Titus

Introduction

Titus is a letter written by the apostle Paul to his coworker Titus, whom Paul had left on the island of Crete to organize and strengthen the young churches there. Along with 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus belongs to the group of letters known as the Pastoral Epistles, so called because they deal with the practical matters of shepherding local congregations. The letter was likely written in the mid-60s AD, during a period of ministry between Paul's first Roman imprisonment and his final arrest. Titus himself was a Gentile convert (Galatians 2:3) who had served as Paul's trusted delegate on several sensitive missions, including mediating the painful conflict with the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 7:6-7; 8:16-17).

Crete was a large Mediterranean island with a reputation — even among its own poets — for dishonesty and moral laxity. The churches Paul had helped establish there were still in their early stages, lacking appointed leaders and vulnerable to false teachers, particularly from the Jewish circumcision party. Paul writes to give Titus both the authority and the practical guidance needed to set these churches in order: appoint qualified elders, confront false teaching, and instruct believers of every age and station in how the gospel transforms daily life.

Structure

The letter to Titus is brief (only three chapters) but tightly organized around the interplay between sound doctrine and godly conduct.

Greeting and Commission (1:1-4)

Paul's opening is unusually dense and theological for a personal letter, grounding his apostleship in God's eternal promise and the hope of eternal life.

Appointing Qualified Elders (1:5-9)

Paul reminds Titus of his assignment to appoint elders in every town and provides a detailed list of the character qualifications required for this office.

Confronting False Teachers (1:10-16)

Paul describes the threat posed by rebellious people — especially those pushing Jewish myths and human commands — and instructs Titus to rebuke them sharply.

Teaching Sound Doctrine to All Groups (2:1-15)

Paul outlines specific instructions for older men, older women, young women, young men, and slaves, all grounded in the transforming grace of God that appeared in Christ.

Living as God's People in the World (3:1-11)

Paul calls believers to submit to authorities, show gentleness to all, and avoid foolish controversies, reminding them that their new life is entirely a gift of God's mercy through the Holy Spirit.

Final Instructions and Greetings (3:12-15)

Paul shares travel plans, commends fellow workers, and closes with a benediction of grace.

Chapter Summaries

1. Paul greets Titus, reminds him to appoint qualified elders in every Cretan town, and warns against the many rebellious false teachers — especially from the circumcision party — whose empty talk and deception are undermining entire households.
2. Paul instructs Titus to teach sound doctrine to every group in the church — older men, older women, young women, young men, and slaves — and grounds these instructions in the grace of God that has appeared in Christ, training believers to live godly lives as they await His return.
3. Paul urges believers to be subject to authorities, gentle toward all people, and devoted to good works, reminding them that God saved them not by their own righteousness but by His mercy through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, and he warns Titus to avoid foolish controversies and to reject divisive people.