More on Titus

Titus is memorized. Several months ago, I asked you to hold me accountable to memorizing the entire book of Titus and I've slowly been adding verses. Right now, I could stand before you and quote the entire three chapters.

I'm a big believer in the spiritual disciplines, those activities that help keep the soil of our hearts more receptive to God's work. I don't think we are saved because we pray every day or memorize or study. But those disciplines help keep our spirits soft and receptive to God's word

Here's what I've learned from memorizing Titus:

• I will memorize more. I've studied Titus in depth before but now see Paul's presentation and concerns in a deeper way.
• I like memorizing a book rather than memorizing topically. Memorizing verses that address a topic (faith, grace, fear) can miss the context and the bigger issues that can be seen in knowing the larger text.
• Memorization is hard. I had to push myself sometimes to review and learn a new verse. However, it did get easier as I continued.
• I have used the verses from Titus many times already, in my personal worship time and in teaching.

I'm humbled to think of Jewish boys memorizing the first five books of the Bible - and even my own children who compete in Bible quizzing and have memorized over 150 verses per season. The 46 verses of Titus are small potatoes.

I put memorizing on my "should do" list for many years but am glad I got pushed into doing it. I'm considering now what I want to memorize next. Want to join me?

My Titus progress

I'm memorizing the book of Titus and just picked the project back up after about a month off. To be honest, I got spooked at the length of Titus 3:3. But I pushed through that verse and am now to Titus 3:5.

If you haven't recently read that sequence in Titus (3:3-5), do it. Slowly. Savor those words. Paul, in verse 3, acknowledged his ugly background: foolish, disobedience, deceived, enslaved. He lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating others.

Then, like an angel bursting through the clouds with triumphant trumpet shout, the kindness and love of God appeared, saving him. He wasn't saved by his own righteous acts but because of God's mercy.

God saved him by the washing of rebirth and regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

Paul was willing to sharply rebuke those who wandered from the truth but not because he reveled in his own superiority. He longed for others to know what he knew: only through God's mercy and kindness was he given new life.

That's good news. Go read it again!

Titus: Finally

Thanks for joining me on this journey through Paul’s letter to Crete. The church was struggling because it wanted to look a lot like the world around it.

Today, we’d call that tolerance. And we should be gracious to other points of view and other cultures and traditions.

But not all ideas are equal.

Paul made that clear in his letters. Although some people were trying to convince the church people that the ways of the world were more educated, more thoughtful, more pleasurable, Paul said there was death in returning to the world.

We have the same temptations today. You may know people who followed Jesus for a while but then decided the world’s ways looked pretty good.

You may know people who didn’t want to have self-control but wanted to do what they wanted to do. You may be that person.

Following Jesus isn’t easy, because we have to say “no” to the ways of the world and say “yes” to Jesus. That may mean we give up some things.

Even though those things aren’t good for us, they seem good for us in the beginning. And we find ourselves addicted and pulled away from Jesus.

When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we remember his love and gentleness.

We live in upside-down world today, where naughtiness gets a pat on the back while the virgin is mocked. But, oddly, it entices. We can lose our bearing quickly.

The key is the way of wisdom, holding firm to God’s Word. No matter what the world offers us, following the way of Jesus leads us to the nature of God, where we find kindness, love, mercy, generosity, and eternity with the Creator of the universe. That's worth resisting today's culture for.




Titus: Boiling yet?

Read Titus 3:8-15

You probably know how to boil a frog, don’t you? You put a frog in a pot of cool water and slowly bring up the temperature. A frog would leap out if placed into a pot of boiling water but will remain in cool water, not noticing as the temperature slowly climbs.

We've been looking at Paul's instructions to Titus as he discipled the church at Crete.

Paul was concerned that the church there was like a frog, accepting gradual changes that would eventually kill them.

The believers had to be different from the world around them, not gradually getting used to the world’s ideas and ways.

Paul wanted the believers to do good because their actions, like ours, show what really mattered to them. Doing good didn't bring them eternal lilfe but revealed their perspective.

We have the same issues today as the Cretans had. Are we drawn to the world around us, which would have us become conformed to a common image, chasing after the same pleasures and goals that they pursue? They make their way look like the good life.

But notice again what Paul said in Titus 3:3. We were deceived and enslaved by the old life, which is the way of the world.

