One Chapter From Titus

Understanding Titus Chapter One

Paul's Instructions to Titus

The Example of Titus Chapter One verses 4-16
Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles in that day of the Lord and the End of the Former Age, writes:

Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, “The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

The Context of Paul's Message

To whom was this written? To Titus.

Titus – thee, thou, thee – three times. Nothing to do with anyone else but Titus. And then he gives Titus instructions for? That’s right, Titus, in that day and age. And speaking of choosing or appointing elders in every city, as Paul had directed, Paul say:

Do these characteristics apply to people who will do things in the organizations that form today? Sure. Why not. It is overall sound and wise advice and to choose such people – whether it be to oversee a business or a football team – is wise. No problem.

But Paul does NOT suggest that these instructions were written to anyone but Titus, nor does he say something like: “and let this model be in place forever more.” Contextually, he is more likely saying: “Let this be the model until the day of the Lord,” because he said this about other things in other epistles (like taking communion). Then, at verse 10 Paul begins to explain why he wants men to be of this character then in the church until the day of the Lord.

They of the circumcision speaks directly to Jews. This is NOT applicable today – unless special circumstances prevail. And he goes on, saying:

Sure, we can take these words and use them and apply them against others, but Paul had a specific group in mind then he was talking – and we have to take great liberties to make them applicable today. Then Paul get’s even more specific, saying:

Whoa Nellie! First, he speaks of an ancient prophet of the circumcision who libels a whole race of people – the Cretians, or the people from Crete – and Paul agrees with this prophet who says that they are “ALWAYS liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.”

Are these words the everlasting words of God to the world forever and ever? Should the world turn against Crete and its population? Of course not! But this was written in the Apostolic Record, right? It is up to each individual reader to decide if these words “speak to them and their present situation” and to refuse using them in some twisted manner to make them fit today.

Paul's Principles

At this point Paul delivers what we might suggest is an eternal principle – may the Spirit lead as he wrote:

Finally, we arrive at something that can obviously be extracted (as lead by the Spirit) and used as a principle in the subjective faith today. Let’s be reasonable. I personally find verse 15 to be a principle of God.

Evaluating Biblical Application

– but I do not find verses 12-14 necessarily applicable anymore. Is that so far-fetched? I don’t think so.

And then wrapping the chapter up, Paul returns more directly to the matter at hand for Titus, and seems to be referring to the dangerous group around in his day, saying:

We might apply this verse to ourselves too – it has application. But out of 16 verses in chapter one of Titus we have 2 verses that are actually and realistically applicable to us today.

Insights and Principles

The other verses are great for insight to that age, and we can learn principles from them – but the point of this exercise is to challenge readers of the Bible to think, and reject the insidious idea of every word of the Bible being written to us AND the false notion of Sola Scriptura, a principle created by Man.