TITUS 2:11-15 “THE DIVINE INFLUENCE UPON THE HEART”

TITUS 2:11-15

“THE DIVINE INFLUENCE

UPON THE HEART”

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Susie: The grace spoken of here is Grace personified in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived among men in the flesh as God’s only begotten Son and made salvation available to all kinds of people, not only the Jews but the Gentiles, not only the rich, but the poor, not only the free, but the slave.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Susan: Paul is not saying that all of mankind will be saved but that all categories of people are offered salvation through Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Susie: The Lord taught us to repent, to turn away from the things of this world, the sin that corrupts us, and trust in Jesus to usher us into the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Susan: We are incapable of turning from sin until the Holy Spirit of God draws us to Himself, and our eyes are opened to the magnitude of our sinfulness. As the spiritual scales drop from our eyes, the Holy Spirit illuminates our deep need of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Once we surrender our lives to Him, we are saved from being condemned by the Law and God deems us as righteous because we are clothed in the righteous of Jesus. This gift was made available by His death on the cross as the ransom to bring us out of the prison of sin. Then the Holy Spirit begins the life-long process of sanctifying us, helping us to become more and more like Jesus. This is not just putting on a little spiritual make-up to look good in front of others but involves a total transformation of our lives from the inside out. The change God effects in our hearts by His grace will flow out through our lives.

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible:

5485-charis – grace: the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.

Susie: Becoming more Christlike in our day to day lives involves living sober-mindedly (seriously and self-controlled), righteously (upright, in right relationship with God and others), and godly (behaving according to the precepts found in the Bible). Note that all this does not wait until we are in our heavenly home, but happens “in this present age.” The Kingdom of God is at hand because we are citizens of His kingdom even now if we trust in Jesus. That is why we were instructed to pray:

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Susie: Eventually, Jesus will reign on earth, and those of us who have believed on Him for salvation will reign with Him. But even now we are to live as citizens of His kingdom wherever we live on earth.

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Susan: I like verse 13 in the Complete Jewish Bible:

Titus 2:13 (CJB) . . .while continuing to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, which is the appearing of the Sh’khinah of our great God and the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah.

Susan: God’s work is being manifest in us here on earth every day, but we live looking up expectantly, eagerly anticipating the sky to split and to see the Lord Jesus coming on the clouds in all of His radiant glory, majesty, and power.

Susie: We were delivered from sin’s condemnation of us the moment we trusted Jesus. We are in the process of being delivered from sin’s power over us as we daily walk in the Holy Spirit’s transforming power. But on that glorious day, we will be delivered completely from the presence of sin as we are overshadowed by the presence of God. 

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Susie: Jesus laid down His life, shed His own blood, was both High Priest and Sacrificial lamb in order to transform us into a people set apart to glorify His name. We were not saved by good works, but we are saved unto good works. The Holy Spirit within us gives us an insatiable desire to please and serve the Lord who saved us.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 5:27 (VOICE) He has given Himself so that He can present the church as His radiant bride, unstained, unwrinkled, and unblemished—completely free from all impurity—holy and innocent before Him.

Hebrews 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Titus 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Susan: Titus was to preach or testify to the truth of the scripture and the Apostle’s teaching. He was to exhort, to encourage believers to live according to the principles he was teaching. If any did not adhere to his teaching, he was to rebuke (correct) them with the goal of bringing them into a right understanding of the scriptures and right relationship with God and His church.

Susie: Titus could speak with authority because he spoke the scripture, the word of God. Therefore, he should not back down when people rebelled against his teaching or despised his words. He should stand firm in the truth of the Gospel.

Susan: Paul was telling Titus to preach boldly, tenaciously, and unwavering when he brought the word of God to the people. Paul urged Titus to persevere with all diligence, never backing down.

