Titus - 3

Paul continues to urge Titus and the Cretan Christians to be examples to the unbelievers on the island by doing good.

Key verse: (8) This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to DOING GOOD. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

(1) Remind the believers to *submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to **DO what is GOOD.

• Polybius, the Greek historian, said that the Cretans were constantly involved in “insurrections, murders and internecine wars.” Moreover, from the writings of Polybius and of Plutarch it appears that the Cretans were fretting and fuming under the Roman yoke. It is possible, therefore, that this circumstance had something to do with the precise nature of the present “reminder.”
• *submit: Goes back to chapter 2 where the proper order of husband and wife, master and slave are shown.
• Mark 12:17: “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them.
  
• Acts 5:29: But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.
• Romans 13:1-6: Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.
• 1 Timothy 2:1-2: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
• Remember, we are heavenly citizens living temporarily in a foreign land!
• **DO what is GOOD - Good deeds or works is one of the key thoughts in Titus:
  
  

(2) They must not *slander anyone and must **avoid quarreling. ***Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.

• *slander: Greek - blasphemeo = to speak evil, revile, defame, to injure the reputation of by slanderous remarks.
  
  • “To slander” is blasphemeo, As Hiebert points out, “That does not mean that they are never to talk of and expose the evils of men, for Jesus Himself did so very forcefully. It means that they are not to malign, slander, or speak injuriously of others.
• **avoid quarreling Greek - amachos = not contentious, literally non-fighter. "Not violent" in 1 Timothy 3:3. Slander and quarreling would tell unbelievers that Christians are no different than they!
  
  • The King James Version uses a picturesque phrase—"not a brawler." Other translations use phrases such as “not pugnacious,” “not combative,” or “not thin-skinned.” It literally means “abstaining from fighting” or “noncombatant.” It has the idea of choosing not to get in a fight, thus the idea of “uncontentious.” Some people just love to pick fights. They love to argue, love to trade insults and put other people down. Such a man is the master of the cutting remark, the king of the snappy comeback. Proverbs 20:3 says, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.” By contrast, the godly man is uncontentious, willing to listen, not argumentative, not given to a fighting spirit. He is a peace-maker, but not a peace-breaker.
• ***Instead: Here is how by their conduct they are to show their good works in their effort to win others to Christ.

(3) ONCE *we, too, were **foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.

• *we: Paul includes himself in this indictment.
• **Foolish is anoetos, “unintelligent, foolish, without understanding.” It is used here of the spiritual blindness of men before coming to Christ. Because of man’s spiritual death, the blinding work of Satan, and his condition in sin, fallen man cannot fathom the spiritual things of God. This is the root—or at least part of it—while the next conditions, “disobedient, misled, etc.,” point to some of the results.
• Romans 1:28-32: Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
  
• Ephesians 4:17-19: With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

(4) BUT—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and *love,

• *love: Greek - philanthropia = "love for man", from which we get the English word "philanthropy".

(5) he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He *washed away our sins, giving us a **new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

• Greek: He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
• *washed away our sins: Ephesians 5:26: For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
  
  • The “washing of regeneration” as it's phrased in the KJV in verse 5 does not refer to baptism. Whether circumcision in the old covenant or baptism in the new covenant—it is not good things we do that causes us to be born again. The kindness of God. The love of God. The absolutely free mercy of God explains our new birth. Not circumcision. Not baptism. Not any works done by us in righteousness. New birth comes and brings righteous deeds with it, not the other way around.
    
• **new birth: John 3:3: Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
  
• Romans 3:21-28: But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
  
• Galatians 2:16-18: Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
• Ephesians 2:1-5, 8-9: ONCE you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. BUT God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ... God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
• Philippians 3:8-9: Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
• 2 Timothy 1:9-10: For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.
• There is no way that you can save yourself. There are many who are hoping that by their being good moral people that God will somehow save them.
• In his book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H. A. Ironside included the story of a new convert who gave his testimony during a church service. With a smile on his face and joy in his heart, the man related how he had been delivered from a life of sin. He gave the Lord all the glory, saying nothing about any of his own merits or what he had done to deserve the blessings of redemption. The person in charge, who was very legalistic, didn’t fully appreciate the reality of salvation by grace through faith alone, apart from human works. So he responded to the young man’s comments by saying, “you seem to indicate that God did everything when He saved you. Didn’t you do your part before God did His?” The new Christian jumped to his feet and said, “Oh yes, I did. For more than 30 years I ran away from God as fast as my sins could carry me. That was my part. But God took out after me and ran me down. That was His part.” Commenting on this testimony, Ironside wrote, “It was well put and tells a story that every redeemed sinner understands.”

