Titus
Author: Paul
Paul writes to Titus in Crete, telling him to appoint elders and to teach a people how sound doctrine shows up in ordinary conduct.
Outline
Elders for unfinished churches (1)
Titus is left in Crete to set in order the things that are wanting and to ordain elders in every city.
Sound doctrine for every age (2)
Older men and women, younger women and men, and servants are told what becomes sound doctrine.
Saved to be careful of good works (3)
The kindness of God saves, not works of righteousness, and the saved are to maintain good works.
Key verses
Titus 1:5
Titus was left in Crete to set in order what was wanting and to ordain elders in every city.
Titus 2:11–12
The grace of God that brings salvation teaches believers to deny ungodliness and live soberly.
Titus 3:5
God saved them not by works of righteousness but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration.
Titus is a short letter with a practical job. Paul calls himself a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began. He writes to Titus, his own son after the common faith. The reason is in one sentence. For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. Crete’s churches exist, and they are unfinished. The letter is the list of what finishing looks like.
An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. As a bishop he must be blameless, as the steward of God, not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said the Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. Paul says this witness is true. Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him. The elder’s qualification and the island’s reputation are put next to each other on purpose. Leadership is for a real place, not a theory.
Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. Aged men are to be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. Aged women likewise are to be in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men are to be sober minded. In all things Titus is to show himself a pattern of good works, in doctrine uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. Servants are to be obedient to their own masters, not answering again, not purloining, showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. The reason under the household instructions is the grace of God that brings salvation, which has appeared to all men, teaching them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. Paul includes himself in the former life: foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying. They which have believed in God are to be careful to maintain good works. Avoid foolish questions and strivings about the law. A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject. Paul will send Artemas or Tychicus, and Titus is to come to him at Nicopolis. Let ours learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. Titus is the letter that ties elders, households, and mercy together, and refuses to let a profession of knowing God stand in for the works that adorn the doctrine.