Can you explain Titus 2:9-10 or rather justify it?

A question on Quora:

Can you explain Titus 2:9-10 or rather justify it?

My answer:

A common objection raised against Titus 2:9-10 is whether Paul’s instruction to servants is justifiable—especially in light of modern views on justice, equality, and human dignity. The question often takes the form: “How can Paul tell servants to obey their masters? Isn’t that endorsing slavery?” But such a question, while understandable, misses the doctrinal context entirely. The following reply answers that concern by rightly dividing the Word and clarifying the true purpose of Paul’s instruction in this passage.

"Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." (Titus 2:9-10, KJV)

This passage is often criticised or dismissed as outdated, oppressive, or culturally irrelevant. Some even use it to accuse Scripture of endorsing slavery. But such reactions miss the doctrinal context entirely.

Here’s what’s actually happening:

• Who is Paul addressing? Believing servants—those already saved, living under Roman servitude. He’s not legislating slavery; he’s instructing believers how to live godly lives within unjust systems.
• What is the doctrinal purpose? To “adorn the doctrine of God”—that is, to make the gospel attractive by living with integrity, even under hardship. This is not about social reform; it’s about spiritual testimony.
• Why does this matter dispensationally? Paul’s epistles never call for overthrowing societal structures. Instead, they teach how grace operates within them. In this dispensation, God is not reforming governments—He’s saving souls and building the Body of Christ.

Misinterpretation arises when readers assume Scripture must always speak to justice in human terms. But Paul’s focus is eternal, not political. He’s showing how grace teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12)—even when that world is unjust.

Rightly divided, Titus 2:9-10 is not a defence of slavery. It’s a call to spiritual maturity, reminding us that our testimony matters more than our circumstances. The servant who honours Christ in hardship adorns the doctrine far more than the rebel who demands change without truth.

Let Scripture speak for itself. The gospel doesn’t need cultural approval—it needs faithful witnesses.