Titus 1

 

God who cannot lie promised eternal life before the world began

 

He made His word visible through preaching

 

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which leads to godliness; 2 in hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie, promised before the world began; 3 but has in his own time made visible his word through preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.

 

  • ‘Elect’ means chosen favorite. 
  • he ‘truth that is after godliness’ is speaking of truth that leads us to revere and adore God.
  • Godliness is revering and adoring God.
  • There is no need for sermon writing. God has given man His word and told man how to preach it. (Ezekiel 3:4, Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27).
  • Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

 

4 To Titus, my own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things left undone, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed you: 6 If any are blameless/unaccused, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruliness. 7 For a bishop must are blameless/unaccused, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not easily angered, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of sordid gain.

 

  • Sordid gain is money gained by stealing, extortion, gambling (someone else worked for it), money laundering, drugs, prostitution, kidnapping, or any other dishonest or immoral means.

 

His word is faithful

 

8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 holding fast the faithful word in teaching, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to refute those who contradict. 10 For there are many rebellious men and empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision: 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain. 12 One of them, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. 13 This witness is true. So rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Pay no attention to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but to those that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.

 

  • Matthew 7:16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 

                                                Titus 2

 

The Lord’s appearing will be glorious

 

1 But speak things which become sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober/vigilant, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. 3 The older women likewise, that they behave as becomes holiness, not false accusers/troublemakers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 that they may teach the young women to be sober/wise, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God not be blasphemed.

 

  • 2 Samuel 12:14 However, because by this deed (David and Bathsheba) you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme…

 

6 Exhort young men in the same way to be sober minded/discreet. 7 In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8 sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is opposed may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. 9 Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not talking back; 10 not purloining/pilfering, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

 

  • Purloining is stealing that breaks another’s trust.
  • All areas of our lives need to decorate God’s truth with dignity and loveliness.

 

The grace of God which brings salvation has appeared to all men

He gave Himself for us

 

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a special people, zealous of good works. 15 Speak these things, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man disregard you.

 

  • God’s plan and purpose for us is absolutely wonderful.
  • “The world and worldly Christians turn to so-called worldly things because they discover in them an anesthetic to deaden the pain of an empty heart and life. Little is gained toward true spirituality when the would-be soul doctors have succeeded in persuading the afflicted to get on without the anesthetic. If these instructors do not present the reality of such consolation and filling of heart and life as God has provided, the condition will not be improved. How misleading is the theory that to be spiritual one must abandon play, diversion, and helpful amusement! Such a conception of spirituality is born of a morbid human conscience. It is foreign to the Word of God. It is a device of Satan to make the blessings of God seem abhorrent to young people.” Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, p. 181.
  • Luke 17:24 For as the lightning, that shines out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so will the Son of man be in his day.
  • 2Thessalonians 2:8 And then will that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming:

 

                                                  Titus 3

 

The Lord saved us by His mercy, not by our works

By His kindness and His love He washes, renews, justifies, and gives inheritance richly through Jesus

 

1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities and to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, not quarrelsome, appropriate, showing all gentleness to all men. 3 For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit; 6 which he shed on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope/confidence of eternal life.

 

  • John 15:3 Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken to you.
  • Revelation 21:7 He that overcomes will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son.

 

8This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. 9 But avoid foolish questions, genealogies, quarrels, and fighting about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 After the first and second warning avoid a man of heresy, 11 knowing that such a one is perverted, and sins, condemning himself.

 

  • Heresy is belief contrary to God’s word. The root of this word means ‘to take for oneself.’
  • We believe what we choose to believe.
  • Paul commended the believers in Thessolonica because they heard his teaching and then searched the scriptures to see if these things were true—Acts 17:11

 

12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis: for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey so that they lack nothing. 14 Our people must learn to practice honest/valuable trades for necessary uses, so that they are not unfruitful. 15 All those with me salute you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

 

  • 1 Peter 4:10 As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
  • Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God would taste death for every man.

 

                                                 Philemon

 

God has given us every good thing in Christ

 

1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved and fellow laborer, 2 and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God, always mentioning you in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; 6 that the communion of your faith may become powerful by acknowledging every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

 

  • Paul was being kept prisoner in Rome.
  • But he considered it God’s will, not mans.
  • The good things God has put in us are His truth, His love, His Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and special abilities called spiritual gifts.
  • John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.

 

7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints are refreshed by you, brother. 8 So, though I could be very bold in Christ and command you to do what is fitting, 9 but instead, for love’s sake I ask you, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10  I ask you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: 11 who in the past was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

 

  • Onesimus was Philemon’s slave who ran away.
  • He was in slavery because of some debt that he owed.
  • Onesimus was working it off and skipped town before finishing, so a debt was still owed to Philemon.
  • Paul led Onesimus to the Lord and taught him. He was useful to Paul.

 

His solutions to our problems are extravagant and eternal

 

12 I have sent him back to you in person: therefore receive him, that is, my own heart: 13 whom I would have kept with me, that in your place he might have ministered to me in the bonds of the gospel: 14 But without your consent I would do nothing; that your goodness would not be by necessity, but willingly. 15 For perhaps for this reason he departed for a season so that you could receive him forever; 16 not as a servant, but above a servant, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord? 17 If you consider me a partner, receive him as myself. 18 If he has wronged you, or owes you anything, put that on my account.

 

  • By Roman law Philemon could kill his runaway slave.
  • Paul returned him knowing this risk, asking Philemon to forgive and restore him.
  • By God’s eternal law we all deserve death. God forgave that debt because of Christ’s work on the cross.
  • Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the list of crimes that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
  • Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

19 I, Paul, have written it with my own hand, I will repay it: (not to mention that you owe me your very self). 20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord: refresh my heart in the Lord. 21 Having confidence in your obedience I wrote to you, knowing that you will do more than I say. 22 And prepare lodging for me: for I trust that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 These also salute you: Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus; 24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow-laborer. 25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

 

  • Onesimus had received eternal life from the Lord through Paul. That is what he owed Paul.
  • Paul’s letter to Philemon is picture of God’s forgiveness and a practical example of how we are to deal with unfairness.
  • Philemon was a Christian who had slaves. One of his slaves, Onesimus, ran away possibly taking money.
  • God arranged that Onesimus met Paul in Rome. Onesimus was confronted with the truth of Jesus Christ and became a believer and very useful to Paul.
  • Paul sent this runaway slave back to his master, a brother in Christ. God’s hand is over all life.
  • Hebrews 13:5 Let your way of life be without covetousness; and be content what you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, or forsake you.

 

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SUMMARY: Titus-Philemon

 

  • God who cannot lie promised eternal life before the world began
  • He made His word visible through preaching
  • His word is faithful
  • The Lord’s appearing will be glorious
  • The grace of God which brings salvation has appeared to all men
  • He gave Himself for us
  • The Lord saved us by His mercy, not by our works
  • By His kindness and His love He washes, renews, justifies, and gives inheritance richly through Jesus
  • God has given us every good thing in Christ
  • His solutions to our problems are extravagant and eternal