Sunday, January 13, 2019

Titus 1:1-4 "A Mind-blowing Introduction"


I want to spend a few weeks with you in this valuable little pastoral letter from Paul to Titus. In the course of the last two years I have   preached through   the first and second epistles to Timothy, and it is my desire to complete this little triad, which is sometimes known as the Pastoral Epistles.Titus is mentioned thirteen times in the NT. He is mentioned 9 times alone in 2 Corinthians[1], where Paul refers to him as “my brother Titus” (2:13) and “my partner and fellow worker” (8:23).

This letter was written between A.D. 62–64, during his ministry to the Macedonian churches (see 2 Cor. 8 &9), from either Corinth or Nicopolis (cf. 3:12). Most likely, Titus served with Paul on both the second and third missionary journeys. Titus, like Timothy (2 Tim. 1:2) had a special relationship with Paul.  Paul calls him ‘my true child (lit. my legitimate son) in a common faith’. In 2 Timothy 4:10 Paul reports that Titus had gone to Dalmatia— a very beautiful part of modern Croatia.

Chronologically, the letter to Titus predates the second letter to Timothy. At this stage  we find Titus  on the island of Crete, where Paul left him behind  to strengthen the work (1:5).At the close of this letter we will see that Paul requests Titus to come to him  at Nicopolis (in Achaia, a province  in Greece. Artemas or Tychicus (3:12) will be sent to replace him and to take over the ministry there. Paul, the gifted apostle certainly was the spiritual director of the mission to the gentiles, using young men to provide temporary leadership in places where mature Christian leadership was lacking. Many of Paul’s young men were sent on short assignments. The reason is clear. Christian leadership in new and difficult places is daunting. The enemy’s resistance to the work of the gospel of God is fiercest where  Satan is been driven out. This work is akin to a soldier fighting on the front lines. To keep them from burning out they were withdrawn while others are sent in their place. It is good  for young men to be tested  in doing  spiritual battle before they are assigned to become  elders and gatekeepers  of  a church.
So Crete is where Titus is now.  Crete is the 5th largest island in the  Mediterranean Sea. It has a surface area of 8,336 sq.km,  260 km’s  long, and  60 km’s  at its widest.

In Acts 27:7–9,12,13,21 we  read  that Paul had visited here  briefly  on his journey to Rome. He returned there for ministry and later left Titus to continue the work in Crete, just as he left Timothy at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3), while he went on to Macedonia. The letter was probably   written in response to a letter or a report from Titus concerning matters in Crete.

With all that in mind we proceed to the opening words of this epistle. Paul often writes  in long sentences[2],  adding  clause upon clause, as he pours out his heart on paper. The first four verses are written like this: 1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour…”

We really need to get over the long sentence structure (forbidden in English writing) and look deeper at what is moving Paul here to speak in this way.  One is under the impression that this man is so overwhelmed by the thought of God and the ministry that he has been given by God, that he finds it hard to find a full-stop! It really is a mind-blowing opening statement when we take  cognizance of all that  Paul says here. Let’s take a look:

1.     Paul’s  credentials: A bond servant of God and an apostle of  Jesus Christ

“Paul a servant (doulos – bond servant ; lit. a permanent  slave) of God”.  The prophets of the Old Testament frequently used this description of themselves in relation to God.  In the OT  there were  2 kinds of slaves.  Slavery in Israel was a temporary institution. After a period of time, servants or slaves were to be freed. It might be at the end of their payment of a debt; it might be at the end of a seven-year Sabbath cycle; or it might be in the year of Jubilee.  Slaves were not to be permanently held in Israel.  But there was a second kind of slave, one who voluntarily and permanently committed himself to his master. He was called a bond-servant. Paul begins this letter by saying “I am a bond-servant of God.”  He is committed to the permanent service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“…and an apostle of Jesus Christ”.  The term apostle (apostolos) in itself is essentially unspectacular. It means messenger boy. A messenger boy, though he bears an important message has no an intrinsic authority. The authority that he bears is the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was called to this service in Acts 9.

As we reflect upon the credentials of Paul we are struck by his humility. Though he represents the King of kings, he takes no power and no glory to himself. I am a bond slave and a messenger boy. I say this as the Namibian church  finds herself  in the horrible grip of  many so called apostles, so called men and women  of God, so called prophets  who live for their own glory and pockets and who  live  to  boost their own egos and who  draw men and women after themselves,   but  portray none of the character credentials  portrayed hereby the apostle Paul.  Paul is a servant and he is an apostle. He is nothing in himself and yet he has the greatest message for the whole world. That is, I say, mind blowing. One of the great temptations for  preachers  is that  they  forget  these godly models,  Paul and John the Baptist, men  who  know their place and yet know that they have a message unequalled to any other.    

