Titus
Paul
advises Titus on how to lead orderly, counter-cultural churches on the
island of Crete.
Who is Titus?
Titus was a Greek, a Gentile Christian (Gal. 2:3), who was one of Paul’s
closest coworkers. Paul calls him his “true child in our common faith” (Titus
1:4), which likely means Titus came to faith through his ministry. He was
probably connected to Antioch, one of Paul’s early mission bases.
Interestingly, Titus is never mentioned in the Acts, so everything we know
about him comes from Paul’s letters.
Why does he matter?
Titus was one of Paul’s go-to men for difficult situations. He accompanied Paul
to Jerusalem, where he was an example that Gentiles did not need to be
circumcised (Gal. 2:1–3). Later, Paul sent him to Corinth to help repair a
strained relationship with the church, which he handled well (2 Cor. 7:6–7). He
also helped organize the collection for believers in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:6).
Paul calls him a “brother,” “partner,” and “fellow worker.” Clearly, Titus had
earned Paul’s trust.
What’s going on in the letter?
Paul left Titus in Crete “to put what remained into order” and appoint elders
(Titus 1:5). The churches there were young and being harassed with false
teaching, especially from those pushing Jewish practices (1:10–11). The letter,
although personal, is also Paul publicly backing Titus and giving him authority
to lead and correct.
Anything outside the New Testament?
Later tradition, especially from Eusebius of Caesarea, says Titus became a
bishop of the churches on the island of Crete. Paul also mentions him later
working in Dalmatia (2 Tim. 4:10).
Sources:
• Ryan Lokkesmoe, “Titus,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary
• John Gillman, “Titus (Person),” The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
• Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
• Philip Towner, 1–2 Timothy & Titus, IVP New Testament Commentary Series
Titus 1 consists of three
main parts: Paul’s greeting and divine purpose (Verses 1-4,) his instructions
for appointing elders in Crete with specific qualifications for their character
and family life (Verses 5-9) and a strong warning and rebuke against false teachers
who are subverting truth with false teaching and seeking dishonest gain (Verses
110-16).
Titus 2 instructs
believers on how to live godly lives in various stages of life and social
roles, grounding in sound doctrine, to reflect Christ’s redemptive grace. It
calls for self-controlled, reverent, and responsible conduct among older and
younger men and women, emphasizing qualities like kindness, faithfulness, and
respect. The passage explains that Go’s grace teaches us to deny ungodliness
and live righteously, eagerly anticipating Christ’s return, and to be a
purified people zealous for good works.
Titus 3 teaches
that true faith is demonstrated through good works and peaceful conduct,
contrasting believers’ formal sinful lives with their new, transformed identity
in Christ through God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. This was demonstrated in the
believer through Baptism. Key instructions
include submitting to authorities, being peaceable and gentle, and devoting
oneself to good works as a natural outflow of salvation. The chapter also calls
for avoiding division, quarrels and addressing divisive people firmly.
Bible in One Year, Chad Bird © 2006 1517.org
The Lutheran Study Bible © 2009 Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis
Enduring Word Commentary by David Guzik ©
1996-present -enduringword.com
Note: Some of this overview was generated with
the help of AI. It’s supported by information from across the web and Google’s
Knowledge Graph, a collection of information about people, places, and things.
Google. (2026). Gemini [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com/
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