Teaching Notes TITUS 2 and 3

& & &

Teaching Notes TITUS 2 and 3

& & &

Traveling Companion of Paul

Assisted Building Churches on

the Island of Crete

Birth Unknown 1st Century.

Died. 96AD to 107AD on

Crete according to Eusebius

& & &

It is Day 21 of the COVID-19 Quarantine.  This has not happened since 1918 in Georgia.

& & &

Titus 2 and 3

Chapters 2 and 3. Good Works

The grand emphasis of this Book is “Good Works”. Not that

we are saved by good works, but by His Mercy, 3:5, and justified

by His Grace, 3:7. But because of this we are under strict obliga-

tion to be “zealous of good works", 2:14; “an example of good

works", 2:7; “ready unto every good work, 3:1; “be careful to

maintain good works”, 3:8; “maintain good works for necessary

uses", 3:14. One of the indictments of the false teachers was that

they were ”unto every good work reprobate", 1:16.

The Power of Beautiful Lives, 2: 1-14. Aged men, aged women,

young women, mothers, young men, and slaves are exhorted to

be so faithful to the natural obligations of their own station in

life that critics of their religion would be silenced, 2:8.

Slaves, of whom there were many in the early Church, are

exhorted to be so obedient, diligent, and faithful that their lives

would “adorn” their religious profession 2:10, and their heathen

masters would be constrained to think, “If that is what the Christ

ian religion does for slaves, there must be something to it”.

The Blessed Hope, 2:11-14. The Lord’s Coming Again supplies

the motive to godly living in this present world. It is mentioned

ìn almost “everyone of the NT books.

Obedience to Civil Authorities, 3:1-2, is a prime Christian virtue.

Citizens of heaven should be good citizens of the earthly govern—

ment under which they live. Rom 18:1-7; I Pet 2:13-17.

The Genealogies, 3:9, referred to here and in I Tim 1:4, seem to

quite prominently  in  the  doctrine of the false have figured

teachers who were at that time infesting ‘the churches of Crete

and Ephesus. Possibly they were basing their claims for their

teaching on Davidic ancestry and kinship to Jesus, with inside

information on  the  Gospel.  Or teaching  strange  doctrines.

grounded on abstruse interpretations of passages in genealogies.

 “Heretic”, 3:10, . After a reasonable effort to set a false  teacher 

right,  avoid  him.  “Artemas”,  3:12, is nowhere else mentioned. 

Tradition says he became bishop of Lystra. “Tychicus”, 12, 

was  of Asia, Acts 20:4. Either he  or Artemas was to take Titus'

position in Crete. “Nicopolis”, 12, in Greece, about 100 miles

NW of  Corinth. See note on Paul's Later Movements under

Acts 28:31. “Zenas”, (the lawyer) 13, mentioned nowhere

else. He was either a Jewish scribe or a Greek civil lawyer.

“Apollos”, 13, see on Acts 18. It seems that he and Zenas,

on a journey to some unknown destination,

bore this letter to Titus.

& & &

Overview of the Book of Titus
From The Bible Project


& & &

& & &

Titus 2 New International Version (NIV)

Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Titus 3 New International Version (NIV)

Saved in Order to Do Good

3 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,

5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. 11 You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.

Final Remarks

12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. 13 Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. 14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.

15 Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

& & &

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959, 1964

& & &

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

END

Teaching Notes TITUS 1

& & &

Teaching Notes TITUS 1

& & &

Traveling Companion of Paul

Assisted Building Churches on

the Island of Crete

Birth Unknown 1st Century.

Died. 96AD to 107AD on

Crete according to Eusebius

& & &

Appointment of Elders to the Church in Crete

Similar to I Timothy. Titus and I Timothy

were written about the same time, around 65 AD. 

Both deal with the same general subject: the appointment 

of proper leaders: Titus in Crete, Timothy in Ephesus.

The problem with Church leaders and Elders in both places

very much the same. 

& & &

Crete

An island, also known as Candia, SE of Greece, on the border

seas, about 150 miles long between the Aegean and Mediterranean

were fertile and 7 to 30 wide. Mountainous, but its valleys

populous and rich; the “island of a hundred cities". The seat of

an ancient and powerful civilization that had already become

legendary at the dawn of Greek history. Its highest mountain,

Mt Ida, was famous as the legendary birthplace of the Greek

god Zeus. Home of the half-mythical lawgiver Minos, son of

Zeus, and of the fabulous Minotaur. The people were akin to

the Philistines, thought to have been identical with the Chere—

thites, I Sam 30:14. Daring sailors and famous bowmen, with a

very bad moral reputation. 

Concerning the Churches of Crete

                            

Titus was a Greek, who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem, whose

circumcision Paul steadfastly resisted, Gal. 223-5. One of Paul's

converts, Tit 1:4.

Some years later he appears with Paul in Ephesus, and is sent

to Corinth to look after certain disorders, and to initiate the

offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem, II Cor 816,10. Returning

from Corinth, he meets Paul in Macedonia, and, after explaining

the situation to Paul, he is then sent back to Corinth, ahead of

Paul, bearing the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, to pave the

way for Paul’s coming, and to complete the offering, II Cor

2:3,12,13; 7:5,6,13,14; 8:16,17,18,23; 12:14,18. The fact that Titus

was chosen to look after the troubling situation in Corinth

indicates that Paul must have considered him a very capable,

wise, and tactful Christian leader.

The next we hear of Titus, some 7 or 8 years later, is in the

Epistle to Titus, about 65 AD. Titus is in Crete. The expression

"left in Crete", Tit 1:5, shows that Paul had been there with him.

Paul’s ship, in his voyage to Rome, Acts 27, touched on the S

shore of Crete, but it is scarcely likely that that could have been

the time when he left Titus there. The prevailing opinion is that,

after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment in Rome about

63 AD, he returned east, including Crete in his itinerary.  After

setting the Cretan churches in order, Titus is to be replaced by

Artemas or Tychicus, and Titus is asked to rejoin Paul in Nicopolis,

in Western Greece, Tit 3:12.

The last notice of Titus is in II Tim 4:10, where it is said that

he had gone from Rome to Dalmatia. Evidently he had rejoined

Paul, and was with him when arrested, accompanying him to

Rome.  Whether he abandoned Paul in that dark and lonely hour

because of threatening dangers, or Paul sent him to finish the

evangelization of the coast NW of Greece, we do not know.

Tradition says that Titus became bishop of Crete, and died

peaceably at an advanced age.   [History by Eusebius]

& & &

The False Teachers, Titus 1:10-16. The Cretan churches were beset

with false teachers who, like those spoken of in II Pet 2 and Jude,

while professing to be Christian teachers, were “abominable" and

“reprobate”, 1: 16. The quotation from the Cretan poet, 12, is from

 Epimenides 600 B C. 

“Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”

The "mouths" of the false teachers were t'o

 be stopped, not by force, but by vigorous proclamation of the

 truth, 11. “Whole houses" probably means whole congregations,

 For churches then met in family homes.

& & &

Overview of the Book of Titus
From The Bible Project


& & &

& & &

Paul Ordaining Titus on Crete.

& & &


Titus 1 New International Version

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,

4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good

5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”[c] 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Footnotes:

Titus 1:5 Or ordain

Titus 1:6 Or children are trustworthy

Titus 1:12 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides

& & &

Titus 1

& & &

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959, 1964

& & &

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

END