Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Titus 2:9

"[Exhort] servants to be in subjection to their own masters, [and] to be well-pleasing [to them] in all things; not gainsaying;" — Titus 2:9 (ASV)

Since the Greek has no opening command in v.9, we must substitute either “teach” from v.1 or, more likely, “encourage” from v.6. The fundamental duty of slaves is voluntarily to accept subjection to their masters as a matter of principle to everything. “Masters” (GK 1305) denotes that as owners they had complete authority over their slaves. This command stresses the comprehensiveness of this duty, though a Christian slave could not submit when a pagan master demanded things contrary to Christian conscience.

In their voluntary subjection, slaves must “try to please” their masters.

Instead of having a sullen disposition, they should aim to be well-pleasing. The word “please” (GK 2298) elsewhere refers to our relationship with God; it is the distinctive contribution of Christianity that slaves should govern their relations to their masters by this high principle.

Paul continues with three further phrases, two negative and one positive, that describe the slave-master relationship. The first is “not to talk back to them,” i.e., not to dispute their commands and by deliberate resistance seek to thwart their will.