The Book of Titus

The Book of Titus is a letter Paul wrote in AD 63 to one of his faithful ministers, a man named Titus, a fellow-laborer who Paul left on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean to complete a work he had previously started.

This Pastoral Epistle tells of Titus’s assignment regarding this Church at Crete – to “set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city.” This task was more than just an administrative responsibility – it was spiritually significant. Titus was to find those among the Cretan Christian population who were uniquely qualified to become Elders within the Church, and who would preach the Gospel and stand against both the legalists, known as Judaizers, who sought to force this fledgling assembly to abandon Grace and following the Mosaic Law, as well as the decadent local cultural norms. This is a recurring theme throughout the epistles of Titus.

The Book of Titus deserves our attention as we look to the Bible for instruction on how to live a life pleasing to our Lord. We can learn what we should avoid as well as that which we are to strive to imitate. Paul suggests we seek to be pure as we avoid the things which will defile our minds and consciences. As Christians, we must examine ourselves to be sure our lives line up with our profession of faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5).