Meek and Mild

to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people.  Titus 3:2  NASB

Gentle – One of the consistent themes of my Sunday school education was the characterization of Jesus as meek and mild.  What did that mean?  Well, it meant, of course, that 1) he never did anything wrong, 2) he never had an unkind word to say to anyone (who didn’t really deserve it), 3) he was never violent, and 4) he was never assertive, pushy, or domineering.  In other words, he was the opposite of strong-willed, forceful leaders who really just want their own way.  Why did my Sunday school teachers choose to ignore all the evidence to the contrary?  Probably because their lessons weren’t really about the human Jesus.  They were about proper moral behavior for young boys who were basically unruly.  Essentially, we were taught to be good little sheep and do what we were told.

The problem is that epieikḗs doesn’t actually mean anything like this description.  “epieikḗs means ‘what is right or fitting,’ ‘what is serviceable,’ then ‘equable,’ ‘moderate,’ ‘reasonable,’ ‘gentle.’ In the LXX the group is used for God’s ‘kindness’ as supreme ruler (1 Sam. 12:22; Dan. 3:42), as well as that of earthly rulers or the righteous, e.g., Elisha (2 Kgs. 6:3).”^[1]  But notice the Preisker’s analysis doesn’t include an answer to the question, “By whose standard?”  All the terms used to elucidate epieikḗs depend on some standard.  Serviceable, equable, moderate, reasonable—all require some kind of measure.  That measure is the will and purpose of God, not the cognitive ethical considerations of men.  So, epieikḗs applies to the extermination of the Amalekites, the destruction of Jericho, the flood, the cross.  Not “reasonable” or “moderate” by our definition, but we aren’t allowed to define the word.  “Jesus” isn’t gentle.  He’s epieikḗs, and that means he can be rough, direct, commanding, harsh, punishing, forceful, self-determined, and just plain difficult.  Ask the Syrophoenician woman, or the lady at the well, or the Pharisees, or the rich young ruler, or even his own disciples.  Meek and mild?  No, I don’t think so.

What Paul has in mind in his letter to Titus isn’t meek and mild, milk toast, wallflower followers.  What he has in mind is those who do the right thing.  They don’t make a big fuss about it, but they stay the course.  They are directive, effective, and forceful.  They don’t sit on the sidelines.  They get the job done.  Occasionally that means ruffling a few feathers.  No apologies necessary.  What matters most is integrity—uprightness and moral sincerity with regard to the directions and intentions of God.  That’s sometimes very different than the society’s view of moral correctness.  What matters most is obedience to the commandments of the God of the patriarchs.  Paul is pretty clear about this in other writings. True to the character and intent of the Father.  Do that and the rest is just whatever happens, gentle or not.

Topical Index: gentle, epieikḗs, what is right, obedience, Titus 3:2

^[1] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (p. 243). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.