Working With The World

Titus 3: 1-11

(1) Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

Titus is to remind them of what they already know, to be subject, a middle-voice infinitive, which means voluntary acceptance of this submission. To remind them, the people in the congregation.

Rulers and authorities are abstract nouns, which means not the individual people in the positions of authority, but the offices of the governmental system. This requirement to submit to government is also found in Romans 13: 1-7; and I Peter 2: 13-17.

(2) to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

As Christians we also have an obligation to our non-Christian neighbors. We are not to draw attention to their evils and faults, not hurling curses and vicious epithets back at those offending and injuring us.

But we are to be peaceable, amachous, "nonfighting," "not brawlers," refusing to engage in quarrels and conflicts. Never start a fight.

We are to be gentle, epieikes, "mild, patient" in the face of their attacks.

We are to show every consideration, "all meekness," "true humility;" we are to put ourselves in their shoes, imagine the hurt and pain that is propelling them to do what they are doing against us.

Toward all men, everybody, no matter what kind of people they are. On Crete there were some really rude, crude hombres; the whole island had this reputation (1: 12).

(3) For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

The Christians on Crete came out of this culture, and we today also have come out of the pagan and rebellious cultures today. We know where they're coming from, because we also came from there.

I know that I came from a life of disobedience, I was deceived into thinking that I was smart enough to make my own decisions, and I spent my life in wanton pleasure-seeking. 

(4) But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

(5) He saved us,

But when God found me, He broke my addictions, He gave me a new life, and I am like a different person now. God was so kind to me in looking past my fault and seeing my need, as the song says. He rescued me. And He wants to rescue you, too!

not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

But there is nothing we can do to earn this salvation, because even our best deeds which we have done in righteousness are no better than "filthy rags," uncleanable menstrual cloths (Isaiah 64: 6). It's because He has mercy on us, in not giving us the wrath and punishment we deserve, but putting all that on Jesus, His blood splattering the sides of His altar, the Cross, washing us clean, individually, so that His Holy Spirit can live in our spirit, "regenerating" us, being born spiritually into God's family, one by one.

(6) whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

God sent His own Spirit of Life to us richly, abundantly, because of what Jesus, our Messiah and Savior and Redeemer has achieved on our behalf.

(7) so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are justified by His grace, God removes all of our sinfulness and declares us totally righteous, by His grace, the goodness that we don't deserve. And with His Holy Spirit in us, we are His children, His sons and daughters, and co-heirs with God the Son, to inherit with Him all that the Father is giving to the Son.

(8) This is a trustworthy statement;

This trustworthy statement is the preceding verses (4-7).

and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently,

Paul wants Titus to be clear on how God saves us, so he will be confident in proclaiming this Gospel.

so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Now those who are believers are to be careful to do all the good deeds that God wants us to do, in the power of this new life we have in the Holy Spirit. We are to engage our society in participating in the beneficial campaigns even alongside those who are not Christians, that enhance our well-being as a nation. Christian ethical standards have beneficial effects not only on Christians, but will elevate our whole society.

(9) But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

But in engaging in projects with unbelievers, we must avoid arguments and not let them draw us into political or other kinds of disputes, as this will only tear down and nullify our witness to them.

(10) Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,

Here we have the "three strikes, you're out" methodology. Someone who has been warned to not twist Scripture, or add to it, or deny part of it, and doesn't take it to heart, must be warned again. And if he still doesn't reform, then he must be rejected as a teacher.

(11) knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

Someone who has been taught the truth and corrected from error, who still persists in that error, and refuses to accept the Truth, has shown himself to be twisted and deceived in his thinking, rebelling against God.

God made Hell for Satan and his angels. The only people who end up there are those who have chosen to believe lies and rejected God's love. They go there voluntarily.

