The Letter to Titus
Written by the apostle Paul
Written possibly in Nicopolis of Epirus (3:12)
Written to Titus, a Greek convert, friend and fellow missionary about A.D. 66
Written to help Titus in the establishment of the Christian faith on the island of Crete, and in the instruction of the churches
TITUS' MISSION IN CRETE Read Titus 1:1-9
Paul, who has a gift for capturing eternity in a sentence, greets his Greek disciple Titus by reminding him of the immortal salvation that God promised in Christ before the world began.
I left you in Crete [he says] to straighten things out, and to follow my instructions by setting elders over the churches. You know the kind of integrity required in an overseer. He must be temperate, hospitable, a lover of peace and goodness, and an encouraging teacher. But more than that, he must know the word, so he can stand up to men who oppose the healthy teaching of the faith, and convince them of their error.
IT WILL REQUIRE SHARP WORK Read 1:10-16
There are altogether too many false teachers wandering about Crete — especially Judaizers. They seem to be making a good thing of it. A Cretan poet-prophet [Epimenides, circa 500 B.C.] said that his countrymen were inclined to lie [Paul may be referring to the Cretan boast that the tomb of Zeus was on their island], to be vicious brutes, and to be sluggish overeaters. I cannot help agreeing.
It will take sharp work on your part to free these people from
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Judaizing myths and man-made regulations, and to establish them in the faith. They profess to know God, but their deeds belie their words. To the clear conscience all things are pure, but to the unbeliever defilement is everywhere, as they amply testify.
SOME DOMESTIC INSTRUCTIONS Read 2:1-10
Teach the older people in the churches to behave as becomes their years, and so to set a good example for the young married couples. Christians should have a strict regard for truth, and keep themselves above reproach. Bondsmen are to seek to please their own masters, thereby adorning the teaching of God our Saviour.
A PEOPLE OF HIS VERY OWN Read 2:11-15
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone who will accept it and instructing Christians as to how they should live day by day, looking for that blessed hope, the appearing of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us because he wanted a people for his very own whom he could redeem, cleanse and use. This is your message, Titus; let no man demean it.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SAVED Read 3:1-7
Remind the Cretan Christians to be obedient to civil authority and to be gentle toward all men. Explain that we also used to be rebellious and full of hatred, before God showed his love and kindness to us in saving us.
And that was nothing we achieved by our own efforts. Rather it was (1) by his mercy that we (2) received the washing of regeneration and (3) renewing of the Holy Spirit, which was (4) poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ that we might be (5) justified by his grace and (6) made heirs of eternal life.
GOOD — AND GOOD FOR SOMETHING Read 3:8-11
I want you to emphasize, Titus, the importance of the Christians under your care being not merely good, but good for something. As for controversy about ancestry and the law, keep away
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from it. If a man is involved in propagating heresy, and you cannot win him after repeated effort, have nothing more to do with him. His sins are on his own head.
SOME CLOSING INSTRUCTIONS Read 3:12-15
As soon as Artemas or Tychicus arrive in Crete, you should be proceeding forthwith to Nicopolis [in Epirus] where I expect to winter. See that Zenas and Apollos are sent on their way with proper attention. Our people ought to learn how to take care of such matters; it will make them more useful.
The Christians with me here send greetings, and I trust you will greet all who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
The letter to Titus deals with a particular problem faced by Christian missionaries on the Mediterranean island of Crete. It is easy to become sidetracked into speculation on the background of this and other controversies of Biblical times. Such sidetracking only makes the fountain of living water into a kind of toy.
When we ask, "What message is the Holy Spirit speaking to us through Paul's instructions to Titus at Crete?" we are entering a dimension in which this short letter will be of vast help to us. By screening the contemporary references, the seeker after truth finds blessing upon blessing.
Thus in 3:5-7 the basic Christian message is set forth in a new and fascinating way in one of the great Pauline passages. Immediately following it is the verse which many take to be the key to Titus (3:8).
Compare this emphasis on good works with that in James (2:17). Discover for yourself whether Paul's teaching of "justification by faith alone" was, as has been sometimes alleged, "dangerous teaching" because it did not urge men to live righteous lives — or did it?