(6) He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.

(7) Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit *eternal life.”

• *eternal life: What is eternal life?

(8) This is a *trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to DOING GOOD. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

• *trustworthy saying (faithful saying): This is one of Paul's five "faithful sayings" of the pastoral epistles. These were common sayings and parts of hymns in the early church:
  
  • 1 Timothy 1:15: This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
  • 1 Timothy 3:1: This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”
  • 1 Timothy 4:8-9: “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.
  • 2 Timothy 2:11: This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him.

(9) (BUT) Do not get involved in foolish discussions about *spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

• BUT introduces the reader to the contrast between what is important (the priority) and what must be avoided not only because of its uselessness, but because it is dangerous to the spiritual life. We should not be surprised because of Satan’s character and his tactics.
• *spiritual pedigrees: Or spiritual genealogies.
  
  • 1 Timothy 1:3-4: When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
  • The Gnostics were noted for their genealogical discussions. This was important to them because the right knowledge about the genealogies of angels were directly linked to their salvation. They focused on what knowledge they needed to know for salvation rather than only belief in Christ. We could spend hours talking about it, but in the end, if a person is not attracted to the truth in the scriptures, then we do not see God drawing him or her. Maybe later they will be interested, but right now they are not.
• 2 Timothy 2:14: Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.
• 1 Timothy 4:7: Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.
• 1 Timothy 6:20: Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.
• Titus 1:14: They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.

(10) If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.

• 1 Timothy 6:4: Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.

(11) For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.

(12) I am planning to send either Artemas or *Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them arrives, do your best to meet me at **Nicopolis, for I have decided to stay there for the winter.

• *Tychicus:
  
  • Acts 20:4: Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
  • Ephesians 6:21: To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work.
  • Colossians 4:7: Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work.
• **Nicopolis: A port city on the western coast of Greece.

(13) Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and *Apollos with their trip. See that they are given everything they need.

• *Apollos:
  
  • Acts 18:24-28: Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:12: Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”

(14) Our people must learn to DO GOOD by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be *unproductive.

• *unproductive: If we aren't doing good by helping others, our faith hasn't resulted in real fruit.

(15) Everybody here sends greetings. Please give my greetings to the believers—all who love us. May God’s grace be with you all.

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NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

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NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://titus-study.blogspot.com/2010/11/titus-references-and-sources.html

Titus - 2

Paul's letter to Titus exhorts him to speak the things which reflect wholesome teaching (sound doctrine). Such things include the proper conduct expected of Christians, both male and female, young and old, and of those who are servants (slaves). Even Titus was to present himself as a pattern of good works for others to follow, which would also serve to silence any opponents of the faith.

Paul then writes of the grace of God that brings salvation to all men. This wonderful grace instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, choosing instead to live soberly, righteously and godly. It also encourages us to look forward to the blessed hope we have related to the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself to redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a special people who are zealous for good works. These things Titus was to teach with all authority, allowing none to despise him for doing so.

What we do reveals who we really are. It is here we get a glimpse into what we really believe. Chapter 2 shows the importance of putting doctrine (what we believe) into practice - Titus 1:16: Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

(1) *As for you, Titus, promote the **kind of living that reflects ***wholesome teaching.

• *As for you: As contrasted to the false teachers in 1:10-16. They were so engrossed in their false doctrines that they were already having negative results on the moral conduct of the Christians at Crete, especially in the realm of the home.
• **kind of living: The doctrine and teaching is supposed to lead to correct living - we need to "walk the talk".
• ***wholesome teaching: sound doctrine. Sound doctrine in 1:9, sound faith 1:13, sound doctrine in 2:1, sound speech in 2:8.
  
  • 2 Timothy 4:3: For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
• Paul wanted Christians to behave consistently with what they claim to believe. The primary motivation Paul used in the advice to follow is that these exhortations come from and agree with sound doctrine. A secondary motive that he also stressed is that the behavior he advocated would make a positive impact on unbelievers who would observe the Christians on Crete.

