Read or listen Epistle to Titus online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

Introduction to Epistle to Titus

Structure of the Letter:
Fighting against heresies - Tit 1
Doctrine and life - Tit 2
As a Christian in the world - Tit 3

Titus

Titus is mentioned 13 times in the New Testament: One time in the Epistle to Titus (Tit 1:4) and nine times in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 2:13, 7:6,13,14, 8:6,16,23, 12:18 - 2 times). The other three are: Gal 2:1,3 and 2 Tim 4:10). On the other hand, he is not mentioned at all in the Acts of the Apostles. It has been suggested that Titus was a relative of Luke - perhaps even a brother - which would explain why Luke does not talk about him. But that is just a guess, we cannot say for sure.

Titus was a Greek - a Christian with a pagan background. Paul did not agree to circumcise him despite the demands of the Jewish Christians (Gal 2:1-4). Paul agreed to circumcise Timothy (Acts 16:3) because he was Jewish through his mother, and Paul did not want to upset the Jews by having an uncircumcised Jew in his company. On the other hand, Titus was a Gentile, and when we also take into account the situation that led Paul to Jerusalem: to decide whether the Gentiles should also be circumcised (Gal 2:1, Acts 15:1-2), we can see that Titus was a test: if he had to be circumcised, all other Gentiles had to be circumcised. If he did not have to be circumcised, then other Gentiles who had converted to Christianity did not have to be circumcised either.

Paul had become acquainted with Titus already in the 40s. Titus was a Christian in Syrian Antioch, and apparently became a Christian through Paul's missionary work (Titus 1:4).

Paul sent Titus from Ephesus to Corinth to sort out the problems that had arisen in the church. Perhaps Titus went to Corinth with Paul's so-called "letter of tears" (2 Cor 2:3-4,9, 7:8), which was later lost. Titus calmed the situation, but when Paul received no news from Corinth, Paul left for Macedonia, where he met Titus, who brought good news (2 Cor 2:13). From Macedonia, Paul wrote the Second Epistle to the Corinthians and sent Titus to Corinth to organize a collection for the poor in Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:1-15). Paul calls Titus his co-worker (2 Cor 8:23).

The Church Father Eusebius states in his Church History that Titus was the first bishop of Crete and died there at an advanced age.

The Epistle to Titus

The letter to Titus and the First Timothy have some common features. Paul learned that Apollos and Zenas were going to Crete and sent instructions to Titus about how to care for the church (Titus 3:13). Paul apparently wrote his first letter to Timothy and the letter to Titus at the same time. The place of writing was probably Corinth or Ephesus. The second letter to Timothy is the later one, and it is a kind of “the apostle’s testament.”

Paul intended to send either Artemas or Tychicus to Crete so that Titus could go to Paul in Nicopolis, where he intended to spend the winter (Titus 3:12). In his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells us that Titus had gone to Dalmatia (2 Tim 4:10), which is the last mention of Titus in the Bible.

Crete was famous for its bad morals (Titus 1:10-16), but Paul seems to have trusted Titus’ ability to handle difficult situations.

Verses 2:11-14 summarize the Christian faith:

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

In verses 3:4-7 we see the connection between baptism and the Holy Spirit clearly: in baptism God "saved us...according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (verse 5).