Paul's letter to his colleague, Titus.
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Author
This letter starts with Paul's name and greeting (Titus 1:1–3). However, modern scholars question if Paul wrote it. They cite its language, style, church situation, and presentation of Christian teaching. Yet, many respected scholars and careful students defend Paul's authorship. They argue there is no reason to believe someone else wrote it using Paul's name after his death. The differences between this letter and Paul's other letters are explained in the "Author" section of the article "Timothy, First Letter to."
Recipient
Titus was one of Paul's most trusted and valuable coworkers. Paul refers to him (2 Corinthians 8:23) as “my partner and fellow worker.” According to Titus 1:4, Paul converted him. Galatians 2:1–4 shows that Titus was a Gentile. He was a test case for whether Gentile Christians needed circumcision. At that time, Titus was with Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem. Much later, during Paul's third missionary journey, Titus had two important tasks in Corinth. The first involved repairing the strained relationship between Paul and the Corinthian Christians. The second involved the Gentile collection for the Jerusalem church (2 Corinthians 2:12–13; 7:5–16; 8:1–24). If 2 Timothy 4:9–18 was written at the end of Paul's life, then Titus went to Dalmatia after this letter.
Date
It is hard to date this letter precisely. Titus stayed in Crete to continue the apostle's work (Titus 1:5). Paul visited Crete briefly on his way to Rome (Acts 27:7–13), but that was not the time mentioned here. In Titus 3:12, Titus is asked to come to Nicopolis, likely in Epirus, Greece, where Paul planned to spend the winter. Many believe that after Paul's first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:16–31), he was released and continued his ministry in places like Spain, Crete, and Greece. He was then arrested again, imprisoned, and eventually executed. Those who doubt Paul wrote Titus think this letter, like 1 and 2 Timothy, was written in the generation after Paul's death.
Purpose and Teaching
This letter, though addressed to a colleague of the apostle, contains few personal references and advice. Paul's main concern was the growing churches in Crete. They faced false teachings with Jewish elements, strict practices, and much speculative talk (Titus 1:10, 14–15: 3:9). It seems they encountered an early Jewish form of Gnosticism. The advocates of this teaching promoted it for selfish gain (Titus 1:11). Titus and the elders he appointed were tasked with correcting these false teachings and providing sound instruction (Titus 1:9). While the letter does not specify this sound teaching, it likely related to God's saving grace in Christ, the holy spirit's renewing work, and the future return of Jesus (Titus 2:11–13; 3:4–7). The letter emphasizes living a life that reflects the gospel's truth, with guidance for different groups in the Christian community:
Older men and women
Young women
Young men
Slaves
Content
Greetings (1:1–4)
Paul sends greetings. He is an apostle responsible for spreading the gospel. This gospel encourages faith, strengthens truth, offers hope of eternal life, and promotes godly living. Paul addresses Titus as "my true child in our common faith."
Titus’s Work in Crete (1:5–9)
Titus stayed in Crete to continue Paul's work and appoint leaders in each church (see Acts 14:23). These leaders are also called bishops (see Acts 20:17, 28), meaning they oversee the church. The required qualities for these roles are described (see 1 Timothy 3:2–7).
Dealing with False Teachings (1:10–16)
The previous section ends by discussing the elders' duty to "encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it." The opposers were disturbing people, even "entire households," by spreading false teachings. Paul described these false teachers in a negative way, similar to how he spoke about Cretans. He noted that their lives did not reflect the knowledge of God they claimed to have.
Promoting Right Teaching (2:1–10)
Titus had a special duty to encourage living that matches good teaching. He needed to urge older men to be self-controlled (Titus 2:2) and teach older women to live godly lives (Titus 2:3). These women were then to guide younger women to live pure and loving lives at home, so no one would speak badly about God's word (Titus 2:4–5). Younger men were to practice self-control (Titus 2:6). Titus was to be a role model in speech and actions, so opponents would have nothing negative to say about Christians (Titus 2:7–8). Lastly, slaves were taught to obey their masters and provide honest service, so they would make the teachings about God our savior appealing in every way (Titus 2:10).
God’s Grace (2:11–15)
The purpose of God's grace revealed in Jesus Christ is to bring salvation to everyone. People should turn away from godless and sensual living to lead upright lives. They should always expect the return of "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Their lives will show that they belong to God and are always eager to do what is right.
Doing What Is Good (3:1–8)
In this section, Paul tells Titus to instruct the Christians in Crete to obey their rulers (see Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–17) and to be ready for honest work in the community. Paul emphasizes living a good life, especially showing courtesy and seeking peace in relationships. This lifestyle results from spiritual change. The saving work of Christ, given through mercy and not earned, enables this change. He provides cleansing from sin, through “new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Paul’s Final Remarks and Greetings (3:9–15)
In this final section, Paul advises Titus to avoid people who argue about religion just to argue. He also instructs Titus on handling those who create divisions.
After this, Paul tells Titus he will send him Artemas or Tychicus. He then encourages Titus to take care of Apollos and Zenas if they visit Crete. Titus should come to Paul in Nicopolis before winter.
The letter ends with a final encouragement to do good deeds and live a spiritually fruitful life.