◄ Titus Devotional Commentary ►
Titus 1:1
Paul wrote three pastoral epistles, the shortest of which was sent to Titus, his fellow bond-servant in the Lord. It reiterates much of the content in first Timothy and lays important emphasis on the doctrine of grace and its necessary relationship to godliness and good works.
No doubt Titus read and re-read this brief letter many times over, in order to extract all its nuggets of truth and to store in his heart its significant read more...
Titus 1:2
Like his letters to Timothy, this epistle to Titus outlines the qualification of elders, the characteristics of false teachers, and the godly behaviour that should be evident in the lives of all believers. And like so many of Paul's writings, his main focus was to further the gospel of Jesus Christ and to equip the saints in sound doctrine so that they would be enabled to grow in their own spiritual understanding of the glorious gospel of grace, and to proclaim the read more...
Titus 1:3
The book of Titus gives brief but thorough guidance on living a consecrated and virtuous Christian life that is holy to the Lord and displays grace and love to others. Titus was the man who was entrusted to teach, correct, and give guidance to the Christians in Crete, but Paul was the person who was entrusted by the Lord to reveal the truth of the gospel of grace to Titus, and to many in the early Gentile church.
In his letter read more...
Titus 1:4
It is always a joy when a man or woman trusts in Christ as their Saviour and sets out on their life-journey with Jesus at the helm, but what a thrill it must have been for Paul when Titus, his "true son in the common faith," was ready to take on full responsibility for the establishment of the Christian churches throughout the Isle of Crete.
It is at the start of his letter, that Paul identifies his read more...
Titus 1:5
Titus was Paul's spiritual son in the common faith. He was a valuable assistant who was entrusted to oversee the establishment of the Church in the island of Crete. Titus was to appoint godly elders who were equipped to maintain doctrinal purity and support those in their care.
We discover that wherever Paul founded a Christian Church, false teachers quickly infiltrated the congregation and false doctrines were rapidly introduced, to undermine the true read more...
Titus 1:6
Paul was commanded by God, our Saviour, to carry out a unique mission as Christ's apostle to the Gentiles - and he chose certain men to have oversight of the setting up of local churches around Asia Minor.
Those first few years must have been quite problematic, as the fledgling Church sought to establish itself. They did not have the benefit of the written New Testament. Nevertheless, they received certain mysteries from the read more...
Titus 1:7
Paul was a bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his calling as God's appointed apostle to the Gentiles was to furnish the elect of God with a knowledge of the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ. Paul was an apostle of Jesus, who was called to equip believers with godly attributes which would glorify our Father in heaven.
Titus was a young man who, like Timothy, demonstrated some special spiritual characteristics which had read more...
Titus 1:8
The goal of Paul's ministry was to spread the gospel of Christ and its salvation message to many people. His goal also included giving godly instruction to those that were saved by grace through faith in Christ, and to remind pastors and teachers to preach the Word of God in season and out of season, and to correct, rebuke, and encourage the flock of God with great patience and careful instruction.
But Paul also knew that there read more...
Titus 1:9
The qualities that Paul lists for church elders and spiritual leaders are those to which every godly man should aspire. Not only are they called to be even-tempered in their dealings with others, honourable in all aspects of their home life, self-restrained in their business and financial dealings, and hospitable towards others, but they are instructed to stand firm in the faith, to hold fast to sound biblical doctrine, and to be able to exhort and encourage others read more...
Titus 1:10
Wherever gospel seeds of truth are sown, it is never long before the destructive tares of false doctrine are sure to be quickly spawned. Such was the case for Titus when he was working on the Isle of Crete, and Paul is quick to respond with wise advice to his fellow-worker, and offer Christian encouragement to this dearly loved co-labourer in Christ.
Titus was being bombarded with a range of different false teachings and read more...
Titus 1:11
There were many issues in the early Church that Paul frequently addressed, and in his epistle to Titus we discover the importance that he laid on sound teaching, godly leadership, the refuting of legalism in the Church, and other doctrinal errors.
Paul regarded the proclamation of the Word of God, in season and out of season, to be vital in fulfilling one's calling. He was also keen to ensure that the spiritual leadership of the read more...
Titus 1:13
Just as to Moses was given the administration of the Law, Paul was given the administration of the Church, and many Church-age doctrines which had been hidden from view in times past were given to us through the apostle Paul. To Paul was given the glorious mystery among the Gentiles: "Which is Christ in you the hope of glory." But as with Paul, the glorious gospel of grace was as viciously opposed in those early days of the Church, as it is in these read more...
