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
Choose a chapter
Pick a chapter and it opens in the Current chapter tab. Come back here whenever you want to choose another one.
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
Want to read Titus start to finish? Open the reader for parallel Chinese/English text and ask anything as you go.
Start reading TitusTitus
Chapter 2
1But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:
2that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience:
3that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
4that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed:
6the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded:
7in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity,
8sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
9Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying;
10not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world;
13looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.
15These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise thee.