Take Two: Titus 1, Proverbs 26

In this letter, often referred to as a “pastoral epistle” Paul addresses some specific concerns with the church at Crete, and lays out for us all…specific doctrinal teaching that, if lived out, paves the way for healthy fellowship in the family of God.

NOTE: One of the dangers in reading a short letter like this…is reading it “the same” as you always have. Often times, our interpretation of Scripture is affected by our predispositions before reading a text. A passage can (and often does) speak to a person differently from time to time. Interpretation is affected by contemporary issues, a reader’s particular context, and the illumination of the text by the Holy Spirit.

Bearing all of this in mind, here is how Chapter 1 struck me today.

Paul gives a pretty long greeting to such a short letter. There is an intent to his actions. In v.1, he uses a unique phrase for him…”a bond-servant of God.” In other places, he speaks of being a bond-servant of Christ, but this phrase is unique to Titus. To paraphrase: “Paul, a willing servant of God and one sent by Christ for the faith of those who are true believers, and so the revealing of knowledge that is consistent with godliness.” V.2, these things are necessary for those who hope in eternal life which is certain and promised by God long ago. This promise was manifested even in God’s Word (v.3) , and in the proclamation of Paul which he does at the command of Christ.”

IOW: Paul states that what he teaches carries with it the authority of God and is commended to him by Christ, who commands him to speak it…for the hope of eternal life.

POINT: No one can read the content of this letter and simply dismiss it as a person’s perspective. It carries with it, the entire weight of the throne of God.

V.4 is key. Paul describes Titus as “cut from the same cloth.” In other words, he transfers his approval of Titus’ message and leadership to the readers. He wants the church at Crete to know that Titus speaks as a “child of Paul’s in the faith” and therefore…when Titus speaks and what Titus says is as if Paul said it himself; furthermore…based on what Paul just stated about his commission from God…Titus speaks to the church at Crete with the authority of God.

NOTE: This is very key. Titus was not an apostle but, as he taught that which Paul laid down (apostolic doctrine), he spoke with the authority of God. Many people in church today find it easy to discount doctrinal teaching from a pastor…as simply “his interpretation” or “his opinion”…not realizing that as far as it relates to apostolic doctrine, it is more than a pastor’s opinion or interpretation…it is an authoritative Word from God. (So…we must be very careful not to too easily dismiss what our spiritual leaders in authority say).

To summarize vv.5-16, we see the qualifications of elders (pastors/overseers) in a more concise list than in 1 Timothy. We recognize that the elder/pastor is a “steward” of God (v.7) overseeing what God has entrusted to him to lead. A characteristic of a pastor that is crucial is his ability to discern and teach theology and doctrine…since his adeptness at this is crucial to exhort (sound doctrine) and refute (those who teach wrong doctrine).

The necessity is very apparent to Paul in Crete…since there are false religious teachers among the people who must be challenged, rebuked, and corrected. Many of them are of Jewish descent (v.10) who teach Judaism’s traditions and OTHER man-made traditions as necessary activities to the path of right standing with God (v.14).

Paul does not teach that we “live and let live;” rather, that these false teachers be confronted with “severe reproof” so that they might turn from their false teachings (v.13). Their false teaching is upsetting families and destroying the faith. To not confront, is to tacitly approve of their message and to be a co-conspirator in their destructive works.

God’s Word is nothing to mess around with. For that matter, godly teaching is nothing to mess around with. We would all do well to elevate it to a high place of authority in our lives…even/especially when we wish it said something more “in line” with how we feel.

Proverbs 26:12 is the takeaway today. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”