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This section has 4 verses:
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and
the acknowledging of the truth which is after
godliness;
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot
lie, promised before the world began;
3 But hath in due times manifested his word through
preaching, which is committed unto me according to
the commandment of God our Saviour;
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
We will begin with the Barclay:
A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER
We do not know a great deal about Titus, to whom
this letter was written; but, from the scattered
references to him, a picture emerges of a man who
was one of Paul’s most trusted and most valuable
helpers. Paul calls him his loyal child, so it is
most likely that he himself converted Titus, perhaps
at Iconium.
Titus was Paul’s companion at an awkward and a
difficult time. When Paul paid his visit to
Jerusalem, to a church which viewed him with
suspicion and was prepared to mistrust and dislike
him, it was Titus whom he took with him along with
Barnabas (Galatians 2:1). It was said of Henry
Dundas, the famous Scottish politician, by one of
his friends: ‘Dundas is no orator; but he will go
out with you in any kind of weather.’ Titus was like
that. When Paul was up against it, Titus was by his
side.
Quoted verse:
Galatians 2:1
Then fourteen years after I went up again to
Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me
also.
Titus was the man for a tough assignment. When the
trouble at Corinth was at its peak, it was he who
was sent with one of the severest letters Paul ever
wrote (2 Corinthians 8:16). Titus clearly had the
strength of mind and character which enabled him to
face and to handle a difficult situation. There are
two kinds of people. There are the people who can
make a bad situation worse, and there are the people
who can bring order out of chaos and peace out of
strife. Titus was the man to send to the place where
there was trouble. He had a gift for practical
administration. It was Titus whom Paul chose to
organize the collection for the poor members of the
church at Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:6, 8:10). It is
clear that he had no great gifts of speech, but he
was the man for practical administration. The Church
ought to thank God for the people to whom we turn
whenever we want a practical job done well.
Quoted verses:
2 Corinthians 8:16
But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest
care into the heart of Titus for you.
2 Corinthians 8:6
Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had
begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace
also.
2 Corinthians 8:10
And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient
for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but
also to be forward a year ago.
Paul has certain titles for Titus.
He calls him his loyal child. That must mean that he
was Paul’s convert and child in the faith (Titus
1:4). Nothing in this world gives a preacher and
teacher more joy than to see those whom they have
taught rise to fulfil a useful position within the
Church. Titus was the son who brought joy to the
heart of Paul, his father in the faith.
He calls him his brother (2 Corinthians 2:13) and
his sharer in work and toil (2 Corinthians 8:23).
The great day for a preacher or a teacher is the day
when children in the faith become brothers and
sisters in the faith, when those who were once
taught are able to take their place in the work of
the Church, no longer as junior members but as
equals with them. He says that Titus walked in the
same spirit (2 Corinthians 12:18). Paul knew that
Titus would deal with things as he would have dealt
with them himself. It is a great pleasure to have a
deputy to whom we can commit our work, certain that
it will be done in the way in which we ourselves
would have wanted it done.
Quoted verses:
2 Corinthians 2:13
I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not
Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I
went from thence into Macedonia.
2 Corinthians 8:23
Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner
and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be
enquired of, they are the messengers of the
churches, and the glory of Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:18
I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did
Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same
spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
He gives to Titus a great task. He sends him to
Crete to be a model to the Christians who are there
(Titus 2:7). The greatest compliment Paul paid Titus
was that he sent him to Crete, not to talk to them
about what a Christian should be, but to show them
what a Christian should be. There could be no
greater responsibility and no higher compliment than
that. One very interesting suggestion has been
made. Both 2 Corinthians 8:18 and 2 Corinthians
12:18 [mentioned above] say that when Titus
was sent to Corinth another brother was sent with
him, described in the former passage as ‘the brother
who is famous among all the churches’, and commonly
identified with Luke. It has been suggested that
Titus was Luke’s brother. It is rather an odd fact
that Titus is never mentioned in Acts; but we know
that Luke wrote Acts and often tells the story in
the first-person plural, saying: ‘We did this’ or
‘We did that’, and it has been suggested that in
such passages he includes Titus with himself.
