Titus
Themes
Appointing qualified elders to organize the church, sound doctrine that produces good works across every group in the household and community, the grace of God that trains believers to live godly lives while awaiting Christ's return, and the importance of good works as evidence of genuine faith.
Original Language
Greek
Introduction
Paul writes to Titus, another trusted coworker, whom he left on the island of Crete to put in order what was left unfinished and to appoint elders in every town. The letter emphasizes that sound teaching must produce visible good works and godly conduct in every kind of person, old and young, and warns against empty talkers who profess to know God but deny Him by their actions.
For Teachers & Pastors: A Closer Look
The shortest of the three Pastoral Epistles, likely written around the same period as 1 Timothy, before Paul's final imprisonment, roughly AD 62-64. Crete's reputation in the ancient world for dishonesty and laziness (quoted by Paul from the Cretan poet Epimenides in 1:12) provides important context for why Paul stresses good works and self-controlled living so heavily throughout. The famous grace passage in 2:11-14 ties God's saving grace directly to practical, godly living rather than treating them as separate concerns.
