Titus 1

V1. Paul starts his letter with mentioning his own name. It is not that he wanted to put his own person in the foreground by that. The important thing for him is the service he was called for. For that reason he connects to his name two tasks, that of a bond-servant and that of an apostle. He starts with “a bond-servant of God”. By that he puts himself next to Titus and you. He is first a bond-servant of God, like you also are in the first place. If you take the humblest place you are most able to serve (cf. Lk 22:26).

After he introduced himself as bond-servant he calls himself “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. As an apostle he took a position of authority. Therein he doesn’t stand next to Titus and you, but above him and you. It is a good thing to repeat that he calls himself first a bond-servant and then an apostle. Exercising authority according to the will of God can only happen in the mind of a bond-servant. If a person wants to be a good leader he ought to know first what it is to be a bond-servant or a servant. But he also calls himself an apostle. As an apostle he has a position and a task that grant him authority that demands obedience.

Then he delivers the proof of his apostleship. Nowhere does he do that so comprehensively and strongly as here. It is remarkable how close he connects his apostleship with the believers. You will see that in verses 1-3. The particular way in which he presents the believers is also remarkable.

His apostleship is above all “for the faith of those chosen of God” (Rom 8:33; Col 3:12). That rules out an apostleship according to the law or in connection with an earthly nation. The apostleship of Paul does not belong to the law but to faith. Law and faith exclude each other (Gal 3:12).

Paul doesn’t submit his apostleship to the judgment of the law, but to the judgment of faith. The important thing for him is not obedience to rules and laws, but obedience that comes from faith. This faith is present in “those chosen of God”. Because it is about the church here, it is clear that you may think of being chosen “before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4). You believe, don’t you? And you are chosen by God, aren’t you? Then you will surely acknowledge Paul’s apostleship.

Application: Today you can say that every spiritually minded leader considers the faith of hose who have been chosen and exerts his authority accordingly. He doesn’t impose a yoke on them but stirs them up to obedience of faith. Thereby he doesn’t focus in the first place on the outward of the believers but on their heart, their inward spiritual life.

There is a second feature of Paul’s apostleship. It is also to (or: in accordance with) “the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness”. You can also put the apostleship of Paul to the test by verifying the way he presents the truth. He doesn’t present the truth about God and the Lord Jesus and the church etcetera, as a doctrine, as truths for you to learn by heart. With Paul you see that he connects all his teachings to a life in Godliness. That means that you see the true acknowledgment of the truth being implemented in a life that shows a deep reverence for God and everything He has said.

Application: Today you will recognize a spiritual leader by the fact that he lives to the honor of God by practicing the knowledge of the truth in his own daily life. Such a leader doesn’t demand a submission to a theory, but presents the truth in his speech and his deeds. Today there are many who claim to be bond-servants of Christ, but who want to serve according to the latest so-called knowledge of science or the latest arguments of unbelief. But the faith and the knowledge that are meant here are not the faith and knowledge of the world, neither that of Christianity, but of ‘those chosen of God’.

Now read Titus 1:1 again.

Reflection: What criteria for spiritual leadership do you discover in verse 1?

V2. A third test of Paul’s apostleship is that it belongs to “the hope of eternal life”. Here eternal life is presented as something you still are to receive. That seems to be in contradiction to what John writes about that. John speaks about eternal life as something you already have now (1Jn 5:11). Still, that is no contradiction because life is presented in two ways.

Briefly said: John speaks about the life through which we live, Paul about the life in which we live. The one is the life in you, the other life is about the life around you, your environment. In the first case you may compare it with living a healthy life and in the second case with an urban or rural life.

You have eternal life in you, but you still live in a world that lies in sin. When you are in heaven, then the whole environment and atmosphere wherein eternal life is being lived and enjoyed, will perfectly fit with the eternal life in you. Eternal life doesn’t indicate only the duration or length, but also the quality.

Application: Today you recognize the true spiritual leader by the fact that he encourages the hearts of those who are chosen by presenting to them the heavenly glory at the end of their journey.

You can be sure that you will enjoy eternal life in that life atmosphere, for it is promised by “the not-lying God” as it is literally said. God cannot lie, He is not able to, it is impossible for Him to lie (Heb 6:18). That stands against the character of the Cretans who apparently cannot do other than lie (verse 12), and against the deceitful nature that each human has (Rom 3:4). God is perfectly faithful in His promise of eternal life.

I almost wrote: the eternal life is promised to you. That wouldn’t really be wrong either. After all you have been chosen before the foundation of the world. The promise is indeed for you, though it is not written like that. It is said that God has promised “long ages ago”, literally “before times eternal”. When I think of that I prefer the thought that God has promised this eternal life to the Lord Jesus, for only He was there then. Not that eternal life was promised to the Lord Jesus as something He didn’t possess, for the Lord Jesus is the eternal life (1Jn 5:20). No, God promised Him eternal life to give it to His chosen ones (Jn 17:2).

You wouldn’t have known anything about that promise if God had not revealed it. Isn’t it impressive that God makes you familiar with something that was a topic of conversation in eternity between the Father and the Son? Isn’t it mind blowing if you consider that your name was mentioned by the Father to the Lord Jesus for giving you eternal life?

V3. To manifest this promise God waited “at the proper time”, that is His own time. First the heart of man toward God had to be revealed. That has become fully clear at the cross. There man let the Lord Jesus, God revealed in goodness and mercy, die the most horrific death.

That lowest point in the history of man is at the same time the moment that God fully exposes His heart and reveals what is the breadth and length and height and depth of His counsels (Eph 3:18).

And how does God do that? Through “His word, in the proclamation”. This proclamation was entrusted by Him to the apostle Paul (cf. Rom 10:14-17; 1Cor 2:7-10). That Word we have now in the Scripture (Rom 16:25-27). In that way the revelation also reaches you (1Cor 2:10-14).

Paul has not taken this ministry himself or fulfilled it in his own way (Gal 1:11-12). His apostleship and the ministry that is connected to it, is “according to the commandment of God our Savior”. This name of God shows Him as the One Who brings salvation – He is a Savior – to all men (cf. Tit 2:11; 1Tim 2:3-4). The preaching that was entrusted to Paul is therefore twofold. On the one hand he preaches the gospel to all people through which they receive salvation. On the other hand he unfolds the full truth to all who have received the gospel and have been saved.

Application: Also today something has been entrusted to each spiritual leader to pass on to believers. What they pass on must cause that believers learn to live with one another to the honor of God.

V4. Paul addresses Titus whom he calls his “true child in a common faith”. The word ‘true’ means ‘legally begotten’. That doesn’t mean that Titus is physically his own son. The addition ‘in a common faith’ makes clear that it is about a spiritual conception (cf. 1Tim 1:2; 1Cor 4:15; Phlm 1:10). Titus came to faith and was born again through the ministry of Paul. The Gentile Titus and the Jew Paul confess the same faith (cf. 2Pet 1:1). They both belong to the church in which is no Jew or Greek (1Cor 12:13; Col 3:11).

Paul concludes his introduction with the usual blessing of “grace and peace”. ‘Grace’ is at the front. Titus can only do his work if he is aware that he needs God’s grace for his task. He will never be able to execute his task by his own strength. If he is aware to be dependent on the grace that God is giving him, he will be able to do his task with the ‘peace’ of God. He will not easily be discouraged if he continuously faces adversary or if there is no cooperation or if his work doesn’t seem to bear fruit.

Grace and peace are wished to him from “God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior”. That puts Titus in the relation of a child to his Father and to the Lord Jesus as his Redeemer. The one gives confidence and the other works commitment and efforts.

Application: A spiritual leader knows God as his Father and entrusts himself totally to Him. He also knows the Lord Jesus as his Redeemer Who has set him free that he may live for Him. The price the Redeemer paid and the awareness that in that way he has been redeemed is the greatest exhortation to serve Him.

Now read Titus 1:2-4 again.

Reflection: Which criteria for spiritual leadership do you discover in verses 2-4?

V5. After his introduction Paul comes to the main point of his letter in verse 5. He has founded some churches in Crete. That he speaks about “every city”, gives the impression that the gospel has been accepted on a large scale on that island, due to which possibly in every city in the island a church has come into existence. However, Paul has not had the opportunity to build up and confirm the churches in the truth. There was still something missing regarding the teachings.

If you read the next chapters you may think for instance of the teaching on the relationships among the believers (chapter 2) and the attitude toward the government (chapter 3). Although Paul himself is not able to provide what is lacking, he provides in the person of Titus someone who is capable to replace him.

Besides, it is not the purpose that Titus stays in Crete. Paul will have him to be replaced by someone else (Tit 3:12). Every ambassador of the apostle will be of great support to the believers in order to live their lives as Christians. But there is also qualified leadership needed among the believers that will not be changed. Therefore Titus receives the direction to appoint elders in every city where there is a church. That’s what the greater part of chapter 1 deals with.

