無論甚麼年紀的基督徒，在家中、在教會、在社會上，應有甚麼表現呢﹖保羅就在這段經文中清楚指出。他提到5個不同年齡的組別：老年人、年長婦女、青年人、年輕婦人和作僕人的（或僱員）。 就算有文化的不同，保羅的教導對我們今天仍有很重要的指引。 這是作牧者的又一份差事！保羅提醒提多要教導這些不同年紀的人如何為主而活，並如何彼此相處。每個年齡的群體都需要神話語的提醒。例如，年長的人就很容易自以為甚麼都懂，而認為年輕人的想法及行為都是錯誤。 但如果長者的行為能如保羅在這裡所提的，有這樣的長者，任何一間教會都會非常受益。留意當中所提的愛和忍耐，年輕人對這樣的態度必能接受，但對嚴厲的批評和不停的斥責必定敬而遠之。 保羅指出，年長婦女可以是年輕主婦的極好幫助。那些有小孩子的主婦確實需要不斷的幫助和鼓勵，而年長的婦女需要清楚這方面的需要，並盡力給予她們友情關懷。保羅也提醒婦女應學習如何愛丈夫，這在盲婚啞嫁的年代有特別幫助。 接著便是年輕人。他們的誠信、平常的言談、自制，都是基督內住在他們心裡的好例證，表明主已把他們從以往的惡習中釋放出來。 同樣，作奴僕的也應在工作上、順服上及態度上見證基督。時至今天，這些原則對基督徒僱員仍然有效。如果教會中的每一位信徒都能活出這些標準，那該是一個如何美好的教會！
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| What should Christians be like in their homes, in the church, and in the world, no matter what their age group is? Paul spells it out very plainly in this passage, covering five groups: older men, older women, young men, young women, and servants (or employees). Allowing for differences in culture, there are significant instructions here for us all today. Here is one more job for the pastor! Paul tells Titus to teach each of these groups how to live for Christ and with each other! Each group continually needs instruction from the Word. For example it is easy for older people to think they know everything and that younger people are usually wrong in their thinking and behaviour. But any church would greatly benefit from having a group of seniors who act in the various ways Paul mentions here. Notice how love and patience are mentioned. Young people respond to that kind of attitude but are turned off by harsh judgment and constant reproof. Paul mentions what a help older women can be to younger housewives. Those with young children are constantly in need of help and encouragement, and older women ought to recognise this and try to cover this angle of fellowship. Paul also speaks of women learning to love their husbands. In the days of arranged marriages this would be especially helpful. Young men are next. Their integrity, their every day conversation, self-control, are all to be proof that Christ has come into their lives and has set them free from the habits of the past life. Similarly even slaves must show Christ in their work, in their obedience and attitude. Even today those principles hold good for Christian employees. What a wonderful church it would be if everyone faces up to and lives by these standards! |
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