Ministry in Crete – Titus 1

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #201.  Today we’ll read Titus chapter 1 together:  After a short greeting, Paul dives right in talking about Titus’ ministry in Crete.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Welcome

Well, lookie here.  Another letter from Paul.  Wait, Joy, didn’t you say that 2 Timothy was Paul’s last letter?  Well, yes…yes, I did.  But remember, the Bible is not ordered chronologically.  Paul’s letter to Titus was written between 62 & 64 AD.  Titus was the other young man whom Paul referred to as his son in the faith.  Well, Paul also called him his partner and fellow worker and as his brother. Titus is mentioned like 13 times in the New Testament, nine of which are in 2 Corinthians.

This letter along with 1 & 2 Timothy are called the Pastoral Epistles.  (The word “epistle” means letter.)  Titus served beside Paul and as you recall in the last chapter we read together, Titus had gone to Dalmatia which is modern Yugoslavia.  Paul apparently trusted Titus implicitly, despite his youth, and left him in Crete to continue the work and appoint elders.  

Titus travelled all over with Paul for years.  As a matter of fact, it is thought that Titus came to Christ during Paul’s very first missionary journey and he accompanied Paul and Barnabas to the Jerusalem Council.  For this reason, Titus was very familiar with false teachers and Judaizers.  This letter was most likely a response to one of Titus’ reports from the island of Crete.  

My study notes say that the text in Titus is pretty straight forward and should be taken at face value.  If you find interpretive challenges, let’s talk about it at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Titus Chapter 1

Greeting

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior:

To Titus, my true son in our common faith.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Titus’s Ministry in Crete

The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly. One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commands of people who reject the truth.

To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. They claim to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Closing Thoughts

Wow!  That prophet from the island of Crete was not very complimentary of his own people, was he?  Titus must have had it going on if Paul trusted him to take care of the follow-up work in Crete.  They were apparently a tough crowd!  But those were the false teachers.  There were a lot of new believers in the church and, as you can see, Paul gave no correction or rebuke.  My study note suggests that Paul had confidence in their grounding in the doctrine.

The qualifications for elders in the Cretan city churches were pretty much the same as those listed in the Timothy letters.  Paul is nothing if not consistent.  Finally, you can hear Paul’s irritation with the false teachers.  He has no patience with them, is very protective of his flock of new believers, and doesn’t really even care to be polite.  Let’s pray.  

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for the faithfulness of Titus.  I can’t help but wonder how many came to Christ as a result of his faithfulness to the ministry.  Father, open our minds and make us sensitive to the lessons in this little book.  It seems so easy to understand.  Don’t let us underestimate or miss its wisdom.  Amen.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.