Titus 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, 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 4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (ESV)
Why has God put us here in Ajax? Why have we been gathering for prayer, bible study, corporate worship and other activities? What brings us together, what unifies us and what is our purpose? What is our core message and what is our public call? The answer to all these questions is the same. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of the Gospel is the message that brings people to faith, it is the center of all our activities and the essence of our message. Without it, we are northing. With it, it is everything to our identity, assurance, and call.
For the Apostle Paul, his discussions with Titus in Titus 1, had the issue of the Gospel at stake. With an emphasis on God’s saving work (both God and Christ are repeatedly called Savior: 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6) the opening greeting sets this theme by centering on the nature of gospel ministry. Titus was the direct legate, envoy, or ambassador of the apostle, sent to Crete to strengthen the churches for the purpose of effective evangelism in that pagan culture. Under the compulsion of divinely revealed absolutes from the Lord in the power of the Spirit. God, who desires to save sinners, wanted to prepare Titus for the building of congregations able to reach the lost.
If we desire to have the life changing Gospel of Christ impact the lost as it has impacted us, then we need to have particular commitments. There are many voices, from our own thoughts, from other well-meaning Christians or even those in marketing that want to convince us that we need to dumb down the message in order to have the greatest impact. They suggest that we follow the principles of modern marketing that says to have an easy message, presented in a easy way, calling for an easy response. Paul shows Titus in that the only real way to impact the lost for Christ is to be controlled by God, following His mission, message, means, while serving one another. Such a process is guaranteed to produce life changing results because they are of God and He has promised to bless them.
In Titus 1:1-4, Paul calls Titus in Leading by Example revealing five core features to guide his life and service to God upon which the Church must be built in order to reach the lost. Effective Gospel Ministry must be 1) Committed to God’s Mastery (Titus 1:1a), 2) Committed to God’s Mission, Message and Means (Titus 1:1b-3), as well as 3) Committed to God’s Members (Titus 1:4).
In order to reach the lost, effective Gospel Ministry must be:
1) Committed to God’s Mastery (Titus 1:1a)
Titus 1:1a Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, (for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness) (ESV)
Above all else, the apostle saw himself as a man totally under divine authority, “a servant of God”. This was his commitment to God’s mastery The apostle’s Hebrew name was Saul, after the first king of Israel. Soon after his miraculous conversion and calling by Christ, however, he came to be known exclusively by his Greek name, Paulos (Paul). With full truthfulness, Paul could have identified himself as a brilliant scholar, a highly educated Jewish leader who also was learned in Greek literature and philosophy. He could have flaunted his inherited Roman citizenship, an extremely valuable advantage in that day. He could have boasted of his unique calling as apostle to the Gentiles, who was granted full privilege and authority alongside the Twelve. He could have boasted of being “caught up to the third heaven, … into Paradise” (2 Cor. 12:2, 4), of his gift of miracles, and of being chosen as the human author of a great part of the Scriptures of the new covenant. He chose, rather, to identify himself foremost as a servant of God. This wording would suggest a direct connection to Moses, David, and others in the OT who were described as servants of God (e.g., Moses, Ps. 105:26; David, 2 Sam. 7:4, 8; and the prophets, Jer. 7:25; 25:4; Amos 3:7; Hag. 2:23). The effect is to place Paul in the long line of those who have been God’s spokesmen from the beginning (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2348). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles).
The servant/slave (doulos) was the property of the master and had none but qualified (and therefore extremely limited) rights, and a slave’s existence was therefore determined by servitude and submission to the authority of the master. This manner of existence was one of complete dependence upon the master/owner for subsistence and protection. Paul was in complete, but willing, bondage to God. He had no life that he called his own, no will of his own, purpose of his own, or plan of his own. All was subject to his Lord. In every thought, every breath, and every effort he was under the mastery of God. (Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus (pp. 665–666). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
• Unless our first and ultimate aim is to do the will of God in His timing and by His means, then our half-hearted efforts will fail. There are no true part time servants for God. To be a true servant of God our family, recreation, work and all other activities must be given over to God.
