Titus 1 (NIV)
The author of this letter is Paul. The letter is addressed to Titus, one of Paul’s converts, who was a considerable help to him in his ministry. When Paul left Antioch to discuss the gospel with the Jerusalem leaders, he took Titus with him (Gal 2:1–3); acceptance of Titus (a Gentile) as a Christian without circumcision vindicated Paul’s stand there (Gal 2:3–5).
Following Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28), he and Titus worked briefly in Crete, after which he commissioned Titus to remain there as his representative and complete some needed work.
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
All who are not slaves of sin and Satan, are servants of God.
All gospel truth is according to godliness, teaching the fear (reverence) of God. The intent of the gospel is to raise up hope as well as faith; to take off of the mind and heart, the struggles from this world, and to raise them to heaven and the things above.
How excellent then is the gospel, which is a matter of Divine promises, since the beginning, and what thanks are due for our privileges, which are entrusted to us!
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and whosoever is appointed and called, must preach the word (evangelize, tell the world). Grace is the free unmerited favor of God, and acceptance with him. And Peace is the effect and fruit of mercy. Mercy (King James trans), the fruits of the favor, in the pardon of sin, and freedom from all miseries both here and after.
Peace with God through Christ who is our Peace. Grace is the fountain of all blessings. Mercy, and peace, and all good, spring out of this.
Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good
5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Here Paul preached the Gospel to the conversion of many – in Crete; but not having time to finish what he had begun, he left Titus here for that purpose:
The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such elders and overseers (King James uses Bishop) of the flock, to be examples to them. And as God’s stewards, they must be able to take care of the affairs of his or her own household, (there is great reason that they should be blameless), if he or she is to have influence over the flock
What they are not to be, is plainly shown, as well as what they are to be, as servants of Christ, and able ministers of the letter and practice of the gospel, and they should be examples of these good works, and also to be able to correct those who oppose it.
Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good
10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good
False teachers are described. Faithful ministers must oppose and rebuke them quickly, so that their disruptions may be made known to all, as to put an end to their false teachings. Their goal was obvious; serving a worldly interest under pretense of religion: for the love of money is the root of all evil.
Such should be resisted, and put to shame, by sound doctrine from the Scriptures. Shameful actions should be far from Christians;
Gal 5:13-26
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
To those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; they abuse, and turn things lawful and good into sin. Many profess to know God, yet in their lives deny and reject him.
Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
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