TUESDAY, December 20

Titus 2:1-10. Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect.

It would be a simple matter to sidestep this letter of Paul and write about one of the other passages of scripture for today. But this line compels attention. Such passages in the Bible have been used to justify slavery. Contemporary people of faith deal with this disturbing idea in a variety of ways. One is to let Paul off the hook by observing that he wrote within the context of his times and culture. According to that line of thinking, Paul lacked the imagination to see any- thing wrong in slavery.

I prefer to give Paul credit for understanding the inclusive message of the Christ on a deeper level. He was a gifted teacher and leader. He understood that it wasn’t his role to reorganize society, but rather to spread the good news of Christ Jesus to as many people as possible. In his letter to Titus, he lays out a plan for helping the new church in Crete to live in peace and harmony, even if that means adhering to a traditional code of inequality that we are called to reject today.

PRAY for the Diocese of Yei (Sudan)

Ps 66, 67 * 116, 117; 1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Luke 1:26-38

View the daily Lectionary Readings at http://satucket.com/lectionary/

Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com or Oremus Bible browser.

Become a Fan of Forward Day by Day on Facebook.

Follow Forward Day by Day on Twitter.

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email this

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (4) Add Comment

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/hide comments

A Mark of Obedience

Dec 20, 2011 at 5:45 am

Written by emeline,

Our obedience to God brings us into sharp focus with God's message of salvation. We are heirs and joint heirs of His Kingdom, and our obedience will ensure that we remain focussed. As long as we are called to do the right thing in God's sight, we can be obedient to our earthly masters. OBEDIENCE IS GOD'S FIRST LAW!

...

Dec 20, 2011 at 8:48 am

Written by Bonnie,

Love. God's first law.

Dealing with society

Dec 20, 2011 at 9:08 am

Written by N,

Paul was in a difficult situation when acting or giving advice to others (Titus in this case)about how to act within the society of his time. Most of society then rejected the Christian message and community and it is fair to say that Christianity had enough of a struggle without further alienating itself. Paul's advice is in effect to carefully pick ones fights. If the entire section from Titus in today's lesson is read carefully it can be seen that Paul is cautioning people about how they act so that alienation does not occur. Consider the last sentences in verses 4, 7, and 10. Verse 10b says for example when talking about slavery, "Then everyone will show great respect for what is taught about God our Savior." (cev) This is good advice for those times but given the position of Christianity in today's world it is not. Scripture needs to be put into the context of the times when it is written. It also needs to be put into the context of the complete passage being quoted, that is to say don't proof text.

BTW the first and greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our fellow man.

descriptive not prescriptive

Dec 20, 2011 at 9:39 am

Written by carolyn,

Paul wrote in a period of history to people about their real circumstances and culture. Just as he spoke about the treatment of slaves, he spoke also treatment of women, how they are not to braid their hair or wear fine clothing or gold. They are not to speak in church. Such scripture read by fundamentalist inerrantists and applied strictly to 21st c culture is to misunderstand Paul's writing on women as well as his writing on slavery. Thanks to Paul, Christianity spread. Let us keep the truth about following Jesus Christ as eternal, leave the cultural commentary, and be fellow disciples to tell the good news.

Write comment

Show/hide comment form

The History of Forward Movement:

Weary and Divided Church | The First Publication | Church Moves Forward | Name Change | The First Editor

A Meditation for Pentecost

New! Forward Day by Day is available on your Kindle or Nook!

185662_201033913247091_122364231114060_862947_1284717_n Learn more about how you can support the Unapologetically Episcopalian Campaign to transform the church! Forward Movement stands ready -- and you can help. Don't forget to "like" Unapolgetically Episcopalian on Facebook.

Send Us Your Cat or Dog Photos!

Forward Movement is accepting photo submissions for EpiscoCats and EpiscoPups – our 15-month, wall-hanging calendars. If your pet is chosen, you’ll receive a photo credit and 5 complimentary copies of the calendar. Click here for submission guidelines!

Signup for e-news

10ways-to-pray Claim Your Free Gift Now! Simply subscribe to our e-news by using the form below. You will then be able to download our "Ten Ways to Pray" ebook!

Be sure to confirm your preferences and check your email after subscribing. The link to your free gift is found in your "Welcome" email.

Start a Subscription Prayer Chapel

Resources

Today's Meditation Podcast Día a Día (Spanish Version) Editor’s Notes Mobile Reading For Today A Morning Resolve How to Use Forward Day by Day Scripture Listings

Latest Meditations

Meditation Archives

May, 2012 April, 2012 March, 2012 February, 2012 January, 2012 December, 2011 November, 2011 October, 2011 September, 2011 August, 2011 July, 2011 June, 2011

Request a Catalog Make a Donation