Please turn to Romans 6
Some might say that all this talk of service or slavery is excessive. When people hear that talk they will think of racial oppression, human smuggling or excessive religiosity. All those other images however are the aboration to the God honoring picture. A servant of God is focused, empowered and truly free. Paul explained this concept in Romans 6
Romans 6:15-23 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)
• What happens when we remove the imagery of slavery from the Gospel of Christ? The result is that people think of just adding Christ to their existing lives. The result is that they don’t really repent of sin, and they are still in bondage, which leads to death. But when we explain that faith in Christ means admitting our existing bondage to sin, and trading that for service to Christ, then we are only then truly free. True Christians, will never live as slaves to sin, for God has transformed their hearts at conversion, so that they will now grow in their love of righteousness and in living according to God’s Word. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2168). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Paul’s specific duty to God was to fulfill his servanthood by being an apostle of Jesus Christ (cf., e.g., Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1). Apostolos (apostle) carries the basic meaning of “messenger”. The term was used most often of a special messenger, a type of ambassador, who was sent with a specific message and spoke with the authority of the one who sent him. The authority of the message, therefore, did not derive from the messenger but from the sender. “Apostle” is here used in the narrow sense to denote the apostolic office (Hiebert, D. E. (1981). Titus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 426). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.). It required, among other things, that the person had seen the risen Christ and had been commissioned by him to service. Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road (Acts 9) qualified him in both respects. With his apostleship came the delivery, though revelation, of the message of God’s grace to the Gentiles (Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 340). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
• It is only then from deluded pride that one would claim today to be an apostle. The office ceased in the first century. The calling of service continues.
Above all things, Paul was an ambassador of his divine Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 9:15–16; 22:14–15; 26:15–18). Just as calling himself a servant of God may have been meant to establish his authority with Jews in the churches on Crete, his referring to himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ may have been meant to establish his authority with Gentiles in the churches there. The letter was written by the Apostle Paul in the mid-60s A.D. between Paul’s first imprisonment (Acts 28) and his second imprisonment, which is not mentioned in Acts.(Greear, J. D. (2013). Titus. In B. Chapell & D. Ortlund (Eds.), Gospel Transformation Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1645). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.)
Illustration:5180 Bininger Chooses Slavery
Abraham Bininger, a Swiss boy from Zurich, came with his parents to (the United States) on the same ship that brought John Wesley. The father and mother of the lad both died on the voyage and were buried at sea, and he stepped alone from the gangway on to a strange continent, where there was not a single familiar face. When he had grown to manhood, he asked to be sent to tell the story of the cross to the (slaves) of the island of St. Thomas, having heard of their great misery and degradation. When he arrived at the island, he learned that it was against the law for any person but a slave to preach to the slaves. It was the policy of the plantation owners to keep the slaves in ignorance and superstition. Shortly after this the governor of St. Thomas received a letter signed by Abraham Bininger, in which the writer begged urgently to become a slave for the rest of his life, promising to serve as a slave faithfully, provided he could give his leisure time to preaching to his fellow-slaves. The governor sent the letter to the King of Denmark, who was so touched by it that he sent an edict empowering Abraham Bininger to tell the story of the Messiah when and where he chose—to black or white, bond or free (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1176). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
• People often think that they are free when they can do whatever they please. That false freedom is really bondage to sin, leading to death. Although a free man and citizen of Rome, Committed to God’s Mastery, Paul voluntary became a slave for Christ, in order to proclaim the only true freedom.
