Overview of the Book of Titus

Church Order and Paul’s Instructions to Titus

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Titus. Similar to 1st Timothy, the theme of the book is church order. The Apostle Paul is writing sometime around 65 AD to Titus, who was a pastor overseeing a church or a group of churches on the Greek island of Crete.

He begins in chapter 1, verses 4 and 5, to Titus, a true son in our common faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you.

Paul then goes on to list the qualifications for elders, which is generally, it's generally accepted that a elder, pastor, bishop, overseer is all basically, those terms are used synonymously. So Paul trained Titus, put him into the ministry, and as the churches grew, Titus was to find men, train them, and then put them into the ministry, and on and on and on it would go.

Holding Fast to Sound Doctrine

Paul says in chapter 1, verse 9, that an elder must hold fast to the faithful word as he has been taught. So that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.

Christian Living for Older Men and Women

The book of Titus contains only three chapters. In chapter 2, Paul gives sound advice for Christian living. He says that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith and love and patience.

And then he says the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, and teachers of good things. That they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good and obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

So in order for the church to flourish, basically there is this emphasis placed on older folks to set an example and patiently teach the younger generation. I'll close with what Paul says in chapter 3, verse 8.

Good Works as the Fruit of Faith

He says, this is a faithful saying. In these things I want you to affirm constantly that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.