Titus
“Cures for the Church in Crises”
1:5 Statement of Purpose: “Maintenance Manual”
Vs. 1:6 – 3:11 Main teaching
1:6-16 Worker and the work
1:6-9 Sanctified engineers
1:10-16 Structural defects
2:1-10 Journeyman and apprentice
2:11-15 The solution for a soiled life
Titus 1:1-4
“Maintenance Manual”
Vs. 1-3 A word that works
Vs. 4: A true son
Introduction
The theme of this letter is similar to many of Paul’s letters as he writes to another young protégé, Titus, who was a Greek and came to Christ in the city of Antioch. Later, Titus accompanied Paul in many of his missionary journeys. As most of you know, the bible wasn’t compiled chronologically, and this letter doesn’t fit into the time after 2nd Timothy, but rather it would fit in between 1st Timothy and 2nd Timothy around 65 A.D. Titus, who had been left on Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands, some 160 miles long by 60 miles across, lay 100 miles off the coast of Greece.
The church likely was started after Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome. After being released as recorded in the book of Acts, Paul desired to go to Spain and apparently did so. Most scholars believe that he took Titus and they stopped in Crete, where churches were planted. Based upon the fifth verse, Titus was left there to “set in order the things that were lacking” as Paul continued on to Spain. These pastoral letters provided great insight into the beginnings of the early church, as it seems that it was easier to get Christ into a life than it was to rid the same person of the world.
Part of the understanding of what causes the crises within the church has to do with knowing the culture in which the church of Christ has been placed. Paul gives us further understanding of the people of Crete in chapter 1 verse 12, where he quotes ancient writers of his day saying that the lot of them are “always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons,” and Paul affirms the truth of this in his words of verse 13, saying, “This testimony is true.” Throughout this letter, Paul tells of these Cretan characteristics and puts them in stark contrast to the expected transformation and now new Christian characteristics.
They may have been a wicked and corrupt society, made up of “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons,” but in Christ they weren’t to remain in their former condition. Though Paul’s words described the society that made up the island of Crete, the context of the passage is not aimed at correction of society but correction of the church. As I read this little three-chapter book, the theme reads much like a maintenance manual, where step-by-step instructions are given to the building superintendent on how to fix what is broken, clean up what is a mess, and generally provide a daily maintenance schedule.
When the church is overwhelmed with problems, the usual cause is that the world is invading the church because the church has ceased infiltrating the world. The Word of God was given to be a disrupting and transforming element in whatever society it was placed in. Whenever the church is authentic to the Word of God, it will always stand against the norms of society. Society never changes for the better on its own; it must be invaded in order to progress to the betterment of all. Paul mentions this need for change but writes ten times the word “Good.”.
Paul says in chapter 1, verse 8, that people need to be “lovers of what is good.” Then he states in chapter 1 verse 16 that the problem is that though “they profess to know God,… in works they deny Him…and have become disqualified for every GOOD work.”
The 2nd chapter is the “GOOD” chapter, as the word appears five times in 15 verses. When folks try to change the way people are by means of the way they behave, through education, legislation, or entitlements, none of these means produce lasting change. If you bring a pig into the parlor, it won’t change the pig, but it won’t take long before you won’t recognize the parlor. It is never enough to change people’s behavior; you must change their very nature.
Vs. 1-3, A word that works
Vs. 1 The letter writing custom of the day was first the writer, then the greeting, and finally the reader. Based upon chapter 3 verse 3, two other workers were on their way: Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, which means that Paul was sending this letter to Titus through them. Though this letter was written to Titus by the use of his credentials, Paul expected that it would be read by the church. Paul wants the readers of this letter to realize that first and foremost he was a servant.
To describe his service, he uses the Greek word “bondservant,” which was the lowest servant’s position and would be what we would call a slave, but it was also meant to be the lowest position by choice. Paul was in the lowest position by choice to the highest person, God! It is never a low thing to be a servant of a great God! He served God and was sent out by Jesus as a messenger for God.
The letter-writing custom of the day was first the writer, then the greeting, and finally the reader. This is a rather long introduction, but Paul emphasizes the importance of the word of God and ministry, which is viewed in four phrases by the use of a Greek word:
- Vs. 1a, “ACCORDING to the faith of God’s elect.” The phrase “according to the faith of God’s elect” is better translated “for the furtherance of the faith,” as it carries the master passion of Paul, which was to see God’s people go farther and do better. And for God’s people to “go farther and do better,” they would need to adhere to “truth that produces godliness.” Paul saw himself as a slave by choice that was governed and directed by the Word of God, the purpose of which was to share the word of God with all.
