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New Defender's Study Bible Notes
2:4 young women. Paul’s teaching that “I suffer not a woman to teach” (I Timothy 2:12) obviously was not intended to be inclusive of all types of teaching. The older women here are encouraged to teach the younger but are “not to usurp authority over the man” (I Timothy 2:12).
2:10 adorn the doctrine. “Adorn” translates the Greek word kosmeo, from which we get the word “cosmetics.” This striking command enjoins us to make the doctrines of the Christian faith attractive to unbelievers by all our words and deeds. As far as physical appearance is concerned, our Christian cosmetics should be attractive, but not to attract people to ourselves. In so far as possible, we should attract people to Christ and His “doctrine.” A neat, modest, cheerful appearance will contribute to this goal.
2:11 all men. In one way or another, all men could, and should, have been aware of the power of God in creation (Romans 1:20) and the grace of God in salvation (Acts 14:17), so that they are “without excuse” if they fail to seek Him. He is “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9), but “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
2:12 in this present world. This is a capsule summary of the Christian life. Once having received the grace of God in salvation (Titus 2:11), we should live godly and righteous lives in this present world (Titus 2:12), waiting expectantly for the return of Christ (Titus 2:13). Note that we are to be looking for Him, not for the Antichrist or a world government or any other sign. His coming is always imminent, with nothing else required to precede it.
2:13 that blessed hope. The second coming of Christ, specifically the very first event of that coming, namely, the resurrection of those who died in Christ and the rapture of those believers still living when He comes, is the “blessed hope” of the Christian. When a believer is truly looking for that hope (notice that he is to be looking for the imminent coming of Christ), it is a great incentive to witnessing and godly living. “Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (I John 3:3).
2:14 purify unto Himself. Christians tend to think of Christ’s death mostly in terms of what it means to them, but it also means much to Christ Himself. He wanted to “purify unto Himself a peculiar people.” He died for sinners, so that “they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him” (II Corinthians 5:15). He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness” (I Peter 2:24).
2:14 peculiar people. That is, the death of Christ was not just to save us, but also to create a group of people peculiarly and particularly dedicated to Himself. This is the only occurrence in the New Testament of the Greek word translated “peculiar.”