Titus 1

1:1Paul wrote this letter between his first and second imprisonments in Rome (before he wrote 2 Timothy) to guide Titus in working with the churches on the island of Crete. Paul had visited Crete with Titus and had left him there to minister (1:5). Crete had a strong pagan influence because this small island may have been a training center for Roman soldiers. Therefore, the church in Crete needed strong Christian leadership.

1:1Paut calls himself “a slave of God”—that is, one who was committed to obeying God. This obedience led Paul to spend his life telling others about Christ. He atso calls himself “an apostle.” Even though Paul was not one of the original 12, he was specially called by God to bring the Good News to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:1-16 for an account of his call). The word apostle means “messenger or missionary.” “Those God has chosen” refers to God’s choice of his people, the church. For More information on Paul, see his Profile in Acts 9, p. 1837. 1A In one short phrase, Paul gives insight into his reason for living. The process begins with the proclamation of faith, continues with knowledge of the truth, which is then shown by people living godly fives. Paul wanted men and women to be mature in work of salvation, and he forgives our sins. Both the Father and the Son acted to save us from our sins.

1:4Titus, a Greek, was one of Paul's most trusted and dependable co-workers. Paul had sent Titus to Corinth on several Special missions to help the church in its troubles (2 Corinthians 7-8). Paul and Titus also had traveled together to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:3) and Crete (1:5). Paul left Titus in Crete to lead the few churches that were springing up on the island. Titus is last mentioned by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul's final recorded letter. Titus had leadership ability, so Paul gave him teadership responsibility, urging him to use his abilities weil.

1:5Crete, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, had a large Population of Jews. The churches there were probably founded by Cretan Jews who had been in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:11) more than 30 years before Paul wrote this letter. The work that needed completion refers to establishing correct teaching and appointing elders in every town. Paul had appointed eiders in various churches during his journeys (Acts 14:23). He could flot stay in each church, but he knew that these new churches Needed strong spiritual leadership. The men chosen were to lead the churches by teaching sound doctrine, helping believers Mature spirituaily, and equipping them to live for Jesus Christ despite opposition.

1:5-9Paul briefly describes some qualifications that the elders should have. Paul had given Timothy a similar set of instructions for the church in Ephesus (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:22). Notice that most of the qualifications involve character, not knowledge or skill, A person’s life-style and relationships provide a window into his or her character. Consider these qualifications as you evaluate a person for a position of leadership in your church. It is important to have leaders who can effectively preach God’s Word; it is even more important to have those who can live out God's Word and be examples for others to follow.

1:8One qualification for an elder was that he must “enjoy having guests in his home.” Christian leaders must be known for their hospitality. In the early days of Christianity, traveling evangelists and teachers were heiped by Christians who housed and fed them. We would benefit from inviting people to eat with us—visitors, fellow church members, young people, those in need. Giving hospitality is very important today because so many people struggle with toneliness. In our self-centered society, we can show that we care by being hospitable. Christians were not to entertain false teachers (2 John 1:10), but this prohibition did not apply to non-Christians in general. God wants us to be generous, courteous, and hospitable with non-Christians; through our friendship, some may be won to Christ.

1:10“Those who insist on circumcision for salvation” were the Judaizers, Jews who taught that the Gentiles had to obey all the Jewish!aws before they could become Christians. This regulation confused new Christians and caused probiems in many churches where Paul had preached the Good News. Paul wrote letters to several churches to help them understand that Gentile believers did not have to become Jews first in order to be Christians; God accepts anyone who comes to him in faith (see Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:2-7). Although the Jerusalem council had dealt with this issue (see Acts 15), devout Jews who refused to believe in Jesus still tried to cause problems in the Christian churches. Church leaders must be alert and take action on anything that divides Christians.

1:10-14Paul warns Titus to be on the lookout for people who teach wrong doctrines and lead others into error. Some false teachers are simply confused: They speak their misguided opinions without checking them against the Bible. Others have evil motives: They pretend to be Christians only because they can get more money, additional business, or a feeling of power from being a leader in the church. Jesus and the apostles repeatedly warned against false teachers (see Mark 13:22; Acts 20:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 2 Peter 3:3-7) because their teachings attack the foundations of truth and integrity upon which the Christian faith is built, You can recognize false teachers because they will (1) focus more attention on themselves than on Christ; (2) ask you to do something that will compromise or dilute your faith; (3) de-emphasize the divine nature of Christ or the inspiration of the Bible; or (4) urge believers to make decisions based More on human judgment than on prayer and biblical guidelines.

1:12Paul is quoting a line from a poem by Epimenides, a poet and philosopher who had lived in Crete 600 years earlier. Some Cretans had a bad reputation and were known for lying. Paul used this familiar phrase to make the point that Titus’s ministry and leadership were very much needed.

1:15Some people see good all around them, while others see nothing but evil. What is the difference? Our souls become filters through which we perceive goodness or evil. The pure (those who have Christ in control of their lives) learn to see goodness and purity even in this evil world. But corrupt and unbelieving people find evil in everything because their evil minds and hearts color even the good they see and hear. Whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God and his Word, and you will discover more and More goodness, even in this evil world. A mind filled with good has little room for what is evil (see Philippians 4:8).

1:16Many people claim to know God. How can we know if they really do? We will not know for certain in this life, but a glance at their life-styles will quickly tell us what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around Kingdom priorities. Our conduct speaks volumes about what we believe (see 1 John 2:4-6), What do people know about God and about your faith by watching your life?