Whether or not that suggestion is true we do not
know, but certainly Titus and Luke have a family
resemblance in that they were both men of practical
service.
Quoted verses:
Titus 2:7
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good
works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity,
sincerity,
2 Corinthians 8:18
And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise
is in the gospel throughout all the churches;
In the western Church, Titus is commemorated on 4th
January, and in the eastern Church on 25th August.
~Barclay commentary
Let us go to the other commentaries beginning with
the general and going to the specific.
Let us begin with the Matthew Henry:
The person written to, who is described,
1. By his name, Titus, a Gentile Greek, yet called
both to the faith and ministry. Observe, the grace
of God is free and powerful. What worthiness or
preparation was there in one of heathen stock and
education?
2. By his spiritual relation to the apostle: My own
(or my genuine) son, not by natural
generation, but by supernatural regeneration. I have
begotten you through the gospel, said he to the
Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 4:15. Ministers are
spiritual fathers to those whom they are the means
of converting, and will tenderly affect and care for
them, and must be answerably regarded by them. “My
own son after the common faith, that faith which is
common to all the regenerate, and which thou hast in
truth, and expressest to the life.” This might be
said to distinguish Titus from hypocrites and false
teachers, and to recommend him to the regard of the
Cretans, as being among them a lively image of the
apostle himself, in faith, and life, and heavenly
doctrine.
Quoted verse:
1 Corinthians 4:15
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ
Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
To this Titus, deservedly so dear to the apostle,
is,
The salutation and prayer, wishing all blessings to
him: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father,
and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. Here are,
1. The blessings wished: Grace, mercy, and peace.
Grace, the free favour of God, and acceptance with
him. Mercy, the fruits of that favour, in pardon of
sins, and freedom from all miseries by it, both here
and hereafter. And peace, the positive effect and
fruit of mercy. Peace with God through Christ who is
our peace, and with the creatures and ourselves;
outward and inward peace, comprehending all good
whatsoever, that makes for our happiness in time and
to eternity. Observe, Grace is the fountain of all
blessings. Mercy, and peace, and all good, spring
out of this. Get into God's favour, and all must be
well; for,
2. These are the persons from whom blessings are
wished: From God the Father, the fountain of all
good. Every blessing, every comfort, comes to us
from God as a Father; he is the Father of all by
creation, but of the good by adoption and
regeneration. And the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour,
as the way and means of procurement and conveyance.
All is from the Father by the Son, who is Lord by
nature, heir of all things, and our Lord, Redeemer,
and head, ordering and ruling his members. All are
put under him; we hold of him, as in capite [as a
tenant-in-chief for the land owner], and owe
subjection and obedience to him, who is also Jesus
and Christ, the anointed Saviour, and especially our
Saviour, who believe in him, delivering us from sin
and [death], and bringing us to [the
Kingdom] and happiness.
Thus far is the preface to the epistle; then follows
the entrance into the matter, by signifying the end
of Titus's being left in Crete. ~Matthew Henry
Now the Matthew Henry Concise which covers the first
4 verses of the chapter:
All are the servants of God who are not slaves of
sin and Satan. All gospel truth is according to
godliness, teaching the fear of God. The intent of
the gospel is to raise up hope as well as faith; to
take off the mind and heart from the world, and to
raise them to heaven and the things above. How
excellent then is the gospel, which was the matter
of Divine promise so early, and what thanks are due
for our privileges! Faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God; and whoso is appointed
and called, must preach the word. Grace is the free
favour of God, and acceptance with him. Mercy, the
fruits of the favour, in the pardon of sin, and
freedom from all miseries both here and hereafter.
