Titus, Chapter 1
© Copyright 1998 Darroll Evans-all rights
reserved
Titus 1:1-3
1 Paul, 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;
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the
world began;
3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is
committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
As we open chapter 1, Paul declares himself
to be a bondservant of God. Both you and your Pastor should feel the same. You
may be thinking that your Pastor is called and ordained, and you are not. Oh
yes you are!
The same Holy Spirit called each of us. You
and I are ordained to the Ministry of Reconciliation just as every other
Christian is (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Your Pastor was ordained to teach you how to
do the work of the ministry, not to do it for you (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Your Pastor is the Pastor and YOU are the minister.
The object of our faith sets Christians apart
from all others. Our national origin may be from
We do not have faith in just faith in
anything. The object of our faith is Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the
Christ, The Savior, and our Lord!
Our desire for a close relationship with
Jesus is based in hope. It is not hope as men have intellectual hope for
things. Our hope is in the risen Christ.
Our hope is not the result of greed or lust
for power or position. The godly hope within us results in true LIFE!
Paul declares that God has "in due
times" manifested his word through preaching. Men are saved through the
foolishness of preaching (1 Corinthians 1:21). Christians are the voice of God
on earth.
The word of God is not manifested in those
who live lives in opposition to God's word. To the "lost" of this
age, our message of hope is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the
common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ our Saviour.
This letter is addressed to Titus. As with
1st & 2nd Timothy, Philemon, Luke, and Acts, Titus is a personal letter.
Although we treat it as if it was a general or open letter, it is quite
personal.
One fact about Titus that is curious to me is
that Paul asserts his Apostleship. He does the same in his letter to Philemon
and both letters to Timothy.
In Philemon this assertion was logical. Paul
was trying to save Onesimus' life and restore his good standing with Philemon.
Why would Paul tell his close associates
(Timothy & Titus) that he is an Apostle?
There seems to be no clue as to why he would
make such an opening statement to a friend, unless it was Paul's way of
establishing them in the eyes of the local congregation.
Titus is declared to be Paul's "own
son" in the faith. Paul also felt that way about Timothy.
Verse 4 contains Paul's a standard greeting.
Paul told Titus, "Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ our Savior." That is not a throwaway greeting.
Paul's usual blessing is "grace and
peace." In the letters to Titus and Timothy "mercy" is
added. That also separates them from the other letters.
The English word "grace" appears
only 4 times in the gospels. In the four Gospels it is never used in a sentence
spoken by Jesus Himself.
The English word "Grace" is used
once in Luke. It is used three times in John. Each time it is used to describe
Jesus.
In the Greek, the word that is most often
translated "grace," is used 8 times in Luke and 4 times is the Gospel
of John. The Greek word is not found in Matthew or Mark.
The only time the KJV translators use the
English word "grace," as spoken by Jesus, is found in 2 Corinthians
12:9. Christ said, "My 'grace' is sufficient for thee."
We contrast the limited use in the Gospels
with Paul's writing. Paul used "grace" approximately 100 times.
Grace and peace work in tandem. One is not
present without the other.
The Greek word translated "peace"
would have been better translated "serenity." God's peace is a peace
that goes far beyond our ability to conjure up ourselves.
God's peace is not a mere absence of open
conflict. It is a courteous and refreshing relationship between God and men.
The peace we have is "from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." That is His gift to us.
The Greek word translated "Mercy"
appears in the Textus Receptus and the Majority Greek Text. However, apparently
does not appear in other Greek texts. The NKJV, NAS, NIV, CLV, TEV, and NRSV do
not use the word "mercy."
Mercy signifies compassion, or kindness. In
calling us to Christ's side, God has shown us great mercy.
There is no law that says God must save us.
It is through His loving kindness that He shows compassion.
Grace and peace worth together, but neither
works without God's mercy. In His mercy God grants us grace and peace.
Titus 1:5 For this cause left I 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:
Because Paul felt so strongly concerning
Titus' love for Christ and his ability to convey that love that Paul left Titus
in
Titus would be God's Ambassador on
Titus 1:6-9
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not
accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not
soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy,
temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able
by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Here, Paul begins to set forth rules to be
used in choosing Church leaders. Those chosen and appointed to leadership must
be decent, above reproach, and the husband of one wife.
It is not evident whether the Church leaders
should be the husband of one and only one wife, or one wife at the time of
ordination. That has caused controversy.