Titus 1:15
Location, location, location is often the cry when looking for the right house, but context, context, context must be the call when interpreting Scripture. But how often the Word of God is taken out of context by carnal believers, religious legalists, and unregenerate man alike; distorting the good news of Christ and perverting the message of the Cross and how to live godly lives.
This verse in Titus is often incorrectly used by read more...
Titus 1:16
Titus was a man that was sound in his doctrine and had been authorised by Paul to appoint church elders in every city on the island of Crete. These men were to be equally grounded in sound doctrine and firmly committed to safeguarding biblical truth in their local assemblies.
Paul was also concerned that the appointed elders were equipped to identify false, unscrupulous, or ignorant teachers, and to be prepared to challenge any read more...
Titus 2:1
Timothy was told to preach the Word, in season and out of season. He was also instructed to reprove, rebuke, exhort, and encourage the flock of Christ in two particular ways: with all long-suffering, and with sound doctrine. And here, we find Titus having the same instruction and being reminded of the critical importance of healthy teaching and sound doctrine.
Earlier in his epistle to Titus, Paul described the qualifications, read more...
Titus 2:1
Both Timothy and Titus were young pastors who were exhorted to preach the Word, and were warned of the dangers of false teachers and unscriptural doctrines. Indeed, their speech, their actions, their attitudes, and even their motives were to accord to godliness and to reflect sound doctrine and wholesome teachings, both of which are firmly anchored to scriptural facts in the Word of God.
Paul was God's chosen vessel to expound read more...
Titus 2:3
Paul's life and ministry as God's chosen apostle to the Gentiles was drawing to its close, and yet when Paul wrote his letters to both Timothy and Titus, he recognised the increasing problem of false teachers and heretical dogma. Paul gave a stern warning that a time was coming when men and women would not endure sound doctrine.
Paul warned that many would profess to know the Lord and yet would deny Him by their ungodly works. read more...
Titus 2:4
Timothy was a young pastor to whom Paul passed on much valuable information about things which are fitting for sound teaching and wholesome doctrine. Not all doctrine covers issues of justification for the lost. Most of Paul's advice concerns righteous living for the saved and gives instruction on our interactions with fellow believers. Much of his teaching is linked with our progressive sanctification, maturing in the faith, and growing in grace.
read more...
Titus 2:5
Unlike the rest of Paul's writings, the two books of Timothy and the book of Titus were written to pastors, rather than an entire congregation. As well as offering encouragement to these younger men, the three epistles give instruction on how the Body of Christ should function and interact with one another, and also list the roles and responsibilities of Church leaders and those in their charge.
Having detailed the read more...
Titus 2:7
The apostle Paul sent a short epistle to Titus, who was a Greek convert to Christianity and had become a trusted fellow-bondservant of Christ. He not only accompanied Paul to the council of Jerusalem, which agreed that Gentiles do not have to become Jews nor do Jews have to become Gentiles, but he participated in ministry work in Corinth, Ephesus, and the little island of Crete.
Titus was a trusted minister of the gospel, and read more...
Titus 2:8
There are lessons on godly living for men and women of all ages in Paul's letter to Titus, and we would all be well-advised to take to heart his guidelines for those in positions of authority within the church: "Encourage the young men to be self-controlled in everything," he advises. "Make yourself an example of good works with integrity in doctrine. Be dignified in your teaching. Your message is to be sound in speech and beyond read more...
Titus 2:11
The grace of God is not a formula to be discovered through scientific means, nor is it a mechanism to be made, or a code of practice to be adopted. The grace of God is not an invention to be created out of man's intellectual skill, technological expertise, creative ability, or artistic imagination.
The grace of God appeared on earth in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and read more...
Titus 2:12
There are godly rules and important instructions in the college of Christian living, which educate believers in sound doctrine, purity of heart, and saintly behaviour. As we journey through the ups and downs of life, we are called to implement these rules for living in each of our lives.
Older men and matrons, younger men and women, youths and elders, together with slaves and masters, all receive a range of biblical directives in read more...
Titus 2:13
We are living as aliens in a foreign land, for our citizenship is not of this world. We have been made co-heirs of the King of Glory by faith, and our home is in heaven. We are part of the new creation in Christ and are, "looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."
The Blessed Hope in this verse is referring to the Rapture of the Church, when Jesus read more...