God never "sends" people there. He wants everybody to be saved and rescued from this fate. That's why He sent His own Son. That's why He leaves us here after He saves us, so that we will tell others. We are His witnesses, His messengers, His missionaries. He wants us to grow up and go out and spread the seed of His Gospel into all the fields of the world, so that every living person will be able to hear this Good News and have an informed choice to turn toward or away from God's generous and gracious gift.

He will not interfere with the freedom He has given us in our free will, our ability to choose. We are free to choose to stay in the darkness we are born into, or we can decide to seek the Light. Those who choose to search for Light will eventually find it. But those who are satisfied to stay in their darkness will never find the light. Jeremiah says,

You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29: 13.

And Isaiah says we are to:

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near. Isaiah 55: 6.

So God wants us to want Him. He loves us and wants us to want to love Him back. When we are aware of not being right or whole in ourselves, and we search to find what we are missing, whether it be Truth, or Beauty, or Right-ness, or whatever it is we lack, we are searching for God. God is our Source of everything. He is Light, He is Love, He is Life, He is Beauty, He is Wealth. When we search honestly and relentlessly, and we've almost found it--that's when God shows up!

When He shows up, then turn to Him, and call on Him, and accept what He wants to give you. Don't wimp out.

O my Father, You are so great, so good, so beautiful! You are so generous to make this beautiful Earth to be our temporary home, with all the wealth it provides, as You mold us and train us to be Your children, Your sons and daughters, Your army, Your priests, Your temple. And You have been so kind to all of us, in allowing us to freely choose to come to You when You call us into Your loving arms!

My Father, I pray for Your church. Please show all those who think they are Yours but just have a religion, that they can be born into Your own family, and have that relationship You want to have with them. Help Your children to express Your kindness and gentleness and graciousness to lead them into Your Truth, to be drawn to the new birth. Then they will realize why their Christianity wasn't working for them. Then they will go from having a religion to a real relationship with You.

And Father, also bring those who have been deceived into other religions to realize what they are missing and turn to You. You are the only God, Yahweh, the I AM. Only You are the self-existent One, who has no beginning and will have no end. There is no other. Any who claim to be "other" are creatures, either demons or imagination.

O Father God, strengthen us in Your strength. Teach us to persevere in Your endurance. Help us to meekly submit to the authorities You have set up, even when the people who hold those offices are evil, harsh and cruel. Show us how to work with others in worthy causes with graciousness and gentleness without compromising Your truth, showing the world who You are, so that they will be hungry for Your Bread of Life and thirsty for Your Water of Life.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

The Blessed Hope And Glorious Appearing

Titus 2: 11-15

Titus is to strengthen the families, because the false teachers have done their most damage there.

(11) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

God never wanted anyone to be lost and destroyed; He made the human race to be His family, but He gave us a choice to want to love Him back. When Jesus came and fulfilled His first mission, the door was thrown open to every person to be able to seek Him and find Him, no matter who they are.

(12) instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

God's grace teaches us to turn away from the life we once lived in the world, and the hedonistic passions that ruled it then. Get rid of all the negative, then pay attention to the positive, looking in three directions: living sensibly, the inward, self-controlled; righteously, the outward uprightness that every believer should show to the world; and godly, upward reverence and devoted obedience to our loving God.

(13) looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

This "glorious appearing" of our Savior is our present and constant expectation, always ready for His calling us out to Himself. This is our settled hope and goal of everything we are doing every day we live here as God's children. It is the reason for all we do, whether we're going to work or fixing dinner for the family or sharing with our neighbors what we have been blessed with. Everything we do is to bring God the glory for enabling us to do it. Without Him we can do nothing.

This verse also brings out the deity of Christ, as the Lord God of the Old Testament.

(14) who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

God the Son who had been given Lordship by the Father, gave the Law to Moses and the prophesies to the prophets, so we would recognize Him when He came to fulfill them. And He left His glory and became a Man, and as a human, submitted himself to the humiliation of Crucifixion, taking on Himself to pay our debt we owe, so that He could cleanse us with God's own blood sprinkled on the sides of His altar, the Cross, purifying and sanitizing us of all the disease of sin and rebellion. And He also purchased us all to belong to Him.