This verse has also been used to deny women
leadership roles. Although they may not be in public leadership roles in some
Churches, in is quite apparent to the casual observer that women, not men, are the
backbone of almost every Church.
Very few (if any) Churches have a majority
membership that is male. My personal opinion is that, I would rather spend 5
minutes under the teaching of an anointed female that to spend 5 years under
teaching a self-appointed male.
Those chosen must have children who believe.
Notice that it does not say that the children must belong to the same
denomination as the parent.
There is a reason why denominational
affiliation is not mentioned. In Paul's day, there was only one denomination
and there was no Pope.
The person chosen for leadership must not
have been accused of spiritual or social disobedience. It is important that
those set in leadership positions are team players. That does not mean
that they are to be parrots of the status quo.
Bishops, Pastors, or whatever title you
happen to use in reference to the chief leader of the local Church must be
above reproach because that leader is God's steward. In general, a Church
leader is not to be arrogant, cantankerous, or a practicing drunk.
Church leaders are not to be physically
violent. I ust point out that spouse abusers should NEVER be ordained, and if
they are later found to be so, they should be immediately dismissed from
leadership.
They are also not to be greedy. The sign in
front of the Church should never be a dollar sign.
Church leaders must be neighborly and
sociable. They must love what is good in God's sight, and be virtuously
self-controlled.
This may seem to be a given, but
unfortunately it is not, Church leaders must cling to and support the Word of
God so that he may be able encourage, console, and strengthen others with sound
doctrine and also to oppose those who deny the truth of the gospel.
Titus 1:10-11
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they
of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
We know that there are many defiant people
who, for one reason or another, find their way into Church. There are also
those that are given to idle talk and pretenders.
In Paul's day the defiant ones seemed to be
found among the Jews. In our day they are everywhere.
As far as the Church family is concerned,
those who cause divisions must be muzzled. If left to carry on with their
polluted agenda, they tear families apart.
I have seen what one person operating on his
own agenda can do to drag down Church members. Usually these people teach
something close the gospel, but it is always perverted.
Many defiant ones are trying to build their
personal prestige and kingdom. It is the calling from their god (lower case g).
Titus 1:12-13a
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are
alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13a This witness is true.
Paul reminded Titus that one of the local
Crete religious prophets said that the inhabitants of
It just doesn't sound as if it came from Paul,
but here it is.
Let me explain it.
Certain folks are just plain not given to
productive labor. Prior to the formation of modern
The Moslem Arabs did not use the land to
produce anything of value. As we see the Palestinian Moslems take over parts of
the West Bank area, we will not see the desert bloom there as we have in
The Palestinians will not cultivate and
produce on the land. How can I say that?
Look around at the other Arab Moslem nations.
They are gleaners of fields that others plant.
Modern Palestinian Moslems are not farmers.
All they have taught their children is how to throw stones at Israeli soldiers
while wearing masks when TV cameras show up.
The only hope is that the Palestinian
Christians will become farmers. That is not racism or prejudice. It is just the
way things are.
Titus 1:13b-14
13b Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from
the truth.
Titus was advised to admonish them sharply
for their own good. That would be done so that they may become sound in the
faith, and teachings of Christ Jesus.
Titus was, as best he could, to halt their
preoccupation with Jewish myths. That may sound odd, but pagan
Orthodox Jews within Christianity at that
time taught Jewish fables and Mosaic commandments of men as if they were the
true light from God. That turned many away from the truth of God's grace.
Titus 1:15-16
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving
is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Here is a difficult thing to grasp, "To
those that are pure before God, all things are pure. That must be tempered with
wisdom.
1 Corinthians 6:12 tells us that All
things are lawful, or allowable for Christians, but all things are not
worthwhile. Therefore, we do not do all things.
We do not engage in all activities. Freeways
are wonderful, but playing on the freeway can kill you.
Looking at the reverse side, to those who
have been defiled by sin and are still living in unbelief, nothing they can do
is pure. When you get mud on your hands anything you touch becomes muddy.
All too many in our day are living with
defiled minds. They lay claim to the knowledge of God, but their conduct
declares with intense volume that they have not relationship with Him.
There are some that are spiritually abhorrent
children of disobedience, and completely unworthy of doing any good deed. All
are NOT children of God.
Paul is not trying to paint a pretty picture.
He is saying what he sees in the society of his day. Things have not changed.
Man did not stub his toe. He did not
stumble. Man fell into a total depravity
from which there is only one way out, Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth,
and the life.