Titus 1:4

“To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.” – Titus 1:4

In the previous text, we see that Paul states that God has revealed His word through preaching. And Paul has been commissioned to preach that word.

“To Titus, a true son”

This letter to Titus must be somehow connected to the ‘Preaching of the Word which was committed to Paul’

’Titus’ means nurse, that’s interesting because in a way he has been sent to Crete to ‘nurse’ the church back to health.

There are only three people Paul considers a true son, Titus, Timothy and Onesimus. These are people who Paul was connected to leading to Christ.

”our common faith:”

There is only ‘one’ faith and that is common to all. There is only one way to be saved and that is in the belief that “Jesus Christ is our Saviour”.

”Grace, mercy, and peace”

Paul uses this expression in 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus. John also uses it in his letter 2nd John.

Paul often would use the words “Grace” and “Peace” is most of his letters’ introduction. He did this perhaps because he was writing to both a Greek and Jewish audience.

It was Greek custom at the time when greeting each other to say “charis” which means grace but also carries the idea of favor. So in saying this to someone, it was the equivalent of his saying, “I greet you with grace and favor.”

However when greeting a Jewish person you would say “Shalom” which means peace. So Paul does a great job at meeting both readers with a combined greeting.

An application: