Paul starts off his short list of what Titus is to teach older men…

Titus 2:2

“Teach the older men to be ‘temperate’….”

Temperate – not given to excess in anything; self restraint, moderation.

Temperate is the ability to govern your own passions and inclinations – and not allow them to control you. This is a character trait that Paul lists for Timothy when he writes about an overseer:

I Timothy 3:2

“Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self controlled…”

Titus was in Crete and the culture there was producing a type of man that Paul knew was unacceptable:

Titus 1:12

“One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.””

The ‘temperate’ older man will stand out in this self centered culture. Some may be this way naturally but many will need to be taught, trained and encouraged to govern their own passions and inclinations. 

*Reflection: What are the passions and inclinations that can often become problem areas for older Christian men?