Written ~ 11-05-2024
Read Titus Chapters One, Two and Three
Titus 1, 2, and 3
***Disclaimer*** I don’t normally do this… but when reading through the Book of Titus, in order to keep the theme of this letter more concise, I decided to combine the three chapters of this Book into one Bible Study.
In the Book of Titus, we find ourselves on the Island of Crete; Titus is the newly commissioned pastor of the church Paul had established. During Paul’s travels he would preach with such boldness and persuasion that new Christ following and Good News believing churches were being set up in every town he passed through. Paul did not stay in one place for very long, so he would train young men in the churches he established to become pastors and leaders in his absence. Titus was one of these young men. Titus was taught and nurtured under the watchful eye of Paul, it’s more than likely that Titus became a believer through Paul’s teaching.
So, this letter to Titus, in the same way as the letters written to Timothy, Paul is giving Titus advice and instruction how to lead and organize the church there in Crete.
Paul starts his letter with his usual greeting… if you notice, Paul addresses this letter to Titus much in the same way as he did Timothy by expressing that Titus was also considered to be Paul’s true son in the faith. So, here we have another very close bond between mentor and mentee.
Titus 1:4…
4 “I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.”
When you have a bold and confident preacher as Paul leading a church, people from all over would come to hear this dynamic, Holy Spirit filled teacher. When it was time for him to move on, a young man from the church would be placed in a leadership position to fill the shoes of Paul. That’s quite a role to step into, wouldn’t you say?
Paul begins his instructions by giving Titus the qualifications necessary to be a leader in the church, quite similarly Paul reiterates what he told Timothy in the Book of 1 Timothy chapter three.
Titus 1:6-9…
6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7 A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
When looking at the next set of verses, it seems Titus had quite a challenge ahead of him. Paul warned of the rebellious nature of the Cretan people. They were easily swayed to listen to the deceptive talk of the corrupt Jewish leaders who only wanted to gain wealth from the converts they could turn from the truth of Jesus Christ. It was said of the Cretan people that they “were all liars, cruel animals and lazy gluttons.” And Paul actually agreed with this statement.
Titus 1:12-14…
12 “Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.” 13 This is true. So, reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. 14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.”
Titus had his work cut out for him! His first order of business would be to reprimand the swaying hearts of the people, to bring them back to their faith and to make them strong in their faith so they wouldn’t be so easily swayed. Titus had the task of calling out what was good and what was bad, what was pure and what was corrupt. I would imagine Titus was not very popular when it came to the Jewish leaders.
Titus 1:15-16…
15 “Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.”
Let’s highlight something before we move on… when Paul started off his letter to Titus, he made it a point in verse 1:2 to tell us that God does not lie. When we look at verse 1:12, the people in Crete were noted to be liars, so from the very beginning Paul set the criteria, that we serve a perfect God, who does not lie. If lying was a rampant problem within the Crete church, Paul needed to set the precedence immediately that God could not tolerate lying. And still today, we know that the Bible is truth, we know God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore, so, that means God still cannot lie, therefore He still cannot tolerate a rebellious lying spirit. Stern reprimand is necessary when the truth is being pushed aside. Guard your hearts! The time is now to prepare your hearts and minds and remain strong in your faith.
After Paul distinguishes what is right and wrong within the Crete church, he goes on to give Titus some specific instructions how to teach what is right within the church and also how to do good and how to live in society.
Titus 2:1-3…
1 “As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.
3 Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.”
The older women in the church are to train the younger women to love their husbands, their children, help them learn how to live wisely and to be pure. The older women in the church are to set a godly example for younger women to follow, which included working hard, doing good, and remaining submissive to their husbands. All these things help to build their faith in the Lord, so the Word of the Lord would not have shame brought upon it.
Titus 2:3-8…
6 “In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.”
Our example as followers of Jesus Christ speaks volumes to those around us. Each of us must uphold the instructions and commands given to us in the Bible. When our behavior cannot be criticized because we are living by the Word of God, it will be those who oppose us who will be ashamed. Don’t give the world any grounds to hold something over your head. When we learn to live wisely and by the Word of God, no one will be able to say anything bad about us.
The next couple of verses, I would say, could be the key verses of the Book of Titus, look at what Paul encourages Titus to teach the people of Crete. It would be well of us to listen to these words.
Titus 2:11-14…
11 “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.”
These verses state exactly what we place our hope in! Though we live in an evil world, we can trudge through it with wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit. We have an incredible event to look forward to and that’s the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the eternity we get to spend with Him.
Moving on to chapter three, Paul turns his attention to the rightful way, we as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, should be living in society. Jesus Christ and the commands given to us through His Word are our highest authority, but that doesn’t mean we are to live above civil law. We must adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by the government and its officers.
Titus 3:1-7…
1 “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. 2 They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4 But –
When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, 5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
Another set of wonderful key verses, wouldn’t you agree? These verses tell us how to respond in every situation, we must be gentle and show true humility. Being reminded of what we came from before Christ should bring a sense of urgency to tell others, who do not yet know the love of God, everything He has done in our lives. We have an incredible confidence knowing we have eternal life because of what Christ did for us.
In the last few verses of chapter three, Paul gives Titus his final exhortation, these are instructions we need to consider as well! Hold onto the truth of the Word of God and walk wisely in what you know is from the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance.
Titus 3:8-11…
8 “This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. 10 If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. 11 For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.”
The reason we must remain steadfast in our faith and study the Word of God diligently, is so we know when things that are being said are “useless and a waste of time,” and we can flee from it without delay. Now it doesn’t mean we cannot have good and spirited discussions about the Bible, but if that discussion turns into a meaningless debate to the truth, it’s best to excuse yourself without drawing much attention.
What I love about Paul’s letters is his consistency. The same instructions given to Timothy are mirrored in this letter to Titus. His heart for new believers and their guidance through the Word of God is his main concern. He wants truth to prevail in every situation. He has a true mentor’s spirit, his leadership role in these young men’s lives is quite apparent. We all need someone in our lives who can teach us the fundamental principles of Scripture through their example. Paul’s example is one we should consider emulating. Reading and rereading all of his letters in the New Testament can give us a rich understanding as to how we should navigate through this life.
Paul ends his letter to Titus with his greeting to the believers there in Crete and closes as he usually does with…
“May God’s grace be with you all…”
Paul’s letters have stood the test of time. His words ring true even in the age we live in today. God’s Word is inspired with truth that can only come from His heart, the heart of a Father. As we continue our journey through the New Testament, be prepared to learn more about how we are to live as believers and followers of Jesus Christ.
~AMEN~