Soophron in Titus

#titus #epistles #soophron #newtestamentgreek.

For one reason Paul left a bit overboard with using words derived from the #Soophron stem in his Letter to Titus. This however gives us examples all clustered together to study and also serves to remember us the words we see in Classical literature were part of a living language.

Titus 1:8 A church overseer must be hospitable, literally philoxenon , a friendhost, and philagathon, lovinggood, and SOOPHRONA, sober temperate or sensible, reinforced by egkratee.

Titus 2

Verse 1 Church Elders (male) must be amongst other virtues soophronas

Verse 4 Female elders should SOOPHRONIZOOSIN the young women, make them be sensible or have common sense or practical wisdom even, not I think just be modest, given its usage elswhere in this letter.

Verse 5 has soophronas again could be modest or sensible

Verse 6 soophronein the younger (single men / husbands ) likewise encourage to be sensible / moderate

Verse 12 instead of worldly desires or passions kosmikas epithumias people are to live soophronoos and dikaioos and euseboos, sensibly, justly and reverently.

One wonders just how silly or cheeky some of the Cretan church members were that Paul needed to stress this particular virtue?

However my major point is that since Paul uses soophronos about both sexes sensible is probably the best translation into current 21ST century English?