We're in an age where we can't coast anymore. We have to stop adjusting to the water that's about to boil us. We have to evaluate our lives.

What enslaves us? What are we doing or believing or considering that keeps us away from God's best?

Paul asked the believers at Crete to evaluate their actions an decisions. If we follow Jesus, we will be set apart from the world around us.

But when the goodness and love for man appeared from God our Savior, He saved us.

Titus 3:4-5

Titus: Spikes

Read Titus 3:4-7


The spike had a word on it and I tried hard to read it as the soldier drew back his mallet to pound it in. I wish I hadn't looked:

Foolishness

That’s what the spike said.

More spikes lay close by, ready for use. There were words on them, too:

disobedience

deceived

I was getting a little uncomfortable.

There were more spikes ready to be driven:

selfish pleasures

malice

envy

hate

These nails were, one by one, being driven through flesh, pinning the man to the wood.

I knew the man was Jesus and I knew the nails were mine. Those were my pegs holding him to the cross.

Why would he allow the soldiers to pierce him with the nails meant for me? I was standing free and unpierced while he took my punishment.

Why would he do that? I lived a life of foolishness and disobedience and envy and hate…. All the things written on those spikes.

We weren't saved because of our clean living. Paul reminded Titus that God saved, not because of the righteous things we've done, but because of his mercy.

We forget about mercy sometimes as we pursue moral living. There's nothing wrong with righteous living until we trust it to get us to God.

We are heirs of eternal life, not because of anything we've done. We stood on the sidelines while Jesus did the hard work and we walk in victory by his grace.

that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:7

Titus: before and after

Read Titus 3:1-3

Ever taken at peek at those weight-loss ads in the Sunday magazine? The ones with the full-color "after" where the person looks vigrant, healthy, and, of course, slender. The "before" photos are usually pretty dismal.

Weight-loss ads have to include the phrase "weight loss not typical" but Paul's letter to Titus didn't need that phrase, because he wrote about genuine change.

As Paul wrote this letter to Titus, he wanted the church in Crete to remember that believers are different than non-believers and their actions will be different as well.

Sometimes we forget that, too. We want to blend in, because those who act differently are often laughed at. And who wants to be laughed at?

But just like those fit and slender "after" photos draw us, so does Paul's list.

Here are Paul's description of believers. These are the "after" shots. Look at these:

• Subject to rulers and authorities
• Obedient
• Ready to whatever is good
• Slander no one
• Peaceable
• Considerate
• Humble

Now look at verse 3, where he lists traits for “what we were”:

• Foolish
• Disobedient
• Deceived
• Enslaved by passions and pleasures
• Living in malice
• Envious
• Hated and hating

Do you see much difference between the two lists? Believers were changed - not into moralistic puppets - but into those who love others and live by God's grace and love.

People were drawn to Jesus' love and kindness. Do we shine with that? Does our "after" snapshot look good?

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
Titus 3:4-5

Titus: TV and Reese's

Read Titus 2:11-15

Homer loved Reese’s, Mt. Dew and Cheetos. Every afternoon, he gathered his snacks and settled in front of the TV to play Swords and Heroes.

“Homer,” his sister said, “get some fresh air. Homer, go, get some exercise!”

Homer didn’t want to get some fresh air or exercise. He wanted Reese’s and Mt. Dew and Cheetos.

He also hated the word “self-control,” which is what his dad had been talking about last weekend. As in, “Homer, you need some self-control.”

Homer didn’t want any self-control. He wanted to do what he wanted to do.

But after awhile, he seemed to catch every cold that went around. And inbetween times, he didn’t feel so good anyway. His pants didn’t fit anymore. “Well, I’m growing!” he told his mother, who scowled as they moved into the husky section of the jeans rack.

He didn’t do much at game time because he ran out of air so fast. He stood in the corner panting while the other boys were running. They were stronger than he was, anyway, and he’d rather go home and sit on the couch.

What would you tell Homer?

Homer hated self-control because he thought it was better to do what he wanted to do. But what he wanted wasn’t good for him.

That’s not news we always want to hear. We want to do what we want. It may not be candy and video games. It might be the right to lose our temper or be selfish or expect a certain gift on our birthday.

We want what we want. We want to be in charge.

But Paul’s advice to Titus was to teach the people in the church about self-control. Paul wanted the people to life self-controlled, upright and godly lives. How on earth could they do that?

