Titus – He Pours Out His Grace

Paul was a family man of a different sort. Though he never married or had any descendants to carry his name, he still fathered children—spiritually speaking—everywhere he went. In his evangelism, Paul did not view his converts as mere numbers added to the kingdom. They were people dear to God and as precious to his own heart as a child to a parent.

Titus was no exception, a Gentile born again into God’s family through Paul’s preaching. Having trained under Paul, Titus labored on the island of Crete to establish the church growing there. However, the time had come for Titus to help Paul with other people in other places. He needed to tie up loose ends by addressing the lingering influence of false teaching and the temptation to subvert God’s order of worship. To organize affairs, Paul gave Titus specific instructions on church government, including specific character traits each church leader must exhibit in order to remain over God’s people.

Beyond the issue of leadership, Paul addressed the entire body, urging them to holiness. They, even as believers are today, were easily influenced by the culture around them. Sin without and sin within threatened to divide and conquer them if they did not hold firmly to the truth Paul and Titus had planted in them through Scripture. Above all, Paul reminded them to devote themselves to good works—not as a means of salvation, but as a testament to the saving work God had already begun inside them.

With its strong emphasis on church organization, Titus has become a handbook for the body of Christ throughout the ages. By submitting to God’s prescription for church leadership, His body can grow strong to fight any false teaching and proactively pursue kingdom growth, one brother and sister at a time.

What is Paul’s message to Titus?

The book of Titus reminds us that our beliefs about God impact every decision we make in life. What decisions are you making?

What does sound doctrine mean to you?