By Jack Wilkie
In a sense, the Lord’s church is a very basic institution. We’ve been saved by grace through faith and now we’re called to follow the Lord’s commands and teachings while rejecting any false ideas that are contrary to His Word. However, we are humans and as such we tend to lose sight of purpose from time to time. We also have a tendency to make things more complex than they need to be and add our own rules. Thankfully, God (through inspiration) has given us writings such as Titus that remind us to walk as God’s people and by His commands.
Background Information
Titus, like Timothy, was a very close companion of Paul’s and one considered by Paul to be his son in the faith. A Greek by birth, he had been with Paul and Barnabas when they went back to Jerusalem to discuss matters affecting Jews and Gentiles in the church (Galatians 2:1). He later worked with the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 8:23) before moving on to Crete, where he was working when Paul sent this letter to him. Like 2 Timothy, this epistle is dated very near the end of Paul’s life, placing it around 66 A.D. While the language and content are similar to that found in the letters to Timothy, Titus’ situation was somewhat different, most notably in that Timothy was serving in a city where the church had been established with elders for some time. Timothy was working in more of a traditional minister’s role, while Titus was working as a missionary in helping the church start with the fundamentals of the faith.
Key Themes
As discussed above, Paul wrote this book to give a list of teachings the church in Crete needed to hear from Titus. He had been sent to Crete for two purposes––to “set in order what remains” and to appoint elders (1:5). After summing up the purpose of Titus’ work, Paul went straight into the qualifications to be applied in the search for elders. The majority of the writing afterwards deals with setting in order what remains, specifying what Titus was to teach to each member of the church, male and female, young and old. Of course, in teaching sound doctrine to the Lord’s church, false teachers must be recognized and avoided. Paul deals with this theme in 1:10-16 and 3:9-11. It’s clear that these problems were being stirred up by Jews who taught man-made commandments and distracted the church with discussion that were both fruitless and divisive. In 2:11-14 and 3:3-8 Paul reminded Titus of the purpose behind it all, the reason why Christians should keep these commands (note how both sections begin with the word for).
Key Verses
Paul gave the purpose for Titus’ work in 1:5, so naturally this is a very important verse in understanding the rest of the letter. Titus was to appoint elders and set things in order, and so the rest of the text is a discussion of how this should be done. 2:15 is also key, as Paul concludes a statement about the doctrine of grace by urging Titus to speak these things, exhort, and reprove with all authority. The church needed to hear these teachings, and Titus was the one in charge of making sure it happened. In the same vein, 3:8 is important as it follows another doctrinal statement with an exhortation for Titus to speak such things with confidence, leading those who hear to engage in good works.
Key Words
The words that deal with the idea of teaching (teach, exhort, speak, reprove, etc.) are important as they give an indication of the things Paul wanted Titus to teach. These commands to teach are often accompanied by the word sound, showing that Titus was to be careful to speak correctly with regard to doctrine. If the doctrines of the church are taught soundly, the body will be ready and willing to engage in good “works”––another word that can be found throughout the epistle.