(2) Teach the *OLDER men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have **sound faith and be filled with ***love and ****patience.

• *Older men should be mature.
  
  • The age range for the older men and women would have been about 40 and above in that culture, and that of the younger would have been between about 20 and 40.
  • Because younger people often copy older people, older people should be good models. They must be men whom other people can respect. They must be able to control their words and actions.
  • The overall idea of the three adjectives (self-controlled, worthy of respect & wisely living) is that the older men should have lost the recklessness and thoughtlessness of youth.
• **sound faith: Their maturity should enable them to trust God fully the more they experience of Him. The more that they walk with Christ in obedience to Him, the greater their faith will grow.
• ***love: Secondly, they must be sound in love. They must avoid being critical and faultfinding, but have compassion and concern for one another and for younger members, increasing in tolerance and sympathy and seeking to help others.
• ****patience: Thirdly, they must be sound in patient endurance, being an example to younger Christians.
  
  • Romans 5:1-5: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

(3) Similarly, teach the OLDER women to live in a way that honors God. They must not *slander others or be **heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.

• *slander: Greek blasphemetai.
  
  • James 1:26; 3:2,5-8: If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. ... Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. ... In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
• **heavy drinkers:
  
  • Greek be enslaved to much wine.
  • Proverbs 31:6: Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress.
• Older women in the era were a problem for society - often alcoholic, gossipers (busybodies), unfaithful with no purpose left in life (in their mind) since their main function in life was over (bearing and raising children) and they were not normally allowed to do anything but stay in and take care of the house - they weren't allowed to be involved in politics or any other "manly" task such as warfare, work, sport or hobby.

(4) These *OLDER women must train the YOUNGER women **to love their husbands and ***their children,

• *older women: The context seems to indicate the term "older women" were married women who have raised their children and can now help the younger women be successful.
  
  • Notice that Titus is not to instruct the younger women - that could lead to a problem.
• **To love their husbands is philandros, which carries the idea of “devoted to their husbands.” A right relationship between a husband and wife is the first responsibility and priority in the home because this relationship is foundational to the parents’ ability to properly love and care for their children. It is in the home that children develop a proper view of men and women, of love, marriage, respect for others, and even of God’s love as they see it modeled in their parents. The Christian wife who sets an example of love sends a powerful message that is understandable even to those outside the church. To the honorable Jew or Gentile in that day, the presence of this kind of love indicated an exceptional wife. The Christian wife who sets an example of love sends a powerful message that is understandable even to those without Christ.
• ***to love their children is philoteknos, which means loving their children in the sense of being devoted to their care and nurture.

(5) to live wisely and be *pure, to **work in their homes, to do good, and to be ***submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.

• *pure is hagnos, “free from defilement, morally pure, innocent, chaste”. Naturally, “pure” means purity in the sex life (faithful to their husbands), but also purity of heart and mind since this is the root of all behavior.
• **work in their homes:
  Some manuscripts read to care for their homes.
  
  • This does not mean that the wife cannot work outside the home - "Mrs. Far Above Rubies" in Proverbs 31 was an entrepreneur:
    
    Proverbs 31:16, 18, 24: She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
    She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants
    
    The picture given in Proverbs 31 is of a woman whose ministry extends beyond her own household, though the home is the center and focus of her life and takes precedence over all else.
• ***submissive:
  
  • Ephesians 5:23-24: For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.
  • Ephesians 5:25-31: For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.
• The reason that the younger women are to love their husbands, love their children, care for their homes and support the leadership and headship of their husband was that shame not be brought to the word of God. Younger women acting opposite of these virtues would repel other men from coming to Christ, especially in that society.
• “Submissive” is in the middle voice which carries the idea of “subject yourselves.” This indicates that submission is to be a voluntary response of the wife’s heart that flows out of her greater submission to God’s ordained plan for the home. Nowhere are husbands told to demand this submission. Rather he is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. In the New Testament, headship is not a dictatorship or being the boss. Rather, it is a loving leadership that takes on the disposition of being a servant and one that assumes responsibility for the relationship.
• Proverbs 14:1: A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
• The demean our of older women is to be reverent and dignified, so that those who come in touch with them become aware of Christ in them. They are not to be slanderers, gossips or talebearers. They are to teach what is good, aiming to help and uplift, guide and encourage, rather than dampening down all with whom they come in contact. Their ministry is mainly to be to the younger women.
• The point here is that while in Christ women were equal with men before God (Galatians 3:28), they must not by their behavior bring discredit on Christ in a world where women were expected to be discreet and stay at home with little male contact.
• Paul listed seven responsibilities of these women. They were:
  
