Lesson for January 4, 2023
The Book of Titus
Chapter 1:1-6
Introduction
Paul wrote this letter to Titus, who was a companion of Paul, and a man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. Who was Titus? II Corinthians 7:14-16 and 8:23 gives us an answer. “And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.”
Titus was one of Paul’s theological students who had the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. He was sent by Paul to correct the errors in the church in Corinth. Once he had straightened them out doctrinally, he joined Paul in Macedonia. Between Paul’s first and second Roman imprisonment, Paul and Titus visited Crete. After Crete, Titus was sent to Dalmatia. (II Timothy 4:10) Historical tradition indicates that Titus later returned to Crete and lived there as a pastor of one of the churches until he died of old age. This epistle was written to warn Titus that there were a lot of false teachers going to Crete.
Verses 1-4
“Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”
Paul called himself a bondservant which is the Greek word “doulos” meaning slave. Apostle is the Greek word “apostolos,” which means to send out with authority. For the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness means Paul was given the spiritual gift of apostleship for the benefit of all believers in the Church Age. This benefit was the accurate doctrine (faith) that Paul was teaching to the churches. Godliness is the sum of God’s righteous and just character.
In the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago. The Greek word for hope is “elpis,” which means confident expectation. Paul had this confident expectation that was eternally secure in Christ. The doctrine of eternal security is the Scriptural teaching that once a person becomes a believer in Christ, that person is secure in Christ, forever. (I John 5:13)
There is sound doctrinal reasoning for knowing that a believer is secure forever. The most important fact to note is that eternal security depends upon God’s faithfulness, not mankind’s faithfulness. It is the life of God (eternal life) that He imputes (credits) to every believer at the moment of salvation which assures them of an eternal relationship with Him. The Bible says that believers are guarded in the “hand of God.”
We are also given a guarantee of eternal life in the Person of the Holy Spirit Who indwells every believer. The Holy Spirit Himself is the seal that secures forever our eternal life. Since salvation is a grace function and has nothing to do with human effort or human merit, losing your salvation through sin would negate God’s grace – a blasphemous thought. (John 10:28-29, 14:16-17)
The power of God is unequalled by anything that man can invent or manufacture. The Greek word for power is “dunamis” (dynamite). It is this power that is securing forever a believer’s salvation. Translated in the Bible as able, God’s power is His ability to keep believers safe for all eternity. Since believers have obtained an eternal relationship with all-powerful God, nothing can separate us from this relationship.
As a member of God’s family, it is irrational thinking to believe that you can remove yourself from His family by some failure on your part. (Romans 4:21; 8:14-17, 31-39; Galatians 4:4-7; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrew 7:25)
But at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior refers to the communication of God’s plan in the Church Age. The Greek word for manifested is “phaneroo,” which means to make something known through teaching, whether by means of the written Word of God or the communication of doctrine verbally.
Paul was chosen by God to carry the Gospel message and to reveal the mystery doctrine of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” to the nations and specifically to the Gentiles during the dispensation of the Church. Age. (Colossians 1:27) Paul was commanded to take the Gospel message to the Gentiles who for the most part had been ignored by client nation Israel.
To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Titus was Paul’s son in the faith and was the most reliable member of Paul’s team. That is why he was a “trouble-shooter.” The common faith is accurate Bible doctrine. Titus responded to Paul’s doctrinal teaching and became a great leader in the early church. Reliability comes from being a responder and follower of that accurate doctrine.
Grace is all that God is free to do for man on the basis of the Cross. Therefore, grace is the work of God on behalf of man. Grace is the subject and the title of God’s plan for mankind. The word itself excludes all human ability, all human good. Grace depends on Who and what God is. It never depends on who and what man is. Grace depends upon the essence of God and the character of God.
Peace is spiritual prosperity. Peace is a relaxed mental attitude toward God, yourself, others, and circumstances. Knowing that you are a child of God, a member of His royal family and understanding Who God is and how He deals with His children should cause a believer to have a relaxed mental attitude toward God. God will never condemn His children and when He does discipline them, it is for their own benefit because He loves them.
You should also have a relaxed mental attitude toward yourself, realizing that you are in the plan of God, sustained by the Holy Spirit, and eternally secure in Christ. Nothing can change that relationship. You have also been provided a fantastic grace recovery system whereby you can stay in fellowship with God a maximum amount of the time.
Verses 5-6
“For this reason, I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.”
In these verses, we have the true role of the missionary. Titus was left in Crete by Paul in order to establish local churches and appoint those men with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher as the leader of the church.
There were many cities in Crete, and every city had a certain number of churches. Therefore, every city needed a certain number of pastors. Titus had to find among the believers of the native population those who had the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. He had to provide the instruction and the training and then assign them.
Paul recognized that there existed on the island of Crete a certain number of male believers with the gift of pastor-teacher. He did not seek to import pastors from other countries. When a missionary goes into another part of the world to evangelize and to establish local churches, it is not for the purpose of becoming a local pastor himself.
The principle is that the missionary is to win people to Christ and train them until such time as he becomes aware of certain indigenous men who have the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher. These men, having been trained, assume the role and office of pastor-teacher. Before setting sail, Paul had given orders in detail as to how this would be carried out in Crete. The plan for organizing the churches of Crete was therefore planned by Paul and was to be carried out by Titus.