“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; 4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” (Titus 1:1–4 (ESV)
The second of Paul’s Pastoral Epistles is Titus. Chronologically, it follows the epistle of 1 Timothy and precedes 2 Timothy.
The Epistle of Titus was obviously named for its recipient, Titus. He is mentioned 13 times in the New Testament (Titus 1:4; Gal. 2:1, 3; 2 Tim. 4:10) with nine of those citations found in 2 Corinthians.
Authorship is by the apostle Paul (1:1). Titus was approximately written between A.D. 62–64, while Paul ministered to Macedonian churches between his first and second Roman imprisonments, from either Corinth or Nicopolis (cf. 3:12). Most likely, Titus served with Paul on both the second and third missionary journeys. Titus, along with Timothy (2 Tim. 1:2), had become a beloved disciple (Titus 1:4) and fellow worker in the gospel (2 Cor. 8:23). Paul’s last mention of Titus (2 Tim. 4:10) reports that he had gone for ministry in Dalmatia—modern Yugoslavia. The letter probably was delivered by Zenas and Apollos (Titus 3:13).
Although Luke did not mention Titus by name in the book of Acts, it is probable that Titus, a Gentile (Gal. 2:3), met and may have been led to faith in Christ by Paul (Titus 1:4). This would have taken place before or during the apostle’s first missionary journey. Later, Titus ministered for a period of time with Paul on the Island of Crete and was left behind to continue and strengthen the work (1:5). After Artemas or Tychicus (3:12) arrived to direct the ministry there, Paul wanted Titus to join him in the city of Nicopolis, in the province of Achaia in Greece, and stay through the winter (3:12).
Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Because of his involvement with the church at Corinth during Paul’s third missionary journey, Titus is mentioned nine times in 2 Corinthians (2:13; 7:6, 13–14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18), where Paul refers to him as “my brother” (2 Cor. 2:13) and “my partner and fellow worker” (2 Cor. 8:23). The young elder was already familiar with Judaizers, false teachers in the church who among other things insisted that all Christians, Gentile as well as Jew, were bound by the Mosaic Law. Titus had accompanied Paul and Barnabas years earlier to the Council of Jerusalem where that heresy was the subject (Acts 15; Gal. 2:1–5).”
More to come. I urge you to begin reading the Epistle of Titus. Have a blessed day.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 