  1. to be lovers of their husbands (to put their welfare before self-interests),
  2. to be lovers of their children,
  3. to be sensible.
  4. They were also to be pure and
  5. to be workers at home (producers of orderliness in the home).
  6. Finally they were to be kind
  7. and to be subject to their own husbands as to God's ordained authority in their family.

(6) In the same way, encourage the YOUNG men to live wisely.

• Fathers in today's society, as well as Paul's, focused on making a living and having a "good time". Today and then, they tended to leave the parenting to the mothers. Christian fathers must be good role models to their children. The father is the first concept of who God is to a child.

(7) And YOU YOURSELF must be an *EXAMPLE to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

• *example:
  
  • 1 Timothy 4:12: ... Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
  • We too are to be an example to others by how we live our lives - working out Christ in our everyday life. Women, men, husbands, wives and slaves are all to remember that the unsaved are often led to Christ not by our words but by our actions!
  • Meanwhile, Titus himself must be a good example to all. His doctrine must be pure and error free. He must be wise, true and discreet in all that he says. He is to be the example that all can follow.
    
    • 1 Corinthians 11:1: And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
    • Philippians 3:17: Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

(8) Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.

9) *Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back

(10) or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.

• *Slaves:
  
  • Ephesians 6:5-9: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.
  • Colossians 3:22-4:1: Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.
  • Half of the population of the Roman Empire was slaves. Three fourths of the population of Athens was slaves. The life of a slave could be taken at the whim of the master. Over the centuries, Christianity abolished slavery, first in the ancient world and then later in the nineteenth century, largely through the efforts of the strong evangelical William Wilberforce who worked with John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace". It didn’t happen overnight, and certainly there have been dedicated Christians who were slave owners. Nonetheless, the end of slavery, which has plagued mankind for thousand of years, has come primarily through the efforts of Christians.
  • There may have been a tendency in Crete for Christian slaves to exercise their new freedom in Christ by becoming arrogant and rebelling, which would hinder the spread of the Word.

(11) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.

• This verse does not teach that all people will be saved; rather, it teaches that that salvation has been offered to all and the preaching of the Gospel will bring that opportunity to them.
• And the reason that they are to behave like this is because God's mercy and grace have appeared, active on their behalf and bringing the open offer of salvation to all men and women, master and slave alike. A far greater and eternal freedom is thus now available.

(12) And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

• We are to be a stark contrast to the rest of the world to attract others to Christ.

(13) while we *look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great **God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be ***revealed.

• *look forward: 2 Timothy 4:8: And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
  
• **God and Savior: Jesus Christ is both God and Savior.
  
  • 2 Peter 1:1: This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
    
• ***revealed:
  
  • Colossians 3:4: And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
  • Greek epiphaneia. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 1:7. The word indicates appearing in divine manifestation, and in the same way as a great King making a ceremonial royal visit. It points to the open revelation of His glory.

(14) He *gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing **good deeds.

• *gave his life:
  
  • Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
  • Galatians 2:20: My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
  • Ephesians 5:2: Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
  • 1 Timothy 2:6: He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
• **good deeds:
  
  • Ephesians 2:10: For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
  • Titus 3:8,14: This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. ... Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.
  • 2 Timothy 2:21; 3:16: If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. ... God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
  • James 2:24, 26: So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
    ... Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
  • Paul's letter to Titus strongly stresses the need for good works in the lives of Christians. In fact, this note is sounded over and over again.

15) You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.

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NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

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NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://titus-study.blogspot.com/2010/11/titus-references-and-sources.html

Titus - Links

References and Links

Titus-1

Titus-2

Titus-3

Titus-1

Image Source: http://identity33.com/blog/?p=531#more-531

• WHO: From Paul to Titus. Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas the lawyer and Apollos.
• WHAT: Works: its relationship to those who are called to lead and to those who believe. Qualifications of leaders in the churches.
• WHEN: After Acts 28:28 between Paul's two imprisonments in Rome, in the mid-60's around the same time as 1 Timothy.
  
  • Probable Timeline:
    
    1. Paul was released from his house arrest in Rome (where we find him at the end of Acts), probably because his accusers did not choose to press their charges against him before Caesar, probably because his Jewish accusers failed to appear (Acts 24:1; 28:30).
    2. Paul visited Ephesus, left Timothy there to supervise the churches, and went on to Macedonia (northern Greece).
    3. From there he wrote 1 Timothy (1Timothy 1:3).
    4. He visited Crete, left Titus there to supervise those churches, and went to Nicopolis in Achaia (southern Greece, Titus 3:12).
    5. Either from Macedonia or Nicopolis, he wrote this letter to encourage Titus.
    6. He visited Troas (2Timothy 4:13), where he was suddenly arrested, taken to Rome, imprisoned, and finally beheaded.
    7. From Rome, during this second imprisonment, he wrote 2 Timothy.
• WHERE: Crete, an island in the Aegean Sea, about 140 by 30 miles with about 100 cities in it at that time.
• WHY: Verse 5: I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.
• THEME: The inseparable link between faith and practice, belief and behavior.
• KEY VERSES:
  
  • Titus 2:7: And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
  • Titus 3:8: This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
    
• KEY WORDS:
  good works, teach, teaching (doctrine), sober (sound mind).

1 Timothy and Titus give us the characteristics of an elder or church leader, which should be our goal as well:

• Temperate — Even-tempered. Not erratic or unstable.
• Prudent — Showing good judgment; common sense.
• Not addicted to wine — Not a heavy drinker.
• Not pugnacious — Does not lose his temper. Not a violent man.
• Gentle — Patient; considerate; kind.
• Uncontentious — Peaceful; willing to listen; not argumentative.
• Free from the love of money — Not greedy for personal gain.
• Not self-willed — Willing to yield to others. Not trying to get his own way.
• Not a novice — Not recently saved. Evidence of spiritual maturity.
• Not quick-tempered — Not easily angered.
• Loving what is good — Loyal to the highest moral and ethical values.
• Just — Fair and honest.
• Devout —Devoted to God in his personal life.
• Self-controlled — Able to control himself under pressure.
• Above reproach — No questionable conduct; no grounds for accusations.
• Hospitable — Receptive and open to people.
• Good reputation with outsiders — Admired by non-Christians.
• Family
• Husband of one wife — A “one-woman” man. Faithful to his wife.
• Manages own household well — Spiritual leader at home.
• Children under control — Children who respect him.
• Children who believe — Children who display faith.
• Able to teach — Knows and communicates biblical truth.
• Holding fast the word of truth — Firm in the truth. Not a compromiser.
• Exhort with sound doctrine — Encourages others with biblical truth.
• Refute those who contradict — Spots and refutes false teaching.

(1) This letter is from Paul, a *slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.

• *slave: One who has been bought!

(2) This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—*promised them **before the world began.

• *promised: 2 Timothy 1:1: This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.
• **before the world began:
  
  • "world" here is aionios. The concept is that of a space/time continuum. The phrase could be read "before the space/time cosmos" or "before the ages" or "before time". That is, God promised eternal life to His people even before our universe of space and time existed.
  • Ephesians 1:4: Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
  • 2 Timothy 1:9: For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

(3) And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.

(4) I am writing to *Titus, my true **son in the faith that we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.

• *Titus:
  
  • Galatians 2:1: Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too.
    
    • Titus was brought with Paul to Jerusalem to be a living example of what God was doing among the Gentiles.
  • 2 Corinthians 2:13: But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
  • 2 Corinthians 7:6: But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.
  • 2 Corinthians 8:6: So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.
  • 2 Corinthians 8:16: But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have.
  • 2 Corinthians 8:23: If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ.
  • 2 Corinthians 12:18: When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No! For we have the same spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way.
  • 2 Timothy 4:10: Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.
  • Tradition has it that Titus, having become first bishop of Crete, died there in advanced years. His successor, Andreas Cretensis, eulogized him in the following terms: "The first foundation-stone of the Cretan church; the pillar of the truth; the stay of the faith; the never silent trumpet of the evangelical message; the exalted echo of Paul's own voice."
  • While this is written to Titus, Titus probably read it aloud to the congregations too and copies were made for each church so they'd know what the requirements were for being an elder in the churches.
• **son in the faith: A Gentile converted by Paul. 1 Timothy 1:2: I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith...

