In “Say these things,” what does “these things” most naturally refer to in the flow of Titus 2?

In context, “these things” most naturally points back to the instruction unit Titus 2 has just delivered (2:1–14): guidance for different groups in the churches and the reasons grounded in God’s revealed kindness and purpose. Verse 15 functions as a closing charge that gathers the whole section and tells Titus to keep communicating it. The wording could be stretched to include more than chapter 2, but the immediate placement at the end of the chapter’s teaching makes the narrow reference the clearest reading.

What are the three actions Titus is told to do, and how do they differ from each other?

The verse names three actions: (1) “say” the message—regular communication of the teaching content; (2) “exhort”—urging people toward the response the teaching calls for, not leaving it at explanation; and (3) “reprove” (rebuke)—correcting what contradicts the teaching, including exposing and addressing wrong. The flow suggests these are complementary: instruction provides the standard, exhortation presses for alignment with it, and reproof confronts cases where behavior or belief deviates from it.

What does the term translated “reprove/rebuke” add to the picture of Titus’s role?

The word translated “reprove” (often rendered “rebuke”) indicates more than a negative opinion or disappointment. It carries the sense of exposing and correcting what is wrong. In this verse, it sits next to “exhort,” suggesting Titus’s work includes both positive urging and negative correction. The text does not specify the setting (public or private) or the exact method, but it does make the corrective dimension explicit: Titus is not to ignore, excuse, or simply tolerate contradictions to the teaching he is to keep speaking.

How does “with all authority” shape the tone or force of Titus’s speaking, exhorting, and reproving?

“With all authority” indicates that Titus is to carry out these tasks with full weight rather than hesitancy. The phrase can be heard in two close ways: as describing Titus’s confident firmness in delivery, and/or as describing the authorized status of his role as Paul’s delegate among the churches. Either way, the text’s point is that the message is not presented as optional suggestions. Titus’s exhortations and corrections are meant to land as serious directives connected to the wellbeing of the communities.

What does “Let no one despise you” suggest about the social dynamics Titus might face?

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Titus 2:15

Deliver this message with authority

He concludes by telling Titus to keep speaking, urging, and correcting with full authority, and by preventing others from dismissing him.

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Scripture Text

Titus 15

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Meaning in context

Unit 1 (v. 15a): “Say these things”

Titus is to keep communicating the content that has just been given in the chapter. The point is continuity: the teaching is not a one-time talk but an ongoing message that shapes the communities.

Unit 2 (v. 15b): “Exhort and reprove with all authority”

Titus must do more than inform. He should urge people toward the response the teaching calls for, and he must also correct what contradicts it. He is to do both in a way that carries full weight, not timidly or halfheartedly. The “reprove” idea (rebuke) includes exposing and correcting what is wrong, not merely expressing disappointment.

Unit 3 (v. 15c): “Let no one despise you”

Titus is not to permit others to treat him as beneath notice or to push him aside. The command implies that disregard for Titus would undermine the correction and encouragement he is responsible to give, so he must maintain the stance and conduct that prevent his role from being dismissed.

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Section 6 of 6

Titus 2:15

Deliver this message with authority

He concludes by telling Titus to keep speaking, urging, and correcting with full authority, and by preventing others from dismissing him.

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Scripture Text

Titus 2:15

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Thesis

What this passage is saying

He concludes by telling Titus to keep speaking, urging, and correcting with full authority, and by preventing others from dismissing him.

Plain Meaning

Read it in context

Unit 1 (v. 15a): “Say these things”

Titus is to keep communicating the content that has just been given in the chapter. The point is continuity: the teaching is not a one-time talk but an ongoing message that shapes the communities.

