The Dynamic Church
11
The last of the Pastoral letters is Paul’s letter to Titus. Today we begin our study of chapter 1.
We start with a brief introduction. The letter was written around 63 AD. Like his first letter to Timothy, it was written after Paul’s release from house arrest where we leave him at the end of the book of Acts. The letter was probably written from Corinth. Paul moved on to Nicopolis and waited for Titus there. Titus was in Crete. It’s likely that He wanted Titus to join him on his journey to Spain. Paul arranged for someone to relieve him of his duties. We read in chapter 3 verse 12, “As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis”. Titus became a Christian through Paul’s preaching. We read in chapter 1 verse 4, “To Titus, my true son in our common faith”. Paul was Titus` spiritual father. Titus was born again as he heard Paul preach the gospel. He was very useful in the service of the Lord. We read in 2 Corinthians 8 verse 6, “So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring to completion this act of grace on your part”. He was as concerned for the believers as Paul was. We read in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 23, “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you”. Again, in chapter 12 verse 18, Paul says this about Titus, “I urged Titus to go to you ... did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?”
Titus had the same position and ministry as Timothy. He wasn’t appointed as the Pastor of a particular Church in Crete. His ministry was to churches in every town. He was an apostolic delegate. He’d been sent to Crete to consolidate the Church throughout the Island. We read in Titus chapter 1 verse 5, “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town”. The Church in Crete had been founded by believing Jews who had been in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. We read in Acts chapter 2 verse 11 that amongst the crowd were, “Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans, and Arabs”. Titus’s main task was to organise the Church in Crete, and get it on a good solid foundation.
The letter begins with a reference to Paul himself. He describes himself in verse 1. We read, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ”. The original Greek word translated “servant” means a slave. This shows that Paul totally yielded himself to Jesus Christ. Our devotion to Christ should be the same. He deserves our all because he gave his all for us. C. T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him”. Paul is an apostle. The word means “one that is sent on a mission”. Paul was God’s envoy and ambassador. We can’t be an apostle in the same way as Paul, but we can act as Christ’s ambassadors in the world, speaking for him, and representing him to those around us. His ministry is toward the elect. He says in verse 1, “for the faith of Gods elect”. He wants to bring people to faith and strengthen those who have come to faith. His aim in encouraging Titus is stated at the end of verse 1. He says that he wants people to come to, “the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”. Faith and knowledge are the main ingredients that lead to godly living. Without faith there can be no spiritual life. Without knowledge there can be no light, we remain in darkness. With both we have understanding that leads to application and godliness. This knowledge is based on truth and founded on the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. We read in verse 2, “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life”. It’s this future hope that will motivate us to grow in faith and knowledge and promote godly living. John says in 1 John chapter 3 verse 3, “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure”.
Titus` challenge is found in verse 5. We read, “Appoint Elders in every city as I directed you”. Paul uses the word “Elders” here rather than the word “overseer” he used in 1 Timothy chapter 3. Elder, overseer and Pastor (or Shepherd) refers to the same office. Overseer and Pastor describe the function of the office. It’s what spiritual leaders do. They oversee the direction and well-being of the believers. The word Elder speaks of maturity. This maturity isn’t necessarily in years but in spiritual maturity, although it’s true to say that generally wisdom does come with years. Paul uses the word “Elders” because he knows that the congregation for the most part aren’t mature spiritually. Titus needs to make his choice of leaders carefully. Mature spiritual sound leadership is a must for any congregation. A dynamic church will have these sorts of men in leadership positions. Make sure you appoint leaders for your church who have depth of understanding in the scriptures.
The qualifications that Paul lists for the Elder in verse 6 to 9 are very similar to those found in 1 Timothy chapter 3. Essentially they must be men of godly character. A significant qualification is found in verse 9, “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it”. The reason for this is given in verse 10, “For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group ... teaching things they ought not to teach”. The church was under threat by false teaching and the only remedy was to counteract it with the truth of God’s word. There are many heresies around today and the antidote is exactly the same. Only a good sound grasp of doctrine will save you and your congregation from the pollution of false doctrine. Be people of the word, study it well. False teachers are liars. Paul quotes a well known Cretan poet. We read in verse 12, “Even one of their own poets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons”. This was written by Epimenides in 600 BC when the Cretan civilisation had deteriorated. The saying was picked up by writers of subsequent generations. It became a proverb. Paul picks up the saying and applies it to the false teachers in Crete who fit this description. He’s showing that they are liars. He isn’t suggesting that all Cretans are like that in his day. The people of Crete on the whole are no better and no worse than any other people. The problem is one of the heart. The false teachers are not true Christians. He says in verse 15, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure”. This being the case we are told in verse 13 how we should respond to them. We read, “Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith”. This is because false knowledge doesn’t lead to godliness but to disobedience, corrupted minds, hearts, and consciences. Our goal should be the restoration of those who’ve gone astray.
Be sound in the faith. If what you believe doesn’t make you more godly, and more like Jesus, then there’s something wrong.