Titus

1Chapter

Greeting

1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
4To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

5This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
2Chapter

Teach Sound Doctrine

1But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14who 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.
15Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
3Chapter

Be Ready for Every Good Work

1Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
15All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
Study
Chapter 2
CSB

Can God Make a Rock So Big He Can’t Lift It?

When speaking at a university or when answering questions in an open forum on Christianity, it is common for someone to smugly ask me, “Can God make a rock so big that he can’t lift it?” The challenge inherent in this question is that there is something an omnipotent (all-powerful) God cannot do. Nonbelievers enjoy asking this question because it seems that either way we answer the question, we submit that there is, in fact, something God cannot accomplish. Either we answer that God can make a big rock he cannot lift or that God cannot make a rock big enough that he can’t lift it. Thus the question seemingly poses an insolvable conundrum. However, close examination reveals that it does not put God in some kind of cosmic checkmate. In fact, the question in no way proves that there’s something he cannot do. Rather, it is simply a meaningless question that implodes on itself.

Essentially, the questioner is asking, “Is there any way that the God who can make all things can make a rock so big that the God who can lift all things cannot lift it?” Worded this way, the inconsistency and meaninglessness of the question is revealed. It’s actually a pseudo-question. It proposes impossible conditions and thus makes no sense. This means the question itself has no truth value, and thus cannot be evaluated as either true or false. Trying to answer this question is much like trying to answer, “What does the color blue smell like?”

The question also reveals false ideas about the biblical concept of omnipotence. When speaking of God’s omnipotence, Christians are not claiming, “God can do anything at all.” Instead, omnipotence refers to God’s power to do anything which is both consistent with his holy character and logically possible. The “big rock” question asks if God can do something logically impossible. His inability to do such a thing does not count against his power. For example, God cannot make a square circle. So what? It’s a nonsense task. Likewise, it is a logical impossibility (and a nonsense thing to ask) for God to make a rock so big that he can’t lift it. And since God always acts in ways that are consistent with his holy nature, his inability to lie or sin does not count against his omnipotence either (Ti 1:2; Jms 1:13). The things that are true about his character will always be true, and he cannot do anything to contradict them.

This non-question of smug skeptics actually reminds us that we serve a logical, coherent, and all-powerful God. Reason and coherence are hardwired into the fabric of reality—reflecting the orderly God who created it. Contradictory questions and meaningless word puzzles such as the “big rock”question implode on themselves and remind us that we will never be able to outsmart the Lord. Nothing we can do and no question we can ask could ever disprove God’s omnipotence and perfect power.

ESV

Christian Living in Contrast to the False Teachers. Paul describes proper Christian living rooted in the gospel, which is in direct contrast to the behavior of the false teachers (1:10–16) but in conformity to what is required of true church leaders (1:5–9). This is the primary concern of the letter: right doctrine leads to right behavior. This section is composed of two parallel units (2:1–15 and 3:1–8) that describe right behavior, root this behavior in the gospel, and close with a charge to Titus to teach these things with authority.

ESV

Proper Living by Age and Gender Groups. Paul describes “what accords with sound doctrine” (v. 1), i.e., the type of living that corresponds with the gospel. Some argue that the behavior commanded here is not universally required but is culturally bound to the first century. They argue that the ground for this behavior is to avoid offense (see note on 2:5, 8, 10). However, v. 1 roots this behavior not in cultural ideas but in “sound doctrine” itself. Paul addresses the behavior of the church according to typical groups within the family structure (older men, older women, younger women, younger men, bondservants), with special attention to age and gender. While there are similarities in what is expected of each group, there are also distinctives.

ESV

But as for you indicates the sharp contrast that must exist between people, on one hand, whose deeds disprove their claim to know God (1:16), and Titus, on the other hand, who must teach the people to live in a way that accords with sound doctrine, i.e., that will affirm rather than deny their claim to know God.

ESV

The overall picture of older men is of Christian dignity and vibrant faith.

CSB

See note on 1Tm 2:11-15. Pr 31 (vv. 16,18,24) clarifies that it is not a sin for a wife to work outside the home. But Paul shows that her responsibility to her family is of greater importance.

