The Book of Titus. Pt. 2

Good morning everyone!

What a wonderful and beautiful day our loving Heavenly Father has given us.

We laid the groundwork in the last post to help us begin to study this beautiful letter of Paul to his beloved coworker, Titus.

Chapter 1 overview

Titus 1:1-4 Paul, a servant 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

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;     

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

To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

Titus 1:1

Verse 1, we find the word "acknowledging" used. This word refers to having precise and correct knowledge about something. The word "truth" refers to what we know to be true of God. It refers to truth about God, truth about man and truth about the duties of man toward God. 

The author of Hebrews also points out the immutability of God's word and says "it was impossible for God to lie." This is the same idea that Paul is communicating to Titus. 

Hebrew 6:17-19 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

It also includes the truth about salvation, the truth about the purposes of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. This truth is distinct and different from the world's truth. It is all about godliness. 

It teaches us to reverence God and to live in such a way that our behavior shows others that Christ lives in us. In short, this verse is calling us to hold high the perfect and inspired truth we received from our Father in heaven. 

Titus 1:2

Verse 2 brings forward the joyous hope of eternal life that God promised to give to all who turn to Jesus Christ in repentant faith. It is a hope that is more certain than the laws of physics. It is a hope that is more certain than anything that we can understand with our senses or our intellect. 

The phrase used of God "that cannot lie" is the same Greek word used twice in a row. Anytime that this occurs in Hebrew or Greek, it means that the Spirit of God has placed a heavy emphasis. The word means that God cannot lie. It means that He is "unfalse."  We could say He cannot lie because God has no falsehood or lie in Him. Lying is the opposite of the character and nature of God. 

The verb or action word in verse 2 is "promised." It means that Jehovah announced what He was going to do well in advance of bringing it to pass. Please notice the time when He made this announcement. It was before anything was created. This runs parallel with the decree of the Godhead to save sinners by the Lamb slain from (before) the foundation of the world. 

These are powerful, wonderful, soul stirring truths that Paul is communicating to Titus. All the work of God to save souls, and to bring eternal life in heaven with the Father was set in motion prior to Creation, prior to man's fall into sin. This amplifies just how much God loves all mankind and how much He wants every single person to be born again. 

Titus 1:3

Verse 3 finds Paul telling Titus that now God is revealing or bringing to light His word through the faithful apostolic ministry. Paul is preaching this truth. Peter, James and John are also preaching this truth. Jude, Matthew, Mark, Luke were all preaching this truth. 

Verse 4 finds the conclusion of Paul's greeting to his faithful fellow helper, Titus.

We see Paul's unique apostolic greeting to Titus.

Paul begins most of his letters to the churches under his care with a personal greeting. 9 times he salutes the churches as an apostle of Jesus Christ. 3 times Paul calls himself a servant of Christ  in his letters. However, he only used this phrase “servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ", one time.

The letter to Titus also contains some unique phrases not used anywhere else in the New Testament. Special phrases or words that only appear once in scripture are always worth investigating. The first special phrase in Titus 1 is “which God, that cannot lie” is in direct contrast to the Cretians culture and character.

We see a that second unique phrase in Titus 1 is the “common faith.”

In verse 4, common faith means that it is the same faith preached in every city and every region where the gospel of Christ spread. It is the idea of using standardization to ensure that everyone teaches the same truth, so that all new believers receive instruction in the same, common faith.

Titus 1:5

Paul now tells Titus why he is writing to him. He wants Titus to set some things in order that are not functioning properly. One thing that Titus needs to do is to ordain elders in every church in Crete. 

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: 

Titus 1:6-9

In verse 6, Paul now turns to give Titus a list of the qualifications for an elder. They are almost identical to those of a bishop or deacon. First, note that the person serving in this office is to be a male, a husband who has only been married once. 

His children must be in order, that is, they may not be unruly or riotous. We might say that his children cannot be rebellious. He has helped his children learn to obey the authorities in their lives as God intended. 

In verses 7-9, Paul then includes 12 qualifications for an elder or bishop. You can read them below. We could probably summarize them by stating that they reflect the fruit of the Spirit being worked into a man's heart so that it governs his thoughts, words and actions. 

Holding fast means to cling tightly to something, in this case, clinging tightly to the faithful word. This is the perfect, inspired, inerrant word that came from God to us. The idea of sound doctrine means having a clear understanding of the truth that is free from error. 

The principal qualifications of an elder/bishop are as follows. 

• A husband maintaining marital fidelity  
• Responsible as a father 
• One who exercises self control and is temperate.
• One who serves God for the love of God and not for money.
• One who loves hospitality, fellowship with believers
• One who prefers being with Godly men rather than the ungodly.
• One who holds fast sound doctrine and uses it skilfully. 

Titus 1:6-9 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 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 gainsayers.

Titus 1:10-13 
     

Paul tells Titus why men who are strong in sound doctrine are necessary. There were many false teachers plaguing the church in Crete. Some were promoting the various Cretian cults. Some were Judaizers seeking to impose the law on people. They evidently had exerted a strong influence in the Cretan churches.  

Paul by inspiration references a poet named Epimenides who described the Cretans as habitual liars more than 2,700 years ago. In fact, lying was so connected with Cretans that a special Greek verb “kretizo” came into usage. It means to engage in the act of lying.

Third unique phrase in Titus 1: “faithful word”

50% of all references to “sound doctrine” are in the letter to Titus.

Titus 1:10-13 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:     

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

One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.    

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

Points to Ponder....

• There is only one source of truth: God.

• All churches should have the order that is established by God. 

• Only men who meet the qualifications may serve in those offices. 

• We must hold fast the faithful word.

• We must learn and apply sound doctrine.

• We must tell the truth and expose the lies of false teachers.  

In Chapter 1 we see there is a focus on salvation, grace, mercy and eternal life through the work of Jesus Christ. There is a focus on the faithful preaching of God’s word, appointing qualified elders &  holding fast the faithful word, in order to combat the Judaizers or false teachers.

Already we see there is much for us to learn in this letter of Paul to Titus.