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Adorning the Doctrine
In Titus 2:9-10, the apostle Paul wrote: “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” That last phrase, “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior,” is especially expressive. One other translation renders it: “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”
The original Greek word used here is KOSMEO, from which we derive our English word cosmetic. It is defined in Thayer’s Lexicon as:
1. to put in order, to arrange, to make ready, to prepare
2. to ornament, to adorn
3. metaphorically, to embellish with honor, to gain honor
This is the same word used by the apostle John in Revelation 21:2 when he describes the holy city, new Jerusalem as “coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Do you get the picture? When a young lady prepares for her wedding day, she is concerned, more than at any other time in her life, with making herself as beautiful, as attractive, as winsome as she possibly can.
That is the way we, as Christians, should strive to live our lives – in such a way as to make the teaching about our Lord beautiful to all who observe us.
How about you? Does your conduct, speech, and treatment of others cause them to be repelled from hearing the gospel? Or are you making the teaching about Jesus attractive?
- Leonard White
