Titus1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets Titus, his "own son" in the faith, explaining that he left him in Crete to establish order and ordain elders in every city. Paul then details the essential qualifications for these leaders, emphasizing blamelessness, moral uprightness, and adherence to sound doctrine. He warns Titus about unruly deceivers, particularly those of the circumcision, and instructs him to sharply rebuke them to ensure the purity of the faith among the Cretans.

Paul's Apostolic Authority and Greeting

1
Paul, a servant of God, and an emissary of Yeshua the Messiah, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, ​
2
in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began; ​
3
but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; ​
4
to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah our Savior. ​

The Purpose of Titus's Ministry

5
I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you; ​
6
if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. ​
7
For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; ​
8
but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;
9
holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him. ​

Dealing with False Teachers

10
For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ​
11
whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. ​
12
One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” ​
13
This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ​
14
not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. ​
15
To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ​
16
They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. ​

Study Notes for Titus 1

Verse 1

Paul establishes his authority, linking his apostleship directly to the faith of God's chosen people and the truth that leads to genuine piety (godliness).

Verse 2

Emphasizes the certainty of the gospel based on God's nature (“cannot lie”) and the eternal nature of the promise, highlighting divine initiative outside of time.

Verse 3

Refers to the divine commissioning of Paul’s ministry (preaching/kerygma), asserting that the gospel message was revealed at the proper time (due times/kairos).

Verse 4

A standard Pauline greeting, emphasizing the spiritual father-son relationship between Paul and Titus (“mine own son after the common faith”).

Verse 5

Explains the immediate practical reason for the letter: Titus must organize the churches (“set in order”) and appoint qualified leaders (“elders in every city”).

Verse 6

Begins the list of qualifications, focusing first on the elder’s family life—a prerequisite for managing the greater 'household' of God (cf. 1 Tim. 3:4-5).

Verse 7

Paul uses 'bishop' (episkopos, overseer) interchangeably with 'elder' (v. 5), emphasizing the role as a blameless 'steward of God,' responsible for managing God’s affairs.

Verse 9

Focuses on the elder’s teaching responsibility: he must adhere strictly to orthodox teaching (“faithful word”) to effectively encourage believers and refute opponents (“gainsayers”).

Verse 10

Transition verse. Identifies the primary threat: unruly, empty talkers, specifically noting those from Jewish backgrounds (“they of the circumcision”).

Verse 11

Stresses the urgency of confronting these false teachers (“mouths must be stopped”) because they are financially motivated (“filthy lucre’s sake”) and destroy entire families/households.

Verse 12

Paul quotes Epimenides, a 6th-century BC Cretan poet, using secular evidence to support his pastoral assessment of the local culture’s moral challenges. 'Slow bellies' refers to laziness and gluttony.

Verse 13

Paul affirms the truth of the cultural critique and demands harsh correction (“rebuke them sharply”) so that the Cretan Christians might achieve spiritual health (“sound in the faith”).

Verse 14

Defines the subject matter of the false teaching: Jewish myths (fables) and human rules that distract from the core truth of the gospel, often focusing on ritual purity or legalistic observances.

Verse 15

A profound theological statement: for those purified by Christ, external rules about food or ritual purity are irrelevant; purity is a matter of the heart and conscience, not external observance (cf. Rom. 14:20).

Verse 16

Describes the hypocrisy of the opponents: they claim knowledge of God but their immoral behavior and refusal to do good works prove their denial, rendering them 'reprobate' or unfit for service.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options