Those who also have submitted themselves to Him are the ones who are cleansed, so that He could live in us by His Holy Spirit, teaching us His ways and empowering us to do His will, to accomplish all the good things He wants done as His hands and feet. And He will give us the rewards for the good deeds He is doing in and through us.

(15) These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Paul tells Titus that he has the authority to boldly do these three things all in the present imperative:

--to speak, to teach, to proclaim the message; and 

--to exhort, to encourage hearers to appropriate and practice it; and

--to reprove, to rebuke and convict those who are slack or fail to respond.

As the apostolic representative of Paul in Crete, Titus must let no one disregard you, or despise or look down on or belittle his message and authority; or be slighted or disdainfully rejected.

Since this letter was to be read in the churches, the remark was apparently intended as much for the Cretans as for Titus himself.

As I see it, Titus was like a bishop over all the churches in Crete, although this term is never applied to him in Scripture. Paul wanted him to appoint the local pastors over each assembly, and to oversee that they would all be preaching the pure Gospel to the congregations.

If they were ships, he would be the admiral over all the captains. Is this not the role of a bishop in the church?

As all the Epistles were to be read in all the churches to all the members of the congregations, then even we as parishioners in the pews need to know all of these things so that we can determine if we are sitting in the right assembly that will teach us the Pure Truth.

So many of our denominations have diluted the Word, denied crucial points and added in many of man's ideas instead of God's ways. We each need to know what we believe and why we believe it, so that we can discern if our leaders are leading us into that narrow path or out into some byway that leads away from God's path for us.

This is our personal responsibility. When we face Him at the Pearly Gates, He won't take the excuse that "it's what I've been taught!"

This is why I share this blog with everyone, for free. We all need to know the Truth, and if I put out here anything that you think is not according to God's Pure Truth, please call me on it! Comment your sources and I promise I will do further research.

I claim no authority as a teacher. I'm sharing what God is teaching me through His Word by His Holy Spirit who lives in me. But I am still human, and vulnerable to listen to my own heart, that lies to me.

O my Father, I pray for Your church. I pray for Your children all over the world, that they would know Your presence and Your Word, to discern whenever some teacher is teaching in error or in truth. To enable them to discern that their teachers are disseminating Your Truth, without adding in anything else, and without ignoring any part of it.

O Father, please let every one of Your children discern whenever some teacher is twisting something You have said, to make it mean something that You never intended to say. Give us boldness to call out that teacher, and share Your Pure Truth with him or her, and if they will not listen, then to exclude them from having any more influence on God's church.

Or to leave that erring congregation and find one that is true to Your Truth, Father.

My Father, please protect Your children from being influenced by the Enemy and his minions, and draw all of your embryonic babies to their birth into Your family.

Father, embolden Your sons and daughters to declare to the world Your Pure Word of Truth, so that every living person will hear and understand clearly to make a free and informed decision to choose You or to reject Your gracious and generous gift.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, please come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Our Witness In Our Family Groups

Titus 2: 1-10

Paul has just delineated how to recognize the false teachers Titus was to confront there in the churches on Crete.

(1) But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

So he tells Titus to be firm in teaching healthy, true doctrine; this the best antidote to error, in building up the inner life of the believers. Correct doctrine must result in good behavior. His emphasis falls on the family groups, where the false teachers did the most damage.

(2) Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

This is a different word from the one for "elders." This simply refers to age, not office. The value of their example will depend on their moral character.

Temperate usually refers to abstaining from alcoholic beverages, but has a wider meaning, "clear-headed."

Dignified is "worthy of respect" and seriousness of purpose that invites honor and respect.

Sensible is self-controlled, self-mastery in thought and judgment. Able to think it through and come to a reasonable conclusion.