(5) I left you on the island of *Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.

• *Crete:
  
  • Acts 2:11: (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”
  • Paul set foot on the island as a prisoner, en route to Rome (Acts 27:7-17), but the initial planting cannot be attributed to that brief visit. The first Christians were probably those Jews who had heard Peter preach at Pentecost.

(6) An *elder must live a **blameless life. He must be ***faithful to his wife, and his ****children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.

• *elder: While these requirements are for the elders, they are also good characteristics for us too. An elder was to be an example to other Christians in the church - should we not also be examples? Are we held to a lower stand than they?
  
  • The Christian walk of Will Houghton, a preacher who became the president of Moody Bible Institute during the 1940's, played a large role in the conversion of an agnostic who was contemplating suicide. The skeptic was desperate, but he decided that if he could find a minister who lived his faith he would listen to him. So he hired a private detective to watch Houghton. When the investigator’s report came back, it revealed that this preacher’s life was above reproach; he was for real. The agnostic went to Houghton’s church, accepted Christ, and later sent his daughter to Moody Bible Institute.
• **blameless - Greek anenkletos, is literally, “without indictment or accusation, unchargeable.” He is one who has nothing that can be brought against him; i.e., he is above reproach.
• ***faithful to his wife:
  
  • literally, a “one-woman man” - men characterized by marital and sexual fidelity
  • 1 Timothy 3:2: So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
  • Hebrews 13:4: Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
• ****children: 1 Timothy 3:4: He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.

(7) For an *elder must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a **heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.

• *elder:
  
  • Or an overseer, or a bishop.
  • 1 Timothy 3:1: This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”
• **heavy drinker: Greek- must not drink too much wine. 1 Timothy 3:3: He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.

(8) Rather, he must enjoy having *guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.

• *guests: Hebrews 13:2: Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
  
  • The practice of hospitality among Christians was often urgent, sacrificial and risky: urgent because Christians might be forced from homes or jobs with no one to turn to but fellow Christians; sacrificial because material goods were often in short supply; risky because to associate oneself with those who had been forced out meant to identify with their cause. Thus, hospitality required sacrificial sharing and stretching. It was a very practical expression of love, not a source of entertainment. While the practice of hospitality had primarily the needs of believers in mind, there is no reason that it could not be a way of showing concern for unbelievers. The importance of this practice for the church, in either case, required that a leader must model it for all (1 Timothy 3:2; 5:10).

(9) He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.

(10) For there are many rebellious people who engage in *useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on **circumcision for salvation.

• *useless talk: literally, empty talkers. It’s just one word in the Greek. We get it as two words in English, but it means “those who peddle big words with vaporous content.” Big words, big talk; very, very little substance - like many of our politicians. And so they are deceivers. They are peddlers of false doctrine. So, they reject the authority of the Word, they peddle big, empty talk, but are deceivers in the end.
• **circumcision: Jewish Christians insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation (Acts 15:1-5).
• The troublemakers were Jewish converts (Acts 10:45; 11:2; Galatians 2:7-9, 12). Earlier Paul opposed Jewish believers in Galatia who were teaching the need to return to the ceremonies of the law to achieve righteousness.

(11) They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their *false teaching. And they do it only for money.

• *false teaching: The presence of false teachers requires leaders who have the ability to expound and defend the faith. They claimed to be teaching truth, but they were peddlers of error. Because they themselves were deceived by Satan, they deceived others. A false prophet will always come up with some extra-biblical thing to tell you that is necessary to live the Christian life, and encourage that as key to the Christian life.

(12) Even one of their own men, a *prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”

• *prophet: This quotation is from Epimenides of Knossos who lived in the 6th century B.C. So infamous were some of them for lying that the Greek word kretizein, to act like a Cretan, was a proverbial term for telling a lie.

(13) This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith.

(14) They must stop listening to *Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.

