Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
TITUS 1
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good
5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good
10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
Application Notes
1:1 Paul wrote this letter between his first and second imprisonments in Rome (before he wrote 2 Timothy) to guide Titus in working with the churches on the island of Crete. Paul had travelled to Crete with Titus and had left him there to minister (1:5). Crete had several good harbours for ships that reached throughout the known world. It also had a strong pagan influence, and its society was known for immorality. This small island may have been a training centre for skilled mercenary soldiers hired to serve in Roman campaigns. Corrupt teachers and leaders had also gained influence in the church. The believers in Crete, therefore, needed strong Christian leadership.
1:1 Paul calls himself "a servant of God"-that is, someone who was totally committed to seeing God. This obedience led Paul to spend his life telling others about Christ. He also calls himself an apostle, thereby establishing his authority. Even though Paul was not one of Jesus' original 12 disciples, he had been specially called by God to bring the gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:1-16 for the story of his call). The word apostle means "messenger" or "missionary," "God's elect" refers to God's choice of his people, the church. (For more on Paul, see his profile on page 1899. )
1:1 In one short statement, Paul gives insight into his reason for living. He had been sent on a special mission. The process of this calling in the lives of believers begins with the proclamation of faith, continues with knowledge of the truth, and then is lived out in godliness. Paul wanted men and women to be mature in Jesus Christ. This was his ultimate objective by which he evaluated all he did.
How would your church evaluate its ultimate objectives? What specific goals, ministries, and service opportunities bring believers to increased faith, spiritual maturity through knowledge of the truth, and godliness? Observe how established members at your church reflect good Christian conduct and service to others. Then emulate them.
1:2 Apparently lying was commonplace in Crete (1:12). Paul makes it clear at the start that God does not lie. We trust in God's perfect moral character as the foundation of our faith. Because God is truth, the source of all truth, he cannot lie. We have confidence that we will have the eternal life God has promised because he keeps all his promises. Build your faith on the solid foundation of a trustworthy God who never lies.
1:3 God is called our Saviour, a reality especially expressed in the person and work of Christ Jesus (1:4). God here refers to the Father. Jesus did the work of salvation by dying for our sins and, therefore, saved us through his death and resurrection. God planned the work of salvation, and he forgives our sins. Both the Father and the Son have acted to save us from living lives eternally separated from them.
1:4 Titus, a Greek, was one of Paul's most trusted and dependable coworkers. Paul had sent Titus to Corinth on several special missions to help the church in its troubles (2 Corinthians 7-8). Paul and Titus had also travelled together to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:3) and Crete (Titus 1:5). Paul had left Titus in Crete to lead the new churches that were springing up on the island. Titus is last mentioned by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul's final recorded letter. Titus had leadership ability, so Paul gave him leadership responsibility, urging him to use his abilities well.
1:5-9 Paul briefly describes some qualifications that elders should have. Paul had given Timothy a similar set of instructions for the church in Ephesus (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:22). Notice that most of the qualifications involve character, not knowledge or skill. A person's lifestyle and relationships provide a window into his or her character. Consider these qualifications as you evaluate a person for a position of leadership in your church. Elders must not only effectively teach God's Word but also live what they teach and be examples for others to follow.
1:5 Crete, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, had a large population of Jews. The churches there were probably founded by Cretan Jews who had been in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:11) more than 30 years before Paul wrote this letter. The unfinished work was establishing correct teaching and appointing elders in every town. Paul had appointed elders in various churches during his Journeys (Acts 14:23). He could not stay in each church, but he knew that these new churches needed strong spiritual leadership. Those chosen were to lead the churches by teaching sound doctrine, helping believers mature spiritually, and equipping them to live for Jesus Christ despite opposition.
1:8 One qualification for an elder was that he must be hospitable. Christian leaders must be known for their hospitality. In the early days of Christianity, travelling evangelists and teachers were helped by Christians who housed and fed them. We would benefit from inviting people to eat with us--visitors, fellow church members, young people, and those in need. Providing hospitality may be one of the most important gifts we can give someone because so many people struggle with loneliness. In our self-centred society, we can show that we care by sharing a meal, conversation, and a safe place to stay. Christians should not bring false teachers into their homes (2 John 1:10), but this prohibition does not apply to hosting non-Christians in general. God wants us to be generous, courteous, and hospitable with non-Christians as well as Christians; through our friendship, some may even be won to Christ.
1:10-14 Paul warned Titus to be on the lookout for people who teach wrong doctrines and lead others into error. Some false teachers are simply confused: They speak their misguided opinions without checking them against the Bible. Others have evil motives: They pretend to be Christians only because they see an opportunity to make money ("dishonest gain"), get additional business, or gain a feeling of power from being a leader in the church. Jesus and the apostles repeatedly warned against false teachers (see Mark 13:22; Acts 20:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 2 Peter 3:3-7) because their teachings attack the foundations of truth and integrity given to us by God and upon which the Christian faith is built. We can recognise false teachers because they (1) focus more attention on themselves than on Christ, (2) ask us to do things that will compromise or dilute our faith. (31 de-emphasise the divine nature of Christ or the authority of the Bible. or (4) urge believers to make decisions based more on human judgment than on prayer and biblical guidelines.
1:10-14 Whatever our roles in church, we may encounter someone whose teaching or ideas contradict Scripture. What should you do when that happens? (1) Speak to the person and gently question his or her viewpoint. Do not attack; instead. firmly express concern that the teaching may be unbiblical and ask the person to clarify his or her point. (2) If the teacher persists in teaching what seems to be unsound doctrine, ask a pastor or other church leader to accompany you for another conversation to help discern where the problem lies. If the teaching proves to be unscriptural, the church should prohibit that person from teaching until matters are settled. (3) Do not spread rumours or your suspicions about the person. If others think you have attacked the person without correcting wrong teaching, they may feel compelled to support and stand up for the teacher, even if that teacher has been proven to be wrong.
1:10 "Those of the circumcision group" were the Judaizers. Jews who were teaching that Gentiles had to obey all the Jewish laws before they could become Christians. This regulation confused new Christians and caused problems in many churches where Paul had preached the Good News. Paul wrote letters to several churches to help them understand that Gentile believers did not have to become Jews first in order to be Christians; God accepts anyone who comes to him in faith (see Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:2-7). Although the Jerusalem council had dealt with this issue (see Acts 151. devout Jews who refused to believe in Jesus still tried to cause problems in the Christian churches. Church leaders must be alert and take action against anything that causes division among believers.
1:12 Paul quotes a line from a poem by Epimenides, a poet and philosopher who had lived in Crete 600 years earlier. Some Cretans had a bad reputation and were known for lying. Paul used this familiar phrase to make the point that Titus's ministry and leadership were very much needed.
1:15 Some people see good all around them, while others see nothing but evil. What is the difference? Our souls become filters through which we perceive goodness or evil. The pure (those who have Christ in control of their lives) learn to see goodness and purity even in this evil world. But corrupt and unbelieving people find evil in everything because their evil minds and hearts colour even the good they see and hear. Whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God and His Word, and you will discover more and more goodness, even in this evil world. A mind filled with hope and truth has little room for anything dark and evil (see Philippians 4:8).
1:16 Many people claim to know God. How can we determine if they really do? We will not know for certain in this life, but the way they live will quickly tell us what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around kingdom priorities. People's conduct speaks volumes about what they believe, revealing more than only their words do (see 1 John 2:4-6). What do people know about God and about your faith by watching how you live?
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)