Titus 1:1-4: Greeting

2022-04-09

The author of this third and final Pastoral Epistle (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) is written by the apostle Paul, as were the epistles to Timothy. The greeting here, like in other epistles, tell us something about the human author and the mission God has given him.

This book has the longest introduction of the Pastoral Epistles. Paul and Timothy’s relationship may have been a lot closer than Paul and Titus’ relationship. In 2 Timothy 4:10, Titus left Paul at his lowest point. We do not know the reason, or if he had control over the matter.

If their relationship was not as close, it may be that Paul would give himself a longer introduction so Titus could remember his authority given him from the Lord.

Titus 1:1

Paul was “a servant of God.” The word “servant” means “slave.” When you think of a slave, normally such a one does not have a choice of employer. A slave does not resign from his position if he wants to work elsewhere. A slave is in servitude to his master until his master relieves him.

A slave does not fulfill his wishes first, and then thinks of his master as afterthought. His lord has primacy, and when a servant has taken care of his master, he looks to his own affairs when he can. Consider Luke 17:7-10. A servant does what is expected of him, not expecting thanks and gratitude. He is just doing what he is told because that is his purpose. This illustration is perfect to understand our situation. We are servants of God. We look to His requirements first before we look on our own needs.

Paul is that servant. He was redeemed from the servitude of one master, being a slave to the world system. He was redeemed to the servitude of a new Master, Jesus Christ. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). This is the plight of every Christian.

“...an apostle of Jesus Christ.” An apostle in this sense was called this title because he had seen the risen Lord. There is a purpose statement for his apostleship: “according to the faith of God’s elect.” One of the reasons for his apostleship is to build up the faith of God’s elect, or the truly saved. His teachings to the church are forever enshrined in the New Testament for us. To Timothy, Paul wrote, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10). One of Paul’s motivations for serving is so that all who would be saved would hear the Gospel. We all have a circle of influence that we can reach; we should have that passion as well.

To be God’s elect is to be His chosen people. “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:33-34).

Ultimately, we are elect because of Jesus, who is the elect Man. Consider Isaiah 42:1-6. This elect Man was “called” (Isaiah 42:6).

  1. God delighted in Him. Therefore, He delights in us. Isaiah 42:1
  2. God put His Spirit on Him. Therefore, He put His Spirit on us. Isaiah 42:1
  3. He will judge in truth. Therefore, we will judge with Him (1 Corinthians 6:3). Isaiah 42:3
  4. He will not fail; He will persevere in His mission. Therefore, we will not fail; in Him we will persevere in His mission. Isaiah 42:4
  5. He will rule over the earth. Therefore, we will rule with Him. Isaiah 42:4
  6. He will be the covenant and light for the Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, through preaching of His Gospel, we will be a light to the world. Isaiah 42:6

Another purpose of Paul’s apostleship is for the “acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.” The phrase “acknowledging of the truth” occurs also in 2 Timothy 2:25: “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” This is a reference to people getting saved. This complements the previous clause. His apostleship is for the sake of bringing people to the truth.

Truth “is after godliness.” Coming to the truth is coupled with living a godly life. Intellectual assent does not stand alone. Understanding truth will always be followed with godliness. No one is perfect, but the indwelling Spirit leads us to live a new life.

Titus 1:2

Faith and acknowledgement of the truth results in eternal life. The word eternal is a time word. It means never-ending. By implication, however, it is also a quality word. Life in Christ is both eternal in quality and quantity. This word does not mean temporary or probationary, like so many teach.

God promised us eternal life. He did not promise the probationary or the temporary. It was promised to us from eternity past. To promise eternal life, and then rescind the offer violates His own character and the definition of eternal. But He cannot lie. The prophet Balaam, whom God used despite his wickedness, said, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). If He promised eternal life to us, then the life He gave us is forever. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John 3:36). If you have eternal life now, by definition, you have it forever.

Titus 1:3

Though eternal life was promised from eternity past, it is now manifest through preaching. Consider 1 Corinthians 1:18-24. It is the “preaching of the cross.” What seems like foolishness to the world is truly the power of God. People expect to see miracles in the here and now. People expect great orators of wisdom. With the preaching of the Gospel, you may get some of both, but you may get neither. Christ crucified, and we crucified with Him, separates us from this world. There is new life from another source given to us. Christ is our power and our wisdom. People do not want that; they want their own power and wisdom. However, the preaching of the Gospel message is God’s appointed method to save people.

Moreover, this preaching was “committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.” God commanded Paul to preach that message. While this may be especially true of an apostle such as Paul, this same preaching is for us to preach as well. The church of God has been committed with the message of the Gospel so that the world would be saved. They may not all get saved, but how will anyone get saved if people do not preach the word?

Consider this phrase, “God our Saviour.” The Word “Saviour” appears six times in the book of Titus. Consider how it is used:

  1. “God our Saviour” (Titus 1:3)
  2. “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:4)
  3. “God our Saviour” (Titus 2:10)
  4. “the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)
  5. “God our Saviour” (Titus 3:4)
  6. “Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 3:6)

We can see that this letter alternates declaring the Father the Savior and the Son the Savior. These are obviously couplets. There is a pair in each chapter, and each pair is near each other. Each time, it appears to be a cause-and-effect relationship. Because God is the Savior, the Son is also the Savior. The relationship between the “Saviour” pair in Titus 1:3-4 would be because God the Savior commanded Paul to preach this Gospel of grace, Titus received grace, mercy and peace from Jesus Christ the Savior.

These are a declaration of the Deity of the Son, yet also His distinction from the Father. The fourth case, in Titus 2:13, is the most unique of them all, because Jesus Himself is called God. The Father does not really “appear”; it is the appearing of the Son we await for from heaven. This is the plainest declaration of Jesus Christ’s deity of all these references.

Titus 1:4

Titus was a Gentile (Galatians 2:3) who served the Lord with Paul. He brought good news from Corinth to Paul concerning their repentance, acting as a messenger between Paul and the church of Corinth. (2 Corinthians 7). He also accompanied Paul to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-3). Titus was left in Crete just as Timothy was left in Ephesus, as one who was to establish the church there. We will discuss this further when considering Titus 1:5. At the end of his life, Paul mentioned that Titus went to Dalmatia, on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Titus was “mine own son after the common faith.” Paul and Titus had a close bond. It may be that Titus was saved by Paul’s preaching, but that might not be the case. Timothy was also called Paul’s son, but the likelihood that he was Paul’s convert is unlikely. A reading of this epistle indicates that Titus was not as close to Paul was Timothy was. Paul shared a lot more from the heart with Timothy in a personal way. There seems to be less of that in this epistle. Nonetheless, the pair had a close mentor/protégé relationship as indicated by this term “son,” as Paul had no wife or biological children.

The use of “common faith” is curious. The word “common” can mean unclean or profane. However, it also is just the word meaning to have in common, as used in Jude 1:3: “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation.” They have the faith in common.

As we have said before, the phrase “Grace, mercy, and peace” as a greeting is unique to the Pastoral Epistles. The extra word in the greeting compared with other Pauline Epistles is “mercy.” These church planters, Timothy and Titus, had a difficult job in dealing with false teaching and solidifying people’s faith. They needed that extra mercy.

Next >>