The Cretans are wicked people by nature (verse 12). Paul knows them. Therefore he knows what qualifications elders should have to be able to lead the churches in Crete so that they meet the will of the Lord.

In order to keep them in line or to bring them into order, Paul doesn’t develop a church order. He doesn’t order Titus to introduce church regulations that seem to be most suitable for their way of life on the island. That has certainly happened in church history, but that is not in accordance with the Bible. I will try to explain what it takes to appoint elders.

There has always been a lot of discussion about appointing elders. There are continually questions like: ‘Who is going to appoint?’ and ‘Do we still have elders nowadays and how do you recognize them?’ In order to find correct answers to these kinds of questions, you should consider some things. One of them is to bear in mind that elders occupy a position of authority and that they are put in that position by a higher authority.

You notice that where you read about the appointment of elders in the New Testament (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Tit 1:5) they are appointed by apostles or their representatives. So appointment cannot be done by the church. It would be strange if the church itself determines who exercises authority over it. That’s why this letter is addressed to Titus and not to the church in Crete. No, authority always comes from above.

Titus receives the direction to appoint elders on behalf of the apostle. The appointment of elders is necessary here because the church doesn’t have the complete New Testament yet. An official appointment gives the authority to elders to take action against people who pretend to be spiritual leaders, but who actually are deceivers. The church ought to listen to the elders and will as a result experience the blessing. In our days it is not necessary to have that official appointment, for we have the complete Word of God.

The question whether elders are still to be appointed is not that difficult to be answered if you consider that elders can only be appointed by a higher authority. There are no apostles anymore and neither are there people who can act as representatives of an apostle. Therefore it is not right to appoint elders in our days. But that doesn’t mean that they are not anymore to be found. The Bible more often speaks about elders without saying that they are officially appointed (e.g. Acts 11:30; 1Tim 5:17; Jam 5:14; 1Pet 5:1-2).

The word ‘elder’ indicates in both the Old Testament and the New Testament a mature person with life experience. In that sense there are fortunately still ‘elders’, including those who have a leading position, pastors, the gift of leadership (Acts 15:22; Rom 12:8; 1Cor 12:28; 1Thes 5:12; Heb 13:7,17,24). They all have no formal authority, but you are willing to submit yourself to them if you notice that they act in accordance with God’s Word.

V6. Then the qualifications follow an elder must meet. Before I deal with those I want to point out to you that those qualifications do not only apply to an elder. It is a good thing to ask yourself to what extent they are present or absent with you. You may say that what is required for an elder as a qualification, is required to you as a rule of conduct.

The first qualification is that an elder must be “above reproach”. That means that he shouldn’t be accused of anything, that he is not to be blamed for anything. The first area where that applies is his marriage and family. He must be “the husband of one wife”. If he has more than one wife, as a result of his life in sin, he cannot be an elder. And in case he has children, they also have to be believers. And not only that. Those children should not be known as money wasting freeloaders, who cannot be controlled by their father.

Therefore the family of the elder may not be blamed for anything. For if he doesn’t manage his family well, how will he be able to manage the church (1Tim 3:5)? Does it seem to ask too much of you? It may be, but can you imagine God to lower His standards to fit our practice? That’s not possible.

It is absolutely grace if the children come to faith, for faith is not a heritage. But there is also the side of human responsibility. God assumes that in a family where there are believing parents, the children are also believers. It is God’s purpose to save someone with his household (Acts 16:31; Jos 2:18; Exo 12:3; Gen 6:18; 7:1).

Application: Spiritual leaders are responsible for causing their children to desire to follow the Lord Jesus.

V7. After the family the personal qualifications of the overseer follow. Have you noticed that Paul spoke about ‘elders’ in verse 5 and about “the overseer” in verse 7? As it has been noticed already (see the explanation of 1 Timothy 3:1-5) this clarifies that the elder and overseer are the same person.

