Page 85 - Pastoral Epistles I & 2 Timothy, Titus

Titus - Introduction

Connect…

Titus continues to travel with Paul on missionary journeys, helping in the work of sharing the gospel.
Paul thought of Titus – much like he thought of Timothy, not only as a very faithful friend but also as his
spiritual son, because he had led him to trust Christ.

Tradition tells us that after Paul was released from the Roman prison where he had been for two years, he and
Titus traveled to the island of Crete. Paul and Titus taught the people, called Cretans, about their need for God
and the good news about Jesus.

Soon, there were enough believers to start churches in several towns. Paul wanted to visit the church in Corinth,
so he left Titus to continue teaching the new Christians and to appoint church leaders for each new church.
The gospel was now spreading into Europe.

Titus was a busy man as he cared for all the new Cretan believers, especially because the people just didn’t know
how to do what is good in God’s eyes. Paul knew Titus needed some encouragement and reminders of what was
important to teach the people. Paul wrote to Titus soon after writing 1st Timothy, probably while Paul was in
Macedonia, on his way to Nicopolis. Let’s examine what Paul wrote to Titus…

The Lesson ...

Titus

Paul had only laid the foundations of the church in Crete when he had to hurry on elsewhere, since he was not just
the pastor of one island but the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul, therefore, commissioned Titus as an evangelist to
carry on his work. It is clear from this letter that, immediately after Paul left, Satan made great efforts not only to
overthrow the government of the church, but also to corrupt its teaching.

Some people, out of selfish ambition, aspired to become pastors, and when Titus would not comply with their evil
desires, they spoke ill of him to many people. There were also some Jews who tried to use the law of Moses as
their pretext for introducing a great number of trifling regulations and observances, and they were being listened
to attentively and very favorably. So, Paul wrote to Titus to arm him with his authority to help him to bear such
great burdens. Doubtless, some people openly scorned Titus as being just an ordinary pastor. It is also possible
that complaints were being circulated that he was taking upon himself more than he had a right to, since he
refused to accept pastors until they had won his approval.

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 clothed him with his own personal authority
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