to dispute · verb — present active participle, accusative plural masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Peter 2:18-25 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
1 Timothy 6:1-2 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasph…
Ephesians 6:5-8 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Ch…
Colossians 3:22-25 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing G…
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Titus 2:1-10
Here is the third thing in the matter of the epistle. In the chapter foregoing, the apostle had directed Titus about matters of government, and to set in order the things that were wanting in the churches. Now here he exhorts him,
I. Generally, to a faithful discharge of his own office. His ordaining others to preach would not excuse himself from preaching, nor might he take care of ministers and elders only, but he must instruct private Christians also in their duty. The adversative particle (but) here points back to the corrupt teachers, who vented fables, things vain and unprofitable: in opposition to them, says he, "But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine, what is agreeable…
servants--"slaves."
to please them well--"to give satisfaction" [ALFORD]. To be complaisant in everything; to have that zealous desire to gain the master's goodwill which will anticipate the master's wish and do even more than is required. The reason for the frequent recurrence of injunctions to slaves to subjection (Eph 6:5, &c.; Col 3:22; Ti1 6:1, &c.; Pe1 2:18) was, that in no rank was there more danger of the doctrine of the spiritual equality and freedom of Christians being misunderstood than in that of slaves. It was natural for the slave who had become a Christian, to forget his place and put himself on a social level with his master. Hence the charge for each to abide in the sphere…
Exhort servants to be obedient - The apostle refers to those who were slaves, and the property of their masters; even these are exhorted to be obedient ιδιοις δεσποταις, to their own despots, though they had no right over them on the ground of natural justice.
Please them well in all things - They were to endeavor to do this in all things, though they could not hope to succeed in every thing.
Not answering again - Μη αντιλεγοντας· Not contradicting or gainsaying. This is no part of a servant's duty; a servant is hired to do his master's work, and this his master has a right to appoint.
The Church Fathers
Concerning slaves, so that they themselves may also serve worthily of the grace of Christ.
A bishopric necessarily pertains to him who is the head of the household. It is a superintendence of the faith of the members of the household, lest any fall into heresy. It extends to the wife, to a son or a daughter; it extends also to a slave, for he has also been redeemed at so great a price. The apostolic teaching assumes the placement of the master above the slave and the slave beneath the master, but Christ has given the same price for each of them. Do not neglect even the lowliest among your household.
Slaves, be obedient to your own masters with all respect, to please them in everything, not being argumentative or pilfering, but showing all good faith:, so that in everything they may adorn the teaching of our Savior God. Therefore, it is not proper to take slaves away from their masters under the pretext of virtue. not being argumentative. Paul urges the observance of obedience and loyalty; for this is what most befits slaves. they may adorn the teaching of our Savior. Rightly Paul said elsewhere, "As servants of God, not of men." (1 Corinthians 7: and Ephesians 6:6-7) Indeed, although you serve the master with goodwill, he says, the opportunity nevertheless begins with the fear of God. For if they are wicked, they bring insult to Christianity. "For the name of God is blasphemed because of you," (Isa. 52:; Rom. 2:24) But those who do the things that have been said will fulfill the preaching, faithfully serving.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Meekness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Patience · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Servants · Duties of, to masters: To obey them — Duties of, to masters: To obey them
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on Titus 2:9
Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters,.... And not others, whether they be believers, or unbelievers, gentle or froward, all their lawful commands ought to be obeyed; See Gill on Ephesians 6:5 and to please them well in all things; not only to obey and serve them, and do what they order, but to seek and endeavour to do it in such a way as may be grateful, acceptable, and well pleasing to them, whereby an interest in their affection, esteem, and commendation, may be gained: and this should be done always, and in all things, that are not contrary to a good conscience and to the Christian religion, and to the laws of God and nature. Or "that they may be well pleased in all things"…
Titus 2:6-10
6. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
6. Juvenes similiter hortare ut sobrii sint
7. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
7. In omnibus to ipsum praebe exemplum bonorum operum in doctrina integritatem gravitatem
8. Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
8. Sermonem sanum inreprehensibilem ut is qui ex adverso est vereatur nihil habens malum dicere de nobis
9. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
9. Servos dominis suis subdi…
