Titus

Composition

The New Testament of the Christian Bible contains twenty-seven books. Thirteen of these are credited to Paul, an apostle of Jesus, but scholars believe only seven of the letters were dictated by Paul. Others were written by his followers who likely pulled from these and other letters written by Paul. Paul was a Pharisee and therefore studied the Hebrew Bible. He had committed much or all of the Hebrew Bible to memory and quoted from it in his letters. This strong scholarship is evident in his letters.

The Letter to Titus or Epistle to Titus in the New Testament consists of three chapters. It is the final of three epistles called the Pastoral Letters. The other letters in this grouping are Timothy 1 and Timothy 2. Many scholars describe the Pastoral Letters as Trito-Pauline or deutero-Pauline, meaning they were likely written after Paul’s death by members of the Pauline branch of early Christianity. However, the letter to Titus states that Paul is in prison. Evidence against Paul as author is found in the style and vocabulary, which are not in keeping with earlier letters believed written by Paul, and understanding of church hierarchy that did not exist in Paul’s lifetime. Those who support Paul as author date the epistle to the late 60s CE, while those who disagree say it was more likely written after 80 CE and possibly as late as the late second century. Many scholars attribute the Pastoral Letters to one author. However, others disagree. Attribution to Paul is likely a tactic to convey his authority.

Titus, a Christian saint, lived in the first century CE and had served as secretary to Paul. He was charged with growing the Christian community on the large Greek island of Crete, which according to the New Testament was never visited by Paul. Titus is regarded as the first bishop of Crete. He was born to Gentile parents and later became a Christian, reportedly having been converted by Paul. The church at Antioch sent Titus and other delegates to travel to Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas for the Council of Jerusalem.

The early Christian Church was divided by disagreements. Peter and others focused their missionary efforts on Jews because they insisted that only Jews could be followers of Jesus. This conversion required that males be circumcised. Others, notably Paul, disagreed. He focused his attention on converting Gentiles, or those not of the Jewish faith. This schism affected the growth of the early church and is reflected in many letters written in Paul’s name.

Summary

The Epistle to Titus, like Timothy 1, discusses presbyter-bishops, groups in the church, and the importance of good and moral conduct. The letter begins with an address, followed by the pastoral charge, both in the first chapter. The second and third chapters contain information about teaching the Christian life.

The address to Titus indicates the letter is from Paul. The author calls Titus his spiritual son, “mine own son after the common faith” (Titus 1:4, King James Version JKV). The writer then describes the tasks that have previously been assigned to Titus in Crete. He is to appoint bishops, also called presbyters, in every town. These are to be men who have married only once, in other words not practicing polygamy. Their children must have good moral standing in the community.

The author says a bishop must emulate Christ in controlling his temper, being humble, and welcoming others. He must not be greedy or aggressive or drink excessively. He must understand and communicate the word of God and church teachings to the men and women of the congregation. The bishop’s knowledge is necessary so that he may refute false teachings. The writer criticizes those who deceive and rebel, singling out those he called Jewish Christians for rebuke. The author is referencing those who insist Christians must conform to some Jewish purity laws. The author says bishops must silence these false teachers, who are usurping God’s authority by emphasizing human rules and causing uproar in the church community. The writer cites a local axiom slandering the people of Crete as “liars, evil beasts, slow bellies” (Titus 1:12), or lazy. Unbelievers, the writer says, are disobedient.

The letter describes Christian behavior. Older men should have self-control, be faithful, dignified, and loving, without wildness. Older women should also be virtuous and truthful and help younger women learn to love their husbands and children, care for their families, and be chaste and docile. Young men must learn self-discipline and likewise display good conduct and dignity. Enslaved persons must be obedient to their enslavers. Christians must not fight or hate others. The author reinforces the requirement to be kind to others and above reproach; God has saved them so they can do good.

