Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
But after that the kindness and lovea of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)
Overview
[1] Titus, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF), Complete 5-Year Study (MP3)
The ideal church, according to this epistle, (1) has an orderly organization, (2) is sound in doctrine, and (3) is pure in life, ready to every good work. This is the picture of the New Testament church that this epistle to Titus presents to us. In Timothy the emphasis was upon the need for sound teaching in the church. In Titus the emphasis is put upon the importance of God’s order for the conduct of the churches. In fact, Titus 1:5 is the key to the entire epistle: “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.” Titus was to set things in order in the churches in Crete. (Read the complete article)[2] Book of Titus, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese - Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)
The epistle to Titus is known as one of the Pastoral Epistles as are the two letters to Timothy. This epistle was written by the apostle Paul to encourage his brother in the faith, Titus, whom he had left in Crete to lead the church which Paul had established on one of his missionary journeys (Titus 1:5). This letter advises Titus regarding what qualifications to look for in leaders for the church. He also warns Titus of the reputations of those living on the island of Crete (Titus 1:12).[3] Titus, from Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
In addition to instructing Titus in what to look for in a leader of the church, Paul also encouraged Titus to return to Nicopolis for a visit. In other words, Paul continued to disciple Titus and others as they grew in the grace of the Lord (Titus 3:13). Read the complete article
WRITER: The Apostle Paul (Titus1:1)Discussion
DATE: Practically the same with First Timothy
THEME: Titus has much in common with First Timothy. Both Epistles are concerned with the due order of the churches. The distinction is that in First Timothy sound doctrine is more prominent 1 Timothy 1:3-10 in Titus the divine order for the local churches Titus 1:5. The permanent use of these Epistles lies in this twofold application, on the one hand to churches grown careless as to the truth of God, on the other, to churches careless as to the order of God's house. The importance of this order is made solemnly emphatic in that the tests by which true elders and deacons may be known are repeated; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9.
There are two divisions:
1. The qualifications and functions of elders, Titus 1:1-16.
2. The pastoral work of the true elder, Titus 2:1-3,15.
[1] Key verses: Titus 1:5, 16; 2:15, 3:3-6
[2] From Notes and Outlines, by J. Vernon McGee
In the first two epistles that Paul wrote (1 and 2 Thessalonians), the return of Christ is a great pulsing hope. This has led some critics to say that Paul believed this only when he was young and that he changed when he became more mature. However, in this epistle to Titus, one of his last, the blessed hope still possesses the soul of this intrepid pioneer of faith, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The word for “looking” has the root meaning of entertaining. This is the hope that occupied the guest chamber in the heart of Paul during all of his life, beginning at the Damascus Road and going on to the Appian Way.[3] Please review the following Articles of Faith:
Of the Atonement for Sin[4] The nature of the church
Of Grace in the New Creation
Of the Freeness of Salvation
Of Justification
Of Repentance and Faith
We believe that a Baptist church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, said church being understood to be the citadel and propagator of the divine and eternal grace; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers or ordination are pastors or elders whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.[5] Please review the following Baptist Distinctives:
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions of men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to hold leadership positions (pastors and deacons) in the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible of licensure and ordination for pastor by the church.
We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct s He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order; we hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
Autonomy of the Local Church (Download PDF)Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)
The local church is an independent body accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church. All human authority for governing the local church resides within the local church itself. Thus the church is autonomous, or self-governing. No religious hierarchy outside the local church may dictate a church's beliefs or practices. Autonomy does not mean isolation. A Baptist church may fellowship with other churches around mutual interests and in an associational tie, but a Baptist church cannot be a "member" of any other body.
Two Ordinances (Download PDF)
The local church should practice two ordinances: (1) baptism of believers by immersion in water, identifying the individual with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, and (2) the Lord's Supper, or communion, commemorating His death for our sins.
Two Offices (Download PDF)
The Bible mandates only two offices in the church - pastor and deacon. The three terms – “pastor,” “elder” and “bishop,” or “overseer” - all refer to the same office. The two offices of pastor and deacon exist within the local church, not as a hierarchy outside or over the local church.
[1] Titus: Introduction, Argument, and Outline, by Daniel B. Wallace, Th.M., Ph.D.
[2] Materials by J. Hampton Keathley, III, Th.M.
- Introduction to The Letter to Titus
- Instruction Concerning False Teachers in the Church (Titus 1:10-16)
[4] “Step by Step” Mentoring Ministry for women, by Debbie Stuart, Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX
[5] Sound Doctrine is Priceless … Because it Maintains the Connection Between Faith and Works in the Life of a Believer, A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Titus, by Paul G. Apple
Sermons on Titus (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)
[1] Extreme Makeover - Heart Edition, by Philip G Layton , Gold Country Baptist Church
[2] A Portal to the Divine, by Pastor Jeremy Stephens, Southview Baptist Church
[3] Sermons by Matt Neace, Jr. First Baptist of Silver Grove, KY
[5] SF1m Humpty Dumpty Lives, by B. Keith Moore
[6] A Reminder in Humility: Titus 3:2-8, by David Michael Geroux
[7] Fruits of the Spirit 06 – Kindness, by Richard DeRuiter
[8] The Hope of the Christian, by Alan A. Morgan
[9] Grace, by Stephen G. Penick
[10] Christian Duty in a Pagan Culture, by Gord Berta
[11] God’s Amazing Grace, by Chick Gerber
[12] livinggodlyinanungodlyworld2, by Michael Trull
[13] Sermons by Paul Hawkins
[14] The Divine Interplay of Prayer in God's Unfolding Plan, by Thomas C. Black
For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner
Notes: (1) This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials. (2) This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.
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