In order to reach the lost, effective Gospel Ministry must be:
2) Committed to God’s Mission, Message and Means (Titus 1:1b-3)
Titus 1:1b-3b (Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ), 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 (ESV)
Because of Paul’s devotion to God’s mastery, he had unswerving commitment to God’s mission. It is the same mission that binds every preacher and teacher and, in a more general sense, every church leader and even every believer. As seen in this text, that mission includes evangelization, edification, and encouragement. Paul first recognized his responsibility to help bring God’s elect, those who are chosen of God, to saving faith in Jesus Christ. This election has its ground, not in anything belonging to those thus distinguished, but in the purpose and will of God from everlasting (2 Ti 1:9; Ro 8:30–33; cf. Lu 18:7; Eph 1:4; Col 3:12). Acts 13:48 shows that all faith on the part of the elect, rests on the divine foreordination: they do not become elect by their faith, but receive faith, and so become believers, because they are elect.( Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 431). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 1
Paul specifically taught throughout his epistles that God is the Source, Initiator, Implementer, and Guarantor of salvation (cf. Rom 8:28–39; 9:10–16; Eph 1:4–14; 2:4–10; 1 Thess 1:4–5). Since this is the case then, why evangelize? Rather than being viewed as unnecessary because of election, evangelism is to be seen as another essential element in God’s overall plan and purpose in salvation. ( Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 264). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Even as an apostle, Paul knew that the saving faith that he was called to preach could not be produced or enhanced by his own wisdom, cleverness, persuasiveness, or style. In his first letter to the immature and worldly church in Corinth, he reminded them that:
1 Corinthians 1:18–25 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV)
• On the surface it seems too simple to think that by just sharing the word of God, God will grow His kingdom. We try to think of some cleaver strategy, style or approach that people will find pleasing and accept the truth. Or perhaps we think that we don’t really have a compelling testimony, adequate training or opportunity. God has specifically designed a simple message for simple folks to show a profound God. G. K. Chesterton [1874 – 1936] is famous for having stated in his 1910 What’s Wrong with the World (Chapter V of Part One): "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."
Paul’s second responsibility in fulfilling his commitment to God’s mission was to edify those who believed by teaching them the full counsel of God’s Word so that they might be sanctified by the knowledge of the truth. Knowledge translates epignosis, which refers to the clear perception of a truth. Paul has in mind saving truth, the truth of the gospel that leads to salvation. Upon salvation, the believer is given an appetite for this truth, which causes them to desire to know more and to grow and mature which accords with godliness. Saving truth leads through salvation to sanctification as it produces increasing godliness, without which salvation cannot be considered genuine. Godliness is the manifestation of the Spirit’s work of sanctification (Titus 2:11–12; 1 Tim. 4:7–8). Divine truth and godliness are inextricably related. No matter how sincere our intentions might be, we cannot obey God’s will if we do not know what it is. We cannot be godly if we do not know what God is like and what He expects of those who belong to Him (cf. John 17:17; Acts 20:32; 1 Tim. 6:3-4; 1 Thes. 4:7; 2 Pt. 1:3). Godliness consists of expressions in everyday living of the character of God. Since God is love, godliness consists of loving in word and deed. Since God is mercy, godliness consists of being merciful. Since God is patient and kind, godliness is expressed through patience and kindness. While our expressions and behaviors will never achieve godly perfection, we are called upon to reflect the nature of God Himself through our devotion and obedience to Christ (Demarest, G. W., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1984). 1, 2 Thessalonians / 1, 2 Timothy / Titus (Vol. 32, p. 311). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.).
The sequence of these three significant terms Paul used in this first verse—faith, knowledge, godliness—suggests a pattern of true Christian growth. Saving faith that opens one’s eyes to the knowledge of the truth should result in a transformed life characterized by godliness. ( Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 266). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
• How then do we test to see if we reflect these priorities?: What specific goals do we desire to accomplish? Do our programs, ministries, and service opportunities bring believers to spiritual maturity? Do we reflect good Christian conduct and desire for Christian service? Are our smaller groups reaching out, or are they closed in on themselves? Each of us has a responsibility to consider how we can be involved in clarifying and implementing the ultimate biblical objectives of our congregation. (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1993). 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus (p. 251). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Paul’s third responsibility in fulfilling his commitment to God’s mission that he mentions in verse 2, was to bring biblical encouragement to believers, based on their divinely guaranteed hope of eternal life, of one day being glorified, wholly perfected in Christ’s own righteousness. That is the marvelous encouragement of hope about which every minister of God can assure God’s people and, in fact, all of God’s people can assure one another. Paul is not speaking of a wistful desire for something that is possible but uncertain. The hope of eternal life is the believer’s deepest longing for that which is affirmed and unalterably guaranteed by God’s own Word. (Cf. Jn. 6:37-40; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:4-5; Eph. 1:13-14) Eternal life is the pervading reality of salvation, and the hope of that life gives believers encouragement in a multitude of ways. It is an encouragement to holiness (1 Jn. 3:2-3) for service (Mt. 25:21; 1 Cor. 3:12-14; Phil 3:12-14; 1 Jn. 2:6) and for encouragement to endure whatever suffering we may experience for the sake of Christ (Rom. 8:18-30; Phil. 3:8-11). This glorious, eternal hope transcends all temporary pain. The unbeliever’s hopes extend only to this life. They hope for a life of ease, for riches, for honor, for a pleasant retirement. But “if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Christ did not redeem us for a longer and better life in a world of sin. There has to be more to life than what we experience in the here and now. There is: eternal life, the Christian’s hope (Schuetze, A. W. (1991). 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus (p. 178). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.).
That contemplation of the content of gospel ministry leads Paul to a third foundational principle of ministry, namely, uncompromising commitment to God’s message, to divinely revealed Scripture. That commitment is an obvious outcome of the first two. Understanding of God’s sovereign mastery and mission comes exclusively through Scripture. We know about His chosen people, about His requirement of faith for salvation, about knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, and about the hope of eternal life only through His gracious revelation. And we know certain profound realities regarding the eternal plan of redemption of sinners because God inspired men to write down those realities. That God who never/cannot lie is self-evident as well as scripturally attested. The prophet Samuel reminded the disobedient King Saul that God, “the Glory of Israel, will not lie” (1 Sam. 15:29). Because God is the source and measure of all truth, it is, by definition, “impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18). This designation of God does at least three things for the churches on Crete: It sweeps aside the distortions and deceptions of the false teachings and asserts the truth and firmness of Christian hope; it develops the Cretans’ knowledge of the God whom they have newly come to worship (whose story of faithfulness they will come to know more fully from the Scriptures), over against the pagan deities they had known (who, from their fables, they knew would lie); and it sets a pattern for their own conduct, which is to be patterned after this God’s (Laansma, J. C. (2009). Commentary on 2 Timothy. In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews (Vol. 17, p. 226). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
The God of truth promised before the ages began/long ages ago that those whom He has chosen, those who come to faith in Him through His truth that leads to godliness, have the certain hope of eternal life. God’s gift of eternal life is grounded upon the foundation of God’s promise, and has been revealed in the approved (apostolic) preaching which was entrusted to Paul. Before the ages began/Long ages ago does not refer to ancient human history. It actually means “before time began.” God reiterated His plan of salvation and eternal life to such godly men as Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets, but the original promise was made and ratified in eternity past. Our gracious God “called us with a holy calling … in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9).“He chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His [eternal] will” (Eph. 1:4–5). (Marshall, I. H., & Towner, P. H. (2004). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (p. 112). London; New York: T&T Clark International.)
All this was revealed, in verse 3: “At the proper time” that is, when the Bible was being written, that eternal covenant, together with its related truths, was manifested, in His Word. The only source of this monumental truth, the one true message about God, the only effective way of finding Him, the only way of pleasing Him, and the only hope of being forever with Him are manifested in His Word. Whatever truth we need for evangelism is found in His Word. That Word is the only seed that gives eternal life (1 Pet. 1:23). Whatever truth we need to edify believers is found in His Word (cf. 1 Pet. 2:1–2). All of the truth we are to teach is found in His Word (John 17:17; Acts 20:32). Those absolute truths and all others related to spiritual life are found there and nowhere else. Time and eternity meet in the speaking of the Gospel (Kitchen, J. A. (2009). The Pastoral Epistles for Pastors (p. 483). The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications.).
A fourth basic principle of Paul’s life and ministry was his commitment to God’s own means for fulfilling the ministry to which he was called—the preaching/proclamation (kerugma, ) of His complete and inerrant Word. In the New Testament, this term is always used of the public preaching/proclamation of God’s Word, which, as the apostle has just pointed out, brings people to saving faith, builds them up in divine truth, and strengthens them for godly living. While some receive a special call, each of us who knows the Gospel has the same privilege Paul enjoyed of sharing it with others. ( Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed., p. 847). Wheaton: Victor Books.)
Paul was entrusted with a unique apostolic commission to proclaim God’s Word by the command of God our Savior. God “set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace,” he testified, and “was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Gal. 1:15–16; cf. Titus 1:1). Paul was under the command of God to preach the gospel of salvation. “I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit,” he told believers at Colossae, “that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (Col. 1:25; cf. 1 Tim. 2:7). “I am under compulsion,” he said in his first letter to the church at Corinth, “for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel …. I have a stewardship entrusted to me” (1 Cor. 9:16–17). Paul here speaks of God as our Savior. God is not reluctant to save, as are some imaginary deities who must be appeased by their devotees and begged to be merciful. It is the joy of God to save sinners (see Luke 15:7, 10, 20–24) and the sorrow of God when they are lost (see Luke 19:21–24). The good news was broadcast by Paul and the other apostles in fulfillment of the command of God our Savior, that is, in obedience to the Great Commission. (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 2133). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
Illustration: Paul has been commanded to preach the Word. He is under obligation. God, the King, has commanded him. Positively, the proclaiming of the truth is the means God uses to bring his elect to faith and to eternal life. Negatively, unless the truth is proclaimed God’s purposes that people find eternal life could not be fulfilled. The story is told that when the world’s greatest diamond mines in South Africa came to light in 1866 people were unaware of them. A man called Van Neikerk found stones which looked like diamonds lying about on the ground. He pointed them out. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ people said. ‘Diamonds in the dust—there to pick up? Don’t be a fool!’ But Van Neikerk was not put off. He eventually sent one of the stones to a famous geologist, Dr Athertone. The geologist was sceptical at first, but like a true scientist, he did all the tests, and was astonished to find that indeed it was a first-class diamond valued at £500 (which in 1870 was a lot of money!). Van Neikerk and his friend O’Reilly went back to where they had found the diamonds and made an absolute fortune. The diamonds were there all the time, but people passed them by because they did not know the truth about them. There is a great treasure of eternal life which God desires people to have. He desires it so much that he promised it before time began and gave his Son over to death to secure it. But people will only find it and take it if they know the truth about it. This is why the truth is precious. By it, people are saved from their sins and given eternal life. The preaching of error cannot do this. Only the truth can do it. As an apostle, Paul has been sent directly by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He is an eyewitness of the resurrection. He has received the truth first-hand and has been entrusted with preaching the good news of eternal life to the world. This is the significance of Paul. This is the responsibility which is laid upon him. This is the sender of this letter. This is the mission, message and means by which we have all been entrusted with to share the life changing truth. (Benton, J. (1997). Straightening Out the Self-Centered Church: The Message of Titus (pp. 35–36). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.)
