These three short verses of the book from Paul are addressed to a man of little notoriety in the Bible. He was given heavy responsibilities as part of his ministry on the island of Crete. Those he was to serve for God had a reputation of having low character. They were not the type of people one would expect to immediately respond to any effort of ministry. This third chapter is outlined such that we can apply it to ourselves by having the same reliability for unpleasant and difficult situations as did Titus. He was not just a member of the church but was instructed by Paul how to handle responsibilities of being a pastor in a difficult situation including the warnings that he should apply to his efforts.
Verses one and two instructed us what we should do as believers. Immediately this can be a difficult circumstance because we are told to be subject to those in authority while being ready to demonstrate good work. Opposite the natural instinct of most people, we are not to speak evil of anyone or be brawlers. Because we are to be humble, we also are to be gentle.
Verses three and four puts us in stark contrast to the lifestyle of those that lived on the Isle of Crete. One would assume that Paul would be talking and praising the Christian. However, he makes a confession in behalf of all of us. He described the former life of the believer as being foolish, disobedient, deceived, being lustful, serving personal pleasures, living in malice and envy, being hateful and hating another person. This is not very complementary of how we would think a convert to Christ once lived. He is confessing for everyone that the salvation from Christ is permeating, all-inclusive, and amounts to making us a new creation. Our conversion to the Lord is because of his love and kindness offered to everyone.
Verse five reminds us of the result we receive from Christ after inviting him into our lives. That difference that he works on us and in us is a result from Christ. That result is not because of our own works leading to righteousness but because of his mercy. In effect, our salvation is the washing of our entire spiritual being. It is a type of regeneration and renewing from the Holy Spirit. Paul already has gone into great detail to remind all of us from where we once were to the results of God’s work in us. As a result of being born again, (regeneration) we have the prospects that God provides everyone who believes.
Verses six and seven offer a glorious future to anyone before and after walking the path of this world. The grace that God has toward us is unmerited favor. That grace places us in a position before God in which we are justified. I like the description of justified that I heard many years ago. When we are justified before God it is “just as if we never did it.” It’s not that God overlooks all the negativities about us. It is that he cleanses us while offering hope for eternity because he took on himself the penalty from sin that justice has demanded.
Verse eight declares that believers have an obligation by their good works that make them good and profitable to other people. When obedient to the Lord, we are like spiritual gold to the world. That minute by minute that we live before others makes us God’s messenger, God’s benefactor to any who will respond through belief.
Verses nine through 11 are solid punch into the obligation of believers for what they should avoid. One of those points Paul makes is about genealogy. Many of us in this modern world are fascinated by family members who lived years ago. The Jews were more radical about this subject. Their very reputation depended on the heritage they received from ancestors. The newer generation was expected to be named after a man who lived before in the family lineage. Often the occupation that a person had was similar to a father or grandfather. Paul tells us that there is no benefit in such detail because our true ancestry is Jesus Christ our Savior.
Paul closes this chapter in this book by mentioning four other men who were important to him but less known to us. They are Artemis, Tychicus, Zenas, and Apollos. Their efforts for God do not take much coverage in the Bible, but they were highly important to the world and, therefore, greatly beneficial to the advancement of the kingdom into our own age.
Christian Writer 