1. As the first personal qualification, now apart from his family, it is said again that he “must be above reproach”, i.e. not to be accused of anything.
2. He must be aware that it is about a task in God’s house. He is a “steward” there and not the owner. He has been entrusted to manage something that belongs to Another, God. Therefore he is also responsible, concerning his conduct, to Him.
3. When an overseer is conscious of that, he will “not” act “self-willed”. He will not claim any authority and obedience without any reason.
4. He recognizes the right of the others for explanation whether something is good or bad. When questions rise he will not respond “quick-tempered” as if being stung by a wasp, even if he has the presumption of evil intentions. He is not quick to anger, but has self-control.
5. That self-control is also there over his lusts. He is not to be tempted by alcohol, he is “not addicted to wine”. There is nothing wrong with drinking some wine at times (1Tim 5:23), but to desire it is wrong.
6. An overseer is also not a brawler, he is “not pugnacious”. He doesn’t seek to overpower other people, neither with his fists nor with his tongue.
7. He is also “not fond of sordid gain”, which implies that he doesn’t exercise his service to make financial profits.

V8. After the characteristics in verse 7 (of which six are negative) Paul reminds Titus of a number of positive characteristics in verses 8-9. Being a Christian is not only characterized by the absence of negative things, but especially by the presence of positive things that are also to be developed. Instead of seeking his own interest and profit the elder ought to seek to be meaningful to others.

1. That is especially expressed in being “hospitable”. He not only invites friends for a cup of coffee, but he has an open heart for needy believers who may be unfamiliar to him.
2. As one “loving what is good” (or: ‘a friend of the good’) he has a heart that is wide open for everything that is good and useful. That doesn’t make him thoughtless, a person who gets excited about everything, without distinction.
3. He is “sensible” or thoughtful, well-balanced in his view and deeds.
4. He acts “just” toward other people: he deals fairly and uprightly with others.
5. He is “devout”, which means that He is focused on God and lives in devotion to Him.
6. As far as he himself is concerned, he is “self-controlled”. That includes more than only with regard to the consumption of alcohol. It is about a person who can control himself and who is able to control his desires and lusts.

An elder must therefore be just toward people, holy toward God and sober-minded toward himself.

V9. An elder also has to deal with contradictors, especially from the Jews – ‘those of the circumcision’ (verse 10). These people are always and everywhere active against the truth. They try to confuse the thoughts of people in a devious way. The overseer is not to try to resist these people with his own words, but with a word that is in accordance with the teaching of the apostle. He ought to exhort and convict with a word that comes from the Word, for that alone is truly trustworthy because it comes from God, and Paul passed it on.

The overseer is actually a man with authority, but he himself is also under authority, that is the authority of the Word of God that has been taught by the apostle. This is called “sound doctrine”. It is sound in itself, not mixed with strange, human thoughts. Its effects are also sound. Therefore you will grow sound in faith if you listen to it.

Now read Titus 1:5-9 again.

Reflection: Which of the characteristics do you want to be seen in your life? What do you think you could do about it?

V10. The work that Paul has achieved in Crete was much blessed. In many cities churches have come into existence. However, where the Lord is at work satan also becomes active. The adversary has not only sneaked a few insubordinate people into the churches to destroy the work, but “many”. That’s why formal authority in Crete is so useful and necessary.

These “many rebellious men” are people who are baptized and who profess to be Christians. They have taken their place in the church, but they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They openly resist the truth that is revealed by God and preached by Paul. By opposing sound doctrine they reveal their rebelliousness. These people have no respect at all for authority.

Paul also calls them “empty talkers”, who spit out only empty words that lead to no good at all. They possibly are eloquent people, who have a ready tongue. Believers who have no spiritual discernment are being deceived by this empty talk. That’s what it is all about for this people. They are “deceivers” who fool the thoughts of the believers, misguide them and lead them in the wrong direction. They are not people who sincerely think that they are right, but swindlers who confuse the believers inwardly.

Most of these false teachers are “of the circumcision”, so from Judaism. They are Christians who are originally circumcised Jews. They have never been totally freed from the law and are trying to impose the law on the Christians in Crete. Also today there are many of such people to be found in professing Christianity where so much Jewish religiosity from the Old Testament is present. A Judaist spirit of outward form service and legalism pervades professing Christianity. It is in contrast with the spirit of the Scripture to introduce elements of the Jewish religion, especially the law.

There has been a contention about this in the early church. This contention had come to a solution at an apostles’ meeting in Jerusalem (Acts 15:5-10). There it was decided that the law is not to be imposed on the believers ‘from the nations’. The law cannot be the rule of life for the Christian. You are not legalistic if you live strictly for yourself and at the same time give freedom to the other. You become legalistic only if you impose your rules of life on others.

V11. We should combat legalism radically, for it permeates whole families. In the letter to the Galatians Paul also sharply responds to these false brothers (Gal 2:4-5). Their doctrine is wrong and it is preached from evil motives. Paul commands here in general, so also you, that they must be silenced. ‘To silence’ is to muzzle the mouth, that it is not able anymore to do any harm. That is only possible through the power of God’s Word and through His Spirit (cf. Mt 22:34).

