In this overview of the book we will look at: 01. The Map of the Book; 02. The Man of the Book; & 03. The Message of the Book.
01. The Map of the Book
Titus 01.05 “5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set
in order what remains & appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”
Crete is a mountainous island in the Mediterranean Sea,
north of Africa, southwest of Asia Minor & southeast of Greece.
The island is about 160 miles long is about 07 miles wide at
its narrowest & about 35 miles wide at its widest.
Because of its location, Crete has been influenced greatly
by Greek & Roman culture.
The Cretans were known as being great sailors & famous
bowmen.
Yet, the Cretans seemed to have a bad reputation…
Titus 01.12 “12 One of
themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil
beasts, lazy gluttons.””
On the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of the LORD came
upon the followers of Jesus, we read that some of the Jews in Jerusalem were
from Crete.
Acts 2:11 “11
Cretans & Arabs--we hear them in our own
tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.””
So it might be safe to assume that some of those Jews from Crete
who were in Jerusalem on Pentecost were converted & carried the Gospel of
Jesus back to Crete, & possibly started some churches.
So by the time that Paul & Titus came to Crete, there
would have been at least a basic knowledge of the Gospel.
But the churches on Crete were still new, immature in the
faith, vulnerable to false teaching & possibly succumbing to the false
doctrine taught by the Judiazers & other false teachers.
Titus 1:10 “10 For there
are many rebellious men, empty talkers & deceivers, especially those of the
circumcision,”
Obviously, some of these Judiazers & false teachers as
well could have been there in Jerusalem on Pentecost as well.
02. The Man of the
Book
Titus 01.04 “4 To Titus,
my true child in a common faith: Grace & peace from God the Father &
Christ Jesus our Savior.”
The name Titus means,
“pleasing”.
We have no mention of when &
how Paul met Titus.
Paul probably met Titus during
his 2nd missionary journey, though Luke does not tell us about him
in the Book
of Acts.
We are also not told how he came
to a saving knowledge of Jesus as His LORD & Saviour.
What we do have, we see a lot. For Paul calls Titus his (Titus 01.04)
“4 …true child
in a common faith”
This is similar to what Paul called Timothy in…
1 Timothy 01.02 “2
To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy & peace from God the Father &
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
By calling both Timothy & Titus his “children in the
faith” seems to suggest that Paul was the one who led them to a saving faith in
Jesus.
Titus was a young man who had spent a lot of time w/Paul,
traveling & ministering together.
Titus traveled w/Paul to Corinth, & spent about a year w/Paul
ministering to the church at Corinth.
We can see a glimpse of how Paul felt about Titus when he
wrote his 2nd letter (technically his 4th) to the church
at Corinth & mentioned Titus by name 09 times! 2 Corinthians 02.13; 2 Corinthians
07.06; 2 Corinthians 07.13; 2 Corinthians 07.14; 2 Corinthians 08.06; 2 Corinthians
08.16; 2 Corinthians 08.23; & 02x in 2 Corinthians
12.18.
An example of this is seen when Paul mentions how much he
wanted to see Titus…
2 Corinthians 02.12-13 “12
Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ & when a door was opened
for me in the Lord, 13 I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my
brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.”
We also see how Paul sees Titus as “pleasing” bring comfort
from God…
2 Corinthians 07.05-06 “5
For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were
afflicted on every side: conflicts w/o, fears w/in. 6 But God, who comforts the
depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus;”
2 Corinthians 07.13 “13
For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced
even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by
you all.”
Titus was obviously more than a protégé of Paul’s, but one
who was his co-laborer in Christ.
2 Corinthians 08.23 “23 As
for Titus, he is my partner &
fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.”
Titus was a trustworthy man, as he was twice put in charge
of gathering a collection from the Corinthian church for the poor in Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 08.06 “6 So
we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also
complete in you this gracious work as well.”
