Older Men

“… that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience” (Titus 2:2).

God desires older men to exhibit four particular virtues. These moral qualities are not exclusive to older men. But they are especially relevant to them. The four qualities are sobriety, gravity, temperance, and soundness.

Older men must be sober (cf. 3:3,8,11). To be sober is to be clear-headed, reasonable, able to think. A sober man controls his passions. He is not led by his emotions or carried away by the crowd. He is objective and rational, but not apathetic. A sober man refrains from folly. He is not irrational, crazy, paranoid or delusional. A sober resists pride. He does not think more highly of himself or more meanly of others than he ought.

Older men must be grave.  The term “grave” means, “dignified”, “reverent”, “serious”. Older writers spoke of gravitas, “The weightiness of character that makes a man worthy of honor and dignity.” A grave man is not light or airy. He is not frivolous. This doesn’t mean that he is a bitter curmudgeon. But he does have a weightiness about him that attracts others and inspires respect.   

Older men must be temperate. (cf.1:8; 2:2; 2:5) Temperance is the quality of moderation, restraint, self-control. Here it particularly refers to habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions. It is “the virtue which moderates in us the inordinate desire for sensible pleasure, keeping it within the limits assigned by reason and faith.” (Websters 1828). Temperance is opposed to indulgence, drunkenness, gluttony, excess pleasure, and ease.

Older men must be sound. The word “sound” means “healthy”. As we age our physical health declines. But our spiritual health should grow. There are three particular things in which older men should be sound. They are faith, love, and patience. Faith and love correspond to the Two Tables of the Law. Faith concerns our duties toward God. Love concerns our duties to our neighbors. Patience refers to enduring evil and waiting for future good without becoming discouraged, despondent, or bitter.   

These are four qualities proper for sound doctrine for older men. They are not exclusive to older men, but older men especially ought to exhibit them. These qualities do not develop overnight. They take time. It’s better to seek them sooner rather than later!

How can older men grow in sobriety, gravity, temperance, and soundness? By earnestly pursuing them by grace through faith in the Lord our God, who has sworn, “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:4)