Unit 2 (v. 15b): “Exhort and reprove with all authority”

Unit 3 (v. 15c): “Let no one despise you”

Literary Context

This single verse closes the teaching unit that runs through chapter 2, where Paul lays out expected conduct for different groups in the churches and ties that conduct to God’s revealed kindness and purpose (2:1–14). Verse 15 functions like a charge that gathers the whole section into three actions: keep saying these things, keep urging obedience, and keep correcting deviations. It also protects the message from being weakened by social pressure: if Titus is disregarded, the teaching is more easily ignored. The letter’s broader pattern repeats this link between healthy teaching and visible behavior (see Titus 1:9 and Titus 1:16).

Historical Context

Titus is pictured working on Crete among multiple communities that need organizing and steady instruction (see Titus 1:5). In the wider Roman world, local status, age, and public reputation heavily shaped who was taken seriously, especially when someone had to correct others. A traveling delegate with a demanding message could be brushed aside, mocked, or sidelined by socially prominent people. Paul’s directive assumes that Titus will face that kind of resistance and tells him to act with confidence, not depending on personal prestige but on the weight of the commission he carries for the communities’ wellbeing.

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Shared ground

Titus 2:15 closes the chapter’s teaching with a direct charge to Titus. The verse assumes that the instructions just given are not optional advice but material Titus must keep communicating (“say these things”). It also assumes that teaching is meant to produce real response and correction in a community, not merely provide information.

The verse presents three related duties: ongoing instruction, urging a fitting response, and correcting what contradicts that teaching. The correction element is explicit in the word translated rebuke: it involves exposing and addressing what is wrong, not simply expressing disapproval.

The verse also links the messenger’s credibility to the message’s reception. “Let no one despise you” implies that if Titus is treated as insignificant, the teaching itself will be easier to ignore.

Where interpretation differs

Two main questions come up.

First, “with all authority” may be read as emphasizing Titus’s personal manner (he should speak firmly and confidently), or as emphasizing the official weight of a commission entrusted to him (he speaks on behalf of Paul’s directive for the churches).

Second, “Let no one despise you” may be taken as mainly about Titus’s internal resolve (he should not be intimidated), or mainly about public posture and conduct (he should carry out his role in a way that does not allow others to dismiss him).

Why the disagreement exists

The verse is short and does not explain the source of Titus’s authority, nor does it spell out the practical steps by which contempt is prevented. The immediate context (a delegated worker organizing communities on Crete) makes “delegated commission” plausible, but the wording also naturally includes personal boldness. Likewise, the command about being despised could address attitude, behavior, or both.

What this passage clearly contributes

Explicitly, the text claims Titus must (1) keep speaking the content of the chapter, (2) urge response, and (3) correct wrongdoing, doing so “with all authority,” and (4) not allow others to treat him with contempt. Inference (consistent with the letter’s wider flow) is that healthy community life depends on teaching that is communicated, pressed home, and defended against undermining pressures—especially when correction is unpopular (compare Titus 1:9 and Titus 1:16).

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Gathering the passage

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Gathering book context

Preparing passage context

Preparing chapter context

Preparing passage context

Scripture Text

Unit 1 (v. 15a): “Say these things”

Unit 2 (v. 15b): “Exhort and reprove with all authority”

Unit 3 (v. 15c): “Let no one despise you”

Setting and background

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Titus 2:15

Titus 2:15

What this passage is saying

Read it in context

Unit 1 (v. 15a): “Say these things”

Unit 2 (v. 15b): “Exhort and reprove with all authority”

Unit 3 (v. 15c): “Let no one despise you”

Common Questions

In “Say these things,” what does “these things” most naturally refer to in the flow of Titus 2?

What are the three actions Titus is told to do, and how do they differ from each other?

What does the term translated “reprove/rebuke” add to the picture of Titus’s role?

Related context

Topics

Key Terms

Shared ground

Where interpretation differs

Why the disagreement exists

What this passage clearly contributes

How does “with all authority” shape the tone or force of Titus’s speaking, exhorting, and reproving?

What does “Let no one despise you” suggest about the social dynamics Titus might face?

How does the last line relate to the first two commands in the verse?