not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.
Parallel translations
- WEB not stealing, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things.
- KJV Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
- NKJV not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
- NASB not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.
- NLT or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Servants should not pilfer but show full trustworthiness, so they make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. It matters because honest, faithful work adorns the gospel.
Overview
Honesty and dependability are to mark the believing servant rather than petty theft. Paul gives a striking reason: such conduct 'adorns the doctrine of God,' making the gospel beautiful and credible to others. Even the lowliest believer can display the worth of Christ through faithful daily living.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- Matt 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
- 1 Pet 2:12Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
- 2 Jn 1:9Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.
- 1 Sam 26:23May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. For the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.
- Luke 16:10Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- Titus 1:3In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
- 1 Tim 6:3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching,
- 1 Tim 6:1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
- 1 Cor 4:2Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
- Ps 101:6My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity shall minister to me.
- Matt 24:45Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
- 1 Pet 3:16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.
- 1 Sam 22:14Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard who is honored in your house?
- 1 Tim 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
- Phil 4:8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.
- Phil 1:27Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
- Isa 12:2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- 2 Kgs 5:20–24Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
- Gen 39:8–9But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
- Luke 16:6–8‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’
- Acts 5:2–3With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
- Eph 4:1As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
- Phil 2:15–16so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
- 1 Tim 5:17Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- Gen 31:37–38You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.
- John 12:6Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.
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Christ at the center
We await 'the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us' and purify a people of his own.
How Titus 2:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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