to lack of wise elderly women. If these basic tenets could be taught in the churches, our society would not be so fragmented, and the divinely ordained hierarchy would soon be restored cf 1 Cor 11:2-3. The current rampant status quo of women ruling their households is blasphemy to Elohim. Many churches of today are headed by women, some lesbian even, adding to the blasphemous state of affairs, which desperately needs addressing by men standing up, and leading by example, as of times past.

V6 Paul reiterates over and over again the importance of being sophroneo/sober, of a sound mind. Only the Holy Spirit can renew our mind, if we surrender to Him. This surrender is considered a living sacrifice. A sinner having been justified and delivered from Satan’s kingdom by the atoning blood of Yeshua through faith in Him, enters a state of cleanliness, provided the heart and spirit presented is completely remorseful, broken and contrite cf Ps 51:17; Lev 13:12-17. This justification and redemption is completed in water baptism, whereby one wilfully allows the death of the carnal, sinful nature with Messiah upon entering the water, and rising out of the water with Messiah in newness of life cf Rom 7:4. 

This explains why pride is the entry point of sin. Refusal for one to submit to their creator and seek forgiveness, and to forgive others, makes it impossible for the Holy Spirit to enter that heart, as pride causes uncleanliness cf 1 Sam 15:23. An unclean Israelite was not allowed to enter the sanctuary of the tabernacle nor of the temple. The Holy Spirit cannot sanctify/make holy an unclean heart, wherein all thought and intentions reside, which determine the destiny of one’s soul cf Gen 6:5; Matt 15:19; Jer 17:9.

However, once that heart has acknowledged that it is hopeless and becomes broken and contrite and in desperate need of redemption, the Holy Spirit floods that heart with overflowing love and power, and this is the baptism of the Holy Spirit by fire. Humility and repentance allow Him to enter our hearts, upon which the laws of Elohim are engraved cf Rom 12:1-2; Eze 36:26-27. 

This allows metamorphosis of our thoughts to be in line with Torah, and this Holy Spirit led life no longer sins, meaning the curses of Torah cannot touch us. With this understanding Paul was able to boldly declare that the law was only made for sinners, hence precluding the need for the law to judge those led by the Spirit, no longer living in carnality which breeds sin cf 1 Tim 1:8-9.

V7 A pattern of good works inevitably arises out of one in whom the Holy Spirit has written the Torah in their heart. That once deceitful heart, having accepted defeat and surrendered to the Holy Spirit, is rehabilitated and freed from corruption. Every thought emanating from it thereafter becomes imbued with semnotes/gravity, purity and aphtharsia/incorruption, sincerity.

V8 The utterances of the tongue are a physical vocalisation of the thoughts of the heart, hence the two are intimately related. The nature of one’s heart is readily discerned by one’s words. A righteous man will never use crude nor crass language, but only open his mouth to speak infallible truth, The utterances of a man devoid of Torah truth lead to his own destruction cf Jm 3:5-10,13-14.Young men, exhorted by wise elders, are to allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify their hearts, in order for the love engulfing it, to only express uncorrupted words that hold weight against any dissenters in the ecclesia.

V9 -10 Doulos/slaves were present in Paul’s day, and even they were encouraged to be subject to their masters, for the love of Messiah to shine through them.This was in the hope of being able to win souls for the kingdom of Elohim, regardless of their status in society for Elohim is not impressed by one’s worldly status, but by the state of one’s heart cf Acts 10:34.

‘me antilego’ translated ‘not answering again’, means to not speak against or disobey. ‘Nosphizomai’ translated ‘purloining’, means to embezzle or to pilfer. ‘Kosmeo’ translated adorn, means to embellish with honour. Slaves, or in our society, servants, be they civil servants or subordinates of any form in a work environment, are to honour the name of Elohim in all their conduct and associations with their superiors. This is only evident through walking in Torah truth, desisting from embezzling and disobeying the higher authorities cf 1 Tim 6:1-2; Matt 5:16.

V11 Yeshua who is the grace of Elohim the Father (Jn 1:17) was revealed to the world, for all that believe in Him to be given the opportunity to gain eternal life, which is salvation awarded at the end of a successful Christian walk on this earth cf Jn 3:16-18.

V12 Yeshua’s ministry is summarised in this verse. He taught us to deny impiety which is the root cause of worldliness cf Jn 17:14-17. Again, Paul stresses that Yeshua taught us to live in a state of sophroneo/sound mindedness as expounded on previously in verse 6. Living righteously and piously in this present world carries many challenges. We live in an agnostic society that calls good evil and evil good cf Isa 5:20. Rebuking homosexuality, abortion, gender reassignment, adultery, fornication, witchcraft, false religions and so forth, is considered politically incorrect and in most countries attracts incarceration.

V13 Faithfully living a Torah-abiding righteous life in the midst of worldly adversity and persecution, is for the hope of Yeshua’s certain return. Again, Paul refers to Yeshua as Elohim our Saviour, whose advent shall usher in judgement unto all cf Matt 16:27.

V14 Paul known for repetition to drive home a point, further specifies that the redemptive blood of Yeshua atones for not only transgressions, trespasses or sins, but all iniquity, meaning no matter how grievous the form of wickedness. It is helpful at this juncture to define the difference between these 4 types of aberration of Torah, which most of Christendom is unfamiliar with, yet is of great significance in identifying the enemy’s tactics in the spiritual realm. The English, Hebrew and Greek names are given respectively:

a. Eng Transgression/Heb Pesha/ Greek Parabasis- Wilful rebellion against Torah, which leads to a state of sin. A clean person enters a state of uncleanliness by transgression.

b. Sin/Chatta’ah/Hamartia- Transgression of Torah, but not necessarily grievous e.g. eating non-Kosher food deems one unclean until evening. This state of uncleanness is not synonymous with depravity, as the perpetrator does not necessarily revel in the uncleanness.

c. Trespass/Asham/Paraptoma- A lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness that is unintentional.

d. Iniquity/Avon/Anomia- Lawlessness i.e. grievous sin whereby the perpetrator is wilfully living in, and enjoying sin with an unrepentant heart. This is synonymous with depravity.

Yeshua’s expiatory blood cleanses/purifies the repentant soul, upon which the Holy Spirit is then able to enter to lead unto good works of walking in Torah truth, which any true Spirit-filled saint will zealously do.