Author : Keith Sharp
Author
The apostle Paul is the author of the little book of Titus (1:1).
To Whom Written
The beloved apostle addressed the letter to Titus, whom he described as “a true son in our common faith.” (1:4) Thus, he was converted by Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:15) and followed Paul’s example of faith. Titus was a Greek of pagan background (Galatians 2:3). We first read of him in Paul’s company when Paul and Barnabas went from Antioch of Syria to Jerusalem about the question of circumcision and the law (Galatians 2:1-5; cf. Acts 15:1-29). Titus accompanied Paul on his third journey to the Gentiles, and the apostle employed him as a messenger to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:6,13-14; 8:16; 12:18). He was Paul’s “partner and fellow worker” (2 Corinthians 8:23), not as an apostle of Christ but as a preacher of the gospel (1 Timothy 2:7). Paul entrusted to Titus the work of encouraging the church at Corinth to participate in the collection for the needy saints in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:6). Titus was with Paul during the apostle’s final imprisonment, and Paul once again trusted him to be his messenger (2 Timothy 2:10).
When and Where Written
Paul wrote Titus after they had been together in Crete (1:5). Paul was still free at this time (3:12). There is no record of Paul preaching on the island of Crete in the book of Acts, although his ship touched there when he was being taken as a prisoner to Rome (Acts 27:7-13,21). Thus, Paul must have written Titus around the same time he wrote First Timothy, during the interval between his first Roman imprisonment, recorded in Acts, and his second and final imprisonment, recorded in Second Timothy. Thus, Paul penned his letter to Titus around A.D. 64 or 65. At the time he wrote, he planned to travel to Nicopolos, a city in Thrace, to spend the winter (3:12).
Theme
The great apostle left Titus in Crete that he might “set in order the things that are lacking.” (1:5) The letter instructs Titus how to do this. Thus, the theme of Titus is Setting the Church in Order. This should be the goal of every preacher in his work with the local church.
The apostle instructed Titus to use two means to set the church in order. First, he was to “appoint elders in every city.” (1:5) Every church needs the good leadership of properly qualified elders. Also, Titus was to “speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.” (2:1) The church grows strong on a steady diet of sound doctrine. The primary obligation of the preacher toward the church is to teach sound doctrine.
Every basic element of sound doctrine is found in two great doctrinal statements in Titus: 2:11-14 and 3:3-7. In them Paul states the person of God (2:11), the three Persons of the Godhead and their function in our salvation (3:4-6), the grace and mercy of God (2:11; 3:6), salvation from God (2:11; 3:4), Jesus Christ the Savior (2:13-14; 3:6), the work of the Holy Spirit (3:5-6), redemption by the blood sacrifice of Christ (2:13-14), the fact God’s grace is made known by teaching (2:11-12), the truth salvation in Christ is for all (2:11), the new birth (3:5), the obligation to lead pure lives (2:12), the responsibility to do good works (2:14), and the hope of eternal life at the second coming of Christ (2:13; 3:7).
Outline
Introduction
A. Salutation – 1:1-4
B. Theme: Set in Order the Things That Are Lacking – 1:5
Body
A. Appoint Qualified Elders – 1:6-9
B. Rebuke False Teachers – 1:10-16
C. Teach Christians How to Live in View of God’s Saving Grace – 2:1-15
D. Teach Christians How to Behave Toward the World in View
of God’s Saving Mercy – 3:1-8
E. Reject Divisive Men – 3:9-11
Conclusion – 3:12-15
