Titus 1:1-3 1Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness, 2for the hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began3and revealed at the proper times in his word in the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
God places people in leadership within churches to provide spiritual nurture (Ephesians 4:11-13). Paul urges Titus in this letter to develop pastoral leadership in the churches on the island of Crete. As the churches grew, they needed godly leaders who could protect them from false teaching and lead them deeper into the truth of the gospel. Titus is a personal letter and follows the typical style of ancient letters. Paul begins the letter with a salutation that includes the author (Paul), the recipient (Titus), followed by a greeting.
These verses form one long and complex sentence. Paul begins this letter by describing himself in two ways: a slave and an apostle. Both of these set the tone for the letter and Titus’ mission in Crete. Paul was “bonded as a slave” because he had been captured by Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9; Philippians 3:12). Paul uses the phrase a slave of God only here. He was bound to the service to which God had called him, and this specifically was to be an apostle (Romans 1:1). He was completely dedicated to and dependent upon God for every moment of his life (Philippians 1:21). At the same time, he was “sent out” (apostello) as an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), entrusted with a mission, and given authority to preach a message of truth and hope.
As he often does with the opening of his letters, Paul describes the purpose of his ministry, possibly to remind Titus of his own calling and the spiritual needs in Crete. He explains his mission using three important values for God’s people: faith, knowledge, and hope. First, his mission was to bring about faith in God’s elect. God’s elect is a phrase adopted from the Old Testament and refers to the people of God whom God chose for a special purpose. The church continues Israel’s mission as God’s people of being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9).
The way for the church to fulfill this mission is by knowing the truth, which Paul goes on to describe in verse 2 as a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life. Faith and knowledge are two sides of one coin; you cannot have one with the other. Faith is built upon knowledge and knowledge adds support to faith. If either one is left out, the gospel loses its convicting power. This type of knowledge (epignōsin) is complete and personal, not merely learning facts. It is not knowing about God but knowing God as friend and redeemer. This knowledge should lead to godliness (eusebeian), which a reverence for God that shows up in holy living in obedience to God’s commands.
This message was not something Paul made up (Galatians 1:11) but was foreseen long ago by the prophets (Romans 16:25-26; 1 Peter 1:10-12) and was God’s plan even before the beginning of time (Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:16-17). The gospel of Christ was God’s original plan before creation and not God’s second best plan because Adam and Eve disobeyed in the garden of Eden. This promise was fulfilled at a specific point in time (chronōn) through the incarnation of Christ. Since it rests upon the very character of God who does not lie, we can be assured of the outcome of eternal life.
Paul’s basic goal was to proclaim this gospel so that people might be saved and the church nourished, resulting in godliness in this world and eternal life in the one to come. The evidence of a grounded faith will be godliness. How one lives confirms what one believes. The word godliness (eusebeia) has a rich background in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) and in Greek literature. It is a core Christian virtue, empowered by faith, and evidenced in how a person lives in response to God’s covenantal grace.
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