QUESTIONS

1.       Who is God’s grace, love, and kindness personified?

2.       In light of God’s grace in sending Jesus to die for us, how are we to live?

3.       For what are we hoping?

Titus 2:1-10 - OLD OR YOUNG, SLAVE OR FREE, A FAITHFUL WITNESS BE

Titus 2:1-10

OLD OR YOUNG,

SLAVE OR FREE,

A FAITHFUL WITNESS BE

Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

Susie: In contrast to the false teachers, and those who demanded conversion to Judaism as a prerequisite to becoming a follower of Jesus, Titus was to preach “sound doctrine.” Preaching the scripture and the Apostles’ teachings (which would later become much of the New Testament) would produce spiritual well-being, soundness of heart and mind due to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Susan: Sound teaching would lead them to that complete peace, shalom, found in serving Jesus. Their lives would be characterized by nothing broken and nothing missing, total spiritual wholeness and well-being.

Titus 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Susie: Paul then goes through messages for Titus to share with specific categories of people. Aged men would be those over the age of 60 years.

Susan: The older men should be contemplative, thinking things through, and exhibit common sense in every situation.

Susie: They should be strong in their faith, their complete surrender to Jesus as Lord, and demonstrate patient love to fellow believers.

Titus 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

Susie: Aged women would be those no longer engaged in child-rearing, women over sixty.

Susan: Their behavior should reflect that they have been set apart as belonging to the Lord, having the character traits personified in Jesus.

Susie: Older women should know better to spread gossip, false information about others. Nor should they drink to the point of inebriation. Tipsy grandmothers would not be an excellent example to others.

Susan: Their lives should be a neon sign flashing the message of how subsequent generations should live successful by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Titus 2:4-5 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.

Susie: Older women (Yikes! I fit that category!) were to be entrusted with teaching the younger women.

Susan: Eek! I’m almost there, too. However, this truly is a victory since according to medical science I should have only lived to the age of twenty-four due to my diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Susie: What is it that we are to teach the younger women in our sphere of influence?

Susan: We should train the younger women to take their responsibilities seriously and approach each of them with due diligence.

Susie: If they are married with children, they need to demonstrate the love of Jesus to their husbands and children. They need to nurture their children in the truth of the scripture:

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Susan: The household was not only the woman’s nest where she nurtured her children, but it was her domain. It might even be her place of business or creativity to be shared with others. Both the husband and wife were providing for their household in different ways:

Proverbs 31:13-16 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Susie: Women in biblical times did have businesses and responsibilities outside their homes, such as Lydia who was a seller of purple cloth (Acts 16:14). A young woman might even use her abilities in ministry to others just as the older women did. For example, Dorcas, made clothing for widows (Acts 9:39). In all their dealings, both within their families and within their communities, their modest, moral character should shine.

Susan: They should have a relationship of mutual respect with their husbands and be subject to their own husbands as the church is subject to the Lord (Ephesians 5:21-24), not out of fear but willingly submitting as a soldier submits to the chain of command.

Susie: First and foremost, these behaviors are in obedience to the Master, Jesus Christ. However, their good character would be a tremendous testimony to unbelievers as well. No one should be able to speak against God because His children are misbehaving.

Titus 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

Susie: A young man would be any male over the age of thirteen. This would be the age of Bar Mitzvah which means “son of the commandment”. The celebrations and ceremonies associated with this only began in about the 1800’s, but the concept of being responsible for one’s own actions at the age of 13 was true in biblical times.

Susan: In the Jewish culture, young men at the age of 13, the earmark of puberty, were expected to be in control of their own emotions, choices, and actions. If they were not, they were accountable under the law to suffer the consequences. Before that age, the parents were held responsible for the son’s actions. How many ways do we in modern America (and many other places) find to excuse the irresponsibility of young men? Why are there so many young men in juvenile hall and even prison?

Susie: Paul was telling Titus to admonish young men, teenagers and young adults, to be sober-minded, serious, responsible. As Susan indicated, our society fails in holding young men (and women) accountable. Even in churches, I have seen the college ministry treated as an extension of the high school ministry, encouraging frivolous and sometimes even silly activities rather than encouraging young adults to become serious in their commitment to the Lord and to society.

Titus 2:7-8 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Susie: In order to effectively teach the young men to take a responsible place in the congregation, Titus would need to set the bar high in his own life. He would need to be a living example of the virtues he taught.