The latter portion of the third chapter contains advice to Titus (3:8–11) in which the author lists further instructions. Titus is to avoid foolish and petty arguments. Heretics are to receive two warnings before they are shunned. Finally, the writer offers directives, greetings, and blessing (3:12–15). The author will spend the winter at Nicopolis and instructs Titus to join him there when Artemas or Tychicus arrive. Titus is to ensure Zenas and Apollos have all they need and send them on their journey soon. He is to encourage Christians to perform good works.

The author closes by relaying greetings from everyone in the writer’s circle. Finally, the writer charges Titus to extend his greetings to the Christian community and offers a blessing, saying grace be with them.

Themes

The author is instructing church leadership in correcting problems that interfere with harmony and obedience in the church community. Some followers of Christ were insisting on tenets that Paul objected to and warned against. Some early Christians, notably the church of Jerusalem, believed converts must first become Jewish before they could join the Christian Church. However, Paul was of the opinion that this was not the case. He took Titus to the Council of Jerusalem despite his convert not having been circumcised, according to Galatians 2:1. Paul focused his ministry on the Gentiles and according to scripture converted many from paganism. Their turn from polytheism to monotheism was difficult because much of the activity in their communities, such as festivals and athletic competitions, was tied to pagan customs.

In classical antiquity, officials often provided documents to appointees. These memos to subordinates were summaries of duties they had been dispatched to perform. Timothy 1 and Titus reflect this practice in that they state the charges given the recipients by Paul previously. The epistles further address qualifications for leadership that they are expected to use in determining the current and future leadership of the church and instructions to defend the Pauline tradition against false teachers.

The Pastoral Epistles are notable among biblical letters in that they are addressed to individuals rather than a community located in a specific city or region. They also address concerns about the long-term stability of the church; the apostles and followers of Jesus had previously believed he would return within their lifetimes—the Parousia, or “coming”—but this idea was fading. Church leadership was issuing orders about continuity of authority, challenges to Church authority, and upright and moral behavior of members and leaders of the Church so as to avoid criticism from others.

The writer has several purposes in composing and sending the letter. First is practical advice to Titus in dealing with unruly members of the flock and authorization to act on such dissention. Next, he outlines what the conduct of the faithful should be. Finally, he makes plans to see Titus again over the winter.

In modern times some Christian churches view the message of the Epistle to Titus as a warning that the form of worship is less important than living the faith and believing Jesus’s teachings. This is emphasized in the writer’s list of qualifications for elders and other leaders and people of various age groups and social classes. The grace bestowed by God saves (2:11) and is meant to guide Christians in how they should live—for example, by doing good works and being obedient to God and rejecting those things and actions that are contrary to God’s teaching. The writer also draws parallels between the works of Christ and the conduct His followers should exhibit.

Bibliography

Fiore, Benjamin. The Pastoral Epistles: First Timothy, Second Timothy, Titus. Liturgical Press, 2007. Print.

Harrill, J. Albert. “‘Without Lies or Deception’: Oracular Claims to Truth in the Epistle to Titus.” New Testament Studies, vol. 63, no. 3, 2017, pp. 451–472. DOI: 10.1017/S0028688517000054. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.

Hoklotubbe, T. Christopher. “Civilized Christ-Followers Among Barbaric Cretans and Superstitious Judeans: Negotiating Ethnic Hierarchies in Titus 1:10–14.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 140, no. 2, 2021, pp. 369 – 390. DOI: 10.15699/jbl.1402.2021.8. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.

Kroonenberg, P.M. “Stylometry: Authorship of the Pauline Epistles.” Multivariate Humanities: Quantitative Methods in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Springer, 2021. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-69150-9‗6. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.

Roberts, Daniel Wayne. The Pastoral Epistles and the New Perspective on Paul. Wipf & Stock, 2021. Print.

“Titus.” US Conference of Catholic Bishops, bible.usccb.org/bible/titus/0. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.

Van Nes, Jermo. “The Pastoral Epistles: Common Themes, Individual Compositions? An Introduction to the Quest for the Origin(s) of the Letters to Timothy and Titus.” Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters, vol. 9, no. 1–2, 2019, pp. 6–29. DOI: 10.5325/jstudpaullett.9.1-2.0006. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.