Titus 2:14
Our salvation is nothing to do with what we DO but rests entirely upon what the Lord Jesus Christ has DONE. Our salvation has everything to do with Christ's merit and His finished work on the Cross and has nothing to do with our human merit or the good deeds we may do. Our salvation is a free gift of God's grace for all who simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, by grace through faith in Him. Our salvation rests of the finished work of Christ on the Cross of read more...
Titus 2:15
Paul gave some important teaching concerning the organisation and orderliness of the Church in Titus chapter 2, so that the Body of Christ would come to a knowledge of the truth, which leads to godliness. He explained that the Church should be a living testimony to the world, a living proof of the gospel of Christ and the goodness of God.
The godly lives and righteous behaviour of believers should set an example to the ungodly, read more...
Titus 3:1
Paul addressed a short but power-packed letter to Titus, who was one of his fellow-labourers in the spreading of the gospel of grace - particularly to the churches in the island of Crete. Having outlined the duties of church elders and the pastoral role of those in Christian leadership, Paul exhorts Titus, and all his fellow-believers in Christ, to be subject to rulers, to obey the legislative authorities, and to be ready for every good deed that God has prepared read more...
Titus 3:3
This condensed book of Titus is a short, sharp, brisk message on salvation, but it is an important one because it instructs us on how to deal with life. It touches on our conduct towards governmental authority and local leadership, and discusses our attitude towards society and the many unbelievers that cross our paths.
It instructs us on our behaviour towards our brothers and sisters in Christ and our responsibility towards God. read more...
Titus 3:4
God's highest expression of love and kindness towards mankind, is rooted in His eternal plan of redemption. Christ was appointed by the Father to fulfil His plan of salvation and to secure it by the sacrifice of His righteous life - through the spilling of His holy blood on Calvary's Tree.
The Son of the Father came to earth as the sacrifice for sin, because of God's great loving-kindness, His sweet tender-compassion, and His read more...
Titus 3:5
How wonderful is the truth that we are saved, that all our sins were washed away, and we were born from above, the moment we trusted Christ Jesus as Saviour.
Salvation did not come to us because of any good deeds that we did or because we gained some merit. Indeed, one of the most difficult things for sinful man to accept is that salvation is a free gift of grace from God to those who simply believe on Christ as Saviour, those read more...
Titus 3:5
God was moved with compassion for sinners and because of His great love, He designed a perfect plan to redeem us. We have no role to play in His redemptive plan, other than to believe His Word, for as fallen sinners we would fail and so: "He saved us, not on the basis of good deeds which we have done, like being righteousness or performing good works, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration read more...
Titus 3:6
It is because of God's grace and mercy that sinful man is able to be redeemed by the blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and our sins washed away forever. And it is in the power of the Holy Spirit that we are born from above and placed into the family of God.
When we believed in Christ as Saviour, our sins were forgiven and we were declared righteous before God. When we trusted Christ, we were immediately given a new read more...
Titus 3:7
As this epistle to Titus is drawing to a close, Paul is reminding him of the way that Christians should live their lives when we are surrounded by people that are not believers in Christ. He reminded him to be submissive to rulers and authorities and to be ready and willing to be kind and helpful to all who cross his path. He warns Titus to avoid the worldly habits of unkindly actions and deceitful words, but encourages him to live a life that reflects the beauty read more...
Titus 3:9
'Divide-and-conquer' has been an effective weapon that has been implemented since the creation of the world, and the crooked serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, is the greatest manipulator of this insidious strategy.
He used it in the garden to estrange man from God and men from women. It was his game-plan to help execute the first murder in the Bible and to crucify the Lord of glory – and he uses it today in the fields of politics, religion, read more...
Titus 3:10
Paul's epistle to Titus outlines the conduct, integrity, and maturity that should be the hallmark of spiritual leadership, both in the body of Christ and in the home environment. He also gives some instruction to the whole Body of Christ on living godly lives in this fallen world system - as we live in our local communities and interact with a wide variety of unbelievers.
Throughout the New Testament, we are given helpful read more...
Titus 3:11
Paul gave us many faithful sayings and offered some wise instructions in his epistles, and as this short but masterful letter to Titus is drawing to its close, Paul exhorts him to make sure that those that have put their faith in God, "devote themselves to good actions," and are eager to do good and help other people.
Such fruit of the Spirit should be evident in the lives of all Christians, but there are also read more...