You cannot take a passive attitude toward false teachers. The moment they get an entrance in a family, if for instance a member of a family joins them, they disrupt the whole family. They ruin families by sowing confusion regarding sound doctrine. The motive that is hidden behind it, is the greed for money (cf. Acts 20:33).

V12. These Jewish false teachers easily find entrance because of the depraved national character of the Cretans. If someone comes to faith, he fundamentally doesn’t belong to a certain nation anymore. Still he bears with him the national nature with its evil characteristics. He always has to be alert that it will not control him again. Paul point this out to Titus. It is necessary to take a stand and act with authority against the expressions of this evil national character, that the believers may remain sound in faith.

This assertion about their national character is not just a view of Paul, but is confirmed by one of their own prophets, a certain Epimenides. He states without circumlocution that Cretans always lie. Their mendacity is even proverbial. ‘Speaking like a Cretan’ means lying.

Their own prophet compares them also with an evil, wild beast. Such a beast doesn’t want any bridle, for its nature is rebellious. It wants to bite and has a propensity for cruelty. A ‘lazy glutton’ thinks of nothing else than the satisfaction of his own lowest needs. He has an uncontrollable gluttony.

V13. Paul underlines the truth of their own prophet. Although Epimenides is not a prophet of God, God acknowledges his testimony through the mouth of Paul.

The false teachers are being led in their evil practices by this depraved national character. Paul knows what he is talking about. He has experienced during his stay in Crete that they are troublesome people. Therefore he tells Titus to act sharply against the outbreaks of that national character in the church. The goal of this action is that they may be sound in the faith.

V14. Paul connects another goal to this action. Titus must severely rebuke fantasies, human statutes and traditions. They are evil plagues in the church of God that stir Him up to jealousy and that are in contrast with His grace, for they exalt man. That applies to the believers in Crete and that applies to all believers at all times all over the world.

It concerns in the first place “Jewish myths”. Those are all kinds of fantasies and fabrications about the origin of spiritual beings like angels and demons. Those are all speculations without even a modicum of truth. It may seem interesting and books are written about it that also find readers. But to be sound in faith the believers should turn away from it. We must not pay attention to that, we must totally ignore it.

In the second place it concerns “commandments of men”. The commandments of men put man in the middle and make him imagine that he can earn salvation by complying with certain traditions and rituals. That can happen by additions to a commandment of God or by a distortion of a commandment of God. Jewish scribes are excellent masters in that. The result is that people neglect the commandment of God, while they keep the traditions of people (Mk 7:5-13).

In both cases there is mention of a “turn away from the truth” (cf. 2Tim 4:3-4). You recognize it today in many protestant churches where human statutes (reverends and pre-programmed services) play a major role and in the roman-catholic church where traditions (fables, mystics and idolatry) also play a major role.

V15. The Christendom that the Scripture shows us, doesn’t know any external rituals, except baptism and the Lord’s Supper. It comes down to the innermost being (1Sam 16:7; Psa 51:6). He, who is inwardly pure, is allowed to freely make use of all things, without any fear to get defiled. Such a person is not guided by his fleshly lusts, but by love (Rom 14:20).

“All things” doesn’t refer to morally evil things of course, but to external things like eating and drinking. Nothing of that is impure in itself (Rom 14:14; 1Tim 4:4). But those who have defiled themselves by sin and the unbelievers, defile everything they come into contact with. That’s because their mind and also their will and all their desires and goals have been blemished and defiled. That goes also for their conscience, their inward awareness. They have lost the ability to discern between good and evil. Where the mind and the conscience are defiled, there can be no purity.

V16. It is not about plain apostates. They claim to be fully informed about God and so join the ranks of believers. But profession and practice with these people are opposites. If you see what they are doing, it has got nothing to do with God. This denial of God by their deeds makes them “detestable” or ‘abominable’. The word ‘detestable’ is also used for an idol image and then it is indicated by ‘abomination’ (Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14). Here lies a close relation with the performance of the antichrist. These false teachers are breathing his spirit.

Another characteristic is that they are disobedient to God and His truth. They do not want to bow to it, but oppose it. There is not “any good deed”, i.e. everything that is useful, of such people to be expected; they are totally “worthless” for that.

Now read Titus 1:10-16 again.

Reflection: How can you recognize false teachers and how should you protect yourself against their influence?