Titus 1:3 Commentary and Bible Study

Now the apostle is inspired to speak about the New Testament, and the great revelation of truth that came after the death and resurrection of Christ. Things that were very often spoken of in veiled terms in the Old Testament, now came into blazing sunshine, and were spread abroad openly. God has manifested his word through preaching. God spoke about salvation in the garden of Eden, and in Genesis 3:15 you have the first promise of a Saviour. But you really have to see that verse with New Testament eyes to see its full sense. Then you come on through the Old Testament to the fathers, the patriarchs, and God made promises to them, and spoke to them, and clearly they expected the Saviour, and they were taught of him. Moses teaches this more clearly still. The sermons of Moses, preached so long before Christ, plainly speak of Christ, as do the types and the shadows of the ceremonial law. Then the prophets, crowned with Isaiah chapter 53, come so close to daylight, when God through Isaiah reveals the suffering Saviour, who bore away our sin. So it is all there. But nevertheless, in due time, when Christ came, it is going to be made infinitely more plain. ‘Hath in due times manifested [revealed] his word through preaching’, literally through ‘heralding’. The word ‘preaching’, heralding reflects the work of the town crier of ancient times, the public herald who would go out and announce the news, the fixtures, and the things which the people in the town had to know about day by day. This went on in this country for many, many years, until after the Middle Ages. There are just one or two cities, towns in this country, that still have ceremonial town criers. A herald would also be the ambassador from one country to another, and he would see the king and make various diplomatic announcements. Then he would go to the public square and announce his own country's good wishes at the top of his voice. So from the herald, or the public open publisher of news, comes the word ‘preach’. ‘Which is committed unto me’, says the apostle Paul. It’s a commission; it’s a responsibility; it’s a command of Christ. ‘According to the commandment of God our Saviour.’ Preaching is a command of God. So don't go buying Christian films. They are not a command of God. Preaching is a command of God. ‘According to the commandment of God our Saviour.’ What a passage it is! That is the duty of the believer: to witness, to explain, to plead – the preacher, the Sunday School teacher also. In Acts 26:15 we read the apostle’s testimony: ‘And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. ¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; ¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, ¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.’ You can almost hear those words to Paul as you read his opening words to Titus.