Titus 1
Big idea: Paul states his commission (an apostle for the sake of God's people, their faith, and the godliness truth produces), then gives Titus his: finish organizing Crete's churches by appointing blameless elders (vv. 5–9). The urgency is the mirror image — rebellious talkers are already overturning households for gain, so the qualified must be installed and the unqualified silenced (vv. 10–16).
The elder must be able to 'exhort in the sound doctrine and convict those who contradict' (1:9); chapter 2 is that sound doctrine spelled out, addressee by addressee. Chapter 1 sets up the office and the opponents; chapter 2 supplies the content the office is meant to teach.
1:1–4 — Greeting: an apostle for faith and godliness
The longest of Paul's salutations, and the most theological. He defines his apostleship by its aim — the faith of God's chosen and the knowledge of truth that leads to godliness — and anchors it in eternal life promised by the God who cannot lie, before time began, now revealed in the message entrusted to Paul. Only then does he name Titus, his true child in a shared faith.
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began; 3 but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, 4 to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
1:5–9 — Appoint blameless elders
Titus's actual assignment: set right what is unfinished and appoint elders city by city. Paul lists the qualifications — first at home (blameless, faithful spouse, children who believe), then character (the overseer as God's steward must not be arrogant, hot-tempered, drunken, violent, or greedy, but hospitable, self-controlled, holy), and finally competence (he must hold the trustworthy word so he can both encourage with sound teaching and refute those who oppose it).
5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you— 6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. 7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; 8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
1:10–16 — Silence the rebellious teachers
Why qualified elders matter so urgently: many rebellious, empty talkers and deceivers — especially the circumcision party — are overturning whole households for money and must be muzzled. Paul enlists a Cretan poet's own verdict on Cretan character to justify sharp reproof, aimed at making them sound in faith rather than chasing Jewish myths. He closes with the letter's diagnostic axiom: to the pure all is pure, but the defiled corrupt everything — such people profess to know God yet deny him by their deeds.
10 For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. 12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).