SERMON: “Introduction of Hope” (Titus 1:1–4)
“Introduction
of Hope” (Titus 1:1–4)
Series: “Titus: Godly People, Godly Church” Text: Titus 1:1–4
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: April
14, 2024
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
Thankfully, God has not left us in the dark
concerning good church order. We begin
studying the Book of Titus this evening, one of the books of Scripture known as
the pastoral epistles (along with 1 and 2 Timothy). These letters would remove much of the
mystery of running church for believers, especially the leaders of fellowships,
so we can know what God deems to be proper order in churches. Paul wrote this letter to Titus with this
intention.
Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles,
plural, so he desired to continue moving and planting churches in key
areas. Crete is a large island — about
160 miles by 35 miles — situated in the middle of the sometimes-tumultuous
Mediterranean Sea, obviously strategic in location. Yet, around ad
62–64, Paul was moving on to serve the Macedonian churches (cf. 3:12). Paul knew there was still some work to make
the churches of Crete sound, healthy, and godly, such as the appointment of the
right kind of elders. Yet, Paul knew he
could assign a faithful companion to this task, so he chooses to leave Titus there
and then sends along these instructions.
What was happening in Crete? As one study notes,
The believers in Crete lacked leadership and
were suffering as a result. False
teachers were taking advantage of the absence of sound doctrine. Judging from Paul’s exhortations, the harmony
and morals of the young congregation were disrupted. Paul relied on Titus to help them establish
their leadership and make up their other deficits. Their struggles are repeated in every age, and
this letter is as relevant today as it was to Titus.[1]
Who was Titus? He came to Christ earlier, perhaps during Paul’s
first missionary journey through the area (see. v. 4). Since then, Titus had helped on future
missionary endeavors with Paul; Paul would write in 2 Corinthians 8:23, “As for
Titus, he is my partner and fellow
worker among you; as for our brethren, they
are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.” Paul is confident that Titus is the man for
the job of setting things in order in Crete.
So, Paul says in v. 5, “For this reason I
left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders
in every city as I directed you.” With
the pagan religions and Jewish mythologies, Titus must make certain that he
selects the right people. That is why
this letter is so important.
As we consider these things, we want to know
how to have both our church and our lives properly structured. We’ll note four truths about the Book of
Titus from this introduction. It’s a book
to believers, of hope, of proclamation, and of faith. Let’s look at the first of those.
II.
Titus is a book to believers (v. 1)
Paul,
a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
We see that this letter is written by the
Apostle Paul, and there doesn’t seem to be much debate about that. However, Paul doesn’t identify himself first
as an apostle. Instead, he uses a term
translated here as “bond-servant.” He’s
done this elsewhere (Rom. 1:1). However,
the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) translates it “slave,” which is a better
translation. There were many slaves in
the Roman Empire, but ironically, Paul was a citizen who could have been proud
to boast that he was never in bondage to anyone. However, Paul instead testifies that he is
owned by Christ.
This sets a tone for this letter that
believers need to receive. Consider that
it isn’t just Paul who does this; James, the brother of our Lord, also did
identified himself this way (James 1:1).
Moreover, John said God gave Revelation for the Lord’s bond-servants or
slaves (Rev. 1:1), a reference to all believers. We are to see ourselves as God’s servants.
It’s true that horrible things have been
done in slavery in the US in the past, and horrible things continue to happen
in the name of slavery around the world.
Horrible things also happen to you who are enslaved by sin, the devil,
and the world. Yet, good things happen
when you are purchased by a gracious Master, especially if you live a life of
submission to the Lord. Paul is proud to
say that Jesus Christ owns him, and Paul willingly submits to the Lord’s
command.
With this strong hint for believers, Paul
continues to identify himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ.” The word “apostle” literally means “sent
one,” one who is sent with a purpose, as an official messenger. In this case, Paul is claiming a special
category for himself when he says he’s an apostle of Jesus Christ, much like
the prophets of God claimed for themselves in the OT. Paul defends his credentials in 2
Corinthians.
Christians need the words of the apostles
and prophets, for it is the foundation of church (Eph. 2:20). Of course, even though Paul is writing to
Titus, he is writing for the benefit of the church. He says he writes “for the faith of those
chosen of God,” or, as the LSB says, “God’s elect.”
Note first it’s for the faith of “those
chosen of God.” Jesus refers to God’s
people as “God’s elect” (Luke 18:7). Many
people struggle with applying this language to believers (I’ve even heard
Christians deny election is ever taught in the Bible!). However, this is a hopeful designation for
believers. When election and
predestination appear in Scripture, believers are reminded that God decreed their
promises before creation (see. Eph. 1:4).
That’s the hope and assurance: your existence as a believer doesn’t rest
on you; it comes from outside yourself in God.
So, this is to say that Paul writes for Christian
believers in Crete. He wants them strengthened
in their faith, and his words to Titus can accomplish that. Unless he writes, the Cretan believers may
lack what they need to live sound lives and have a sound fellowship.
But Paul isn’t just writing for the faith of
God’s chosen; note second it’s for “the knowledge of the truth which is
according to godliness.” This isn’t just
knowledge but “full knowledge” (LSB). God
desires believers to come to “the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Christians should grow in this knowledge.
Of course, Paul isn’t talking about
believers gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “Knowledge
makes arrogant, but love edifies.” Here,
his focus is more on the need for godliness.
This was a particular need in Crete. As one study notes, “Cretans had a reputation
for ungodliness (Titus 1:12).”[2] Of course, we should all seek truth and
doctrine which conforms to godliness.
Those who don’t are conceited and lack understanding (1 Tim. 6:3–4).
This letter will help with growing in
godliness. Paul writes of its source
when he says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all
men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live
sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.” Paul then writes in the third chapter some
practical suggestions on godly living. As
another study notes, “Good works or works appears eight times in this
epistle (twice in v. 16; 2:7, 14; 3:1, 5, 8, 14). At least two other phrases parallel
the good works theme: “reverent in behavior” (2:3) and “adorn the doctrine of
God” (2:10).”[3] So, the grace of God through Scripture can
teach believers to avoid ungodliness and embrace godliness.
So, this isn’t just a book to Titus on how
to order churches. It is also a book
that will help all believers grow. One
of the particular needs for believers in this world is hope, which is where we
turn next.
III.
Titus is a book of hope (v. 2)
in
the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,
Understand what Scripture means when it
speaks of hope. It isn’t talking about a
desire. It doesn’t present hope as a
pie-in-the-sky fantasy. Rather, it is an
expectation or a promised outcome.
In this case, the outcome is eternal life —
life only God provides, life in Him.
Paul teaches on this in this letter when he writes in Titus 3:7 that “so
that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” He links eternal life with the heirship of
Christ, meaning that our union with Christ through the Holy Spirit prompts our
expectation of eternal life.
Paul is writing for believers to bank on
this. As the MacArthur Study Bible notes
here, “This is divinely promised and divinely guaranteed to all believers,
providing endurance and patience (cf. John 6:37–40; Rom. 8:18–23; 1 Cor.
15:51–58; Eph. 1:13, 14; Phil. 3:8–11, 20, 21; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; 1 John 3:2,
3).”[4] All believers own this hope of eternal life
because God has promised it for us.
To be clear about that latter point, God is
unchanging, and He can’t lie. That’s the
description of the true God we have here.
As Hebrews 6:18 says, it “is impossible for God to lie.” He is free from any deceit or falsehood, and He
made this promise.
God cannot lie, He never lies. This is a view of God the believers in Crete
needed; in v. 12, Paul quoted the Greek poet Epimenides, who wrote, “Cretans
are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
Perhaps you have also struggled with falsehood. Yet, as 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are
faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” God made this promise sure, before the ages,
or “from all eternity” (LSB).
