Exposition of Titus: Lesson 2 Setting the Stage

Exposition of Paul’s Letter to

TITUS

LESSON 2: SETTING THE STAGE

Review

Paul’s letter to Titus is a life-changing message for us today.  Paul calls the Church to integrate right beliefs with everyday practice.  We learn that empowered by the Spirit Christians can transform their culture by living lives of integrity.   

We were reminded that integrity is a determination of the heart. Integrity is the unwavering determination in the heart to do right no matter what.

Text Titus 1:1–4 (ESV)

¹ 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.

Exposition Titus 1:1–4 (ESV)

His Credentials

Paul, as he does in many of his letters starts by identifying himself.  His primary identification is:

      a.       A servant of God. The translation servant is taken from the Greek word δοῦλοσ1 pronounced ‘doo·los’. It literally means slave.  It comes on good authority[1] that from the 16^th Century English translators preferred the word “servant” over slave because of the stigma that is attached to it. Renown Greek scholar Gerhardt Kittel writes, ““There is no need to trace the history of this word, there is no need to discuss the meaning of this word, it has never meant anything in any usage but slave.”     What is true of Paul is true of every Christian[2].

      b.       An apostle. Generally, an apostle simply means “messenger”.  Specifically, in a Christian sense, an apostle is a person designated by God to speak and act with special authority. Paul’s apostleship was unique though. Paul was categorized with similar credentials as the original Twelve. Paul can rightfully be called an apostle because he fulfilled the same three basic requirements the specially-selected twelve original disciples met. Those to be considered for this awesome responsibility had to have been personally called by Christ, taught by him directly for several years, and seen him alive after his resurrection (Acts 1:17, 22, 25).

So as a slave, Paul lays the groundwork that he is not acting on his own, but is willing submission to his Master.  As an apostle, his words that are in accordance with Christ are authoritative and irrefutable. He then explains his mission.

His Mission

“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.”

This is a complicated but exciting sentence.  Notice the relationship of the clauses in this sentence:

“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.”

So, we see clearly that Paul’s call and appointment are on behalf of God’s elect.  Who are God’s elect?  They are those who God has graciously chosen for salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13[3]); who have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit and have personally believed the Gospel. 

This call though is in relation to their “knowledge of the truth”.  This is a phrase common to Paul.  Note:

      ·         1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV), ⁴ who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

      ·         2 Timothy 2:25 (ESV), ²⁵ correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

      ·         2 Timothy 3:7 (ESV), ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

Now this “knowledge” is the truth which is in keeping with godly living, which leads to eternal life.

This “knowledge” is a truth that come from God who always tells the truth.  It is a truth that was at one time promised, but is now “manifested”.  Now we ask the question, “What truth was hidden, but promised and is now seen in its fulfillment?”  Answer: The Gospel.  Where do we see this Gospel message on display?  His Word.

Recap: So, Paul is making it clear that God has called him to encourage the faith of Believers and to further their understanding of the Gospel.  This is the Gospel that promotes godly living and leads to eternal life.  This is the Gospel coming to us from the God who never lies.  This is the Gospel once unseen but now displayed clearly in His Word.  Then Paul writes that he has been commanded and entrusted to proclaim this Gospel.

“That life-giving message was committed to Paul as a divine trust. He could never escape the wonder that this assignment should be given to him, unworthy as he was (1Cor 15:9; Eph 3:8; 1Tim 1:11-13). The personal pronoun is deliberately emphatic, "I on my part was entrusted with" this message. His call was for him a very personal, irreversible experience.”[4]

His Recipient

“To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” (Titus 1:4, ESV)

The personal and kind reference to Titus as a “true child” is literally “legitimate son” (compare 1 Timothy 1:2). It probably indicates that Titus was lead to Christ by Paul.  It certainly implies that Titus was a genuine, sincere Believer.   In short, Titus is:

• One of Paul's closest associates, mentioned 13 times in the New Testament
• A Gentile convert to Christianity who accompanied Barnabas and Paul to the Jerusalem Council; although he is an uncircumcised Greek, he is not compelled to be circumcised (Gal 2:1-3).
• Paul tells the Corinthians that Titus is "my brother" (2Corinthians 2:13) and "my partner and co-worker for you" (8:23).
• Titus later serves as Paul's messenger to the Christian communities in Macedonia and Achaia, esp. in Corinth (2Corinthians 7:5--8:24; 12:18).
• He may also have preached in Dalmatia (modern Albania & Bosnia; 2Tim 4:10),

Paul refers to him as a son in the “common faith”. He is not a genuine biological son, he is a genuine spiritual son.  They both shared the same faith, the same spiritual values. This speaks volumes but at the time it also honored the Gospel truth that the Jewish and Greek cultures could both be included in the “common faith” of Christianity.

