The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Titus: Expository Commentary from Sermons by Dr Peter Masters

Bible Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Titus

by Dr Peter Masters, Metropolitan Tabernacle, London (adapted from sermons)

Titus was in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, a place with, in those days, a very poor reputation from the past. The Apostle Paul himself quotes one of their own poets here to describe the Cretans in very unfavourable terms. The place was noted for its dishonesty and its laziness. But the gospel had gone to Crete. We remember back in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost, and among all the Jews of the dispersion, spread out through the world of those days, who came to Jerusalem on pilgrimage for the day of Pentecost, there were those from Crete, who heard the word of God and the miraculous gift of tongues, and wondered at the things which the apostles said about the kingdom of Christ. Perhaps some of them were converted even then, and the gospel went from that time back to Crete. But certainly Paul had been there. In his missionary journeys he had been to Crete and he had preached there, and a church was founded there. And so there were people in Crete whose lives and character had been changed. Now Titus is sent to them.

Who was Titus? Well you remember right at the beginning of the ministry of the apostle Paul when he was taken by Barnabas, and he went with Barnabas and they were kind of co-pastors of the church that was founded at Syrian Antioch. There they laboured with others until Paul and Barnabas were sent on their first missionary journey. Now in all probability Titus was from Syrian Antioch, a Gentile, and was converted at that time during the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. In Titus 1:4 Paul says, ‘To Titus, mine own son after the common faith.’ So he came to the Lord in all probability, hearing the preaching of Paul.

But then he becomes a prototype pastor as the years go on. He was with the apostle Paul and Barnabas when the church at Syrian Antioch sent them to Jerusalem, to settle the problem that arose: that people had come from the church – so they claimed – at Jerusalem, and they found themselves at Syrian Antioch, and they were trying to pervert the understanding, and spread heresy among the Christians there. After seeing them off, the church sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to resolve this matter with the apostles there.

Now Titus isn't mentioned once in the book of Acts; you will not see his name. But in the epistles of Paul – for instance, in Galatians – he is mentioned a number of times, and you get this information that Titus was one of those who went with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. And perhaps he was the very one who the Judaizers said – because he was a Gentile, a converted Gentile – must be circumcised. Paul, we remember, resisted that. He would not give ground, ‘no, not for an hour’. Titus became a trusted prototype pastor, sent to different places. He was sent certainly twice, if not three times, to Corinth. Now Corinth was a wonderful church, but it had its problems. It had some doctrinal problems. It had a problem particularly with one family, an immorality problem, where the church hadn't exercise discipline. It also had that party spirit. Did Paul have a man who he could trust, who could go, and though not one of them – and in Corinth they were very proud of themselves and by virtue of their Greek heritage. They wanted orators; they wanted people learned in Greek literature and philosophy. Who could he send, who they would respect? Not for those literature and philosopher, but for being a solid character, and having great patience and tact, and love for the people, to bring that church to where it ought to be. Twice if not three times, the man was Titus, who he sent.

Now he had been sent him to Crete, so that the people would be sure to keep themselves aloof from, and clear of, the faults of Cretan society, and in due course, he is going to send him to Dalmatia. You find in the last chapter of the 2 Timothy, where various people are sent to different places, and the apostle Paul mentions Titus, who is sent to Dalmatia. Where was Dalmatia? Well, it is the area known until recently as Yugoslavia. So, Titus: prototype pastor and missionary, one of the first great Gentile pastors of the Bible.

Yet he is not in Acts. Dr Luke, when he wrote under inspiration the Acts of the Apostles, was moved not to mention Titus, because, one assumes, that is exactly how Titus would have wanted it. Titus was a discreet worker. Titus got on with the job. Titus was a tremendous pastor and preacher, settler of difficulties, one who could be trusted. But he wasn't a showman, and he didn't want to be named, and he wasn't anxious to leave a legacy, and he wasn't for himself in any sense. What a prototype pastor! What an example to the church of Christ to posterity! So we look back and we admire Titus.