Bullet Point Bible

Greeting and Paul's Apostolic Commission

¹ From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God's chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,² in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before time began.³ But now in his own time he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.⁴ To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!

Paul introduces himself with titles emphasizing both submission ("slave of God") and authority ("apostle of Jesus Christ").
His apostleship serves a specific purpose: nurturing the faith of believers and promoting knowledge of truth that leads to practical godliness (Titus 1:1).
The ultimate goal is the "hope of eternal life," grounding Christian life in future certainty (Titus 1:2).
This hope is reliable because it originates from God "who does not lie," highlighting God's immutable faithfulness (Titus 1:2).
The promise of eternal life predates creation ("before the ages began"), emphasizing its place in God's eternal plan.
God's plan, hidden in ages past, was revealed "at the proper time" through apostolic preaching (Titus 1:3).
Paul stresses that his preaching ministry is not self-appointed but a divine commission ("command of God our Savior") (Titus 1:3).
Titus is affectionately called Paul's "genuine son," indicating a close mentoring relationship built on shared faith (Titus 1:4).
The greeting combines divine enablement ("Grace") and the resulting wholeness ("peace") originating from both the Father and Christ Jesus (Titus 1:4).
Both God the Father and Jesus Christ are identified as "Savior," emphasizing their unified role in salvation.

Appointing Elders in Crete

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.⁶ An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.⁷ For the overseer must be blameless as one entrusted with God's work, not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain.⁸ Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, upright, devout, and self-controlled.⁹ He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it.

Titus's specific mission in Crete involved church organization: completing unfinished tasks and establishing leadership structures (Titus 1:5).
Appointing elders (*presbyteroi*) in each town was crucial for the stability and health of the Cretan churches.
The qualifications begin with being "blameless" (*anegklētos*), meaning irreproachable in public reputation (Titus 1:6).
Responsible family life ("husband of one wife," faithful children) serves as evidence of leadership capability (Titus 1:6). "Husband of one wife" likely means marital fidelity and character, not necessarily prohibiting single or widowed men.
Paul uses "overseer" (*episkopos*) interchangeably with "elder" (*presbyteros*), indicating these terms referred to the same office in the early church (Titus 1:7).
Elders are viewed as "God's steward," managing God's household, which demands high character.
Negative character traits to avoid include arrogance, anger issues, substance abuse, violence, and greed (Titus 1:7).
Positive character traits required include hospitality, loving good, wisdom, justice, holiness, and discipline (Titus 1:8).
Doctrinal integrity is paramount: an elder must be firmly grounded in apostolic teaching ("the faithful message") (Titus 1:9).
This doctrinal stability equips the elder for two key tasks: building up believers through sound teaching (*didaskalia*) and correcting those who oppose the truth (Titus 1:9).

Confronting False Teachers

¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections,¹¹ who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.¹² A certain one of them, in fact, one of their own prophets, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."¹³ Such testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith¹⁴ and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who reject the truth.

The necessity of qualified elders is highlighted by the presence of disruptive elements within the church (Titus 1:10).
Opponents are described as insubordinate, engaging in meaningless chatter, and actively deceiving others (Titus 1:10).
Paul specifically mentions "those of the circumcision group," suggesting that Judaizers (insisting on Jewish law for Christians) were a significant problem in Crete.
The impact of false teaching was severe, "upsetting whole households," likely causing division and leading people astray (Titus 1:11).
Their motivation was corrupt: "dishonest gain," teaching falsehoods for financial profit (Titus 1:11).
Paul quotes a Cretan prophet (likely Epimenides) regarding the negative reputation of Cretans, applying it to the false teachers (Titus 1:12). This was a known stereotype in the ancient world.
Paul affirms the truth of this assessment concerning the opponents, using it to emphasize the severity of the problem (Titus 1:13).
Titus is instructed to "rebuke them sharply" (*apotomōs*, meaning severely or curtly) not for condemnation, but for correction (Titus 1:13).
The goal of the sharp rebuke is positive: restoration to "soundness in the faith" (Titus 1:13).
Believers are warned against "Jewish myths" (likely extra-biblical legends or speculative interpretations) and human-devised rules that distract from God's truth (Titus 1:14).

Purity, Defilement, and Professing vs. Practicing Faith

¹⁵ All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.¹⁶ They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

Paul addresses the issue of purity, likely countering ascetic or legalistic teachings from the opponents (Titus 1:15).
The principle "To the pure, all things are pure" suggests that external things (like foods or rituals) are not inherently defiling; true purity is internal.
Conversely, for those internally "corrupt and unbelieving," everything becomes tainted because their perception ("minds") and moral compass ("consciences") are defiled (Titus 1:15).
This verse emphasizes that external regulations cannot cleanse a defiled inner state.
The false teachers make a verbal claim ("profess") to know God, suggesting an outward appearance of religiosity (Titus 1:16).
However, their behavior ("deeds") fundamentally contradicts their profession, constituting a practical denial of God (Titus 1:16).
Paul uses strong language to describe their true state: "detestable" (*bdelyktoi*, abominable), "disobedient," and disqualified (*adokimoi*) for any genuinely good work aligned with God's purposes (Titus 1:16).
This serves as a powerful warning about the necessity of aligning one's actions with one's professed faith.
True knowledge of God inevitably results in transformation and godly living, which was absent in these opponents.

The Bullet Point Bible

Titus 1