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“Bondmen to be subject to their own masters…not robbing their masters, but shewing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the teaching which is of our Savior God in all things” (Titus 2:9-10 JND).
The word “adorn” means to improve the appearance of something, especially with beautiful objects. The word “adorn” used in our verse is also used in the Bible to describe the things that women commonly use to make themselves look pretty—nice clothes, jewelry, etc. It is also used in Revelation 21:2, where the church appears “as a bride adorned for her husband.”
Doctrine is a set of principles or beliefs that form the basis of something, and in scriptural terms, doctrine is what forms the basis of Christianity. But sometimes people do not want to talk about doctrine. However, when they see your life and mine, they ought to see what those good principles do for us. They ought to see the results of Christianity, and realize that they need Christ too. In simple terms, they ought to see Christ in us.
This was particularly true when men and women were slaves, and perhaps were not always treated well. Then they were to continue to act in a Christ-like way, and “adorn” the doctrine which was the basis of their faith. We are not slaves today, but we can do the same thing in our interactions with others.
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