Titus 1:4 Commentary and Bible Study

‘To Titus, mine own son’ – not literally Paul's son after the flesh, but his own son in the faith. So Titus evidently came to the Lord under the preaching of the apostle Paul, probably in Syrian Antioch, at the very beginning of Paul's co-pastor with Barnabas in that place, at the commencement of his ministry. But the way this is expressed – the word ‘mine’ is in italics and is not in the Greek; it is added to help us get the sense – it means ‘to Titus, own son’. It is very strong, and it conveys something apart from the fact that he was converted to the ministry of Paul. It means also that he was a son in contrast to all those who were only nominal Christians. In those days the Judaizing heretics – that we see so prominent in Paul's letter to the Galatians –turn up here also in Crete. They were Jews who professed conversion, but there were not truly converted because they didn't understand the truth as it is in Christ. As Jews, they felt that the important thing was to continue under the ceremonial law. The order and the worship, the ancient worship given through Moses, was prophetic and symbolic, and was given by way of visual aid concerning future things. It told how there would be a great coming atonement and sacrifice for sin with Messiah, But the Judaizers felt that the ancient worship would go on forever. They saw the performance of the rites and ceremonies as efficacious. By them you found acceptance with God; they were your works and gave you merit with God. That was hugely mistaken. These Judaizers were devout Jews, who yet, unusually, despite the Jewish nationalism, to a degree believed in Christ. They somehow got themselves swept into the church in the great revival of the day of Pentecost and in the years following. But they didn't understand that Christ has born away sin for all his people, and you must trust in him and him alone, and this salvation comes to you as a free gift from God, through trust in Christ and yielding to him. They tried to mix a certain respect and reverence for Christ with their Judaism. They were nominals. But Titus is a real son. He is not just a nominal assenter to something good in Jesus Christ, but not really fully a believer in him. He has come under conviction of sin; he has gone to Christ; he has known his sin to be forgiven and washed away. He has the evidence of a new life and a new heart and a new attitude; he will do anything for the Lord. ‘To Titus, mine own son, after the common faith’, that is, the faith common to Paul and to Titus. That is all that it means: my son after the faith which we share together, faith in Christ.