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INTRODUCTION
1. The Apostle Paul established a church in Crete
and left Titus to finish what he had begun.
Titus was to put the ministry of the church in order.
3. This epistle written to Titus was very important
as the believers in Crete need to understand that Titus was
not operating on his own, but ministered with the designated
authority of Paul.
4. In this greeting to Titus, Paul reveals five
principles that guided his living and his service for the
Lord. And these principles served as the foundation for all
the leaders of the church throughout the ages.
What are Paul’s principles for life and service?
I. HE WAS COMMITTED TO THE LORDSHIP OF GOD
Paul saw himself as a man totally under the divine
authority.
1. He expressed it in the phrase “as a servant of
God” (1:1)
a. With truthfulness, Paul could have identified
himself as a scholar, a highly educated Jewish leader who
was major in Greek literature and philosophy.
b. He could have mentioned himself as a Roman
citizen, which gave him an extremely valuable advantage in
that day.
c. He chose, rather, to identify himself as “a
servant of God.”
2. Paul refers himself as “a servant of God” only
here (1:1a).
a. All other times, Paul refers to himself as “a
servant of Christ” (e.g. Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Phil 1:1).
b. Perhaps Paul had the intention of placing himself
alongside with the Old Testament servants of God.
c. There were many false teachers in the churches
who were Judaizers.
He might have the desire to affirm his authority as “the
servant of God.” That is, he was equal to the Old Testament
saints and prophets of God.
3. In a general sense every believer in Christ is “a
servant of God.”
a. We are not our own, but have been “bought with a
price” (1 Cor 6:20b).
b. 1 Peter 1:18, 19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye
were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from
your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot.”
c. And because we no longer belong to ourselves, we
should no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died,
and rose again for us (2 Cor 5:15).
4. Paul’s specific duty to God was to fulfil his
servanthood by being “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1b).
a. “Apostle” means messenger — one who carried a
message on behalf of someone else.
b. Paul identified himself as “an apostle of Jesus
Christ.”
II. HE WAS COMMITTED TO GOD’S MISSION
The Great Commission is addressed to every believer in
Christ (Matt 28:18-20). Paul was fully committed to God’s
mission. When mentioned about mission, Paul had in mind of
evangelization, edification and encouragement. This is seen
in Titus 1:1b-2a. Paul says “according to the faith of
God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is
after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that
cannot lie…”
1. Evangelization
a. Paul says “according to the faith of God’s
elect…” (1:1b).
In other words, Paul was called and commanded to be an
apostle to preach the gospel so that those whom God had
chosen from eternity, might put their faith in Christ and be
saved.
b. As Paul explained to the believers in Rome in the
epistle of the Romans.
Romans 10:13-15, 17 “For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they
be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings
of good things! So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God.”
The elect cannot be saved unless they hear the Gospel and
believe in Christ. They must place their faith in Christ.
c. Paul was called to go and “preach the Gospel to
every creature” (Mk 16:15).
2. Edification
The second responsibility of Paul’s commitment
to God’s mission was to edify those who believed in Christ,
by teaching them the full counsel of God’s Word, so that
they might be sanctified by “the acknowledging of the
truth.” (1:1c)
(1) The word “acknowledging” refers to the clear
perception of a truth.
(a) Paul has in mind the truth of the Gospel that
leads to salvation.
(b) He mentioned this aspect of the truth also in 1
Timothy 2:3, 4.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight
of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and
to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
“The knowledge of the truth” refers to the
Gospel of Salvation.
(2) Upon salvation, the believer is given an appetite
for this truth, which causes him to desire, to know more
about Christ and to grow and mature “which is after
godliness” (1:1d).
(a) Saving truth leads to salvation.
[1] Salvation to sanctification which is “godliness.”
[2] Godliness is the manifestation of the work of the
Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in sanctification.
(b) The divine “truth” and “godliness” are related.
(3) The Lord Jesus placed the relation between the
divine truth and sanctification when He said to the Father
“Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth” (Jn
17:17).
(a) The true teachings of the Word of God always lead
a person to godliness.
(b) How do we discern between the true teaching of
the Word and the false teaching?
[1] The Lord Jesus gives the answer in Matthew
7:15-17 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye
shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth
evil fruit.”
[2] Both truth and falsehood can be discerned by what
they produce.
(c) Our main ministry is to preach the gospel, edify
the believers, and train them in godliness.
3. Encouragement
a. Paul’s third responsibility in his
commitment to God’s mission, was to bring encouragement to
believers, based on the Word of God concerning their
assurance of salvation: that is, the “hope of eternal life”
(1:2a).
b. He is speaking of something which is
certain, based on the Word of God.
c. Eternal life is the reality of salvation. It is
the hope of eternal life that gives believers encouragement
in many ways.
(1) It encourages us to live a holy life, and to be
like Christ (1 Jn 3:2, 3).
(2) It encourages us to serve the Lord.
(3) It gives us the encouragement to endure whatever
suffering we may experience for the sake of Christ.
Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.”
III. HE WAS COMMITTED TO GOD’S MESSAGE
1. The Bible is the Word of God.
a. It teaches us that we, believers,
are chosen before the foundation of the world.
b. It teaches us that we are sinners,
lost and condemned.
c. God loves us and He provides us
salvation through Jesus Christ and His requirement of faith
for salvation.
d. All these things mentioned in the
Bible are true.
2. How do we know that they are true?
a. “God….cannot lie” (1:2b).
God has promised all those things “before the world began”
(1:2c).
c. So, we see that God’s plan of
redemption for sinners did not come after men fell, but
before man was created.
d. God revealed all those things to us
in His Word, the Bible.
(1) Paul says “But hath in due time manifested his
word” (1:3a). That is, all these things were revealed to us
when the Bible was written.
(2) Paul believed the Bible is the Word of God.
3. He was entrusted to proclaim the complete Word of
God.
a. The word “proclamation” was used of the message
that a herald would give on behalf of the ruler whom he
served. In the New Testament, this term is often used for
the public proclamation of the Word of God.
b. So, Paul proclaimed the God’s Word, showed people
the way of salvation and the way to godliness.
4. Paul committed the proclamation of God’s Word to
Titus.
He says “to Titus, mine own son after the common faith…”
(1:4a)
a. Titus was his spiritual son because he led him
to Christ.
b. Paul had the responsibility of nurturing Titus in
the Christian growth and training him for the service. Now,
he committed this important ministry of the Word to Titus to
lead and oversee the new churches which he had started.
What was committed to Paul and Titus by the Lord Jesus, also
applies to us.
(1) We are to commit ourselves in the ministry of
mission and the ministry of Christian education.
(2) Let us serve the Lord faithfully.
Let us labour till the Master comes. |
