Elder Devotional: Titus 1:1-3

Paul’s Ministerial Identity: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, (1a).

Paul identifies himself as a servant/slave of God. There was no negative connotation in the mind of Paul. He saw everything he did in service to the God who created him and called him into ministry.

Paul also identifies himself as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. This should not be considered to be a general reference to him being sent by the Lord Jesus but as an office that He held.

Paul often had to defend his Apostleship to those to whom he wrote. This was due to the Judaizers who went around defaming Paul as an Apostle.

Paul’s Ministerial Purpose: for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 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; (1b-3).

Paul saw his ministerial purpose to be for the spiritual good of God’s elect at the practical level. He desired that they would believe by faith and to have a knowledge of the truth.

This “truth” is not just a subjective idea but it is the objective idea of God’s truth that is characterized by godliness (1b).

This is fitting given the context of his ministerial identity being derived from his relationship to God and having been called to the office of an Apostle and sent by Jesus Christ.

What are some of the common ways today that subjectivity is often embraced to undergird ministry? Is godliness ever compromised?

This “truth” that is in accord with godliness is is what Paul understands as the undergirding hope of eternal life (2).

This is because it was promised by God before time began. This is what establishes it as certain and worthy of the believer’s hope. God never lies and His decrees are irrevocable. And His promises and providential will as seen in His word and experienced through the ages of time show this to be true.

How does this truth cultivate certainty in the Christian faith?

This “truth” was manifested in the word of God being preached in Paul’s ministry. Paul knew that his call and ministry centered around preaching the word of God because truth is being relayed by the word.

Paul was “entrusted” by God with this ministry of preaching. The term “entrusted” denotes that it was not just a subjective belief that Paul had. It was a belief that was undergirded by God and His command towards Paul.

Is this important for ministers of the gospel?