Titus 1:1-11
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness — in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
Devotion
This week we will look at another personal letter that Paul wrote to a young ministry associate. This letter was addressed to Titus, “My true son in our common faith.” From the text we glean that Titus was ministering on the island of Crete. Paul had left Titus there to appoint leaders in every town where there were believers. Much of this letter was about appointing godly leaders and promoting sound teaching and doctrine. In many ways, it resembles the content of First Timothy. Paul is concerned for the health and well-being of the churches and their leaders.
From this letter, we can assume that the people on the island of Crete were not the easiest to work with. It is very possible that Titus had become discouraged while carrying on Paul’s work on Crete. Paul referring to Titus as “my true son in our common faith” would have encouraged him greatly. Titus was a Greek convert who was won to Christ by the Apostle Paul. To get a direct communication from his spiritual mentor would have meant a lot to him.
In verse five, Paul reminds Titus why he left him in Crete. Titus was to complete the work there by appointing elders to lead the believers on Crete. In verses six through nine, Paul gives the qualifications of those who would serve as elders in the church. Here we see that character truly matters when it comes to leadership. As we also saw in First Timothy, God’s measure for leaders does not fluctuate. With the rise of false teachers and doctrines in the early church, it was crucial that godly leaders would be present to combat this spiritual opposition to the work of God.
In verses ten and eleven, Paul summarizes the spiritual landscape on the island of Crete. He writes, “there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching them what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly.” It did not take long for false teachers to rise in the early church. One truth we know for certain is this, “Wherever God sows the truth, Satan quickly shows up to sow lies.” In his commentary on the book of Titus, W. Wiersbe writes, “Titus faced an enemy similar to that described in 1 Timothy—a mixture of Jewish legalism, man-made traditions and mysticism.”
There has been and always will be spiritual opposition to the work of God in this world. We must be aware of this reality and rely on godly leaders to guide the church and protect it from the ravenous wolves that would seek to destroy it.
Questions to Ponder
What clues from Paul’s letter to Titus indicate that things are not going that well in Crete? What are the challenges that Titus is facing? Why does Paul focus on the character of the leaders in this context? How are the challenges Titus faced in his day different from those facing today’s church leaders? Why does character matter when it comes to church leadership?
Prayer Points
- Turn your attention on the Lord, worship Him with your heart and words. Use breathe prayers of adoration such as, I praise You as the Good Shepherd. Your Leadership is perfect and true.
- Invite the Lord to search your heart and mind to reveal any offensive way. Ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you any idols in your heart or tendencies to listen or believe false teachers.
- Pray the Lord will lead us into His heart, that His Word would guide and lead us on the straight path. Thy will be done.
Suggested Prayer
All Wise God, I thank You that You are Protector, Defender of our faith, You are the head of the church, 100% committed to each one of us.
Lord, I am asking that You grant me and our Oak Pointe Family discernment and wisdom to recognize the lies of the enemy. Put a wall of fire and protection around us and cause each one of us to love Your Word and to tremble before You. I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.