And peace is the effect and fruit of mercy. Peace
with God through Christ who is our Peace, and with
the creatures and ourselves. Grace is the fountain
of all blessings. Mercy, and peace, and all good,
spring out of this. ~Matthew Henry Concise
commentary
Now something from the Biblical Illustrator:
To Titus, mine own son after the common faith
Lessons
I.
A spiritual relationship (Cf. Acts 15:1-41;
Galatians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians
7:6, etc.)
Quoted verses:
Read Acts 15:1-41
Galatians 2:2
And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto
them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles,
but privately to them which were of reputation, lest
by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
2 Corinthians 2:13
I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not
Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I
went from thence into Macedonia.
2 Corinthians 7:6
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are
cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
II. A threefold blessing.
1. “Grace,” the source of our redemption [salvation
process].
2. “Mercy,” displayed in our redemption.
3. “Peace,” the result of our redemption. [now
and ultimately in salvation]
III. The source and medium of the blessing. God the
Father from whom it comes, and Christ the Son
through whom it comes. ~ Biblical Illustrator
I found this next passage in the Darby Synopsis,
which is another commentary and covers the whole
chapter:
The Epistle to Titus is occupied with the
maintenance of order in the churches of God.
The
especial object of those written to Timothy as the
maintenance of sound doctrine, although speaking of
other things with regard to which the apostle gives
directions for the conduct of Timothy. This the
apostle himself tells us. In the First Epistle to
Timothy we see that Paul had left his beloved son in
the faith at Ephesus, in order to watch that no
other doctrine was preached there; the assembly is
the pillar and support of the truth. In the Second
Epistle we find the means by which Christians are to
be strengthened in the truth, when the mass have
departed from it.
Here, in Titus, the apostle says expressly that he
had left him in Crete to set in order things that
were yet wanting, and to establish elders in every
city. Although more or less the same dangers
presented themselves to the mind of Paul as when
writing to Timothy, yet we find that the apostle
enters at once upon his subject with a calmness
which shews that his mind was not pre-occupied in
the same way with those dangers, and that the Spirit
could engage him more entirely with the ordinary
walk of the assembly; so that this epistle is much
more simple in its character. The walk that becomes
Christians, with regard to the maintenance of order
in their relationships of each other, and the great
principles on which this walk is founded, form the
subject of the book. The state of the assembly comes
but little before us. Truths that flow more entirely
from the Christian revelation, and that characterize
it, have more place in this epistle than in those
addressed to Timothy. On the other hand, prophecies
concerning the future condition of Christianity, and
the development of the decline that had already
commenced, are not repeated here. While stating in a
remarkable way certain truths with respect to
Christianity, the tone of the epistle is more calm,
more ordinary [than the letters to Timothy].
~Darby Synopsis
Now this from the Cambridge Bible commentary:
The title "Pastoral Epistle" is as appropriate to
the Epistle to Titus as to the First Epistle to
Timothy. Although there is a good deal in the letter
that is personal rather than pastoral, yet the
pastoral element is the main one. The bulk of the
letter is taken up with questions of Church doctrine
and government, the treatment of the faithful
members of the congregation and of the unruly and
erring. The letter is addressed to Titus, not as a
private individual, but as the delegate of the
Apostle holding office in Crete. Hence, as in the
First Epistle to Timothy, Paul styles himself an
Apostle: and the official character of this letter
is still further marked by the long and solemn
superscription. It is evidently intended to be read
by other persons besides the minister to whom it is
addressed. ~The Cambridge Bible commentary
Let
us go now to the specific commentaries.
None of the commentaries seem to be in agreement on
how to break this down, so we will go with:
1] To Titus, mine own son after the common faith.
2] Grace, mercy and peace.
3] from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our
Saviour.
1] To Titus, mine
own son after the common faith.