• *Jewish myths:
  The Jews of Jesus' day had modified their system of belief with pagan ideas - such as the concept of Abraham's bosom. Jesus took one of them and changed it a little for a parable Luke 16:19ff. Many of these Jewish myths are fantastic fiction about Old Testament figures, such as Seth, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Solomon and Ezra. The modern-day version is Kaballah.
  
  • 1 Timothy 1:4-7: Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God. The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
  • Titus 3:9: Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

(15) Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.

(16) Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

• 2 Timothy 3:5: They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
  
• James 2:18-19: Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
  You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[a] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
  
  

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NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

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NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://titus-study.blogspot.com/2010/11/titus-references-and-sources.html

Titus - References and Sources

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

On-Line Sources:

• A Guide for Christian Leaders: www.easyenglish.info/bible-commentary/titus-lbw.htm
• Angry Man Alert by Ray Pritchard: www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/2008-08-29-Angry-Man-Alert/
• Bible.org - Titus Studies: http://bible.org/search/apachesolr_search/titus
• Commentaries for the book of Titus: www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/?action=getBookSections&cid=11&source=
• Commentary on Titus by Dr Peter Pett: www.angelfire.com/planet/matthew1/titus.html
• Comments On The Epistle To Titus by L M Grant: www.biblecentre.org/commentaries/lmg_60_titus.htm
• Crosswalk: http://bible.crosswalk.com/
• ESV Study Bible Notes - Titus: www.esvonline.org/search/titus+1/
• Executable Outlines - Titus by Mark A. Copeland: http://executableoutlines.com/ti.htm
• Instruction Concerning Elders in the Church (Titus 1:5-9) by J. Hampton Keathley, III: http://bible.org/seriespage/instruction-concerning-elders-church-titus-15-9
• Instruction Concerning False Teachers in the Church (Titus 1:10-16) by J. Hampton Keathley, III: http://bible.org/seriespage/instruction-concerning-false-teachers-church-titus-110-16
• John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible - Titus: www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=tit&chapter=001
• Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary - Titus: www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=56
• Net Bible: www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm
• Notes on Titus by Dr. Thomas L. Constable: www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/titus.pdf
• Portrait of a Godly Leader by Dr. Ray Pritchard: www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1993-03-17-Portrait-of-a-Godly-Leader/
• Reflections on First Timothy by Vincent Cheung: www.vincentcheung.com/books/timothyfirst.pdf
• Sermons on Titus: www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/by-scripture/titus
• Sermons on Titus: http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/scripture-index/a/titus
• Sermons regarding Titus by Chuck Smith: www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/Chuck_Smith/sn/contents.cfm
• Sixty-Six Clouds: www.identity33.com/66clouds.html
• The Epistle To Titus by William Kelly: www.biblecentre.org/commentaries/wk_60_lect_tit.htm
• The Epistle To Titus by A C Gaebelein: www.biblecentre.org/commentaries/acg_60_titus.htm
• The Book of Titus by Paul J. Bucknell: www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/NT/Pauline/Titus/Titus0/Titus_Introduction.html
• The Pastoral Epistles (I & II Timothy and Titus) by Chuck Missler: ww.khouse.org/articles/2000/296/
• Titus: www.bibleexplained.com/epistles-p/Titus-Ph/tt01.htm
• Titus by John Stanko: www.stankobiblestudy.com/2010/04/titus-study-one.html
• Titus - An Exposition by Jeremiah Smith: www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.Tit.i.html
• Titus: Live Like a Man, Lead Like Men by Bill Lawrence: http://bible.org/series/titus-live-man-lead-men
• Titus Verse by Verse Commentary: http://preceptaustin.org/titus_commentaries.htm
• What Elders Do by Ray Pritchard: www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/1992-04-12-What-Elders-Do/
• Wikipedia - Pastoral epistles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoral_epistles

Off-Line Sources:

• "Cruden's Complete Concordance" -
  Zondervan Publishing House
• "ESV Study Bible" - Crossway Bibles
  (October 15, 2008)
• "Baxter's Explore the Book" by J. Sidlow Baxter
• "Life Application Study Bible" - New Living Translation version - Tyndale House Publishers
• "The Companion Bible" by E. W.
  Bullinger - Zondervan Publishing House
• "The Early and Pastoral Epistles of Paul"
• "Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary" - W. E. Vine - Thomas Nelson Publishers
"