By the grace of God. We sometimes think our own gritted will power will get us to self-control. It won't. We need to trust God's grace.

God’s grace is amazing, isn’t it? Our own selfish choices make us like Homer, intending to please ourselves but actually hurting ourselves. God wants better things for us.

"...we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Titus 2:13-14

Titus: A slave and his owner

Read Titus 2:6-10

The morning sun warmed Gaius back as he rode alongside his master. His horse snorted from the dusty road as the group clip-clopped toward Thessalonica. The city was at least two days away yet and Gaius enjoyed the lively discussion with his master as they traveled.

“Master, your talk with those rude travelers last night was kind,” Gaius commented.

Rufus smiled. The group had approached their camp with greedy demands for food and water. He would have been within his right to order them slain for their disrespect.

“I would have done differently before, wouldn’t I?” he said. “I did feel angry, Gaius.”

“I did also. I waited for your command,” the slave said.

“I’ve changed. I wanted to give them food and help them. They were obviously desperate.”

Gaius was silent for a moment. He had watched his young master fall on his knees before the preacher a few months before and had seen the changes in Rufus since that time.

“You are self-controlled, Master,” Gaius observed.

“What?”

“Self-controlled. Remember what Titus told us when we last met with him? He said you should be self-controlled.”

“So he did. And he said slaves shouldn’t steal from their masters.” Rufus playfully shoved Gaius’ shoulder. “How’s that going for you?”

“Master! I’d never….what….you can’t….oh,” Gaius sputtered for a moment before catching the grin on Rufus’ face. “I never steal,” he said indignantly.

“Well, I’ve seen a change in you, too, Gaius,” Rufus said lightly. “Titus is a good man, isn’t he? I enjoy spending time with him. You can watch him work and see the Savior in him.”

Paul instructed Titus, in our reading today, to teach young men and slaves how to live. How was Titus to do that, according to the first part of verse 7?


And, if the church did as Titus instructed, what would be the result, according to the last part of verse 8?

Next time: TV and Reese's

Titus: the bad guys

Read Titus 2:1-5

Ever noticed, in adventure stories, how the bad guys aren’t happy to just do bad things? They want to take over the good guys. In fact, sometimes they want to take over the whole world. The really evil ones will add “bwa-ha-ha” to their speech.

That’s what Paul and Titus were battling in Crete. The bad guys wanted the believers in the church to act like them. Paul spent the last half of Titus 1 describing the bad guys, so that the believers could see the difference.

Now, in Titus 2:1, what did he advise Titus to do?

Then came the directions for those within the church. There are five groups that Paul spoke to:

• Older men
• Older women
• Younger women
• Younger men
• Believing slaves

When you’re young, the responsibilities of the older men and women may not interest you. But those are the leaders in your churches and families so their abilities affect all of us.

Paul used an interesting phrase in verse 3: “in the way they live.” The word in Greek is katastema, which carries the idea of revealing. So Paul was saying that the actions of the believers should reveal what was in their hearts.

If their actions didn’t measure up to Paul’s description, they had some spiritual growing to do.

From verse 2, what traits did Paul expect from the older men?

How about the older women, in verse 3?

Who trains the younger women (verse 4)?

And what traits did Paul want to see in the younger women? (verse 5)


Next time: A slave and his master

Titus: a reputation that stuck

Read Titus 1:10-16

Talk about a reputation! Look at what was said about people of Crete: "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." (Titus 1:12)

A Cretan poet, Epimenides, had written that about his own people about 600 years earlier, and apparently the label still stuck.

Write some of the descriptions of the people of Crete (based on verses 10-12):


Circle those descriptions which have to do with telling the truth (or not telling the truth.)

You probably circled words like “deceivers,” “dishonest gain,” “liars.” Paul knew the people of Crete weren’t offended by deception and falsehoods. Instead, why did they use lies, according to the end of verse 11?


The Christians on Crete grew up in that atmosphere of lying for personal gain. How could Paul get them to think differently? What did he ask Titus to do, in verse 13?

The pure were those changed by believing in Jesus. Would they want to do things impure?

What did Paul call those who were not Christians?


And how did he describe them in verse 15?

Remember how Paul described church leaders in last week's lesson. Notice how he describes the world outside the church in today’s lesson. Were there any important differences? What were they?