2 Corinthians 08.22-24 “22
We have sent w/them our brother, whom we have often tested & found diligent
in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner & fellow worker among you; as for our
brethren, they are messengers of the
churches, a glory to Christ. 24 Therefore openly before the churches, show them
the proof of your love & of our reason for boasting about you.”
He then came back to Corinth, at the request of Paul,
delivering 2Corinthians to them.
2 Corinthians 08.16-19 “16
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart
of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very
earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. 18 We have sent along w/him the
brother whose fame in the things of
the gospel has spread through all the
churches; 19 & not only this, but
he has also been appointed by the churches to travel w/us in this gracious
work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, &
to show our readiness,”
Paul & Barnabas were sent by the church in Antioch to
Jerusalem to attend the 1st Church Council in Jerusalem which was to
settle the matter of Gentile freedom from the Jewish ceremonial law, &
Titus was w/them, being a Gentile himself. (Acts 15)
Galatians 02.01-04
“1 Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem w/Barnabas,
taking Titus along also. 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up; &
I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of
reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3 But not
even Titus, who was w/me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be
circumcised. 4 But it was because of
the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our
liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.”
Titus was well versed in the arguments of the Judaizers, who
taught that in order to be saved, that you need to keep the Law of Moses &
be circumcised. This same false teaching was one that he later dealt w/on the
island of Crete.
Titus 01.10 “10 For there
are many rebellious men, empty talkers & deceivers, especially those of the
circumcision,”
Titus 01.14 “14 not paying
attention to Jewish myths & commandments of men who turn away from the
truth.”
Probably after Paul’s 1st time in prison, it
seems that he took Titus w/him on a trip to the island of Crete, where they
ministered together for some time.
When Paul left Crete, he left Titus behind to continue on in
ministering to the people of Crete.
Titus 01.05 “5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set
in order what remains & appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”
Because of these false teachers, we see that Paul wanted Titus
to set up leaders for each church in every city, who were…
Titus 01.09 “9 holding
fast the faithful word (G3056. logov
logos log'-os) which is in
accordance w/the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound
doctrine & to refute those who contradict.”
This was to be done by Titus teaching sound doctrine.
Titus 02.01 “1 But as
for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”
“sound doctrine;”
“1 sound” G5198. ugiainw hugiaino hoog-ee-ah'-ee-no;
from 5199;
to have sound health, i.e. be well (in body); figuratively, to be uncorrupt
(true in doctrine):-- be in health, (be safe &) sound, (be) whole(-some).
G5199. ugihv hugies hoog-ee-ace'; from the base of 837;
healthy, i.e. well (in body); figuratively, true (in doctrine):-- sound, whole.
Thayer-True
& incorrupt doctrine
Biblical usage…to be
sound, to be well, to be in good health
The root word for “sound” is hugies
(who-ge-ace), & it is where we get our English word “hygiene”.
“1 doctrine” G1319. didaskalia didaskalia did-as-kal-ee'-ah;
from 1320;
instruction (the function or the information):-- doctrine, learning, teaching.
Thayer-teaching,
that which is taught, doctrine
Paul not only wanted Titus to set up elders, to teach sound
doctrine, but to also be a Godly example. For what one believes must reflect in
the way that one lives.
Titus 02.07-08 “7 in all
things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, w/purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be
put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”
Loose doctrine leads to loose
living.
Life must conform to doctrine.
Grace should produce godliness.
Titus was a man who knew intimately the apostle Paul, &
saw firsthand how to deal w/a group of believers (at Corinth) who were selfish,
immature & worldly.
So for Paul to leave Titus behind in Crete says a lot about
how Paul felt regarding Titus, knowing that Titus could be trusted to shepherd
& guide the believers there in Crete.
03. The Message of
the Book
Titus (Pleasing) The Book of God’s Grace-
Titus 02.11-03.08 Paul wrote this book
to his son in the faith to remind him about his responsibilities as a pastor to
the churches on Crete, specifically the role of grace in encouraging good works.
Titus 02.11-03.08 “11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12
instructing us to deny ungodliness & worldly desires & to live
sensibly, righteously & godly in the present age, 13 looking for the
blessed hope & the appearing of the glory of our great God & Savior,
Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, &
to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
15 These things speak & exhort & reprove w/all authority. Let no one
disregard you. 1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable,
gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3 For we also once were foolish
ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts & pleasures,
spending our life in malice & envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when
the kindness of God our Savior & His
love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we
have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of
regeneration & renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us
richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace
we would be made heirs according to the
hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy statement; & concerning these
things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God
will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good & profitable
for men.”
Paul instructs Titus on how to
instruct the elders on Crete who served under him in the churches, as well as
what to instruct the members in the churches. This letter also served as a
stamp of approval on Titus’ leadership, affirming to all that Titus was truly
sent by the apostle Paul.
The outline of this letter is
pretty simple…
Titus 01-The Qualifications for
Leaders in the Church
Titus 01.05 “5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set
in order what remains & appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”
Titus 02-The Character &
Conduct of the Church Members in the church
Look at how the chapter begins…
Titus 02.01 “1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for
sound doctrine.”
…& how the chapter ends…
Titus 02.15 “15 These things speak & exhort & reprove w/all
authority. Let no one disregard you.”
Titus 03-The Character &
Conduct of the Church Leaders & Members before unbelievers
Titus 03.08-09 “8 This is a trustworthy statement; & concerning these
things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God
will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good & profitable
for men. 9 But avoid foolish controversies & genealogies & strife &
disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable & worthless.”
With these 03 main points, we
will see through this letter that a church can be effective in true evangelism
& building Biblically strong churches.
Paul knew that the good news of
the Gospel of Jesus (1Corinthians 15) means nothing when those
proclaiming it are living ungodly lives that show no evidence of the grace
& redemption that they have been given by our LORD & Savior Jesus the
Christ.
Jesus said…
Matthew 05.16 “16 “Let your light shine
before men in such a way that they may see your good works, & glorify your
Father who is in heaven.”
Ephesians 02.08-10 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; &
that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Colossians 01.09-14 “9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for
you & to ask that you may be filled w/the knowledge of His will in all
spiritual wisdom & understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner
worthy of the Lord, to please Him in
all respects, bearing fruit in every good work & increasing in the
knowledge of God; 11 strengthened w/all power, according to His glorious might,
for the attaining of all steadfastness & patience; joyously 12 giving
thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the
saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, &
transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
James 01.19-27 “19 This you
know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak & slow to anger; 20 for the anger of
man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all
filthiness & all that remains of
wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your
souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, & not merely hearers who
delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word & not a doer,
he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself & gone
away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who
looks intently at the perfect law, the law
of liberty, & abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an
effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks
himself to be religious, & yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is
worthless. 27 Pure & undefiled religion in the sight of our God & Father is this: to visit
orphans & widows in their distress, &
to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
“27 unstained” free from vice,
unspotted, unsullied
1Peter 02.09-12 “9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY
NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN
POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you
out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE,
but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have
RECEIVED MERCY. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens & strangers to abstain
from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior
excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as
evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of
visitation.”
1Peter 03.01 “1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own
husbands so that even if any of them
are disobedient to the word, they may be won w/o a word by the behavior of
their wives,”
1Peter 03.16 “16 & keep a good conscience so that in the thing in
which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be
put to shame.”
We see Jesus in this book, as
Paul calls Him “the
blessed hope”…
Titus 02.13 “13 looking for the blessed hope & the appearing of the
glory of our great God & Savior, Christ Jesus,”
In this overview of the book we
have seen that: 01. The Map of the Book=Crete;
02. The Man of the Book=Titus; &
03. The Message of the Book=God’s Grace.
Closing
Prayer
Father, we thank You that You have given us grace,
giving us what we don’t deserve, we ask that You will strengthen us to be
dispensers of grace & live in Your grace! Maranatha (1Corinthians 16.22), Come Quickly LORD Jesus!
Amen
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