1. In your own opinion why is Paul presented in verse one as a servant and an apostle?
2. Explain verse 1b.
3. According to verse 2a why is Paul a worker for God?
4. What word is manifested in its own time?
5. How was the promise which was made from times eternal (v. 2c), and manifested in its own time (v. 3a), revealed?
6. What gave Paul his job?

Titus 1:5

5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

1. Why was Titus left in Crete according to verse 5a?
2. What in verse 5b is Titus to “set in order”?
3. Does Paul counsel Titus here or does he give him orders?

Titus 1:6-9

6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

1. In 1 Timothy we saw an elder had to be a man – – a male; is that true in these verses?  Please substantiate your answer.
2. Why must a bishop (episkopos; v. 7a in parallel with v. 5c) be “unreprovable” in verse 7a?  Explain “unreprovable”.
3. What is the message of verse 9?

Titus 1:10-14
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision;
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they out not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretins are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true.  Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

1. Are the many unruly vain talkers who are making trouble in verse 10a men or women?
2. What is the activity of these talkers?
3. Why do they teach what they teach?
4. According to verse 12 and 13a why do these men act the way they do?
5. How was Titus instructed to respond to those causing trouble in verses 10-12?
6. Why was this response by Titus necessary?
7. What content were these talkers to give up?

Titus 1:15, 16

15 Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing 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 unto every good work reprobate.

1. State verse 15 in your own words.
2. State the teaching of verse 16 in your own words.

Assignment Answers

Titus 1:1-4

1. As an apostle he is specially commissioned; as a servant he will not insert himself into the work he is sent to do.

   Note:  “The object of the apostles’ ministry was not self-exaltation.  They did not covert authority or pre-eminence.  They preached Christ.  This was their theme.  They hid self in the Savior.  The great plan of salvation, and the life of Christ, the author and finisher of this plan, were exalted before their hearers.  Christ, yesterday, to-day, and forever,  was the burden of their teaching” (EGW, 4 RH 405).

2. The phrase “according to” is a translation of the greek word kata.  It has a number of messages to bear; one is “according to, in accordance with, “ etc.  (See A & G, p. 408).  These meanings can run together so that both messages are borne by one kata.

   In verse one then we can read, Paul . . . an apostle . . . according to the faith of those who are believers.  We can also read, Paul . . . an apostle . . . according to the faith of those who are believers because of the influence of Paul.  This meaning emphasizes Paul’s apostleship is grounded in the results of his work.  As Arndt & Gingrich point out, one is the norm or standard, the other is the reason.  I believe both messages are properly seen here.

   The second phrase, and full knowledge of the truth according to piety, does not emphasize either of the two alternatives set forth above.  Either is equally possible.

3. He hopes to gain life eternal.  Note that he does not present a hope of gaining eternal life in harmony with God’s promise apart from works.
4. The word manifested in its own times is the word of God promising eternal life – – from times eternal of v. 20.
5. This promise was revealed in its own time in a proclamation Paul was entrusted with (v. 3b).
6. The command of God our Savior is that which gave Paul this job.

Titus 1:5

1. Titus was left in Crete by Paul for the purpose of forming the organization that would best forward the spreading of the promise of the hope of life eternal (verses 5a, 2a).
2. Titus is commissioned to first set in order “things wanting” for the gospel hope to be proclaimed on Crete, and then he is to appoint local leaders to make the organization formed functionable.
3. Paul’s instructions to Titus are orders, not suggestions, but Titus has the task of applying his orders to each local situation.

Titus 1:6-9

1. In these verses as in 1 Timothy an elder has to be a man – – and elder is an anar (v. 6a), a male.
2. A bishop has to be unreprovable because he represents God in his people.  (The greek for steward is oikonomon – – house manager.)  “unreprovable” is the translation for anegklaton, “blameless” (A & G, p. 63).
3. The negative message of verse 9 is that an elder is not to seek to be original in the story of the gospel.  He is to hold to the faith he has been taught (by the apostle and his appointed associates), in order that he can convince the ones speaking against (antilegontas) the gospel, “by healthy teaching.”  By implication, to seek to be original, to alter the gospel, destroys one’s ability to properly defend the gospel by the gospel against its contradictors.

Titus 1:10-14

1.  The trouble makers are men.
2. They go about as teachers (v. 11b).
3. They teach for the sake of base, dishonest, or shameful (aischros) gain.  This can mean money or something like opportunity for immorality because of their position.  It is interesting to note Paul told Timothy the way to defeat such people was by proclaiming a “healthy” gospel; that which the apostles taught.  The gospel serves many causes – – here it reveals the wickedness of improper preachers.
4. Because they are Cretins.
5. Titus’ response to improper conduct by ones teaching improper content, is to be to “reprove them severely” (apotomos: severely, rigorously.  A & G, p. 101).
6. The response Titus was commanded to make was for the purpose of the reproved ones becoming healthy in the faith (v. 13c).
7. Jewish tales, and commandments of men which pervert the faith.

   Note:  To “pervert” is apostrephomenon.  When an ox plowed the result was a furrow winding.  When people write right to left and  left to right, the result is known as boustrephodon; turning back and forth at the end of each line – – bous, ox, plus strepho, to turn.  Paul does not use boustepo but apostrepo – – to turn from or away from.  What Paul sets in contrast to healthy faith is that which turns people away from the truth.

Titus 1:15, 16

1. All things, mind and conscience, are clean to the clean.  Clean is here katharos, meaning make clean, cleanse, or purify, in the sense of make someone clean.  In this biblical concept “ritual and moral purity merge”  (A & G, p. 389), but to those who have been defiled neither the mind or the conscience are to be trusted.  Defiled, miaino, means moral defilement by sins and vices (A & G, p. 522), which defilement may be implied to be the result of a withdrawing (gustereo: fail to reach, go without, or, be excluded)  from the grace of God (see Heb 12:15) which withdrawing leads to moral defilement by sin, which affects both mind and conscience.

   In these people Paul says neither the mind or the conscience are to be trusted because grace is not being effective in the life.

   [Note:  Here we have the Biblical basis for the EGW statements appearing under 1 Tim 1:17-20, c, above regarding the good conscience.]

2. People are to be judged by their works, not by their profession; even if they loudly proclaim God to be their guide and friend.

1 Timothy & Titus: intro | lesson 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13