◄ What Does Titus 1:1 Mean? ►

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 content, for it contains all that is needful for the Christian life and for godly living.

Paul introduces himself as God's bondservant in this first verse which identifies him as a willing slave to his supreme Leader - the eternal Creator of the universe. Paul was a man whom God the Father had set apart from his mother's womb. He had called Paul and was pleased to reveal His Son in him... so that he might preach Christ crucified among the Gentiles.

Not only was Paul God's bondservant, but he was also an apostle of Jesus Christ. His meeting with the risen, ascended, glorified Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, identifies Paul's apostleship as unique and unparalleled. There were many in Paul's day that challenged his credentials as an 'apostle of Christ' but his apostleship complies with every scriptural qualification and his ministry is endorsed in the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

Paul was the ambassador Christ chose to spread abroad the gospel of the grace of God to His elect. His ministry was to develop the faith of God's chosen people, through sound doctrine and mutual encouragement. He preached Christ crucified, Christ risen, Christ ascended, and Christ glorified... and his mission was to bring the lost to faith and the saved to spiritual maturity.

Paul was commissioned by God to evangelise lost sinners and to further the faith of those that had been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. He did this by teaching the knowledge of the truth of the glorious gospel of God, which is according to godliness.

Paul was used by the Lord to call out of the Gentiles a people for His name. He was commissioned to preach the Word, to teach us the way of godliness, and instruct us in godly living so that we may be spiritually equipped and enabled to come to a measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

And Titus was one of two men to whom Paul wrote personally and into whose hands he entrusted the furtherance of the gospel of Christ as his own departure drew ever closer. May we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest all we can from this little epistle to Titus so that we may also be equally equipped to share the knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness, with those that are lost in their sins... and give Christian encouragement to our fellow-bondservants in Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and for calling me into Your family, through faith in Christ. Help me to take heed of all that You would teach me, and use me, I pray, to point the lost to Christ and to encourage those that are saved by grace. Thank You that we have been equipped with knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN.