Introduction to Titus

Titus was another one of Paul’s traveling companions much like Timothy.  After Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment he visited an island called Crete and saw the seeds of a new church planted there. He decided to leave Titus there to continue planting the church and then traveled on to Macedonia.  While in Macedonia he wrote to Timothy in Ephesus which we know as 1 Timothy and he wrote this letter to Titus.  Both of these letters give a very good job description for church planters.  Paul lets Titus know exactly how he should be investing his time as a minister leading a new church.  That job description continues to hold true even today.  As we seek to establish churches in the nations of the world today there are basically just two things that are required.

TRAINING LEADERS: Paul states that the main reason he was left in Crete was for the purpose of selecting and training leaders for the church.  The long term success of any ministry depends on qualified leadership.  Paul describes exactly what that kind of leadership looks like.  They are to be men of integrity in their own personal character as well as capabilities in the area of teaching the Word of God to others.  Leaders are vital to any church or ministry because the church will always come under attack by those who will try to destroy it through false teachings.  The leader’s job is to be able to refute these false teachings with the Word of God and call the people to follow sound doctrine.  New believes do not usually possess these qualities so it is the church planter’s main priority to train up a generation of men who are exemplifying the Word of God in their conduct and who are capable of exposing false teachings that are meant to destroy or distract the church from its mission of worshiping the Lord and working to advance the kingdom in all nations.  In essence church planters are always looking to replace themselves with local leaders who will free them up to go plant churches in other locations.

TEACHING MEMBERS: The second aspect of the job description involves teaching the Word of God to all of the members of the church.  Leaders will usually fail if they are striving to lead people who are not instructed in God’s Word.  It is vital to the success of the church for the various members of the church to follow the teaching of Scripture.  Paul makes it clear that there are different types of people that make up a church and each of them should be instructed in a different manner.  Older men are to be treated differently than younger men.  Older women are to be carefully instructed so that they can teach the younger women.  I think it is significant that Paul tells Titus to focus his teaching in the church on men and older women so as not to be tempted by or accused of inappropriate involvement with younger women.  Church planters must carefully teach the Word of God in public as well as disciple men and older women.  There seem to be three central teachings that are vital to this curriculum.  First, we must teach a complete and accurate understanding of the Gospel.  Second, we are to teach church members how to live in a corrupt world that does not know or follow the Word of God.  Third, we must teach people within the church how to focus on the essential doctrines of the faith and not become distracted by secondary, questionable or unrevealed controversial issues.  Churches are destroyed by not understanding the Gospel, bad reputations in the community and senseless fighting between those who are in the church.