A Study of Titus 1:1-4

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

Titus 1:1-4 ESV

Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ and therefore a servant of God, sent for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen people to instruct them in the knowledge of the truth. This truth is in accordance with godliness, and the certain hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began. At the appointed time, this Word of God was manifested through the preaching of Paul that was entrusted to him by the command of God our Savior. This letter was originally written to Titus, who Paul called, “my true child in a common faith,” to whom Paul also wished “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

Textual Analysis and Implication (what is being said and what does this mean?):

This letter to Titus begins with Paul’s name. The custom in Paul’s day was to start a letter with one’s own name, then the reader’s, and then to give a greeting. From verse 5 of this letter we find out that Titus had worked with Paul on the island of Crete, where they preached the gospel and planted churches. However, Paul needed to leave, and Titus remained to continue ministering among the new churches there. As Titus had a difficult task ahead of him, Paul wrote this letter to instruct and encourage him in his efforts. Interestingly, from Titus 3:13 we discover that two other Christians named Zenas and Apollos were heading to Crete, and so Paul sent this letter with them.

While this letter is addressed to Titus, it was also written to the other Christians on the Isle of Crete. Therefore, this letter was intended to be read aloud in public, so Paul also stated his credentials as an apostle and gave his views on various matters of import. He did not write letters containing flowery language intended to tickle the ears of his readers, but rather, spoke the truth with boldness, courtesy and respect.

As Paul gave his credentials he humbly began by calling himself a servant of God. The word Paul used in the original Greek of this letter is “doulos,” and this word was used to not only describe a low slave, but also one who was a slave by choice. For this reason other English translations also rightly render this word as “bondservant.” While Paul rightly called himself a lowly slave of God, this is also a term of high honor. Everyone must serve someone, and all who are not servants of God, are servants of sin and death. To be a servant of God is the highest honor anyone can achieve, for God makes all His human servants His children and grants them eternal life and citizenship in His eternal kingdom.

Next, Paul stated his role as a servant of God, which is that He was an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul was given this special role by God to serve in among His other servants. This is not to say that Paul is better than God’s other servants, Paul was simply given a certain role to play, as are all Christians, and he knew what his role was. While all Christians are called to act as messengers of God who preach the word (Matthew 28:19-20), as an apostle, Paul was given a special message from God which we are now to heed and share with others. In addition to this, Paul’s identification and acceptance of his God given role is something all Christians should prayerfully emulate today.

Also, rather than being an apostle because of the faith, Paul was an apostle “according to” or  “for the sake of” the faith of “God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth.” In harmony with the faith, and for the sake of building up God’s people, Paul was made an apostle. It was not for Paul’s benefit that God made him an apostle, but for the benefit of others Paul was called to preach the Word and build up the church in faith and knowledge of the truth. Importantly it is the truth “which accords with godliness.” It is true that all that is true comes from God, but Paul’s mission was specifically to communicate the truth that accords with godliness, in other words, the truth that promotes “God-likeness.” There are many true scientific or historical facts, but only the truth that accords with godliness can save us from Hell and mold us more and more into imagers, or reflectors of God’s beautiful character.

Paul then continued on to say, “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” This eternal life is the life of God, who indwells all believers by His Spirit. When we repent and trust in Jesus for salvation, we immediately receive this life, but we will also receive it in greater and complete measure when we pass on from this fallen world. The Lord Jesus does not merely offer His followers a code for moral living by which we may obtain life; He offers us life itself and in raising us to life, enables us to turn from sin and live righteously (though imperfectly in this world) for Him. In other words, He frees us from sin and death unto righteousness and life. And we can be certain of this life now and in greater measure in the age to come because it has been promised by God who never lies (Jesus is God). In this Christians have Biblical hope, which is not wishful thinking, but rather, a joyful certainty that God has done and will do everything He says.

Paul then says this truth was manifested in God’s Word at the proper time through the preaching he had been entrusted with by the command of God our Savior. The preaching of God’s Word is how it is communicated (Romans 10:14-15), and this does not only mean standing in a pulpit on Sunday. All Christians are called to preach the good news by sharing it with others in their own spheres of influence as God provides opportunity to do so. This is something we all should pray for opportunities to do. The proper time in verse 3 is a reference to the time and place Paul lived in wherein the stability the Roman empire provided, and the common Greek language spoken throughout, was ordained by God to allow the rapid spread of His Word. But whatever time or place we find ourselves in, now is the proper time to preach the Word wherever and to whomever the Lord has ordained for us to have access to, because sharing God’s Word is a commission given to every Christian.

Lastly for this passage, in verse 4 Paul greets Titus, his “true child in a common faith,” also saying, “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” Titus is not mentioned in the book of Acts, but he is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 2:13, 8:23, and 12:18. It is said of him that when he was sent to Corinth he was accompanied by “the brother who is famous among all the churches.” This unnamed brother is thought to have been Luke. While Titus is not mentioned in Acts, from this letter and the second letter to the Corinthians, we learn that Titus was a genuine brother in Christ and acted as such towards Paul, as he was a partner and fellow worker for the gospel. He was clearly a man of godly character who exercised wisdom and common sense who was therefore commissioned by Paul to conduct certain difficult tasks such as going to Corinth to impassion the Corinthians to give, as they had  promised, to help the impoverished Christians in Jerusalem, as well as staying behind in Crete to build up the newly established churches there.

Finally, Paul greeted Titus saying, “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” The words “grace and peace” were often used as a greeting in the ancient world, but they were not mere formality for Paul. Paul knew that God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior are the source of all grace and peace and this greeting can be taken as a sincere prayer for Titus and the other recipients of this letter, given with confidence that God will bestow these things on all who believe in Jesus as their Lord God and Savior.

Response (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):

This passage should cause us to ask the question, “Who do I serve?”. We all serve someone or something. So what does serving God look like? There are many aspects we might consider in regard to this question, but in light of this passage we should think about serving God in the preaching, or sharing of the gospel. Every follower of Jesus has the God the Holy Spirit living inside of them to, among other things, empower them to share the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.

This knowledge, along with the command from Jesus given in Matthew 28:19-20, should embolden us to pray for opportunities to share the gospel, and to do so with gentleness, boldness, love and respect, as is appropriate for the time and place we live in. While we will not do this perfectly, the power to save people resides with God, and not us. We are simply called to be obedient. The work of raising people who are dead in their sin to life in Christ is a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. We are simply the messengers.

Self Reflection:

1. Have I made a habit of asking God for opportunities to share the gospel with the people around me?
2. Does the fact that the power to change a person’s heart belongs to God and not me give me confidence to share?
3. Who in my life can I pray for and ask God to give them life, health and salvation?