To Titus Paul greets with the phrase that is common to Paul: “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”  You should note that grace (Gr charis) was the common Greek greeting, just as peace (Heb shalōm) was the ordinary Hebrew salutation.  Together this unites the Testaments and points to the blessings that were promised and fulfilled in Christ to all Christians. 

Likewise, as we have received the blessings of the Old Covenant promises that come from the Father through the New Covenant blessings that are fulfilled by the Son, Paul rests his greeting on "God our Father AND the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Paul’s mission has been clearly identified.  That is, to encourage the faith of Believers and to further their understanding of the Gospel. He makes a more-than-obvious hint about that Gospel in his opening greeting.  He says that it is a Gospel that promotes godly living and leads to eternal life.

Is there any other Gospel?

We will not be surprised when we will soon read:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11–14, ESV)

Questions

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[1] https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/GTY129/servant-or-slave

[2] “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, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17–18, ESV)

[3] “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13, ESV) 

[4] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Titus/Exposition of Titus/I. Salutation (1:1-4)/A. The Writer (1:1-3), Book Version: 4.0.2

The Sayings of the Wise – Part 22

THIRTY SAYINGS OF THE WISE

SAYING NUMBER TWENTY-ONE

Proverbs 24:5–6, reads:

⁵ A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, ⁶ for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

The inspired author tends to marry two important truths:

1. “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.” (Proverbs 21:22, ESV)

PLUS

2. “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV)

In this saying the strong wise person is united to many advisors and the issue seems to surround a military scenario.  This strength of understanding is gleaned from the advice of good counsel. “The might of the wise is not solitary, nor is wisdom gained in isolation, but only through the teaching of others.”^[1] Or stated otherwise, “The man who listens carefully to wisdom’s counselors will increase his strength and be enabled to wage war successfully.”^[2]

Dr. Bruce Waltke observes, “The counter-argumentation of many counselors, who with a spirit of humility learn from each other, guarantee that the finally agreed upon strategy will succeed.”^[3]  How important it is to sit in counsel with those who humbly, honestly disagree. 

There is a phenomenon known as groupthink.  In this system group members, albeit married couples or Church Boards try to minimize conflict and reach a decision by suppressing their viewpoints. On the surface, this appears to be harmonious, but ultimately proves to be devastating.

Success comes, not from individual strength of wisdom but from the humility to learn from others – others who may even disagree.  May we welcome the differing perspectives of our spouses, our colleagues and friends.  

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^[1] Koptak, P. E. (2003). Proverbs (p. 561). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[2] Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1242). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[3] Waltke, B. K. (2005). The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 15–31 (p. 272). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Some Myths about Bible Translations

Here are some myths that we need to consider about Bible translations.  This is a summary of an article by Daniel B. Wallace.

1. Perhaps the number one myth about Bible translation is that a word-for-word translation is the best kind. Anyone who is conversant in more than one language recognizes that a word-for-word translation is simply not possible if one is going to communicate in an understandable way in the receptor language.

2. The King James Version is perfect. This myth continues to be promoted today, yet even the translators of the KJV were not sure on hundreds of occasions which rendering was best, allowing the reader to decide for himself. 

3. Modern translations have removed words and verses from the Bible. Most biblical scholars—both conservative and liberal—would say instead that the KJV added words and verses, rather than that the modern ones have removed such.

4. Essential doctrines are in jeopardy in modern translations. Actually, no doctrine essential for salvation is affected by translations, modern or ancient—unless done by a particular cult for its own purposes.

5. Red-letter editions of the Bible highlight the exact words of Jesus. Scholars are not sure of the exact words of Jesus. Ancient historians were concerned to get the gist of what someone said, but not necessarily the exact wording.

Exposition of Titus: Lesson 1 Introduction

Exposition of Paul’s Letter to

TITUS

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION

Welcome and Introduction

Thank you for choosing to study this important letter of Paul to a colleague named Titus who was pastoring a Church on the island of Crete.  There are a total of 9 lessons. 

 

For those who like to keep notes, I’ll leave fillable notes on a music stand in the aisle near the back.  I will post my full transcript on my blog immediately following the Sunday when the lesson is given.  I will provide a link to that on the Church Facebook page.

Once we start into the text I will offer 5-10 minutes for questions following my lecture.  If you have questions that don’t get answered please feel free to email me or text me the question and I will be happy to attempt to answer it. 

If you are late for class, please enter quietly and for the least disruption please sit near the back. 

Today’s Lesson

My goal today is three-fold:

1. To give some context and background to this letter.

2. To teach why it is an important letter in the New Testament

3. To teach why it is an important letter for you and I.

  

Background to the Letter

In the first 5 verses we read “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ . . . To Titus, my true child in a common faith . . . I left you in Crete . . .” (Titus 1:1–5, ESV).  We learn that Paul is the author, Titus the recipient and the ministry context of concern is Crete.

What’s with Crete? 

Crete is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean, located southwest of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The text of the letter says that Paul was in Crete. Crete is a long and narrow island, spanning about 160 miles (260 km) east to west. We are not sure if or when Paul planted a Church there.  We know that Paul sailed past Crete and docked in the city of Fair Havens (Acts 27:8) on his way to Rome.  We also know that there were Cretans at Pentecost (Acts 2:11).  Is that when Christianity got its root on the Island?  We don’t know.

We are not even sure of when Paul and Titus were together on the Island.  Many people believe that Titus was written in the time between Paul’s first imprisonment (Acts 28) and a second imprisonment which led to his death.

We are simply certain that Paul was there with Titus and left him there.  We are sure that Paul wrote Titus there, probably during or right after his first imprisonment (house arrest).

What’s with Titus? 

Titus was a Greek.  In Titus 1:4, Paul calls Titus his “true son in our common faith”. “Paul typically uses this language to describe his converts (1 Cor 4:17; 1 Tim 1:2; Phlm 1:10).”^[1]

When Paul was newly converted and need validation by the Jerusalem Council we read in Galatians 2:1-10 that Titus was there.  He was an uncircumcised convert.  Titus also served as Paul’s assistant to the church in Corinth, where he helped collect relief funds for the poor believers in Jerusalem (2Corinthians 8:6–7).  In 2Timothy 4:10 at Paul’s last imprisonment and before his execution, we learn that Titus had been with him and headed off to Dalmatia (Dalmatia was part of the Roman province of Illyricum.) That is the last we hear of him.

Why is this letter in the New Testament?

When I ask this question I am not wondering why the early Church fathers deemed this letter inspired and appropriate to the New Testament canon.  That is a good question.  I am assuming that this is an inspired portion of Scripture and my question is why would our Lord give it to us?

If you were to read 1Timothy and then read Titus you would be aware that both letters seem to contain similar material, albeit Titus is shorter.  They both deal with the duties of spiritual leaders and social relations in the Church. Titus is less personal that 1Timothy.  In 1Timothy Paul stresses “sound doctrine” as he does in Titus, but in Titus the author, like nowhere else[2] in the New Testament emphasizes the reality that Christian behavior must be based upon the truth of the Gospel leading to holy living (e.g.[3])

In one word the stress of Titus is to lead us to integrity, i.e., our behavior matches our belief.  “The theme of Titus is the inseparable link between faith and practice, belief and behavior.”^[4]  It’s about “the integration of right belief and right action.”^[5] In the dictionary, the word integrity means 1) an unimpaired condition, i.e., soundness, wholeness 2) firm adherence to a code of moral values, i.e., incorruptible, honor, 3) the quality or state of being complete or undivided, i.e., completeness.

 Why is it important to us?

This letter is important to us for several reasons:

     1.       Because God has deemed this it is profitable (2Timothy 3:16-17);

     2.       Because it would be the “go-to” book of the Bible to learn about the need of making       sure our practice lines up with our profession; and

     3.       Because Titus is called to address “false teachers”, if the Church lacked integrity – if the Church was hypocritical – how effective might they have been?

Note this helpful quote: “Paul’s message to Titus—the integration of right belief with everyday practice—is a transformative one for us today. The letter is full of things that make us question our interactions with culture, but the overall message is clear: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christians can transform their culture by their very presence in it. Although this involves separation from things of that our world values, it does not involve separation from culture itself. As Christians, we’re meant to be public witnesses to Jesus in everyday, ordinary stations.”^[6]

Considering Integrity

Contractors and engineers refer to the integrity of steel. There are times when you can have two pieces of steel that both look great on the outside—there’s no apparent difference between them—but one of them, when it is put under stress, may not support the weight. The reason the other piece of steel does hold up under stress is because it has integrity.

Integrity has to do with a sense of consistency.  A person of integrity is the same inside as outside.  He or she lives what they believe.  Their character and values don’t fluctuate depending on where they are. C. S. Lewis wrote, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Their values, words and actions were thoroughly the same.

Integrity is a determination of the heart. Integrity is the unwavering determination in the heart to do right no matter what.

Preparation for the next lesson.

I would encourage to read Paul’s letter to Titus (several times) (maybe different translations) before our next lesson.  As you do, look for specific instruction that relates to the theme of integrity.  See if you can find support for the following statements:

     1.       The Gospel will naturally produce godliness in the believer.

     2.       The Gospel is the basis for all ethical conduct.

     3.       Our outward behavior determines whether we truly know God or not.

     4.       Christians of integrity commend the Gospel to those who do not know Christ.

     5.       Good works are not inconsequential to Christian living.

     6.       Both false doctrine and immoral practice MUST be dealt with in the local church.

[Next week I’ll put the answers on the “Welcome” screen before class.]

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^[1] Lokkesmoe, R. (2016). Titus. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[2] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Titus/Introduction to Titus/Theological Value of Titus, Book Version: 4.0.2

[3]  “Proper Christian behavior is based on the fact that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” and therefore those who believe in Christ are to “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” as they await his return (2:11–13).” - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Tt). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[4] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2345). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[5] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[6] Barry, J. D., Mailhot, J., Bomar, D., Ritzema, E., & Sinclair-Wolcott, C. (Eds.). (2014). DIY Bible Study. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

The Sayings of the Wise – Part 21

THIRTY SAYINGS OF THE WISE

SAYING NUMBER TWENTY

Proverbs 24:3–4 reads:

³ By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; ⁴ by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

The tools that build a “house” are “wisdom” and “understanding”. The ornate decorations are supplied by “knowledge”.  The idea of “house” could be general to include all domestic activity or it could relate to the building of a family as in Psalm 127:1 (ESV), “unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

“As indicated by the clause initial words, the focus is on the means, by wisdom and by understanding. Unless a household is built on the revealed wisdom upheld by the Lord,”^[1] it is like a house built on sand. In addition “wisdom does not just build the house; she fills it with prosperity and happiness.”^[2]

There may be any numbers of means that the unscrupulous or unwise might use to establish their domestic life, but that which receives the honour of being wise, is a house built on wisdom and understanding – adorned with knowledge. One cannot help think of the words of Jesus: ““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, ESV).  “Disciples who build their lives on the bedrock of Jesus and his message of the kingdom of heaven are truly wise, regardless of the shifting cultural or religious fashions.”^[3]

Previously the sage reminded us that “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down” (Proverbs 14:1, ESV).  A firm house adorned with beauty and prosperity is the result of wisdom – God’s wisdom, not man’s foolishness. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6, ESV)

“It certainly is true that if it takes wisdom to build a house, it also takes wisdom to build a household.”[4]   Where do we go for the resources to build our lives, homes or our families?  This saying brings us back to the Bible.  When our lives are in harmony with God’s Word then we can anticipate spiritual success.

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^[1] Waltke, B. K. (2005). The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 15–31 (p. 271). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

^[2] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Pr 24:3–4). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[3] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1834). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

[4] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Proverbs/Exposition of Proverbs/IV. The Sayings of the Wise (22:17-24:34)/A. Thirty Precepts of the Sages (22:17-24:22), Book Version: 4.0.2