So, this is a sure expectation. He promised the gospel through the prophets
in Scripture (Rom. 1:2). This also goes
back to divine election; the Lord “saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9). We have an ironclad hope in God for eternal
life because of who God is, not so much who we are.
Believers need to hear about such a
hope. They need to hear the truth of God
proclaimed. That brings us to the next
point:
IV.
Titus is a book of proclamation (v. 3)
but
at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I
was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,
It’s all about timing, and God has all of it
worked out properly. First, He brought
about the gospel in Jesus Christ at the proper time. Here, Paul focuses more on the manifestation
of the word or the message.
This is the message Paul, the slave, the
apostle, was to proclaim. The term
translated “proclamation” here is κήρυγμα (kerugma), meaning “preaching”
(see LSB here). This word “was the word
for the message proclaimed by a public herald.”[5] This is a different act than just teaching,
say in a classroom setting. Preaching is
public proclamation.
The Lord entrusted him with this
responsibility, and this is what all men of God have. For instance, Paul told Timothy this: “Retain
the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love
which are in Christ Jesus. Guard,
through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted
to you” (2 Tim. 1:13–14). Yet, it
wouldn’t stop with Timothy; he tells him in 2:2, “The things which you have
heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who
will be able to teach others also.” So,
Timothy was to hold onto the truth and then find men who would also hold it
while passing it on to others.
Paul likewise told Titus to find trustworthy
men. In v. 9, he describes men “holding
fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he
will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who
contradict.” A church isn’t going to be
godly if it doesn’t proclaim the message of God!
Preaching the truth is a vital component of
church ministry. Salvation comes through
the preaching of the Word — “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the
word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). God can also
establish believers through the preaching of Christ (Rom 16:25). This is why preaching is so important to the
ministry, and why having leaders who can handle the Word of God is so
necessary. If a church isn’t proclaiming
Christ, it ain’t a church.
This is what God commands. He is the Savior, and He demands that His
word or message goes forth for the world and for the sake of believers. Paul models that, because he understands the
importance of faith (our final point).
V.
Titus is a book of faith (v. 4)
To
Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and
Christ Jesus our Savior.
Here, we finally get to the section of
Paul’s introduction where he says to whom he is writing. He calls Titus his “true child” or “genuine
child” (LSB). By this, he means that
Titus is the fruit of his gospel ministry, and Titus continued to follow Paul
much as a disciple would. In other
words, Titus is a product of Paul’s proclamation.
Titus came to faith in the common
faith. They share a faith, of course,
but this also bespeaks the universality (some might say the little-c “catholic”[6]
nature) of the Christian faith. Peter
wrote to those “who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the
righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1). Jude said we should “contend earnestly for
the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). Note that it is “a common faith” that Titus
came into, and a sound church must be able to affirm the same historic truths
about the gospel.
Those who hold to such truths need grace and
peace from God. Of course, this is a
common greeting, but that doesn’t make it a flippant or trite expression. The God of grace and peace can grant these
blessings to those in need, such as weary ministers of the gospel or sin-laden
believers.
Note that grace and peace doesn’t just come
from God, though. Paul exalts Jesus to
the level of God in two ways. First, he
says Jesus is a distributor of grace and peace alongside the Father. He also is saying that Jesus is Savior, just
as he said God is Savior in the previous verse.
That’s because the common faith accepts the deity of Christ and the trinitarian
truth about God.
VI.
Conclusion
This is a book which will help us grow in
our faith and the application of the truth!
It will help us to properly order our lives as well as our church. Part of that ordering begins by understanding
what God says about elders, which we’ll being examining next time. Yet, it starts with a determination to have
one’s aim to be godly, something we need both the truth of Scripture and the
grace of God to fulfill. May we ever
make our goal to be a godly people with a godly church.
[1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Tt.
[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Tt 1:1.
[3] Radmacher, et. al., Tt 1:1.
[4] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1885.
[5] Radmacher, et. al., Tt 1:3.
[6] From the Latin term meaning “universal.” This universality is to be distinguished from
a particular organization, like the Roman Catholic Church.
