§ 1 Salutation ( Titus 1:1–4 )
What is striking about the salutation to Titus is its considerable differences from those in 1 and 2 Timothy, especially its lengthy elaboration of Paul’s apostleship (vv. 1–3), a phenomenon found elsewhere only in Romans. These verses, which form a single, extremely complex sentence in Greek, conclude with a note about his apostleship as a trust. The main thrust, however, emphasizes the purpose of that apostleship: to bring God’s people to faith and truth, and thus to life. That life, he explains, was promised by God before time began but has only now been revealed—through Paul’s preaching.
What is less clear is the reason for such an elaboration in this letter. Only in part does it seem to exist to authenticate Paul himself. The central concern is with the truth of the gospel that the Cretans have embraced as the result of Paul’s preaching, a concern that seems to fit the prophylactic nature of the letter. Paul wants to encourage the people in their new faith, which is based on the gospel (the truth) and contains the hope of eternal life. At the same time the content of the salutation serves as a safeguard or warning against any false teaching or teachers.
1:1a / Paul’s first self-designation in this letter, a servant of God (lit., “God’s slave”), suggests at the outset that the life-setting of this letter is not as urgent as in 1 and 2 Timothy. Although this exact form does not appear earlier, Paul begins both Romans and Philippians with the designation “Christ Jesus’ slave.” Given his own personal attitude toward his ministry and relationship to his Lord (see, e.g., 1 Cor. 4:1–2, 9; 2 Cor. 2:14–17), this would probably be his favorite, or ordinary, self-designation. But most of his letters, including this one, are written out of urgencies that require his apostolic authority; hence he adds, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
1:1b–3 / Ordinarily Paul qualifies his apostleship by some note as to its source (e.g., “by the will of God”); here, as in 2 Timothy, he feels constrained to say something about its purpose. Paul was chosen for (“according to,” KJV) the faith of God’s elect. The word “according to” does not mean that his apostleship was regulated by their faith in some way or that it was in keeping with orthodoxy. Rather it connotes goal or purpose (BAGD, II, 4) and could be translated “with a view to.” His apostleship existed for the faith of God’s elect, which probably refers to their coming to trust Christ, not to their advancing in or better understanding the faith. The designation God’s elect (cf. Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12; 2 Tim. 2:10) is another typical instance of Paul’s referring to believers as the people of God by using OT language (e.g., Ps. 105:43; Isa. 65:9, 15; cf. his use of “saints”). In Paul’s view those who have put their trust (faith) in Christ are therefore the true continuation of the ancient people of God. Such a designation is surely intended for the ears of those who are in churches where the errors have a decidedly Jewish cast to them (see esp. 1:10, 14; 3:8–9).
His apostleship is also “with a view to their coming to know the truth” (NIV, for … the knowledge of the truth). In the PE the truth regularly recurs as a designation of the gospel (see disc. on 1 Tim. 2:4); here it refers to the cognitive side of faith (cf. esp. 1 Tim. 4:3, “those who are believers and have come to know the truth”). In this case the truth is further defined as (literally) “which is according to godliness” (eusebeia, see disc. in 1 Tim. 2:2 and 3:16). As with the preceding occurrence, this “according to” can mean either “in keeping with” or “with a view to” (hence the NIV, that leads to godliness). This is not an easy decision. The latter would make both prepositions have basically the same meaning and would see godliness as the true aim of the gospel, the truth. As attractive as that is, the grammar (with the definite article functioning as a relative pronoun so that the phrase specifically qualifies the truth) favors the former. Thus the truth that God’s elect have come to know is that which accords with true godliness, probably with emphasis here on its visible manifestation in godly behavior.
The next phrase (lit. “on” or “for the hope of eternal life”) is also very difficult, both as to its meaning and what it modifies. Many (e.g., Kelly, D-C) see it as further defining Paul’s apostleship, which was to promote faith, knowledge of the truth, and hope. The NIV sees it (probably correctly) as modifying faith and knowledge (hence the repetition of these words in the translation). But rather than faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, as their eschatological basis (cf. BAGD), this phrase is better understood as sequential to them—as their ultimate goal.