ESV

The instruction to older women and young women is intertwined because part of the role of a Christian older woman is to train (Gk. sōphronizō, “to give instruction in wise behavior and good judgment”) the younger women. The topics comprising the teaching of the older women in vv. 4–5 are very practical and focused on the domestic sphere. Working at home does not prohibit working outside the home (cf. Prov. 31:16, 18, 24) but it does indicate that Paul expects wives to carry the primary responsibility for the day-to-day care of their homes and children. Yet this is to be done while being submissive to their own husbands, supporting their husbands’ leadership role in the family. See notes on Eph. 5:22; 5:23–24. While other instructions could be included, the focus here is on older women helping younger women learn about being godly wives and mothers.

ESV

, 8, 10 In each of these verses, important statements are made concerning the desired result of “gospel living.” Such living keeps Christians from providing any legitimate grounds for the gospel (the word of God) to be reviled (v. 5; cf. v. 8). More positively, such living highlights the attractiveness of the gospel (“adorn,” v. 10). In keeping with the overall thrust of the letter, this kind of living “proves” the gospel. Doctrine of God our Savior (v. 10) sets up the description of this doctrine in vv. 11–14. On God as “Savior,” see note on 2 Tim. 1:8–10; and chart.

CSB

Some critics argue that this verse contradicts Mt 23:10. However, Jesus’s words refer specifically to calling a spiritual teacher “master,” not to a slave referring to his owner by that title (see note on 1Tm 6:1).

CSB

Paul was not a universalist, believing that all people go to heaven. Rather, God’s grace is for all the kinds of people discussed in vv. 1-10 (young and old, men and women, slaves and masters). See note on 1Tm 4:10.

ESV

Gospel Basis. Paul gives the theological basis for the lifestyles he has described in vv. 1–10. Christians should live this way because (“for”) the grace of God that saves also instructs its recipients to live in a new way. One cannot truly claim to be a recipient of saving grace without also being a pupil of “training grace.” This change in lifestyle is rooted in the atonement (v. 14) and the expectation of Christ’s return (v. 13).

ESV

Bringing salvation for all people is sometimes misunderstood as meaning that all people will be saved. However, such a reading is not necessary here and flatly contradicts other Scripture (see note on 1 Tim. 2:4). It means, rather, that salvation has been offered to all people (including all ethnic groups), not just to some.

ESV

Saving grace teaches its recipients to say no to sin and yes to godliness. In the present age stresses that this godliness is to be lived out in the here and now. It also sets up the reference to the future return of Christ (v. 13). Certainty about the future enables constancy in the present.

CSB

Grammatically and contextually, this verse is a powerful reference to Christ’s deity. Paul’s belief in Jesus’s deity was based on his life-changing experience of seeing Jesus clothed in divine glory (Ac 9:3-9), his exegesis of important OT messianic texts (Ac 9:20-22), and Jesus’s personal claims and miraculous activities as reported to him by eyewitnesses. Paul also witnessed Jesus’s divine power at work in his disciples through the miracles that Paul and other disciples performed. See note on 1Tm 2:5.

ESV

The Greek for waiting (prosdechomai) often carries a connotation of eagerness. Eagerly expecting the return of Christ is the way grace trains Christians to renounce sin and live in a godly way (see vv. 11–12). Setting one’s mind on the truth of Christ’s return impels a person to holiness (see 1 John 3:2–3). Our blessed hope means Christ’s second coming, which Paul calls the appearing of … our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. It may seem unclear whether Paul refers here to two persons of the Godhead (God the Father and Jesus Christ) or whether he describes Jesus as God and Savior. The Greek grammar, however, is well reflected in this translation and indicates that Jesus is being identified as “our great God and Savior” (cf. John 1:1; 20:28; etc.).

ESV

Paul anchors his call for godliness in the fact that one purpose of Jesus’ death was to make his people holy. To forsake godliness is to despise the sacrifice of Christ. Paul roots this in the OT with the phrase to redeem us from all lawlessness, which in Greek closely resembles the Septuagint of Ps. 130:8. A people for his own possession translates an unusual phrase (Gk. laon periousion) with intentional echoes from the OT (see esp. Ex. 19:5; Mal. 3:17). It has the sense of “prized, treasured possession.” These people are to be zealous for good works, so again redemption is tied specifically to living in a godly manner. There is no room for claiming to be redeemed while providing no evidence of practical transformation (see James 2:14–26).

ESV

Summary Command. After describing the gospel, Paul returns to commanding Titus (as in vv. 1–10). The reference to all authority, and not allowing anyone to disregard Titus, shows that Paul expects this instruction to be given clearly and with certainty.