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Tit_2:9-10. Exhortation in regard to slaves.
δούλους ἰδίοις δεσποταῖς (or δεσποταῖς ἰδίοις ) ὑποτάσσεσθαι ] The construction shows that Paul is continuing the instructions which he gives to Timothy in regard to the various members of families, so that Tit_2:7-8 are parenthetical; παρακάλει is to be supplied from Tit_2:6. Heydenreich and Matthies wrongly make this verse dependent on Tit_2:1. The harder the lot of the slaves, and the more unendurable this might appear to the Christian slave conscious of his Christian dignity, the more necessary was it to impress upon him the ὑποτάσσεσθαι . Even this is not sufficient, and so Paul further adds: ἐν πᾶσιν εὐαρέστους εἶναι . Ἐν πᾶσιν , equivalent to “in all points” (Tit_2:7 : περὶ πάντα ; Col_3:20; Col_3:22 : κατὰ πάντα ), is usually joined with εὐαρέστους εἶναι ; Hofmann, on the contrary, wishes to connect it with ὑποτάσσεσθαι . Both constructions are possible; still the usual one is to be preferred, because the very position of the slaves made it a matter of course that the ὑποτάσσεσθαι should be evinced in its full extent, whereas the same could not be said of εὐαρέστοι εἶναι , since that goes beyond the duty of ὑποτάσσεσθαι . The word εὔαρεστος occurs frequently in the Pauline Epistles, but only in speaking of the relation to God. The two first exhortations refer to general conduct; to these the apostle adds two special points: μὴ ἀντιλέγοντας and μὴ νοσφιζομένους . Hofmann is wrong in saying that μὴ ἀντιλέγοντας is the antithesis of εὐαρέστους . The conduct of slaves, which is well-pleasing to masters, includes more than refraining from contradiction. Van Oosterzee says not incorrectly: “It is not contradiction in particular instances, but the habitus that is here indicated.” Luther: “not contradicting.” The verb νοσφίζεσθαι is found only here and in Act_5:2-3 : “not pilfering, defrauding.”
The next words: ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν πίστιν ἐνδεικνυμένους ἀγαθήν (Luther: “but showing all good fidelity”), is in the first place opposed to μὴ νοσφιζομένους , but includes more than merely to abstain from defrauding (in opposition to Hofmann). As in Tit_2:5, so, too, here, where the maintenance of the natural duties of subordinates is under discussion, the apostle adds ἵνα τὴν διδασκαλίαν κ . τ . λ ., except that the expression is now positive, whereas before it was negative; the thought is substantially the same.
ἡ διδασκαλία is equivalent to ὁ λόγος , τὸ εὐαγγέλιον .
τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμ . Θεοῦ ] see 1Ti_1:1; not, as some expositors (Calvin, Wolf) think, Christ, but God.
κοσμῶσιν ] “do honour to.”
ἐν πᾶσιν ] Tit_2:9, “in all points,” not “with all, in the eyes of all” (Hofmann).
Chrysostom: οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ δόγματος δόγματα , ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ πραγμάτων καὶ βίου τὰ δόγματα κρίνουσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες · ἒστωσανν ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ γυναῖκες καὶ δοῦλοι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἀναστροφῆς .