Titus · chapter 1 of 3
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Titus 1 is Paul's greeting to Titus, his true child in a common faith, and his charge to set the church in Crete in order. He must appoint elders in every town, men of blameless character and firm in sound doctrine, and silence the rebellious deceivers who upset whole families for shameful gain. Paul quotes a saying about the Cretans and concludes that the defiled profess to know God but deny him by their works.
Paul had evangelized on the island of Crete and left Titus to consolidate the churches that had been born. The letter is short and practical. The first chapter establishes the priorities of a healthy church: leaders of proven character, faithful teaching and a life consistent with what people claim to believe.
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets Titus, his true child in a common faith, with grace and peace. His apostleship is for the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that accords with godliness, in hope of the eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began, and who at the proper time manifested his word through the preaching with which Paul was entrusted.
He reminds Titus that he left him in Crete so that he might put in order what remained and appoint elders in every town. An elder must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, with children who are believers and not accused of debauchery or insubordination. As God's steward he must be above reproach: not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party, who must be silenced, since they upset whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of them, a prophet of their own, said that Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true, so Titus must rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works, being detestable, disobedient and unfit for any good work.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Paul left Titus in Crete to put in order what remained and appoint elders in every town. The local church needs structure and leadership, not only enthusiasm.
The overseer, as God's steward, must be blameless, hospitable, self-controlled and faithful to the teaching, so he can exhort with sound doctrine and refute those who contradict. Character and doctrine go together.
To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled nothing is, because their minds and consciences are defiled. They say they know God, but deny him by their works. What one believes is tested by one's life.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: To put in order what remained and appoint elders in every town. — Titus 1:5
Answer: Husband of one wife, with believing children not accused of debauchery or insubordination. — Titus 1:6
Answer: So he can give instruction in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it. — Titus 1:9
Answer: Upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. — Titus 1:11
Answer: Always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. — Titus 1:12
Answer: By their works. — Titus 1:16
Titus 1 invites churches to ask how they choose their leaders: by charisma or by character? A congregation can review whether its leaders are trustworthy at home, at work and in how they treat others, as well as faithful in teaching. In a group you can pray for those who serve and talk about how to support them.
It also challenges us to a consistent faith: it is not enough to say we know God if our life contradicts it. Paul is not attacking a people, but those who deceive and take advantage; his aim is that people be sound in the faith. A useful exercise is to ask God to show us where there are gaps between what we say and what we do.
Paul has established the profile of the leader and the need to correct error. In chapter 2 he shows how sound doctrine translates into a concrete life for each group in the church: older people, young people and slaves.
Paul quotes a saying of a Cretan prophet, whom tradition often identifies with the poet Epimenides, to describe the character of certain groups on the island. It is not a condemnation of a whole people: the aim is to show why correction must be firm. The same grace that transforms everyone can transform Cretans too.
In this chapter Paul uses both terms for the same office: he appoints elders in verse 5 and describes the qualities of the overseer in verse 7. Christians understand church organization in different ways, but this passage shows that both names describe the same function of care.
Paul answers those who imposed external rules of purity, such as certain foods. Someone with a heart made clean by faith can receive what God created; someone with a corrupted mind contaminates everything with their attitude. It does not excuse sin, but locates purity in the heart.