Sound in faith refers here to personal faith in the Lord, trusting Him to have taken their place in death, and to lead them in their walk.

Sound in love, this is agape love, the love God has for us, unconditional and free. To have this love in a healthy way is the meaning here.

Sound in perseverance, the patience, the steadfast endurance and persistence that bravely bears the trials and afflictions of life. It's been called "mellowing." This is what reveals personal maturity and strength of character.

(3) Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

The older women are to likewise possess the same character qualities of the older men, and in addition to this, their reverential behavior would preclude them from spreading any vicious gossip, nor imbibing in very much alcoholic beverages, which two items are related to one another.

And by personal word and example they must teach what is morally good, noble and attractive. The word does not refer to public instruction, but the teaching function in the home.

(4) so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

(5) to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Titus is not to teach the young marrieds, but the older women, qualified to do so by position and character. What they are to teach is all the household functions, so they can learn to manage their own households.

Paul gives Titus a list of seven characteristics to teach these young wives:

To be devoted to their husbands and to be devoted to their children. These two lie at the very heart of every Christian home.

To be sensible and pure: here is another pair. To be self-controlled is a standing duty for all Christians. Pure denotes not only sexual chastity but also purity of heart and mind in all their conduct.

Workers at home and kind is a third pair. The first describes the many domestic activities of the housewife, and that she is to find her absorbing interest in the innumerable duties of the home; and kind, in not giving in to the irritability resulting in harshness, but cultivating this virtue, doing what is good and beneficial to others, especially those of her own household.

The concluding item, being subject to their own husbands, stresses her acceptance of the order of authority in the relationship between husband and wife as her Christian duty. This is in the middle voice, meaning that she is "subjecting herself to," accepting her voluntary intent to recognize the headship of her husband in the home. Notwithstanding the immeasurable elevation of the woman's status as equal to man's (Galatians 3: 28), this does not abolish her functional position as the support for her husband in God's order. As the Father is over Christ who is over the husband who is over the wife who is over the children.

The concluding purpose unites all seven of these items: that God's Word, His message of Love to the world through us, would not be dishonored, or "blasphemed." If Christian wives ignored these demands and flouted the role that culture demanded, both then and now, the Gospel would be maligned, criticized, and discredited by non-Christians.

This is a special duty God has given to women to be assertive in the culture, while also being subject to their own husbands, showing the world the order and peace of God that results in obedience to His ways.

(6) Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;

And the young men, of whom Titus is one, are to be sensible, sober-minded. Young men are notorious for being frivolous and foolishly danger-seeking, the opposite of this recommendation.

(7) in all things show yourself to be an example

As a young man, Titus, the pastor, is to be the example to the others.

of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

Good deeds, outward lifestyle, demonstrating the truth of what we believe, in integrity and seriousness, with honor and respect.

(8) sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

We all need to be careful of our words, and Paul cautions Titus to regulate his words so closely that no one would be able to gainsay him at all.

This is good advice to us all. We all get into trouble whenever we aren't careful with our words!

(9) Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,

(10) not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

Now we come to the lowest rung of our human society, the slaves, the untouchable caste, the throw-aways. God loves them just as much as He loves the President and the CEO. Each human person is precious and is a prince or princess in His royal family when He redeems them.

But as placed under the authority of another, even as an employee, we are to still recognize God's order, and submit to the other. A slave had no choice, and Paul makes no distinction between the Christian or the pagan master, or despot, indicating that the slave-owner had total authority over the slave.

The one enslaved who is a Christian is to serve and obey their master in everything, stressing the comprehensiveness of this duty. The character of this subjugation is to endeavor to give full satisfaction to his or her master. This is in a positive frame of mind, not argumentative, disputing their orders. And not taking advantage of having access to the master's belongings, underhandedly diverting to themselves part of anything their master had not intended for them.

Their positive duty is to show that they can be trusted, demonstrating "good faith" in their whole relationship with their master, proving themselves to be dependable and trustworthy to be beneficial to their master in all that they do.

