Titus 1:1-9 SET IN ORDER The apostle Paul's first letter to Timothy and his letter to Titus were written before his last time in prison at Rome. The second letter to Timothy was written shortly before he was put to death sometime later. Second Timothy is a personal letter dealing with personal matters between an older servant of the Lord and a younger one. The letter to Titus and the first one to Timothy are concerned with the needs of believers in the assembly at Ephesus and the assemblies in Crete. Apparently, there had been assemblies in Crete for around thirty years. The assemblies had been there long enough for evil to arise among them, but apparently, the leadership had not been able to deal with the problems. The overall message of this letter is God’s ideal for the Christian church and the Christian worker. God intends the local church to be orderly, sound in faith and morals, and practical works. The worker needs to have love of order and use appropriate methods to promote healthy, living doctrine and sober, good speech. In this book, there are two of the most comprehensive statements of Christian faith [2:11-17; 3:4-7].
When a charismatic leader passes on, there is a vacuum left that affects the work negatively unless there has been earnest preparation on the part of that leader to prepare others well in advance of his home call. If a work is left without well-prepared younger leaders, the work of an assembly can disintegrate and may even be destroyed to the point where it no longer exists. Enthusiastic leaders like Paul center their lives on the work of God and the word of God. They realize the need for the public proclamation of the Gospel. They know others have to be trained to carry on the "work of the ministry." This training needs to be done before the dynamic leader is gone, and before the vitality and effectiveness of an assembly diminish. At the beginning of this letter, Paul defines his own ministry, Titus' responsibility, and the leaders Titus would point out and spend time training. Titus himself was qualified to do this. We need to be on the lookout for those the Spirit of God is raising up to lead the saints. We all need to evaluate ourselves and see if we have anything at all to pass on to others. If so, we are qualified and responsible to do it.
Paul had searched for Titus, hoping to meet him in Troas and receive news about the Corinthian church. When he did not find Titus in Troas, he went on to Macedonia, most likely to Philippi, where he found Titus. Paul went from Ephesus to Philippi. Titus went from Corinth, on the opposite side of the Aegean Sea, to Philippi to meet there. After Paul was released from prison in Rome before his final imprisonment, he and Titus traveled together. They stopped in Crete, but Paul had to go on. He left Titus behind to help the churches in Crete. Paul warned Titus to be on the lookout for people who teach wrong doctrines and lead others into error. False teachers focus attention on themselves rather than on Christ. They want you to compromise your faith and almost always de-emphasize the divinity of Christ and the inspiration of the scripture. They want believers to make decisions based on human judgment rather than on prayer and biblical guidelines.
If we take time to analyze ourselves, we will find Titus would be a good example to follow. Titus was one of Paul’s converts [1:4] who accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem at the end of the first missionary journey, seventeen years after Paul’s conversion [Gal. 2:4]. Am I willing to forgo personal interest to assist one of the Lord's servants? Titus was older than Timothy in years and grace. Would I be willing to set aside the financial gains of my work life, even though I am in the highest-earning years of my life? Would I use my strength and education to further the Gospel and teach those of my generation the way of salvation? Titus was likely stronger physically than Timothy. He was a Greek convert whom Paul greatly loved and trusted. He was one of the men responsible for collecting money for the poor saints in Jerusalem [2 Cor. 8:6]. He was able to be trusted to begin a work and carry it to completion. Titus was a comforter and a good communicator [2 Cor. 7:6]. He was an encourager and an appreciative person for all that was done for him [2 Cor. 7:13]. Titus was trusted and dependable; mature and capable [Titus 1:4]. He refused to compromise to please others [Gal. 2:3]. Titus was committed to the Lord’s work in Dalmatia (Albania) [2Tim.4:10]. We need younger people who will be committed to carrying on the Lord's work in our day. The qualifications for leadership are almost all relating to character rather than skill. The way a person lives and their personal relationships reveal who they really are.
The work of the Lord is really quite similar in all ages and places. God takes people from all backgrounds and cultures, and equips them by His Spirit for His work and service. More importantly, those who guide the saints must be seen to be Christ-like where they live. Because none of us is able to fill such a need, He brings them together to manifest this as a called-out group. Titus had to guide this work in a very difficult place – Crete. The three areas of his teaching were in the assembly, in personal life, and in the world. Titus was given the responsibility of this training mission because he was a Cretan. His time with Paul had prepared him through Paul's training to do what was needed in Crete. Cretans were not people of good character [1:12,13]. They were not peaceable or patient. They were used to a democratic form of government and doing things in their own way. Titus’ charge in chapter three and verse one would not be very welcome to them. Paul had been able to trust Titus with delicate missions in Corinth [2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6]. Wherever we find self-appointed leaders and teachers, they create problems among the saints.
Paul was a servant of God with a stewardship to carry out and an apostleship with a special mission that no one else could do. The reason for his life and work began with proclaiming the Gospel far and wide. "The word of faith" was followed by teaching the knowledge of the truth in a way that it might be demonstrated in the godly living of those who received it. Their maturity would make his work real. These practices are still needed today, both in those who preach the Gospel and in assemblies. The truth of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised, is in contrast to that which was being taught by false teachers. The Jews were still trying to mix law and grace and would not let go of the law as being authoritative to Christians.