One of the major obstacles Titus was dealing with as he served the church on the island of Crete was the presence of false teachers who were “upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain” ( Titus 1:11). False teachers are selfish and quarrelsome. And again at the conclusion of the letter and based upon the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers and desires to grow the fruit of the Spirit in them, Paul reminds Titus: “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful” ( Titus 3:14).ģ. These things are good and profitable for men” ( Titus 3:8). Based on Titus 3:4-7 quoted above, Paul says: “This is a trustworthy statement and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. The grace of God empowers believers for godly living.īecause of the loving grace of God, believers are renewed by the indwelling Holy Spirit and it becomes possible for them to engage in good deeds fueled by love, not fear ( 1 John 4:18). Likewise, the book of Titus still speaks to us today about the power of God in the life of a believer to produce godliness that makes the gospel attractive.Ģ. The letter makes clear that Paul “expected the gospel to produce real godliness in everyday life, even in Crete.which was known in the ancient world for immorality.” ( ). The book of Titus in the Bible is Paul’s letter to him talking about the truth of God and how it addresses the false teaching that Titus was grappling with on the island of Crete where he had been left to continue to instruct the believers after Paul had moved on to other areas ( Acts 14:21-23). Titus spent much time in Corinth and was involved with the church there ( 2 Corinthians 8:6) while continuing to be actively involved in Paul’s ministry and even organizing a fundraising effort for the needy saints in Jerusalem ( 2 Corinthians 8:10-24).
He had a Greek Gentile background but was not forced to be circumcised ( Galatians 2:3), in keeping with the Christian agreement to not require Gentiles to follow Jewish Law before becoming followers of Christ ( Acts 15). Titus was Paul’s beloved “partner and coworker” ( 2 Corinthians 8:23) who seems to have been converted through his ministry ( Titus 1:4). What is a believer to do when faced with false teachers and teachings? This problem is not new, and the Bible addresses it clearly in many passages, including helpful instructions in the book of Titus. Popular preachers are saying things that don’t seem to fit with what you know about God’s Word and what it means to be a Christian. A ministry leader is exposed for embezzlement or fraud. Another pastor is finally called out on a pattern of heinous, unrepentant sin. It’s in the headlines all the time, it seems.
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