2.     Paul’s  Calling 

Here is what Paul’s  servant and apostolic ministry is all about : the proclamation of  saving faith, sanctifying truth  and   a sure  hope:  
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ ...for the sake of  the faith of  God’s elect and their  knowledge of the truth,  which accords  with  godliness,  in  hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began, and  at the proper time manifested in  His word through the preaching with which I have been  entrusted by the  commandment of God our Saviour.”

(i)               “...for the sake of  the faith of  God’s elect”. Paul serves God by being a messenger of the gospel of Jesus. Those who hear are the eklektōn Theou - the elect of God.  They are the ones who have been given the gift of faith by God and they are the ones who are able to express their faith. Let’s say this again differently. Paul’s apostolic preaching and the response to that preaching is not the source of his hearers’ faith. It is a means.  The source of his hearers’ faith is God. God's choice/ election of them is the root of their response to God in faith. Paul is simply the messenger boy, the vessel which God uses.  And so Paul's purpose in ministry is to preach the Word of God in the full assurance that there will be a harvest of those that are called by God to believe- to have faith in Him. But that is not where the sentence ends. That is not where Paul’s calling ends.  

(ii)             He goes on to say that he is a servant and an apostle for the knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.  Paul’s calling from God   includes not only the fact that He is used to call out the elect of God, but that they may grow in the knowledge  of God’s truth  as it is revealed  in the OT Scriptures, and finally by the appearing of Christ – the final Word of God (Hebr.  1:1-3). To put it simply, Paul is saying here, “my ministry, which is by way of this calling and commission which I have received, is aimed at producing a sanctifying knowledge in the people of God.”  Paul is not content to see mere converts for God. He wants to see converts transformed for godly living.  He wants to see evangelism plus discipleship. The gospel truth as it is in Jesus must   accord with godliness. This is not the last time in this book that Paul will insist upon the connection between sound theology and godly living.  And to what end? This is where the next phrase comes in.

(iii)           “…in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began…”  The end of all things, our faith, and our sanctification is this: …the hope of eternal life. This is the ultimate motivation for Paul's work.  Eternal life! God’s people are saved for eternity.   This is not just wishful thinking. Notice how Paul roots this particular thought in the character of God… in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began… . God never lies. What He promises He will do!  

So in his opening verses Paul describes  his servant ministry as an apostle in terms of bringing the full-orbed  message of the  work of salvation that begins with faith, and which continues  in living out that faith in this life  through  sanctified (or godly) living and which ends after our death  with eternal life… and thus his summary statement which follows: “and  at the proper time manifested in  His word through the preaching with which I have been  entrusted by the  commandment of God our Saviour.” A mind-blowing perspective!  

That, in a nutshell  is the work  of  Paul the servant apostle.  
And that is essentially the work of the ministry which we are called to imitate. The reason why  this ministry at Eastside Baptist  Church exists  is to
(i)  bring God’s elect to saving faith. We do this by faithful gospel centred preaching  
(ii)  help them to grow  in the knowledge of the truth which leads to godly living  while they live. We do this through expository preaching and discipleship classes 
(iii) keeping their eyes on the hope of their eternal reward. We preach and pray   in such a way that we can say with John Wesley that our people die well and in full assurance of the hope of heaven. Wesley knew that the secret to dying well was living well.[3] 

Are you praying for our common ministry to have this effect in our community? Are you praying for your preachers to be servant like messenger boys of the Word of Jesus? Are you praying that they will do their work fully in   preaching the gospel so that the elect may hear? And once they are converted that they may grow in the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness? Are you praying that we as Christ’s sheep will keep our eyes on our eternal hope and not just on our little, limited earthly retirement? Remember that life is a vapour, and soon you will appear before Jesus, and if you have trusted Him in this life you will be received into eternal dwellings.    

A closing Word

"To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour…”

Titus is a wonderful example of all that we have seen here. Having grown up in a gentile - pagan environment, he heard the gospel from Paul.  He now shares a common faith with Paul. He has received grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is one of God’s elect who truly hears, and therefore by faith in Jesus he is converted. Under faithful, diligent teaching and by the knowledge of the truth he grows in grace and godliness and very soon he becomes a useful co- worker with Paul.

The Christian life begins with grace and peace, but the Christian life ends with grace and peace, as well. Expect to see Titus in heaven.


[1] 2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:6,13,14; 8:6,16,23; 12:18
[2] Ephesians 1:3-14 ,in the Greek is a famous   example.

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