I finished reading Paul's letter to Titus over the weekend and had some thoughts 😊. The book of Titus is a letter written by Paul to (surprise) Titus, a fellow missionary partner. Paul had left Titus in Crete, to bring order to the newly established churches on the island.
A brief summary:
The Cretan churches are in desperate need of sound leadership to combat the false teaching many are receiving. These false teachers claim to be Christians, but their actions belie them. They do not act out their faith, and their teachings are leading many astray.
Paul offers a description of what Christian living should look like - when actions do confirm words. He describes how this applies to older men and women, to younger men and women, and to slaves/bondservants. His primary concern seems to be that the Christian lifestyle provides a compelling witness to non-believers, urging us: "show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works" so that nothing evil can be said about Christians (2:7).
Paul then provides a general overview of what Gospel living should look like, reminding us that we were all lost sinners who have been rescued by God's grace, not because of anything that we have done for Him but because of His love for us. Therefore we should show "perfect courtesy toward all people" (3:2). The church should not be characterised by hatred (even to those we disagree with) but by love. Again, Paul's concern for the church's witness is clear.
Some thoughts on this book:
- I’ve heard quite a lot about the ‘Titus 2’ woman (especially from social media accounts) so I was surprised at how little time is actually spent addressing her specifically. I think we can get sucked into these constructs of role models (like the Proverbs 31 woman) but it’s important to realise that the entire Bible, not just these idealised passages, is our instruction for living. I’m not trying to diminish these descriptions - we should strive to be like the women described in Titus 2 - but it’s not our only guidance. There’s a danger of referring so much to these passages that it can seem as though these are the only select passages written for women in the Bible. That’s not true; the Bible is given to all people, all genders, all nations.
- Our faith should change how we live. It is a massive challenge to us that our actions should be proving our faith. We are not saved by works - Paul makes it clear that we are saved only by God's mercy to us (3:5) - but having been saved we should devote ourselves to good works (3:8). Many have been hurt by professing Christians, and have turned away from the church because they believe all Christians are hypocrites. But Paul urges us not to be like the false teachers who "profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works" (1:16).
- Clearly the local church plays an important role in witnessing to the surrounding community. The way we live should "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour" (2:10); it should provide proof of the Gospel. We are redeemed from lawlessness by Christ's sacrifice and we are to be "zealous for good works" (2:14). In this transformed way of living, we can prove the Gospel to non-believers.
He urges us not to be distracted by "foolish controversies" (3:9) but encourages the church to strive for unity, and to avoid those who pursue division.
- The church was well-known during the Bubonic Plague for serving the sick and dying. I remember at the start of this pandemic hearing many exhortations to show the same kind of compassion to those suffering now. There have been amazing stories of kindness and goodness which have come out of this pandemic, but there has also been a lot of division created, particularly regarding the intersection between restrictions and personal rights.
Christians have - whether fairly or unfairly - become associated with a group of people who resist restrictions at every turn. Why are we so obsessed with our rights? Christians are, of all people, to be those who make sacrifices for the sake of others.
We should be transformed by our faith, doing good to all, being characterised by love and acting in a way which represents the Gospel.