Susan: Titus needed to be sincere and stay true to the plumb-line of scripture in his teaching. His Christian walk, his lifestyle, should back up the things he taught.

Susie: Everything Titus said should be so wholesome and true that no one could say anything bad about him, his ministry, or Christians in general.

Susan: These things that Paul encouraged Titus, Timothy, and pastors in general to implement in their lives should be the hallmark of every pastor’s heart. Truly every believer’s, every Christ follower’s, desire and goal should be to consistently walk out in their everyday lives what they say they believe.

Titus 2:9-10 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

Susie: Slavery, being in subjection to a master who owned the person, was a common practice in the Roman world. Remember that slaves during this period were not just housekeepers (maids, butlers, cooks) and field hands. The person’s private physician might be a slave. A slave might have the responsibility of managing his master’s finances.  Let’s re-read this verse in the Complete Jewish Bible:

Titus 2:9-10 (CJB) Tell slaves to submit to their masters in everything, to give satisfaction without talking back or pilfering. On the contrary, they should demonstrate complete faithfulness always, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Deliverer more attractive.

Susan: Slaves were to remember to be controlled by the precepts of Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, they were to honor and respect their masters in the way they served them. They were to exemplify Christlike character in service to their masters.

Susie: The were to avoid talking back. They should follow the principle of obeying immediately and completely without complaining. Even though we are not slaves, I believe these principles apply to those working under the supervision of another.

Philippians 2:14       Do all things without complaining and disputing

Susan: Since slaves were often put in charge of the master’s money, possessions, and household goods, there was opportunity to skim a little off the top for themselves. The book of Philemon deals with a slave named Onesimus who stole from his owner, ran away, then heard the gospel from Paul and repented. Paul wrote the letter to Philemon to ask him to forgive Onesimus and accept him back into his household as a brother in Christ.  However, the slave/employee should never steal or embezzle from the master/employer.

Susie: Today, too many people steal from their employers by wasting time when they are supposed to be on the job—making unnecessary personal phone calls, playing on the internet, taking excessive time on breaks, etc. Let’s look at the remainder of verse 10 in the J.B. Phillips version:

Titus 2:10 but they are to show themselves utterly trustworthy, a living testimonial to the teaching of God our saviour.

Susan: Christian slaves/employees are to demonstrate the utmost integrity in any given situation. They should be above reproach or suspicion even if they are the lowest man or woman on the responsibility flowchart. This will demonstrate the change that the saving grace of Jesus Christ makes in a person’s life.

QUESTIONS

1.               Define “sound doctrine.”

2.               What traits should older Christian men exhibit?

3.               In what specific action were older women to engage?

4.               What did younger women need to learn?

5.               There is only one demand made of younger men, but what does “sober-minded” encompass?

6.               In addition to teaching these truths to the believers at Crete, what was Titus challenged to do?

7.               What was Paul’s instruction to slaves?

8.               In which of these categories do you fit?

9.               We are, by our godly behavior, to be ornaments of God’s grace. Evaluate your obedience as relates to this passage.

TITUS 1:10-16 - REBUKE FALSE TEACHERS

TITUS 1:10-16

REBUKE FALSE TEACHERS

Titus 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Susie: There were many false teachers in Crete which meant that appointing godly elders was crucial to the ministry. Timothy needed the help of others who were strong in the word and the Apostles’ teaching to help him guide believers away from false teaching and back to the truth.

Susan: Many of these teachers were Jews who taught that Christians must first submit to physical circumcision and follow Jewish customs in order to be saved. Where they went wrong was declaring circumcision a prerequisite for salvation and not a willing, outward expression of their commitment to God.

Susie: The Lord had shown Paul that circumcision was not required at all and put the emphasis on the spiritual surgery the Lord performs in the heart of each one who trusts Jesus:

Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Susan: The Judaizers were teaching that the most important things were external works or acts of contrition rather than grace⁵⁴⁸⁵, “the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life.”

