Titus 1:1-4

NATURE OF PAUL’S SERVICE

SALVATION - God’s purpose to save the elect by the gospel

SANCTIFICATION - God’s purpose to build up the saved by the Word of God.

GLORIFICATION - God’s purpose to bring believers to eternal glory

1 Paul, a servant of God

Servant - “Doulos” - a person who is legally owned by someone else and whose entire livelihood and purpose was determined by their master.

and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

Apostle - an envoy of Jesus Christ commissioned directly by Him or by other apostles; normally someone who has been taught directly by Jesus and who is invested with the authority to speak on His behalf.

Doctrine

for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth,

God’s usage of Paul is directly focused upon Christians:

Their Faith

Their Knowledge

The resulting effect of his care for God’s elect is to strengthen their faith and knowledge.

Faith and knowledge relationship is something unique! Not to be mistaken as faith and seeing…it is better to believe without seeing - this is faith. What strengthens our faith is the knowledge we have to remind us, to center us, to keep us balanced, etc.

Devotion

which accords with godliness,

This passage unites the fact that our “doctrine” (faith and knowledge) - is something that accords with godliness!

Accord - “kata” - in accordance with, in relation to.

Some of us may have a Devotion problem, which manefests in ungodliness (explain some ungodly behavior). A problem with devotion is not an isolated problem, but rather it points deeper to a doctrinal problem. (similar to bone break points to a belief that you beleived that you could fly!)

2 in hope of eternal life,

The trajectory of man’s attitude and attention should always be gazing ahead. This is truly hope in eternal life.

Hope - Expectation, someone or something on which expectations are centered.

Sometimes we can miss this in life, and be so hopeful in what is seen. We often lose that eternal trajectory, and when we do this our very existence or manefestation of godliness is only a means for hear and now. Before we know it, legalism creeps in and we hope too much in this world.

Paul is saying let your doctrine drive your devotion, and let your devotion be centered upon hope of eternal life.

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Characteristics and Primary Themes

Paul’s concern in this letter for sound doctrine is balanced by an emphasis on proper Christian conduct. For Paul, the two clearly go hand in hand, since the display of God’s grace in Christ’s saving work (3:4–7) is designed to produce grateful believers who “devote themselves to good works” (3:8).

which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

BT!!!

Paul’s doctrine and devotion is rested upon something sure and steady. His foundation is upon a God who never changes, unlike us at times.

3 and at the proper time manifested in his word

The promise that existed since the ages began is not found in dreams or visions, but it is found within His word.

How do you define the “proper” time? Proper in this sense, is unique or specific to a “person” - that being Jesus Christ.

This means that God promised Jesus Christ long before the ages began, and Paul being an apostle commissioned by Jesus Christ himself called to bring great attention to the word.

through the preaching

The preaching of God’s word is the means by which the promises of God are brought to life.

The word of God supersedes any dream, vision, spiritual experience - within the Holy Spirit’s informed means (within context), we are able to live supernaturally…rested upon an immutable God, secured in eternal hope, directing our devotion, being rooted in our doctrine.

Everything good and pleasing in this life stems from the word of God.

with which I have been entrusted

Paul’s method of ministry rested upon the preaching of God’s word, and let me tell you, he had a supernatural ministry in doing so.

by the command of God our Savior;

Back to apostleship, Paul, is given authoritative direction to do His ministry.

4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

True Child - A spiritual son, a genuine believer in Christ.

Now that Paul has introduced himself and established his apostolic authority, all his attention is turned to Titus.

This verse indicates that they have a “common faith.” Common in a sense that Paul and Titus had Christian common ground…For instance (they were believers, they were gentiles (gal. 2:3), etc)...

LC 1 Cor

LC Tim

JMAC - Titus is mentioned by name 13 times in the NT (10 times in 1 Cor):

Galatians 2:1 ESV

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.

Galatians 2:3 ESV

But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

Titus is a “Pastoral Epistle” along with 1 & 2 Tim. However, Titus is unique in it’s length and similar content of what is mentioned in 1 & 2 Tim. I like to think of the letter to Titus as a “fast-track” version of 1 & 2 Tim.

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Special Issues

Nearly everything that Paul says in Titus about the false teaching on Crete has parallels with what he says in 1 and 2 Timothy about it in Ephesus

Titus most likely served with Paul on his 2nd and 3rd missionary journey, and we can imagine that Titus was converted by Paul during probably his 3rd missionary journey. During this Journey Paul mentions Titus quite alot in 2 Cor.

“My Brother” (2 Cor. 2:13)

“My partner and fellow worker” (2 Cor. 8:23)

Titus’s previous experience with Judaizers and false teaching in the church, Titus was well fit for the task of putting “what remained into order.”

As we will get into some more detail next week, we know that the driving force of this letter to Titus is to leave him with a guide to keep the Lord’s work going in Crete (Titus 1:5).

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Characteristics and Primary Themes

Like 1 Timothy, Titus is noteworthy for its information on church organization.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

In typical Paul fashion, he extends grace and peace from the 2 persons of the trinity, a reminder of his intention and attitude.

The Gospel in Titus - God’s Redemption

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Titus in the Larger Story of the Bible

God declares throughout the Scriptures that His purpose in saving His people is to set them apart from the world and for Himself. This setting apart entails a moral separation from the world and a moral conformity to God. We are to be holy because God is holy, a motif that finds early expression in the books of Moses (Lev. 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:26; cf. 1 Pet. 1:16). The NT helps us to see this same principle even more clearly. God has redeemed His people in Christ. Part of that redemption is being delivered from sin’s dominion and being enabled to live holy lives that are pleasing to God. The pattern after which we are being conformed as believers is the image of God in Christ, the second Adam (Rom 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). Paul’s concern in Titus to show that the knowledge of the truth accords with godliness (1:1) is therefore part of a broader biblical concern to emphasize that the doctrines of the grace of God, when rightly embraced, always to lead to holy living.

JAMC Doctrines in Titus:

Sound Doctrine (1:9, 13; 2:1, 2)

God’s Sovereign Election (Titus 1:1-2)

God’s Saving Grace (Titus 2:11; 3:5)

Christ’s Deity and Second Coming (Titus 2:13)

Christ’s Substitutionary Atonement (Titus 2:14)

Regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)

Justification by Grace (Titus 3:5, 7)

Summary 1:5-16:

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Historical and Theological Themes

This preparation required godly leaders who not only would shepherd believers under their care (1:5–9), but also would equip those Christians for evangelizing their pagan neighbors, who had been characterized by one of their own famous natives as liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons (1:12).

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Historical and Theological Themes

in marked contrast to the debauched lives of the false teachers (1:10–16).

Summary 2:2-14:

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Historical and Theological Themes

In order to gain a hearing for the gospel among such people, the believers’ primary preparation for evangelization was to live among themselves with the unarguable testimony of righteous, loving, selfless, and godly lives (2:2–14)

Summary 3:1-8:

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Historical and Theological Themes

How they behaved with reference to governmental authorities and unbelievers was also crucial to their testimony (3:1–8)

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Interpretive Challenges

The few interpretive challenges include: What is the “blessed hope” of 2:13?

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Special Issues

Paul describes the false teaching on Crete as something that had come from within the church (1:10, 16). It was characterized by a concern with Jewish myths (1:14), genealogies and quarrels about the law (3:9), and human commandments (1:14). The false teachers reflected a narrowly Jewish-Christian perspective (1:10) and sought leadership positions for financial gain (1:11). They had been effective in leading people astray and were divisive (1:10; 3:10).