- Vs. 1b “the acknowledgment of the truth which ACCORDS with godliness”: The truth of the Word of God is designed to transform lives. Our faith is not a mere profession and is transformation! We aren’t just saved; we are transformed, visibly seen in a godly life.
- Vs. 3: “ACCORDING to the commandment of God…” God reveals this truth through the content of the spoken word, which Paul was pleased to be called to share.
- Vs. 4: “In OUR common faith.” This “common faith” means that the Word of God is universal in nature and, as such, doesn’t have truth for some and not others.
Vs. 2 Going further and doing better is motivated by the hope of eternal life, which is only possible because of our trust in Jesus. Eternal life doesn’t just exist in heaven far away; it’s here now in our hearts. The closer we get to Jesus, the more heaven we enjoy now, and the further we are from Him, the more our life becomes a living hell.
Vs. 3 There are folks who view people who come to church once or more a week to hear the bible taught as a waste of time, but God has chosen to “manifest His word through preaching.” We all will spend hours being entertained by a football game that in the end won’t produce anything lasting, as most folks won’t be able to tell you who won the game in three years. Ah, but the word of God will change me during the time I spend hearing and applying it.
Vs. 4: A true son
Vs. 4 Like Timothy, Paul had been greatly influential in Titus’ life. Galatians chapter 2 tells us that, as a Greek, he had traveled with Paul to the council in Jerusalem. He was a centerpiece of the argument that salvation came by way of grace through faith alone and not of works through circumcision. In 2 Corinthians chapter 8, he was used to help raise funds for the church in Jerusalem for famine relief.
He was sent to Crete and later to present-day Bosnia. When you trace Titus’ travel itinerary, you see that he is always sent to be around or help fix controversy and difficulties. Titus is a guy that had the gift of repairing that which is broken and in need of a repairman, and Paul had the utmost confidence that he could be of use wherever he was sent. In fact, like Timothy, he calls Titus his “true son in our common faith.”.
Paul’s salutation is practical and powerful, as he wishes Titus the trifecta of “grace, mercy, and peace,” which can only be found in “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.”
The major differences between the pastoral letters to Timothy and this one to Titus are slight: The two letters to Timothy emphasize the importance of sound teaching, whereas in Titus, Paul emphasizes sound behavior: “The truth that is, which is in accordance with godliness.” Lose teaching makes for lost living, but it is possible to contend for the faith while at the same time not being consistent with that profession. A simple outline of these three chapters sees:
- Chapter 1: The need for Godliness in the church
- Chapter 2: The need for Godliness in the home
- Chapter 3: The need for Godliness in the world
Titus 1:5-9
“Looking for a few good men.”
Vs. 5-6 What the Church needs
Vs. 7-8 Character matters
What leaders do
Introduction
The primary reason Paul left Titus on Crete was that he could “set in order” the local fellowships with the things that were lacking. The phrase “set in order” in the Greek comes from the medical world and means to set a broken bone. We cannot be sure how long Paul and Titus remained upon the island, but we can say that it was long enough for quite a few people to come to Christ, establish fellowships, and for Paul and Titus to the detriment that they were broken and in need of being set in order. Based upon this letter, there were several ways to set in order what was broken:
- Vs. 6-9 Establishment of leadership
- 2:1-10: Set order in home, church, and workplace.
- 2:11– 3:14 Maintain healthy living
Vs. 5-6 What the Church needs
Verse five reveals four facts about Paul’s command for Titus to train up qualified believers from the new converts, who Paul had already acknowledged were “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.”.
- The fact that Titus was to do this in “every city” reveals not only how effective the outreach had been but also how challenging the task was for Titus.
- The plan of Jesus wasn’t salvation alone; it was sanctification, not conversion only but discipleship.
- Paul says that Titus was to “appoint” these elders, not elect them by popular vote, or select them on their own self-promotion.
- Titus was to look for men who had the characteristics of transformation, while in the very recent past they had been “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” God has specific qualifications for leaders in the church. A person may think they are called, but are they qualified? They were not chosen at random; selected because they volunteered; character mattered!