To Titus, mine own son after the common faith - is
here his ‘legitimate son,’ as converted by him and
sharing the same faith. ~Popular Commentary
After the common faith - The faith of all
Christians; - equivalent to saying “my son in the
gospel.” That is, Paul had been the means of
converting him by preaching that gospel which was
received by all who were Christians. ~Barnes
Notes
To Titus, mine own son - Him whom I have been the
instrument of converting to the Christian faith; and
in whom, in this respect, I have the same right as
any man can have in his own begotten son. ~Adam
Clarke
To Titus, mine own son after the common faith - Not
in a natural, but in a spiritual sense; the apostle
being the instrument of his conversion, as he was of
the conversion of Onesimus, and of many of the
Corinthians, and therefore is said to beget them,
Philemon 1:10 and so was their spiritual father, and
they his children: Titus was, in this sense, his
"own son", or a true son, a legitimate one; a true
convert; one really born again; a sincere believer,
an Israelite indeed: and this he was "after the
common faith"; either the doctrine of faith, which
is but one, and is common to all the saints; or the
grace of faith, which though different in degrees,
yet is alike precious faith in all; the same for
nature, kind, object, operation, and effects: and
this phrase is used to show in what sense Titus was
son to the apostle; as he was a believer, and no
otherwise. ~John Gill
Quoted verse:
Philemon 1:10
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have
begotten in my bonds:
Titus, mine own son — Greek, “my genuine child” (1
Timothy 1:2), that is, converted by my
instrumentality (1 Corinthians 4:17; Philemon
1:10...above). ~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 1:2 [see
Lesson]
Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy,
and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our
Lord.
1 Corinthians 4:17
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who
is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who
shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be
in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
After the common faith — a genuine son in respect to
(in virtue of) the faith common to all the people of
God, comprising in a common brotherhood Gentiles as
well as Jews, therefore embracing Titus a Gentile
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
2] Grace, mercy
and peace.
Grace, mercy, and peace — “mercy” is omitted in some
of the oldest manuscripts. But one of the best and
oldest manuscripts supports it. There are many
similarities of phrase in the Pastoral Epistles.
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Grace - This word properly means “favor.” It is very
often used in the New Testament, and is employed in
the sense of benignity or benevolence; felicity, or
a prosperous state of affairs; the Christian
religion, as the highest expression of the
benevolence or favor of God; the happiness which
Christianity confers on its friends in this and the
future life; the apostolic office; charity, or alms;
thanksgiving; joy, or pleasure; and the benefits
produced on the Christian’s heart and life by
religion - the grace of meekness, patience, charity,
etc., “Schleusner.” In this place, and in similar
places in the beginning of the apostolic epistles,
it seems to be a word including all those blessings
that are applicable to Christians in common;
denoting an ardent wish that all the mercies and
favors of God for time and eternity, blended under
the general name grace, may be conferred on them. It
is to be understood as connected with a word
implying invocation. I pray, or I desire, that
grace, etc. may be conferred on you. ~ Barnes
Notes on word in Romans 1:7
Peace - Peace is the state of freedom from war. As
war conveys the idea of discord and numberless
calamities and dangers, so peace is the opposite,
and conveys the idea of concord, safety, and
prosperity. Thus, to wish one peace was the same as
to wish him all safety and prosperity. This form of
salutation was common among the Hebrews. Genesis
43:23, “peace to you! fear not.” But the word
“peace” is also used in contrast with that state of
agitation and conflict which a sinner has with his
conscience. and with God. The sinner is like the
troubled sea, which cannot rest. The Christian is at
peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. By
this word, denoting reconciliation with God, the
blessings of the Christian religion are often
described in the scriptures. A prayer for peace,
therefore, in the epistles, is not a mere formal
salutation, but has a special reference to those
“spiritual” blessings which result from
reconciliation with God through the Lord Jesus
Christ. ~ Barnes Notes on word in Romans 1:7
3] from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
So Titus is our brother in the
faith. He was a loyal and able servant for God and
for Paul. He was able to become this kind of
servant and have this kind of spiritual maturity
through the power of Grace, Mercy and Peace. These
two things are the lessons of verse 4.
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