After wrapping up writing through the book of Ruth last week, the question is always, “What’s next?” In this case, what’s next is the book of Titus. You may be wondering, why Titus? Well, why not? It’s a book of the Bible that I have not yet studied in depth, and writing blog posts through a book is one of my favorite ways to dig deeper into the Scriptures and take others along for the journey.
But before we dive into this small but mighty letter in the New Testament, we need to explore the context of this book. Who wrote it and when? Why was it written? What was the historical situation then? And why does this letter still matter to us today?
The book of Titus begins with a clear attribution of authorship: "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ..." (Titus 1:1). From the earliest days of the Church, this letter has been regarded as one of the Pauline Epistles, attributed to the Apostle Paul, the great missionary and theologian of the early Christian movement.
Paul was a former Pharisee and zealous persecutor of Christians who was dramatically converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). He became a tireless evangelist, church planter, and theologian, spreading the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. His writings make up a significant portion of the New Testament and have profoundly influenced Christian doctrine and ethics.
Titus was one of Paul’s close companions and trusted ministry partners. Though not mentioned in the book of Acts, Titus appears in several of Paul’s letters. He was a Greek convert (Galatians 2:3) who likely came to faith through Paul’s ministry. Paul entrusted Titus with challenging missions, including the resolution of tensions in the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 7:6-16, 8:6, 8:16-24) and the organization of the churches in Crete (Titus 1:5).
Determining the date of Titus involves some detective work, especially because Titus is not directly mentioned in the book of Acts, where we have a better historical timeline to follow. Most conservative scholars date the letter between AD 63 and 65, after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (recorded at the end of Acts) and before his second and final imprisonment that led to his execution under Emperor Nero. This assumes that Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28), continued his missionary journeys, and later wrote Titus along with 1 Timothy. He is believed to have written 2 Timothy shortly before his martyrdom, making it his final letter.
Paul writes to Titus from an undisclosed location, possibly from Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), a city in the province of Epirus in northwestern Greece. This supports the theory that Paul continued to travel and evangelize after the events of Acts, entrusting different co-workers with the oversight of various churches.
Titus belongs to the genre known as "pastoral epistles," along with 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. These letters are called "pastoral" because they were addressed to individual pastors (Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete) rather than entire congregations. They provide instructions on church organization, qualifications for leaders, sound teaching, and the practical outworking of faith in community life.
As epistles, they follow the structure of ancient letter writing: a greeting, body, and closing. But unlike general epistles (like James or 1 Peter), the pastoral epistles are intensely personal, addressing specific individuals while still containing teachings meant to guide broader Christian practice.
Understanding the situation in Crete sheds light on the content of the letter. Crete was a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, strategically located for trade and travel. Its population was ethnically Greek and steeped in pagan religions and mythology. The Cretans were known in the ancient world for their moral laxity and mercenary tendencies. Christianity had apparently taken root in Crete, perhaps as early as Pentecost (Acts 2:11), when Cretans were among those who heard Peter’s sermon. But by the time Paul wrote to Titus, the churches there were young and disorganized, facing both moral and doctrinal challenges.
Paul had left Titus on the island to “straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town” (Titus 1:5). The fact that elders had yet to be established suggests a newly planted church with significant need for structure and teaching. In addition, false teachers were already infiltrating the fledgling congregations, promoting “Jewish myths” and legalistic distortions of the gospel (Titus 1:10-14). Paul’s letter to Titus, then, is both corrective and instructive. It aims to solidify church leadership, rebuke false teachers, and ensure that believers live lives that reflect sound doctrine.
Several key themes run throughout Titus, each reinforcing the relationship between belief and behavior. Sound doctrine and right teaching are essential for the health of the church. Doctrine is not abstract; it directly influences how people live. Church leaders must be people of integrity who are devoted to their families, self-controlled, and able to teach. Leadership in the church is not about status but about service and example. Christians must live in a way that “makes the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:10), which is particularly important in a society like Crete, where Christians stood out for their ethical conduct. Salvation is entirely by God’s grace, but that grace results in personal transformation. Finally, Paul is unapologetic in his condemnation of false teachers. Sound teaching is not just theological; it protects the spiritual well-being of the church.
The letter to Titus remains very relevant today. In a world full of moral confusion, religious distortion, and leadership scandals, Paul’s call for sound doctrine, godly leadership, and ethical living is as urgent as ever. Churches today need leaders who are not only theologically sound but also morally upright. Believers need to understand that the gospel is not merely a set of beliefs to affirm but a life to live. The message of Titus is for all believers today; we have received the grace of God, and we should let it transform our lives.
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