Vs. 6 Before we get into the list of 12 characteristics, we need to understand that these qualifications had nothing to do with:
- Going to seminary
- Being a good communicator
- Having certain spiritual gifts
What qualified a person for leadership was Godly character. It is fair that everyone asks of their spiritual leadership that they measure up to these 12 characteristics, but it’s also fair for the spiritual leadership to encourage every person in church to aspire to these same 12 characteristics. This is not a rigid list that demands perfection in all areas; instead, it provides goals to reach and general criteria for selection. We should ask, “Does the person we are looking at for leadership desire all these characteristics with all their heart? And does that desire show itself in their life?” Generally, we see that these:
- Standards didn’t change: This list appears in Paul’s first letter to Timothy in chapter 3 and suggests that these characteristics were THE STANDARDS no matter where the physical location of the church was at.
- Expectations didn’t change: This list was not to be diminished even if the place you had the church was located in a community noted for the community’s behavior as always being “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” There may have been more people in Ephesus that could measure up to these standards than in the small communities on the Island of Crete, but that didn’t lessen the standards, though the search was more difficult.
- Paul offers to Titus three pre-qualifications a person must have before consideration as he writes “if a man”:
- Blameless: The word means “nothing to take a hold of” and has to do with the person’s character and means that they are to be “above reproach.” That doesn’t mean that they never do anything wrong, as we wouldn’t ever find a person that would qualify. The word means that when they have done something wrong, they handled it right by being open and accepting responsibility, seeking reconciliation, and desiring to live righteously.
- Husband of one wife: Literally, this says “one woman, man” and does not mean that the man has to be married, as both Jesus and Paul would have been disqualified. When this was written, the culture was dominated by Greek thought, which thought that a man ought to have three women in his life:
- Mistress: For conversation
- Concubine: For pleasure
- Wife: For children
Paul says, No, you need to be a one-woman man!
Having faithful children: The word “faithful” in the Greek means “believing”; a person who was qualified to serve the church had to demonstrate this by being qualified at home. This would mean that the home of the church leader should see children who were for the most part examples of obedience and were not living a rebellious and disobedient life style while under the same roof.
Vs. 7-8 Character matters
- Vs. 7-8 This second list of 12 suggests that while holding the office, they need to maintain these standards. And Paul again uses that an overseer must be a person who is “beyond reproach,” and when they do something that is against the word of God, they are able to handle it rightly.
- As a steward of God: A steward does not own; he manages all that the Master puts in his hands. The most important aspect of stewardship is faithfulness, as we are called to use what God has entrusted to us for the good and glory of the Master, not for us personally.
- Not self-willed: The word only appears twice in the New Testament here and 2 Peter 2:10 and means not “self-pleasing.” A person who is “self-willed” shows this nature in arrogance, stubbornness, and a proud self-focus. The servant of Christ must remember that he is just that and serve in ways that bless others and glorify God.
- Not quick-tempered: This word only appears here in the New Testament and is different from the word as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:3, where he said that the elder wasn’t to be a brawler. Here the word means that they ought to be able to control their temper. There was a rule in the early church that said, “A pastor who strikes an erring believer should be let go.” Leadership should never beat the sheep!
- Not given to wine: The word means that the elder is not to be getting drunk or becoming intoxicated. It doesn’t mean that they are not to drink wine; it means that they are never to get drunk.
- Not violent: This word is often translated into the English as “pugnacious,” which isn’t a word we hear much anymore but means combative, aggressive, or antagonistic. The elder must not be a combative, aggressive, or antagonistic person; they must not be looking for an argument or looking to attack someone else who has a different view.
- Not greedy for money: In 1st Timothy Paul used this phrase in reference to both deacons and elders. The leader must not be into leadership for what he can get out of it but instead what he can put into it! Too often the church has made the mistake of looking only for those people of wealth and influence who put their interests above the cause of Christ.
- Hospitable: They need to be people who are willing to open their home and their lives to strangers as well as friends. People who are desiring to open their lives to others. What a great quality, as often it is our hospitality towards others that opens hearts to the word.
- A lover of what is good: They need to be promoters of virtue in all things, literature, music, good causes, and people. A person who has a good heart surrounds themselves with good things. A servant of God won’t surround themselves with things that will do them and others harm.
- Sober-minded: This describes a person who is able to think clearly, not a person who lacks the ability to deal with matters seriously. This doesn’t mean that they have no sense of humor, but rather they know when to joke around and when not to, as they don’t want to cheapen the ministry by making it a joke.
- Just: This word is also rendered “upright” and speaks of being a person of integrity who sticks to their word and practices what they preach.
- Holy: The idea behind the Greek word is “unstained,” which in the biblical use meant different from the unsaved world. Leaders in the church are charged with being different from the people around us because we are new creations in Christ Jesus.
- Self-controlled: This word is also rendered “temperate,” and it applies to a person’s appetites and actions. A synonym of this word is disciplined, and that is a good word for the servant of Christ; they must live a disciplined life, able to get their work done on time, able to discipline their desires. A person who cannot govern themselves is unfit to govern the church.
Vs. 9: What leaders do
Vs. 9 Finally, Paul writes as to what church leaders are supposed to do.
- Holding fast the faithful word: Paul loved the word “faithful” in the Greek, which means “trustworthy.” The elder is to “cling to the trust-worthy word of God.” The leader will need to cling to facts and not chase fads; he will need to stick TO the Word of God and then stick WITH the Word of God. Paul says that their clinging to the Word is based upon “they have been taught,” thus they need to be students before and after they are teachers. They will need to know how to appropriate the word rightly to others, as Paul mentions two ways:
- Exhort: Be able to use the word of God to encourage those who are on the right track to stay on it.
- Convict: Those who are on the wrong track will need to be held accountable to the word.
Martin Luther said, “A preacher must be both soldier and shepherd. He must nourish, defend, and teach; he must have teeth in his mouth and be able to bite and fight.”
Titus 1:10-16
“Structural defects”
Vs. 10, 12, and 16b What they are
Vs. 11a, 14 and 16a What they do
Vs. 11b and 15: Why they do it
Introduction
Paul left Titus on the Island of Crete to set up the broken church that had sprung up in a broken society. The gospel had left an impact on the people who had willingly left the emptiness of life apart from Christ, but it also left a need to disciple and to put into place leadership that would impact all of society with this transformation, especially the church. To compound the difficulty, we find out in this section that this island was not devoid of religion, as clearly the legalistic Jews were there. One thing we can count on: Wherever God sows truth, Satan will soon show up to sow his lies.
Though we are new creations in Christ, such positional truth isn’t practical truth instantly and takes continuous recognition that we are dead to self and alive in Christ. Before the leadership that Titus will set up can be effective, they will need to know what they are dealing with, and Paul gives a threefold overview of this false seed. For the sake of better examination of this passage, I will separate the verses so we can see these three aspects of the false seed:
- Vs. 10, 12, and 16b What they are
- Vs. 11a, 14 and 16a What they do
- Vs. 11b and 15: Why they do it
- Vs. 10, 12, and 16b What they are
Vs. 10, 12, and 16b First Paul offers a fivefold description of “what they are” in verses 10, 12, and 16, saying they are these things:
- Vs. 10a Insubordinate: The word for “insubordinate” in the Greek is in the negative form of the word submit and means a person who refuses to submit to the word of God. It is God who has established order in His church, and it is the responsibility for His people to submit to that authority and not become contentious or problem people. They would not submit to God’s word or the authority of God’s servant.
- Vs. 10b Idle talkers and deceivers: Problem people will often identify themselves verbally, stirring the pot and using deception. What they said impressed people, but it had no real content or substance like “cotton candy.” Sweet but melts quickly, made by hot air, and is pricey. These “idle talkers” excelled at talking, not doing, as they were well practiced in telling people what to do that they didn’t do themselves. Paul goes on to say that this was especially true of the “circumcision,” who failed to understand that this was an outward sign of the cutting away of the flesh and instead used it as an assignment for self-righteousness.
- Vs. 12 Carnal and worldly: The Greek poet Paul refers to here is Epimenides, and Paul wasn’t afraid to not be politically correct in his agreement. When those who are in your court call you “always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons,” you have a character problem. Paul’s pint is, “If these Cretan believers behave according to their stereotyping, rebuke them.” They were NOT ONLY liars but ALWAYS liars, not only as beasts but EVIL beasts, and not just gluttons but lazy gluttons. But Paul didn’t just address the Greeks; he also dealt with the legalistic and superstitious Jews. They matched the culture they were called to reach and lived for their own fleshly appetites. These folks were celebrities, not God’s servants, as they lived it up at others expense, and their followers loved them for it.
