December 19

Titus 1-3 (biblegateway.com)

Grace That Transforms

Paul now writes to another trusted coworker, Titus, who remains on the island of Crete. Like Timothy, he must strengthen the church, confront false teaching, and teach believers how to live out the gospel with integrity in a corrupt culture. Titus 1–3 provides practical instruction for establishing strong churches grounded in truth, godliness, and gracious living. Crete was known for dishonesty, immorality, and rebellion, yet God planted churches there as trophies of grace and beacons of truth.

Titus 1 — Establishing Order and Integrity in the Church

Paul begins his letter to Titus by identifying himself as a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, commissioned for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness (v. 1). In Scripture, God’s elect are those who belong to Him in Christ. Election is therefore not separated from faith, but is bound to God’s redemptive purpose in Christ and realized as people respond to the gospel. From the outset, Paul links election, faith, and godly living as inseparable realities.

Paul explains that his ministry is grounded in the hope of eternal life, a promise God made before the ages began and has now revealed through preaching at the proper time (v. 2–3). His authority does not arise from personal ambition or status, but from God’s faithful promise and the public proclamation of the gospel. Paul writes to Titus, his true child in the common faith, and extends grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior (v. 4).

Paul then reminds Titus why he left him in Crete: to set in order what remained and to appoint elders in every town (v. 5). The churches there required stability, faithful leadership, and sound teaching. Paul emphasizes that those appointed as elders must be above reproach, faithful in marriage, and responsible in the management of their households (v. 6). Faithfulness in the home serves as a proving ground for faithfulness in the church, showing whether a man’s life reflects the order and integrity required of spiritual leadership.

Paul then expands on the qualifications for the elder, also called an overseer, describing him as God’s steward (v. 7). He must not be arrogant, quick-tempered, addicted to wine, violent, or greedy. Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of what is good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined (v. 8). In Free Will Baptist churches, this office is ordinarily fulfilled by the pastor, who is charged with preaching the Word of God, teaching sound doctrine, and shepherding the congregation. As a steward under Christ, the pastor exercises spiritual leadership not through personal authority or control, but in accountability to the local church. Paul’s emphasis makes clear that leadership in the church rests on godly character and submission to the authority of Scripture rather than on position or power.

Paul further insists that the elder must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he may encourage believers with sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it (v. 9). Teaching and guarding the truth are central to pastoral leadership. Elders are charged with protecting the church from error and nourishing it through faithful instruction.

Paul then addresses the immediate challenge facing the churches in Crete. There are rebellious people, empty talkers, and deceivers, particularly among those of the circumcision group, who are upsetting whole households by teaching what they should not for shameful gain (v. 10–11). False teaching is never harmless. It damages families, distorts the gospel, and undermines the life of the church. Titus is commanded to silence such teachers, not out of harshness, but out of pastoral responsibility.

To underscore the seriousness of the problem, Paul quotes a well-known Cretan saying describing the cultural climate: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (v. 12). Paul affirms the truth of this assessment and instructs Titus to rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith (v. 13). Correction is not cruelty. It is an act of care aimed at spiritual restoration.

Paul further warns against Jewish myths and human commands that turn people away from the truth (v. 14). The issue is not cultural background, but authority. Human traditions cannot purify the heart. Only the transforming grace of God can do that. “To the pure, all things are pure,” Paul writes, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure because their minds and consciences are corrupted (v. 15). Though they claim to know God, their actions deny Him. Their lives expose the emptiness of their profession and reveal them to be unfit for any good work (v. 16).

Titus 1 teaches that the health of the church depends upon godly leadership rooted in truth and marked by integrity. God calls leaders not to impress the world, but to reflect the character of Christ. Sound doctrine matters because it shapes lives. When leaders hold fast to the truth, protect the church from harmful teaching, and model holiness in both private and public life, the church is strengthened, and the gospel is honored.

This chapter also calls every believer to examine the foundation of their own faith. Are their lives shaped by God’s truth or by cultural assumptions and human opinions? God supplies grace for obedience, but believers must respond by pursuing faithfulness, purity of heart, and discernment in doctrine. Healthy churches do not emerge by accident. They are formed as God’s people as leaders and congregations submit themselves to His Word. When this happens, sound teaching does more than inform. It transforms.

Titus 2 — Sound Doctrine Shapes Everyday Life

Paul shifts from the qualifications of church leaders to the everyday life of the congregation. He instructs Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (v. 1). Sound teaching is not abstract theory. It forms habits, shapes relationships, and produces a lifestyle that reflects the gospel. Doctrine is never disconnected from daily conduct. What believers believe determines how they live.

Paul begins with older men, who are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and steadfastness (v. 2). Their maturity is to be evident not only in age but in character. Stability and godliness in older men set a tone for the entire congregation. Faith that endures must be modeled by those who have walked with Christ the longest.

He then addresses older women, calling them to conduct that reflects reverence for God (v. 3). They are not to be slanderers or enslaved to excessive wine, but to be teachers of what is good. Their influence extends beyond words. They train younger women, showing that discipleship is relational and generational. God intends spiritual maturity to flow from one life to another.

Younger women are called to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, to manage their households well, to be kind, and to be submissive to their husbands (v. 4–5). These instructions elevate rather than diminish their calling. The home becomes a place where the gospel is displayed through sacrificial love, service, and wisdom. Paul’s concern is not cultural conformity but that “the word of God may not be reviled” (v. 5). Christian living validates Christian doctrine.

Likewise, younger men are to be self-controlled (v. 6). Titus himself must set an example in good works, teaching with dignity and integrity (v. 7–8). Sound doctrine must be matched by sound conduct. Leaders do not merely speak truth; they embody it. Paul expects Titus’s life to silence critics not through argument but through visible faithfulness.

Paul addresses bondservants, instructing them to honor their masters with honesty, respect, and fidelity (v. 9–10). Their obedience is not rooted in social systems but in gospel witness. Their faithfulness “adorns the doctrine of God our Savior” (v. 10). Paul lays down a principle that transcends the cultural setting: believers make the gospel attractive when they reflect God’s character in their work and relationships.

Paul then turns to the theological foundation behind these commands. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” (v. 11). Grace is not passive or permissive. It trains believers to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (v. 12). Grace instructs, corrects, and empowers. It frees believers from sin’s rule and equips them for obedience.

Believers live in hope, looking for “the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 13). Paul affirms Christ’s deity clearly and connects His return with present holiness. The One who redeemed believers will return, and this future shapes how they live now. Hope is not escapism; it fuels endurance.

Paul explains the purpose of redemption: Christ “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” (v. 14). Salvation is not merely escape from judgment. It results in transformed people eager to do good. Good works are not the root of salvation but the fruit of belonging to Christ.

Paul concludes the chapter by urging Titus to declare these truths with authority (v. 15). The church must not treat holiness as optional or doctrinal clarity as negotiable. Titus is to speak, exhort, and rebuke as needed, because the honor of Christ and the health of the church depend on it.

Titus 2 teaches that sound doctrine forms sound living. The gospel does not remain in the mind; it reshapes the heart, the home, and everyday relationships. Every age group and social role becomes a stage on which God’s grace is displayed.

This chapter challenges believers to examine how their lives reflect what they profess. Grace is not permission to drift but power to obey. The question is not whether doctrine matters, but whether it is shaping the way believers speak, love, work, and endure. God calls His people to live in a way that makes the gospel believable. Those who embrace Christ’s redeeming work will grow increasingly eager for good works, confident that their obedience honors the One who purchased them as His own.

Titus 3 — Saved by Grace, Devoted to Good Works

Paul concludes his letter by outlining how believers are to live in society, grounding ethical behavior in the transforming power of the gospel. Christian conduct is not shaped by the surrounding culture but by the saving grace of God.

Paul instructs Titus to remind the believers to be submissive to rulers and authorities, obedient, and ready for every good work (v. 1). Their posture toward government is not rebellion but respectful participation, unless obedience would require disobedience to God. Christians are to be known for contributing to the well-being of their communities, not for creating unnecessary controversy.

Furthermore, believers are to avoid slandering others, to refrain from quarreling, and to demonstrate gentleness and courtesy toward all (v. 2). Paul roots this behavior in humility, reminding them of who they once were: foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to passions, malice, envy, and hatred (v. 3). This memory is not meant to shame, but to cultivate compassion. Those transformed by grace should be patient toward those still lost in sin.

Paul then presents one of the clearest summaries of salvation in the New Testament. “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us” (v. 4–5). Salvation did not begin with human initiative, but with God’s gracious intervention. He saved believers “not because of works done by us in righteousness” but according to His mercy. Human effort cannot produce salvation; it is a gift of God, grounded in His character, not in human merit.

This salvation occurs through the “washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (v. 5). Regeneration refers to the Spirit’s work of giving new life; renewal marks the ongoing transformation of believers. Paul describes the Spirit as “poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (v. 6). Salvation is Trinitarian in nature, with God the Father initiating, God the Son accomplishing, and God the Spirit applying. The result is that believers are justified by grace and made heirs with the hope of eternal life (v. 7). Salvation is not merely rescue from judgment; it is entrance into God’s family and participation in His future.

Because grace produces a new identity, it also produces a new lifestyle. Paul stresses that believers must “devote themselves to good works” (v. 8). Good works do not secure salvation, but they display it. A faith that saves is a faith that transforms. These works are “excellent and profitable,” revealing the practical value of living under God’s redeeming grace.

Paul warns Titus to avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law (v. 9). Such debates are unfruitful and distract from gospel priorities. A divisive person who refuses correction twice should be rejected (v. 10–11). Paul treats division as a spiritual danger; it fractures unity, elevates the ego, and reveals a heart not aligned with the gospel.

Paul concludes with personal notes and final instructions, reminding Titus that ministry involves cooperation, hospitality, and faithfully meeting urgent needs (v. 12–14). Believers are not to live idle or self-focused lives but are to be ready for every worthwhile task. Christian faith is demonstrated through consistent, practical service.

Titus 3 teaches that the grace that saves also sends. God’s mercy rescues sinners, renews hearts, and reshapes lives for good works. The gospel does not leave believers unchanged or idle. It calls them into society as humble citizens, compassionate neighbors, and faithful workers whose lives reflect the kindness of God.

This chapter challenges believers to examine whether their conduct aligns with the message they proclaim. Are they marked by gentleness or argument? By service or self-interest? By grace or judgment? The gospel compels believers to live so that others see the difference grace makes.

Those who remember who they once were will treat others with patience. Those who know what Christ has done will devote themselves to good works. And those who have been washed, renewed, and justified will live not for themselves but for the Savior who redeemed them.

Conclusion

Titus 1–3 show that the gospel does far more than secure salvation—it reshapes character, relationships, and behavior. Grace not only redeems; it reforms. The church must teach sound doctrine, appoint godly leaders, disciple every generation, and model good works so that the truth is displayed with clarity and conviction.

For believers today, this letter reminds us that holiness and humility are essential to gospel witness. We are called to reject false teaching, pursue godly living, and demonstrate grace in a watching world. As we wait for Christ’s glorious return, we live out the faith that saved us—showing that God’s grace not only changes our destiny, but transforms our lives.