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Remembering Titus and a Church Planting Responsibility - Titus 1:1 - 2:15

 Friday, Sept. 18 –

It is Friday, and over the next two to three days (weekend), you’re going to be reading Paul’s short letter to Titus.  Today we’ll read Titus 1:1 – 2:15.  You’ll find it similar to the letters to Timothy we just finished.  After you’ve finished reading the passage, come back, and we’ll look at it a second time.


Paul’s letter to Titus is very similar to his letter to Timothy, only shorter.  Since we haven’t looked at Titus before, let’s explore a little background information.  Paul was in Macedonia when he wrote this letter (3:12), so it was written earlier than his letter to Timothy.  Titus was a Gentile Christian whom Paul had appointed to lead the church planting process on the island of Crete.  Paul references him in his letters to the Corinthians, and in Galatians, where Paul recounts how he had taken him to Jerusalem, and in a conflict with some Jewish legalists, had refused to have Titus be circumcised (Gal. 2:1-3).  Paul was giving him some instructions to close up his ministry by appointing leaders(1:5-9), deal with false teachers (1:10-14), and provide instructions for proper conduct in the church and world (2:1 – 3:8).  He tells Titus that when he is finished, he is to catch up with him in Nicopolis (3:12 – a capital city in the Roman empire on the west coast of modern Turkey).  Virtually everything that Paul says to Titus about doctrine, false teachers, conduct in the church mirrors what he had written in 1 & 2 Timothy.

The major difference between the two letters is that Timothy was left to lead an established church in Ephesus, while Titus had been placed on the island of Crete to establish churches.  Paul didn’t want him to Pastor a church, but to lead a church planting process, appointing elders in the churches he established.  Paul’s greeting to Titus is similar to Timothy – “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,  in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command 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” (1:1-4).
As in Timothy, Paul reminds Titus he is serving Christ Jesus, as Apostle.  His mission is the Gospel for “God’s elect,” that they may know the truth that fits godliness in living and prepares them for eternal life in God’s presence.  It all sounds so religious, but Paul is speaking into a Roman culture known for its immorality and unethical behavior.  One of the words Paul uses over and over in this letter is “good,” which is his reminder to Titus that while the message of the Gospel is the grace of God in Christ, there is an expectation that grace produces the fruit of goodness (among other fruit) in living. Paul’s affection for his young ministry partners is always fatherly, calling Titus his “true child.”

Paul’s instruction is to appoint elders and gives Titus the necessary character qualities that characterize someone who qualifies to be considered. 
“ An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.  Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.  Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.  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 (1:6-9 NIV).
It is very similar to what he wrote to Timothy.  Much of what Paul qualifies is based on the leaders' private life.  The problem of appointing leaders such as Pastors, Elders, Deacons is that if it’s merely a popularity contest, what the leader brings into the church’s oversight is bound to make things worse rather than better.  Most of all, leadership is responsible for knowing the truth, guarding the truth, and defending the truth.  A pastor leads a congregation, who are called “sheep,” and a shepherd’s task is to feed the sheep the right food and protect them from predators.

It is the predators that Paul reminds Titus to watch out for.  Re-read 1:10 – 16 and look at the descriptive things Paul says of these who falsely teach a different Gospel.  They are “rebellious, meaningless talkers, deceptive, disruptive (of households), dishonest, liars and lazy.” The nature of false teachers is summed up in his final sentence – “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good” (1:16).  Given Paul's emphasis in every letter – whether to Churches or Pastors/Elders – one can only wonder what has happened within our modern churches with the lack of doctrinal teaching.  Ask the average Christian what they know about the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, Salvation by Grace through Faith, the Inspiration of the Word of God, and other major doctrinal themes, and – at least in the Western Christian world – many are largely devoid of comprehensive knowledge of these doctrinal vitals.  I believe it’s the faddish entertainment mentality that characterizes much of evangelicalism in the west today that is the main culprit.  Can we last as the people of God this way?  It’s statistically true that more and more people find their faith to be irrelevant to their everyday lives. It’s also statistically true that more Christians do not believe in the orthodox faith that the Apostles delivered to the early church. In the most recent “State of Theology” survey, the statement “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God” was agreed by 52% of those who responded.  Only 27% strongly disagreed! [1]

Paul reminds Titus – “ You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine” (2:1). In the next ten verses, Paul names five groups of people – older men, older women, young women, young men, and servants (slaves) – what a healthy response to the Gospel looks like.  It is similar to what he wrote to Timothy.  Behavior, conduct, character, integrity all matter.  For example, to the young men, Paul reminds Titus – “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity” (2:7).  He uses the word “good” three times as a triangle surrounding Christian character.  Teach what is good, be a model of good works, and show good faith – what we hear, take in, and own we live out in serving others, and we demonstrate Christ to those who do not know him.  If we call ourselves Christian, we are being watched, from within the church, and from without among our neighbors, co-workers, and friends.  Some watch as cynics to look for the flaws, the hypocrisy, the “you don’t walk the talk” lifestyle.  Some watch to know whether this faith, life in Christ, believing is truly real.  When we do life in Christ with character and integrity, people will often seek us out when life gets difficult, and need help.  In theology, being leads to doing.  What we do is a direct result of who we are…yes, there will be flaws, failings…these we confess and not hide, or excuse.  It is Grace, not works, that sets us apart and demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives.

It is here that Paul finalizes the grace of Christ as the foundation of a Christian’s life in Christ –
“…show all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (2:10b-14).
Grace is never an excuse for living selfishly – that is abuse that demonstrates the person doesn’t understand, maybe never has genuinely received God’s grace.  “Grace has appeared” – how? Where? In Jesus Christ, who has brought salvation for all who put their faith and trust in him.  This grace changes us, transforms us, and causes us to live in the expectation, even anticipation, of Jesus' return in glory!  Grace not only saves (2:11), it sanctifies (2:12), and leads us towards the end in glorification (2:13) – all because of Christ Jesus’ redemption (2:14). 

The conclusion is simple – “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you” (2:15).
In the end, Paul tells Titus, preach Christ, preach Grace, preach a Sanctification because of Christ and grace.  These are the doctrinal themes we proclaim, or should - the life of Jesus, the work of Jesus, the salvation by Jesus, the return of Jesus.  It begins and ends the same – all of life is meant to be lived in Christ.  Will all love it?  No.  We know that some will not; it makes no difference.  Christians are beating on one drum, and even if some despise you (ESV says “disregard”), it is the only authority we carry into a lost and dying world.

Peace



[1] The State of Theology is a bi-annual survey of evangelical churches in America.  The latest release, as of this writing, was the Summer of 2020.  You can see the survey at https://thestateoftheology.com/  

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