Susie: Salvation is by grace alone, not grace and anything else.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Susan: Paul insisted that the message of these false teachers be halted. Titus needed to rebuke them because the message they were espousing was leading entire families away from the truth of the gospel. They were teaching only for the money they could gain with total disregard for the fact that they were stunting the spiritual growth of whole family units.

Titus1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

Susie: Paul quoted Epimenides, poet from Crete who wrote in the 6^th century B.C. who wrote concerning his own people. To call someone a Cretan is still considered an insult even though many people do not know the history of the term. “Slow bellies” is often translated “lazy gluttons.” Needless to say, the people of Crete did not enjoy a good reputation in the Greek world.

Titus 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

Susan: Paul said that every label Epimenides put on the people of Crete described many of them to a T. Therefore, Titus needed to not let them stay in that state. Instead, he needed to preach strong words of correction in light of their condition in hopes that they may turn from those ways and receive Jesus. He needed to declare boldly the Gospel message as his father in the faith, Paul, had done.

Susie: Rebuking is never pleasant, but is the most loving thing a minister can do if it brings a person into right relationship with the Lord.

Titus 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

Susan: These Jewish false teachers were more interested in adhering to the traditions of men rather than the scripture. They were not be given credence by the believers or the Messianic Community as we like to call them.

Titus 1:15 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.

Susie: Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, she just has a dirty mind”? The false teachers’ minds were corrupted, and therefore their consciences did not function properly; and nothing they taught was pure, but was tainted by their insistence on works and traditions.

Matthew 7:15-16 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Susie: Whoa! We just said the Judaizers emphasized works, but now we see that their works “deny him.” Even their “good” works were done in their own effort rather than as a result of faith and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Besides that, often the false teachers were found to be sexually immoral, even worming their way into homes by flirting with young women who were possibly widows:

2 Timothy 3:6-7 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Susan: These false teachers declared that they were God’s children, yet everything they did denied God and His work of deliverance upon the heart. To deny God is to reject Him. When one rejects God’s gospel and yet claims to believe, they have a sentence of damnation and separation from the Life Source. Therefore, they have made their choice to live in hell by their false claims and refusal to repent.

QUESTIONS

1.       Who did Paul refer to as “they of the circumcision?”

2.       What was the main motivation for the false teachers? Are there false teachers with that same motivation today?

3.       Who gave the unkind description of the people of Crete quoted in verse twelve?

4.       Why did Titus need to rebuke the Cretans?

5.       What was the fallacy in the Judaizer’s teaching?

TITUS 1:6-9 - ELIGIBILITY FOR ELDERSHIP

TITUS 1:6-9

ELIGIBILITY FOR ELDERSHIP

Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

Susie: Paul wrote to Timothy concerning the qualifications of elders as well (see 1 Timothy chapter 3). The list found here in Titus 1:6-9 differs only slightly from the list in the letter to Timothy. We made a comparison chart that we will include in our summary of the Pastoral Epistles.

Susan: Blameless does not mean perfection since no human is completely perfect except Jesus Christ. It means that nothing could be brought against them in court that could stand up to judicial scrutiny.

Susie: If someone accused him of wrongdoing, those who know him would have a difficult time believing that were even possible. We might say, “He is above reproach.”

Susan: The elder is a “one-woman man,” but the emphasis is not on gender so much as on the fact that the person must be faithful to their spouse.

Susie: This requirement would not necessarily rule out someone who had been divorced or widowed as long as they had remained morally pure, especially if divorce happened before their conversion to Christianity. The situation of divorce would, of course, be evaluated on a case by case basis, taking many factors into consideration.

Susan: Their children should demonstrate faith in Jesus by not behaving in a manner of a rabble-rouser or brawler. They should exhibit self-control.

Susie: 1 Timothy 3 speaks about the children being in subjection which would indicate smaller children living at home. Here in Titus, the influence the elder has in his family should extend to his adult children as well. They should be believers who are living out the faith they have learned in childhood.

Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled⁸²⁹, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker⁴¹³¹, not given to filthy lucre;

Susie: The word rendered bishop means overseer, not a term indicating a high position than elder or pastor. The elders were stewards of the church. A steward is someone who is responsible to their master to manage his property and take care of his people in his absence. Susan, what does it mean to be a faithful steward as a leader of a church?

Susan: The elder, overseer, pastor is responsible for what they are teaching their flock in accordance with God’s word. They must minister to God’s flock under their care in accordance with godly character. They need to be an example in principle and demonstration that the finances of the church and, for that matter, of every believer belong to God.

Susan: A better translation of self-willed might be self-gratifying. They should be the complete polar opposite of the type of men described in 2 Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:2a For men shall be lovers of their own selves . . .

Susie: A church leader should be slow to anger, or as Paul wrote to Timothy, “not a brawler.” James, the brother of Jesus, affirmed this as a godly trait as well:

James 1:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Susie: The leader must not be one who drinks or uses any type of drug to the point of dulling the senses. It is not possible to be a wise steward, remain morally pure, and control one’s temper while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Susan: He should not be one who stirs up fights or settles disputes with his fists.

Susie: I’m rapidly getting the idea that the leaders of a church must be extremely self-controlled, or better yet, Christ-controlled!

Susan: They cannot put themselves on “cruise-control” and drift through life but must actively choose “Christ-control” each moment or each day.

Susie: They must not be after “filthy lucre,” or, as we would say today, they should not be in ministry for the money. Paul elsewhere asserts that pastors should be compensated:

1 Timothy 5:17-18 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Susie: However, the elders should not be greedy or focused more on monetary gain than spiritual growth.

Titus 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober⁴⁹⁹⁸, just, holy, temperate¹⁴⁶⁸;

Susie: Hospitality meant more than hosting a fellowship at his house. In those days, a person may be called upon to allow a traveler to stay in his home on a moment’s notice. Fellow believers may have been evicted suddenly from their homes or be fleeing persecution and need a place to stay. Already thin resources would need to be stretched to provide for guests. It might even be risky to take them in if they were fleeing for their lives from the ruler’s army. The elder must not extend hospitality grudgingly but with a heart full of Christ-like love to strangers as well as church members.

Susan: Elders must be lovers of good people, good things, and those who consistently promote good. For an understanding of that which is good see the Fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Susie: To be sober-minded is to be sensible, serious, thinking things through. It implies being of sound mind and reining in the passions.

Susan: Just or upright—treating people from a place of righteous character. It boils down to treating others in the same manner that you would want to be treated in any given situation if the tables were turned.

Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Susie: Holy is being set apart for God’s purpose. In and of ourselves, we cannot achieve holiness. However, the Holy Spirit works within us to make us more and more like Jesus, closer to holiness. Those who would be elders must be yielding daily to the Spirit’s control.

Susan: As soldiers of the Lord’s army, elders must be temperate (disciplined). They must be listening for and obeying their Commander, Jesus Christ, rather than going off half-cocked on their own. They must be in control of their tempers, their emotions, their behavior, etc. They must be strong in the sense of mastering of their body and mind, bringing it all under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Titus 1:9 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 gainsayers⁴⁸³.

Susie: In order to hold fast to the word, the elders must be people who have been under sound teaching long enough to know the word of God. This corresponds to Paul’s admonishment to Timothy that the elder should not be a “novice” (1 Timothy 3:6). In order to disciple others, one must be a faithful disciple of the word of God.

Susan: The elders needed to have a thorough understanding of biblical teaching in order to encourage and build up the body of Christ. They needed to be able to convince the “gainsayers” or in our vernacular the “naysayers,” those who were false teachers or completely in opposition to the truth of the Gospel.

QUESTIONS

1.       List the traits that should NOT be true of an elder.

2.       List the positive traits that an elder should exhibit.

3.       In countries where Christians are experiencing extreme persecution, hospitality may resemble what it was in the time of Titus. Would you be willing to take a Christian fugitive into your home? (Think Corrie Ten Boom during WWII) Why or why not?