This life, Paul now adds, was promised us by God. With this clause he turns our attention momentarily away from his apostleship and its purpose to the source of all things—both the gospel and his apostleship—God himself. The point in his saying this is probably similar to 1 Timothy 6:14–16, to reinforce the certainty of the future. The hope of eternal life is predicated on the twin facts that the God who promised it does not lie, an idea not pressed elsewhere in Paul but found in Numbers 23:19 (cf. Heb. 6:18) and that he promised us this life (cf. 1 Tim. 4:8; 2 Tim. 1:1) before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season (meaning now) has brought it to light. The phrase before the beginning of time (lit., “before eternal times”) is sometimes interpreted as referring to the OT promises (cf. RSV, “ages ago”). But as in 1 Corinthians 2:7–10 (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 1:4), Paul’s point is that what believers are now experiencing belongs to the eternal counsels of God and has been hidden in God until revealed by the Spirit in the present Age through the work of Christ (cf. Rom. 16:25–26; Col 1:25–26).
The clause and at his appointed season (cf. 1 Tim. 2:6) he brought his word (i.e., the message of the gospel, as elsewhere in PE; 2 Tim. 2:9, 15; 4:2; Titus 1:9; 2:5) to light expresses the present fulfillment of the promise mentioned in verse 2. Thus God promised life, and now, at his appointed season, he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me. If that does not make a nicely balanced set of ideas, the thought is clear enough. Paul simply brings his sentence back to its point of origin, his apostleship. The revelation of the promised life has actually taken place in Paul’s proclamation of God’s word, as attested by the Cretans’ faith (v. 1). As always for Paul, such preaching, hence his apostleship itself, is not of his own choosing but is a sacred trust (see 1 Tim. 1:11; cf. 2 Tim. 1:11; 1 Cor. 9:17; Gal. 2:7). And all of this, finally, is by the command of God our Savior (see disc. on 1 Tim. 1:1). Paul’s preaching, like his apostleship, is in keeping with God’s command, his divine injunction on Paul’s life.
1:4 / After that long elaboration on the purpose and authentication of his apostleship, Paul now moves to the address and greeting proper. As with Timothy (1 Tim. 1:1), Titus (see the Introduction) is to be recognized by the Cretans as Paul’s true son; that is, he is a legitimate child of Paul in carrying on Paul’s ministry. His legitimacy comes at the one crucial point, in our common faith (i.e., common to Paul the Jew and Titus the Gentile).
Thus he greets Titus with his own Christianized salutation: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior (see disc. on 1 Tim. 1:1). In keeping with all the other Pauline letters (except 1 and 2 Timothy) the greeting is grace and peace. Although in these letters Paul more often calls God our Savior (as in v. 3), because salvation originates in God the Father, it is effected by Christ Jesus our Savior. The interchanging of this title between God and Christ Jesus (cf. 3:4, 6) reflects the high Christology found in Paul from the beginning.
1:1a / The doublet servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ is typical of these letters—and occurs earlier in Paul as well. Cf. “God our Savior/Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1) esp. and 1 Tim. 6:13: “God, who gives life to everything, and … Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession.” This probably explains why Paul says “God’s slave,” rather than “Christ Jesus’ slave,” as we might have expected (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1). To suggest the usage is un-Pauline and would mean “authorized revealer of God” rather than “God’s own property” (as Hanson, following Hasler) is to move far beyond the evidence.
The word order “Jesus Christ” occurs in the PE only here and at 2 Tim. 2:8, except for four occasions where it occurs in conjunction with another title (1 Tim. 6:3, 14; Titus 2:13[?]; 3:6). Probably no important distinction is to be made from this word order here, although in 2 Tim. 2:8 that may not be the case (which see).
1:1b–3 / It seems prejudicial that such a thoroughly Pauline idea as the hope of eternal life having been promised before the beginning of time should be seen by some as reflecting a Platonic idea: “Salvation belongs to the timeless eternal world; only revelation belongs to time” (Hanson, p. 170).