Look back at verse 9. What were the believers to do with those who didn’t accept the trustworthy message?

Next time: the bad guys

Titus in Smalltown

Read Titus 1:5-9
When Mr. Jones walked to the podium, all the members of First Community Church of Smalltown held their breath. He wanted to be chairman of the church and he had a speech prepared.

“I would like to be your leader,” he said with a deep voice of authority. “I know that you forgive easily and so will ignore the fact that all my children are drug lords in South America.

“Even though I have a wife here in Smalltown and another in Cityton, I don’t see that as relevant to my campaign. I pledge to tell you what you want to hear. Please don’t worry about the rumors that I get in fights when I’m angry. I never do that unless I am drunk and that only happens on Friday nights so it will not affect my duties here at all.

“My friends are anxious to join the church when I’m elected, and together we can re-work the church rules so they make you feel a whole lot better about yourself. I believe in truth as long it works for me. The Bible is a lovely suggestion and I follow it when I can make a little extra money doing so. Please vote for me!”

Hopefully, he wouldn’t get elected in your church.

Paul wrote to Titus to establish some guidelines for leadership. The temptation for the church in Crete was to follow those who could speak well, even if their ideas were as unusual as Mr. Jones’.
So what should they look for in a leader? Write down a few of the requirements Paul gave Titus in our passage.

Paul described a committed Christian in his advice to Titus. But there’s something very important in what Paul said.

Look at verse 9. How were church leaders to hold onto the trustworthy message? (note: the trustworthy message was that Jesus as the Son of God had died and risen to provide life for those who believed.)

Notice that leaders were to encourage others with sound doctrine. What else did Paul want them to do?

Not only must leaders walk in truth, but they must oppose those who don’t walk. Remember how Paul made the idea of truth so important in his introduction to this letter?

Now we’re starting to see why. Some people don’t treat truth as important. Paul knew many in Crete were not truthful and he wanted the church to stand firm on the trustworthy message.

Next: a reputation that stuck

Titus and truth

Read Titus 1:1-4
Do you ever skim over the introductions to these books? Me, too. But there’s some good stuff in these introductions.

We're continuing our Tuesday study of Titus. (Don't you love these alliterations? I guess I could have written "trusty Tuesday Titus study"... Or not.)

We always want to look for repeated words and phrases when we read the Bible. Notice a few in these first few verses:

• the knowledge of the truth (Titus 1:1)
• God, who does not lie (Titus 1:2)
• Titus, my true son (Titus 1:4)

What would you guess might be something that Paul examined in his letter to Titus? Truth was a big issue for Paul in this letter. And Paul coupled truth with God's nature quickly.

Now let’s make a list of attributes about God. Look at verses 2-3. What are some descriptions of God’s nature?

How did Paul describe his own ministry, according to verse 1?

Paul’s focus was not on his own abilities, but on what God had prepared him to do. Paul emphasized God’s truth. Knowledge comes from God. Anything else is not true.


Next time: Mr. Jones in Smalltown

Titus on Crete

Titus is such a short book that it’s tempting to skip over it, but it is full of important information for us.

Paul wrote this letter late in his ministry. Because he was probably in prison, he couldn’t go to the island of Crete where he’d left Titus to organize the church there. He had to write a letter of instruction instead.

Crete had a rich history and had been important in earlier Greek times. By the time the Romans had conquered the civilized world, Crete had lost some importance but was still a strong trade area. The island was not a wild uncivilized place but had large cities and much culture.

Many Jews lived on the island and were among those listed to be in Jerusalem during the Passover. (Acts 2:11) Since many became Christians at Pentecost and took the good news home with them to start new churches, the same thing probably took place on Crete, too.

We’re not sure if Paul planted a church in Crete or simply discovered Christians there and sent Titus to help with some problems on the island.

Because Paul calls Titus a “true son,” we know that they are very close friends. And it’s likely that Paul had shared the gospel with Titus and been part of his conversion to Christianity.

They had probably traveled together and Paul obviously trusted Titus enough to leave him on the island to clear up some matters there.

This letter was written to give Titus some pointers. One of the keys to understanding the book is to remember that the culture was trying to tear the believers away from the truth of Christianity. How could Titus teach the body of believers to live differently than those who were not believers.

Since that's slightly relevant to us today as well, we’ll be studying those differences in our weekly study of Titus.

Next week: titles