Titus 1:1-5 - TITAN TASK FOR TITUS

NOTE: If a word has a superscript number, that is a reference to the numbering system in The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. If you do not own a copy, you may access Strong’s Concordance online at http://www.biblehub.com/strongs.htm

Titus 1:1-5

TITAN TASK FOR TITUS

Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant¹⁴⁰¹ 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;

Susie: The word used for servant or in some translations bondservant is the Greek word commonly used for the lowest slave. Paul gave it the Hebrew sense of someone who chose to be a slave to a beloved master. Either way, it indicates subservience to the Lord who is worthy of not only our love but our obedience. This is why I choose to identify myself as a SOCK (Slave of Christ the King).

Susan: My favorite analogy of being a servant is the picture of my choice to be devoted and committed at all costs to my Savior and using my voice for the advancement of Christ’s Gospel, principles, and teachings. The Christian should be a living demonstration of God’s presence and love.

Susie: Paul was an apostle not only in the sense of being a messenger of God, but as one who was personally appointed by Jesus Christ to the office of apostle, one of the leaders of the early church whose words had authority from God.

Susan: Paul was chosen by God for the specific role of apostle as were the eleven closest companions of Jesus and Matthias who was chosen by casting lots to replace Judas Iscariot the betrayer of Jesus who committed suicide (Acts 1:26).

Susie: Paul affirmed that he was a servant based on the truth of the Gospel message of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ for all whom God has chosen (the elect). For more on the elect or chosen see: Mark 13:20, John 15:16, John 15:19, Ephesians 11:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

Susan: As soon as one trusts in Jesus for salvation, he or she is seen as righteous because of Jesus’s finished work on the cross. However, becoming more and more like Jesus is a daily process. Godliness or sanctification is the expression of the truth of the Gospel in one’s life.

Susie: The truth, embodied in the person of Jesus, is what sets us free from sin and enables us to live godly lives.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie⁸⁹³, promised before the world began;

Susie: Out of curiosity I looked up “cannot” and found that in the Greek, “that cannot lie” is one word. Strong’s also used the word “veracious” in its translation. Now there’s a word you don’t hear every day, so I looked it up in Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language:

VERA'CIOUS, adjective [Latin verax, from verus, true.] - Observant of truth; habitually disposed to speak truth.

Susie: Jesus not only cannot lie; He is the embodiment of truth.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Susan: God planned for eternal life before the beginning of time even knowing that Adam and Eve were going to fall. Therefore, He also planned that Jesus would be the only sacrifice that would satisfy His holiness. God wanted us to be His family and was willing to die in the person of Jesus to make the reality of salvation come to pass.

Titus 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

Susie: God, in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4), sent His Son to pay the price for our sin. Then, at His appointed hour, he sent forth the Apostle Paul to preach about this salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.

Susan: Jesus sent His apostles to all the known world to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). God makes His word known to all people even though not all people will accept it.

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.

Susan: The common faith would be Christianity, trust in Jesus. By calling Titus his son in the faith, Paul meant that Titus was his beloved student, his disciple. Titus learned about faith and how to live and apply it in his life from the example of the Apostle Paul who taught Titus like a father teaches a son.

Susie: Paul hoped that Titus would experience the grace, mercy, and peace of God more and more.

Susan: Titus had to defend the Gospel and godly precepts against false teachers and even opposition with the churches. He would need the grace of God to accomplish the task of finding godly leadership for the church.

Susie: Amid the unrest surrounding him, Titus needed to be reminded that his peace, his wholeness, came not from other people but from the Lord Jesus.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

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:

Susan: Paul had left Titus in Crete to select and put in place godly leadership that had been sorely lacking in the fledgling churches.

Susie: Most of us have not had the experience of beginning a brand-new church. Imagine an entire city of church plants in need of organization. Titus was tasked with bringing order into the local bodies of believers in each city on the Island of Crete.

Susan: Titus had an overwhelming operation in front of him. Only by the power of God’s grace and peace, could he complete it.

QUESTIONS

1.       Do you view yourself as God’s servant, His child, His friend, or all of the above? Explain.

2.       Why is it significant that God “cannot lie?” Does this truth change your perspective on His promises?

3.       What kind of relationship did Paul and Titus enjoy?

4.       Why did Paul leave Titus in Crete?

5.  By whose power would Titus accomplish the job Paul had given him?