In order to reach the lost, effective Gospel Ministry must be:
3) Committed to God’s Members (Titus 1:4)
Titus 1:4 4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (ESV)
A fifth foundational principle of Paul’s life that is illustrated here was his commitment to God’s people. He had loyal devotion to those such as Titus, his true child in a common faith. The adjective “true” (gnesios), used only in Paul’s letters, means “legitimately born, or genuine” and acknowledges that Titus was running true to a parentage that was not physical but spiritual.” Child translates teknon, which was used of a legitimate child, in contrast to one born out of wedlock. The two words together, therefore, intensify Paul’s statement of his close relationship to Titus, his spiritual son in the fullest sense. The apostle was likely the human agent used to bring Titus to salvation, and he clearly had the major responsibility for nurturing him in spiritual growth and for training him for spiritual service. (Hiebert, D. E. (1981). Titus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 428). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Paul expressed his relationship to Titus through a “common faith”. The phrase common faith can be interpreted subjectively or objectively. Subjectively it would refer to saving faith, which Titus shared in common with Paul and all other believers. Objectively it would refer to the truths of the Christian faith, which Titus shared in common with the apostle and with all other believers who are sound in doctrine. Although Paul was here probably stressing the subjective aspect of Titus’s faith, it is obvious from this epistle and from accounts in the book of Acts that Paul considered Titus to be sound in doctrine. He would not have left any church in the hands of a leader who was not thoroughly grounded in the Word. Paul tells us that explicitly in Galatians 2:3. He was a Gentile, therefore, and Paul of course was a Jew. In terms of background, race, culture, and religious tradition, they had once been poles apart. But now by grace they were one—sharers together in a common faith. They had come to believe in the same great Saviour and to participate equally in the same great salvation (Campbell, D. (2007). Opening up Titus (pp. 20–21). Leominster: Day One Publications.).
Please turn to Jude
The Book of Titus as a whole discusses the concept of this common faith, against those who would subvert it. This common faith is an objective, verifiable standard of orthodoxy that is the basis of true faith and true fellowship. Jude likewise strongly urges his readers to contend for the faith against the subversive false teachers. ( Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2449). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Jude expresses this call in the first four verses:
Jude 1-4 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (ESV)
• Describing himself (v.1), the same way Paul did to Titus, Jude, as a servant of Jesus Christ warns his readers to contend for the faith against the subversive false teachers. “The faith” (v.3), (i.e., the known and received body of truth about Jesus and salvation through him) had been once for all delivered to the saints (i.e., Christians). The content of the faith, had been delivered “once for all.” This is at odds with the teachings of other religions such as Mormonism and Islam, which hold that the NT writings existing today contain corrupted teachings, and that additional authoritative teachings came from God later (e.g., the Book of Mormon or the Qur’an, both of which contradict the NT at many points). This conclusion also differs from the Roman Catholic view that official church tradition (in addition to Scripture) also has absolute divine authority. ( Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2449). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
• The challenging aspect defending this truth (v.4) is that these false teachers will claim to be one of them. They may be friendly, say they are spiritual and love God, but their actions and content of their profession is false and will lead others astray if unchecked. The check to counter this danger is the clear teaching of Scripture. It is the proper content of faith and the benchmark to verify every claim of faith. If we love someone, we will do our best to help them see error that can eventually lead themselves to destruction.
Like Timothy, Titus was especially dear to Paul, his spiritual father and mentor. We can but imagine the apostle’s profound feeling as he wrote assuringly to his beloved Titus, grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Grace is the wondrous gift of God that brings salvation, and peace is the wondrous blessing that He bestows on those whom He graciously saves. For that reason, the phrase grace and peace became a common greeting among early Christians, a practice perhaps begun by Paul. Although the Father and the Son have different saving roles, both are engaged in the work of salvation and both together constitute the single source from which grace and peace flow forth (Stott, J. R. W. (1996). Guard the truth: the message of 1 Timothy & Titus (p. 172). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.). Grace inspires godliness. Salvation inspires service. Those who understand that God’s love for them and His desire for their salvation originates in eternity past and continues through eternity future will be compelled to love Him and serve Him. They will do so not out of obligation but out of gratitude, “gospel gratitude.” … A person captured by the love of Jesus will love Him in return, not because we have to but because we wants to. He saves us that we might serve Him. He saved us that we might enjoy Him. We enjoy him as we lead by example in serving Him and loving others as He has loved us. (Platt, D., Akin, D. L., & Merida, T. (2013). Exalting jesus in 1 & 2 timothy and titus (Tt 1:1–4). Nashville, TN: Holman Reference.)
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1996). Titus (pp. 1–16). Chicago: Moody Press.)
