Titus 1:1-4

In v1-4, Paul introduces himself, describes his goal in serving the Lord, and issues his signature blessing to his audience (Titus / the congregations of Crete, as Titus 3:15 reveals). Then in v5-9, we see Paul’s strategy for dealing with the Cretans rampant immorality and promoting godliness in these Cretan congregations filled with young Christian believers. His strategy is to appoint elders to disciple, direct, and teach doctrine to the young believers on Crete. And then in v10-14, Paul explains why this is necessary. False teachers must be silenced, and sound doctrine must be proclaimed. “Out with the old and in with the new.” Finally, in v15-16, Paul wants Titus and the elders to understand what sanctification looks like – our actions conform to the desires of our hearts and minds and consciences. Let’s take a look:

¹Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness-- ²a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, ³and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
⁴To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Ligon Duncan says, “Paul wants to exhort these Christians, tempted as they are to live with one foot in the world and another foot in the church, tempted as they are to be conformed to the thinking and the living standards and the behavior of this age and this world, rather than to be transformed by the renewing of their minds according to the word of God – Paul speaks to this congregation to exhort them to adorn the gospel in all things: in the way that they believe; in the way that they trust; in the way that they live.”

Paul is writing to a dear friend, Titus, whom he knows well. Yet he still engages in a formal introduction not merely to encourage Titus to wholehearted commitment to the service of the Lord, but to speak to all the congregations on the island of Crete. This letter was to Titus and expected to be published openly island wide to all the believers. First, Paul is a servant of God, a bondservant of the Lord, a voluntary slave to serve God in all things; and that title reminds Titus that we are all called to hold this title. We are not our own; we were bought with a price. We are slaves of God; therefore, we should think and act like it. Second, Paul calls himself an apostle, one who was officially invested with special powers and sent as an emissary by Jesus Christ. Paul hasn’t called himself to be an apostle; God made him one (Acts 9). Paul wasn’t worthy of this calling, but he’s embraced it wholeheartedly. And though Titus doesn’t have this title – he’s a servant of God, but he’s no apostle in the category of Paul – he still needs to embrace his role as Paul did – wholeheartedly. He’s no less important; Titus has the same goal, but a different role than that of Paul.

In these two titles, bondservant and apostle, Paul is teaching commitment to one’s calling, faithfulness to the Great Commission – “go and make disciples.” Consider the situation for Titus. The Cretan congregations were being influenced by the world around them. They are forgetting who they are and what they’re here for, their purpose in life: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. So Paul’s introduction reveals his commitment to his mission and serves as an encouragement, an example to follow, for Titus and his congregations, and even for us.

Also in v1, Paul notes two goals for his ministry. And these goals ought to be the same for Titus, and for you and me. Paul works for God’s elect to come to saving faith and to grow in the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. It’s evangelism and edification, justification and sanctification, salvation and discipleship. Paul is not satisfied with someone’s profession of faith or baptism; he wants them to grow, to prove their faith by their fruit, to be filled with the knowledge that transforms their lives from worldliness to godliness. And he works for that and wants Titus to work for that. Now Paul doesn’t know who God’s elect are beforehand. So he sows the seed of the gospel indiscriminately. And once a profession of faith is made, Paul works even harder to root that growth deep in the foundation of the gospel, to water that plant and keep it from withering. But also, according to Calvin, it is as if Paul’s apostleship has an agreement with the faith of God’s elect, such that none who are true believers will deny Paul’s authoritative, inspired word as God’s chosen spokesman to the Gentiles.

Moving on to v2, we notice that this faith (justification) and knowledge (sanctification) rest on the hope of eternal life. Hope breeds faith and knowledge. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope and certain of what we do not see.” You have to hope something is true to believe that it is. 2 Peter 3:17-18 says, “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Genuine faith is more than intellectual assent; it is transforming truth, right and sincere knowledge of God, based on the hope of glorification. Calvin says, “True religion and the practice of godliness begin with meditation on the heavenly life,” and points to Colossians 1:5.

Paul adds that this hope of eternal life is even based on something greater, the pre-creation promise of God, who does not lie (Paul added this short phrase to glorify God and to provide assurance to the believer). So we have here an insight into God’s pre-creation ordinances, namely that His elect would be granted eternal life through faith in Christ (justification) and knowledge of the gospel (sanctification). To consider that God loved you before creation takes on a whole new dimension when you consider His eternal plan (2 Timothy 1:9). And v3 makes it even more stunning, because we read that God had even predetermined (appointed or ordained) a specific season during which to reveal the message of the gospel of Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundation, or from the creation, of the world (Revelation 13:8), through the commanded preaching of Jesus – here called “God our Savior” – by the Apostle Paul (Galatians 4:4; 1 Corinthians 9:16-7; 1 John 1:1-2). Calvin notes that both God the Father and Jesus the Son are called “Savior.” He says, “The Father is called our Savior, because He redeemed us by the death of His Son, that He might make us heirs of eternal life; and the Son, because He shed His blood as the pledge and the price of our salvation. Thus the Son hath brought salvation to us from the Father, and the Father hath bestowed it through the Son.”

Finally, v4 introduces Paul’s intended audience – Titus. Titus is Paul’s “true [literally, legitimate] son in our common faith.” Titus was a convert to Christianity by the preaching of Paul, and they now share the same faith; there is only one faith (Ephesians 4:5). Though Paul is Titus’ spiritual father, they share equally God as Father by adoption through this one-and-the-same faith. Paul grants Titus a benediction, his signature blessing from God: grace (unmerited favor despite demerit) and peace (objective and subjective spiritual peace; not circumstantial but relational) from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior.