Page 93 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

So, we may conclude that this is not so much a private letter to Titus as a public letter to the people of
Crete. Titus should probably not be blamed for being too ready to promote unworthy people to the
office of bishop, or for having to have laid down for him what kind of doctrine he should teach the
people, as if he were some ignorant novice. But since he was not receiving the honor due to him, Paul
clothes him with his own personal authority both for ordaining ministers and in the whole government
of the church. Because many people foolishly desired another kind of teaching from the one they
received from Titus, Paul repudiates all others and grants his sole approval to Titus’s teaching,
encouraging him to continue as he has begun.

First of all, Paul teaches what kind of people should be chosen as ministers. Among other qualifications,
he requires that a minister should be taught sound doctrine so that he can refute his adversaries. Here
Paul takes the opportunity to censure the ways of the Cretans and especially rebukes the Jews, who
made holiness consist of making distinctions between foods and other outward ceremonies. To refute
their follies Paul contrasts with them the genuine practices of godliness and Christian living, and to
impress this on them even more strongly, he describes the duties that belong to different vocations. He
tells Titus to teach these carefully all the time, and he also tells the others not to become tired of
listening to such teaching. Paul shows that this is the purpose of the redemption and salvation
obtained through Christ. If anyone will not accept what he says, Paul tells Titus to have nothing more
to do with him. We now see that Paul’s single aim was to support Titus and to give him a helping hand
in carrying out the Lord’s work.

Excerpt taken from: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus by John Calvin.

Paul hoped to join Titus again, but we have no way of knowing whether that meeting ever took place.
Tradition has it that Titus served out the rest of his life on the Island of Crete.

People came from hundreds of miles to hear Paul’s teaching. Educated, well-spoken, motivated, and
filled with the Holy Spirit, this man of God faithfully proclaimed the Good News throughout the Roman
Empire; lives were changed, and churches were started. But Paul knew that the church must be built
on Christ and not on a person. And he knew that eventually he would not be there to build,
encourage, disciple, and teach. So, Paul trained young pastors to assume leadership in the churches
after he was gone. Paul urged them to center their lives and preaching on the Word of God and to
train others to carry on the ministry.

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