- Vs. 16: Detestable, disgusting: In verse 16, Paul says that they were “abominable,” which in Greek means detestable and disgusting. Unlike the list for biblical leadership, these false teachers were void of any character. Popularity is not the sign you look for in biblical leadership; character is!
- Vs. 16: Disobedient and disqualified: He also says in verse 16 that disobedient and disqualified. The word “disobedient” in Greek means “that they cannot and will not be persuaded.” Their disobedience had nothing to do with a lack of information; it had everything to do with willful disobedience. The word “disqualified” is often rendered “reprobate,” and in Greek it means “not able to pass the test.” They were not God’s servants because they were unable to pass the test, thus they were unfit for service.
Vs. 11a, 14 and 16a What they do
Vs. 11a, 14 and 16a: Here in these verses, Paul writes to Titus what the false teachers did:
Subvert whole households: Paul not only outlines what they did by “where they did” and “how they did it.”.
- Vs. 11a Where they did it: Paul tells us that they targeted the home going house to house as whole families were being chased away from the true faith. We have been blessed with wonderful technologies that enable the gospel to go places that legs cannot travel and to penetrate walls and lives; it may not have had the opportunity to do so as quickly. But God is not the only person who has utilized these technologies, and often believers have watched and listened to lies and, because of the presentation, been drawn away to fads and fables.
- Vs. 14, 16 How they did it: Paul said their mouths needed to stop teaching things they ought not. Based on verse 14, this included “Jewish fables” as well as what he said in verse 10 as Jewish legalism. It was a lethal dose of fantasy and fanaticism that caught the faithful in their web of lies. As one author put it, “When the plain sense of Scripture makes good sense, seek no other sense.” There is no need to find “deeper meanings” to the plain teachings of the Word of God. If you approach the Word of God in the wrong way, unfortunately, you will find what you are looking for.
Vs. 11b and 15: Why they do it
Vs. 11b, 15 Finally, Paul writes to Timothy the motive behind “why they do it.”.
- Vs. 11b For the sake of dishonest gain, they were using religion to fill their pockets; no wonder Paul wrote to Titus in verse 7 that the leader must not be “greedy for money.” Too many so-called prophets are nothing more than profiteers, and instead of being about the business of causing people to grow in Christ, they are all about growing their portfolios.
- Vs. 15 Their mind and conscience are defiled. The reason why they continued to do what they did was that they had seared their consciousness as they were living a double life. This reference is made to the false teaching of some of the legalists who were trying to attach spirituality to Old Testament dietary laws. Paul’s use of the word circumcision describes people who are self-righteous, maintaining an outward form instead of an inward brokenness and humility.
Vs. 11a, 13 Paul, having revealed what they are, what they do, and why they do it, now moves on to what Titus was to do about it.
- Vs. 11a Whose mouths must be stopped: Paul let Titus know that he was not to be a pacifist with their regard; he needed to be engaged in stopping their mouths. Some folks will say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe in something.” That is got to be the most idiotic statement anyone can make, and I doubt they would make that statement in any other arena than religion. I can’t imagine a person making that statement to their physician. You can choose what you want to believe, but you cannot change the consequences to fit what you want to happen. There are three things that must not be taught among Christians:
- False doctrine
- Insubordinate things: teaching that seeks to usurp submission to Biblical authority
- Unprofitable things: Paul tells us what these things are—fables, endless genealogies, etc.—things that do not cause spiritual maturity and build up the body of Christ.
Vs. 13 Rebuke them sharply: Secondly, you need to not only stop what they are saying but rebuke them confrontationally. False doctrine is like yeast: it enters secretly, grows quickly, and permeates completely. The best time to attack false doctrine is at the beginning, before it has a chance to spread. A lot of the time people will say to Christians, “Don’t judge me; Jesus said judge, not least be judged.”
The problem is the Greek word for “judge” in Matthew chapter 7 verse 1 is a word that means to “judge to condemnation,” and in the same chapter in verse 16 Jesus went on to say that “You will know false teachers and false prophets by their fruits.” In other words, we are not to judge others for the purpose of condemnation, but we are to judge them for purposes of identification