BIBLE BOOK GUIDE
Titus
3 chapters
God's chosen people are equipped to live godly, orderly lives in the true faith while awaiting the return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus
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Why this book was written
Paul wrote to his fellow worker Titus to help him organize the churches on Crete by appointing elders, correcting false teaching, and instructing believers of every age group to live in line with the gospel, so that God's Word would not be reviled and the gospel would be honored among all people.
Structure
- 1:1–4Greeting and Mission
- 1:5–16Appointing Elders and Silencing False Teachers
- 2:1–15Godly Living in Line with Sound Doctrine
- 3:1–15Good Works and the Hope of Eternal Life
Major themes
Sound Doctrine and Godly Living
Titus stresses that sound teaching must align with godly living; faith cannot be separated from conduct (1:1, 2:1, 2:12).
Church Order and the Appointing of Elders
Paul directs Titus to appoint elders in every town and lists qualifications for overseers in character and doctrine (1:5-9).
Grace and Redemption
God's salvation has appeared through the grace of Christ and His atoning sacrifice, cleansing believers to be His people (2:11-14, 3:4-7).
Good Works as Witness
Believers are called to be devoted to good works so that the doctrine may not be reviled and so they may adorn the gospel before the world (2:7-8, 3:1-2, 3:8, 3:14).
Resisting False Teaching
Titus warns to silence those who teach false doctrine, especially those motivated by dishonest gain who upset whole households (1:10-16, 3:9-11).
God's word is trustworthy, and believers hope for the promised eternal life, awaiting the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (1:2, 2:13, 3:7).
How it points to Christ
Titus exalts Jesus Christ as our great God and Savior (2:13), who gave Himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession (2:14). The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation through rebirth, washing, and renewal by the Holy Spirit, making us His people as we await our blessed hope—the appearing of His glory (2:11-13, 3:4-7). The book presents Christ as the foundation of the church, the Redeemer, and the focus of the believer's hope.
Key verses
- 1:1Paul describes himself as a servant and apostle bringing about the faith of God's elect that agrees with godliness.
- 1:9An elder must hold firm to the trustworthy message, able to encourage with sound teaching and refute those who oppose it.
- 2:1Titus must teach what accords with sound doctrine, setting the standard for the church's life.
- 2:11–14God's grace has appeared, training us to renounce ungodliness and live self-controlled, godly lives while we wait for the appearing of our Savior.
- 2:15Titus is to speak, encourage, and rebuke with all authority, letting no one disregard him.
- 3:1–2Believers are to be subject to authorities, ready for every good work, and gentle toward everyone.
- God saved us not by our righteous deeds but by His mercy, through washing and renewal of the Holy Spirit, justifying us by grace.
- 3:14Our people must learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet pressing needs and not be unfruitful.
People in this book
Questions for reflection
- ·Am I living a godly life that matches sound doctrine? Is my faith consistent with my conduct? (Titus 2:1-14)
- ·Am I guarding sound doctrine in the church and gently resisting those who trouble the faith with false teaching? (Titus 1:10-16, 3:9-11)
- ·Do I truly understand and experience God's grace in Christ—redemption, rebirth, and the hope of eternal life? (Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7)
- ·Am I showing humility, gentleness, and peace in my work, relationships, and ministry, so that I am a good witness? (Titus 3:1-2)
- ·Am I devoted to doing good works, so that my life becomes a channel through which others may know Christ? (Titus 3:8, 3:14)
Where Titus fits in the Bible's storyline
This book appears in the 12-stop storyline at:
Where to start reading the Bible? See the full 12-stop storyline
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Chapter 1
1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
2in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
3but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;
6if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
7For the bishop must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
8but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;
9holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.
10For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,
11whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.
13This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.