Titus 1:1

“Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness,” – Titus 1:1

“Paul” – This book was written by Paul. His name ‘Paul’ means ‘little or small’ this is the Greek version of his name Saul. The book of Titus was probably written sometime around 66-67 AD. Titus is considered as is one of the three pastoral letters, (1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy) and was written most likely from Nicopolis of Macedonia (See Titus 3:12). According to theologians, Paul here was following ancient custom when he inserted his name as the author in the introductory greetings of his letters.

“a bondservant of God” – this word ‘bondservant’ in Greek (gk doulos) literally means ‘slave’ of God. This is unique to all of Paul’s other letters because he normally calls himself a “servant of Jesus Christ”. This word not only meant a low slave, but it was also the word for a slave by choice. Paul had just been released from prison so he knew what it meant to be a prisoner or a ‘slave’, but he sees himself as a ‘slave of God’. Now, this raises an interesting fact. If he is a slave of God, then he cannot be a slave to sin, because “no servant can serve two masters” (Luke 16:13)

This same concept is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” – (Romans 6:16-18)

Paul was once a slave to sin, but because he has obeyed the teaching by which he was delivered, he is now able to be a slave to righteousness and to God.

But how did Paul practically become ‘set free from sin’ so he could be a slave of God? He explains this in his letter to the Romans.

“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” – (Romans 6:6)

Paul was crucified with Christ, and according to Paul, this took place daily (1 Corinthians 15:31).  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – (Galatians 2:20) And Paul’s reason for being willing to die daily, was because Christ “…loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 last part). And Christ did this “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (See Romans 5:8). And this is why “…we love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Paul is a slave, a lowly station in life. However, he is a slave of God, that is the highest position one can have!

An application:

I am by nature a slave to sin, and an enemy of God because I cannot serve two masters. However, I have heard and obeyed the doctrine (teaching) which provides me with deliverance. Which is, that while I was a sinner, God sent Jesus to give Himself for me, and He died for me. And after I understood this, I love Him because He first loved me. Therefore, I daily want to die to sin and self, so that Christ can live in me. And I now live a life of faith, a slave to righteousness and God and no longer to sin and death. Therefore, teach me and help me Lord Jesus, to be crucified with Christ so that daily I might die to self and sin, and live a life by faith filled with the righteousness of God.

“an apostle of Jesus Christ” – literally in Greek an ‘apostle’ means ‘a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders’. Paul is introducing himself, as a delegate of Jesus Christ. Paul has been given specific orders. In almost all of Paul’s letters, he restates this point, that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, and that decision was not his or another man’s, but rather the will of God.

• Romans: Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
• 1 Corinthians: Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
• 2 Corinthians: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
• Galatians: Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
• Ephesians: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
• Philippians: Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
• Colossians: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
• 1 Thessalonians: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
• 2 Thessalonians: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
• 1 Timothy: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
• 2 Timothy: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
• Titus: Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness,
• Philemon: Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

The backstory of Paul’s life, especially the events leading up to his conversion from Saul to Paul is exceptional. Think about this. Saul was the greatest persecutor of the gospel message of Jesus Christ, but by now he is the most influentially of all the apostles. In fact, the evidence can be seen in that a majority of the New Testament was written by him.

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.” (Galatians 1:15-17)

Paul has been given specific orders, and according to his own words, those orders were to preach Jesus Christ among the Gentiles. His credentials were presented to him on the Damascus road. Paul is clear and upfront, that Titus is sent by Paul, who is appointed by God himself. If anyone rejects Titus and his counsel he also, in so doing, rejects the clearly defined position and authority of Paul.

Paul was a Jew, but was fluent in the Greek language and Greek culture and learned in Greek literature (cf. Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). These attributes must have been useful when appointed by God to a Gentile context. Paul would be able to connect and relate to the Gentile. Paul was also a Roman citizen, which entitled him to legal protections which was not afforded to most Jews. This also would have helped him in preaching this new and strange message in many unentered lands, in a way that perhaps might not have been possible with some other person. And yet we must not forget that Paul was a Jew, he had intimate knowledge of the Old Testament and the Mosaic law. And this would have perfectly equipped him to explain the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul understood, that Christ fulfilled the messianic promises of the Old Testament prophets, And confirmed that Christ had come not to abolish the law but to fulfil it. God clearly has a plan, when He calls and appoints someone to be His delegate, to whom He gives specific orders.

Perhaps the reason for this giving of credentials at the start of not just this, but most of his other letters, is that this letter would most likely be read in public before all of the churches in Crete and so it was important to start with the author ‘Paul’, credentials, ‘an apostle of Jesus Christ’

An application:

God in choosing Paul made use of his talents, education, culture, experiences, and knowledge (although God did have to realign all of it to be in harmony with Himself and His plan). Paul knew his calling and purpose in life, and in the church. So too should I, as a Christian today also know for myself what my life purpose is and what my function is in the church. No matter what my past has been, experiences, education, culture, or talents, God can and will repurpose them to be employed in His service. Maybe I need a ‘road to Damascus’ experience to ‘see’ what it is.

“according to the faith of God’s elect”

The English translation of this phrase is generally believed to have missed the mark on correctly giving the meaning of the Greek preposition. Most agree that the rendering should be, “for (the furtherance of) the faith” or, in other words, “the object of Paul’s apostleship was, that through his instrumentality the chosen of God should believe.”

“elect”

Paul here compares the Christian church with ancient Israel, which was chosen by God to bear the message of salvation to the world (See Isa. 43:20; 45:4; 65:9). The responsibilities once assigned to Israel now belonged to the Christian church (See 1 Peter 2:9, 10).

“and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness”

Here the further purpose of Paul’s apostleship is explained. Paul was appointed an apostle that through him the elect of God might believe (acknowledge) and heed (the truth) which produces (accords) as its fruit in the individual a holy and useful life (godliness). The Christian “faith,” or teaching, is designed to produce godly lives, not merely new theories. This is a common recurring theme in this book (See Titus 2:11-14)

An application:

As a minister of the Gospel, I am to further the faith in the same way that ancient Israel was to carry the message of salvation to the world. This furthering or ‘preaching’ of the faith should produce godly lives.