This is to show the beauty and practicality of the doctrine we believe as Christians, lived out by the most unexpectedly joyful people. 

O my Father, please help us all in our families and stations in life to recognize Your order, and enjoy our privileges as sons and daughters of the King as we submit ourselves to one another in humility and compassion, obeying You as the Father, and Your Son as our Christ and our King.

My Father, send out Your children, even as we live in our glass houses that the world is watching, to demonstrate our family dynamics as obedient to Your ways in submitting to one another, especially those who have authority over us. Help us to serve our employers with joy, doing all we can to benefit him or her.

And may our attitudes and lifestyles shout out to the world Your love, and how Your ways benefit all of us.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!

Counterfeit Coins

Titus 1: 10-16

(10) For there are many rebellious men,

"For" gives the justification for the requirement that elders must be able to expound and defend the Truth (verse 9). This is essential.

The many rebellious men are generally an external danger facing the churches on Crete, refusing to subordinate themselves to any authority.

empty talkers and deceivers,

They are empty talkers, fluent and impressive, but accomplishing nothing constructive; and deceivers whose glib tongues exercise a fascination over others to lead them astray.

especially those of the circumcision,

The most active offenders were Jewish "believers."

(11) who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

Paul demanded that these people be silenced. This is a moral imperative, to be refused opportunity to spread their teachings. This is necessary because they are upsetting whole families, or "ruining whole households," disturbing the faith of whole clans of people, teaching things they must not as Christian truth, but twisted and misleading. All to just fill their own pockets to their personal dishonest financial gain.

(12) One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

(13) This testimony is true.

These false teachers were all the more dangerous in light of the known nature of these Cretan people on whom they preyed.

Paul quoted a line from Epimenides (6th-5th century B.C.) who was held in high honor on Crete as a poet, prophet, and religious reformer. This quote came from one who had intimate knowledge of his own people and esteemed by them.

Paul gave this evaluation in order to underline his authority without exposing him to the charge of being anti-Cretan. Perhaps Paul's own observations confirmed this verdict.

For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,

Paul tells Titus to "rebuke them sharply," to refute these false teachings, so that the listeners will be healthy in their beliefs, and not be impaired by feeding on unhealthy doctrine.

(14) not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

True believers will turn away from Old Testament apocryphal and pseudepigraphical writings that are not accepted into the Canon of Scripture; and also ritual observances that the false teachers sought to make binding on Christians. There is a close connection between false doctrine and evil character.

(15) To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Evidently these Cretan false teachers were making distinctions between ceremonially clean and unclean, laying the emphasis on outward appearance. However, material things receive moral character from the inner attitude of the user. Jesus also spoke of this inner quality of thought (see Matthew 15:10-11; Mark 7:14-23; Luke 11:37-41). Basically, we find what we're looking for.

But those who do not have the faith are victims of their own mind and conscience, as God says that our own heart itself is already desperately wicked and lies to us (Jeremiah 17:9), so everything they think about is poisoned by their defilement.

(16) They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

These teachers claim to know God and be Christians, but their lifestyles and actions prove they aren't (I John 2: 4). Three terms describe them:

(1) Detestable, loathsome, causing horror and disgust because of their hypocrisy;

(2) Disobedient, insubordinate to God's truth because of their willful adherence to their man-made rules and regulations; and

(3) Worthless for any good deed, disqualified by their impurity from performing anything morally good. They are like coins, when tested found to be counterfeit, to be utterly rejected as worthless. 

These are the kind of teachers we are to run from, and never listen to at all. And Paul is very stringent in his directions to Titus in this letter. There are real problems there on Crete in the church, and Paul spares no words in his condemnation of these false teachers who are destroying so many precious people.

O my Father, please help us to recognize these character flaws in every person we might consider sitting under. Teach us to examine every prospective pastor or teacher to determine if they are qualified to be trusted, and even then, if they are positively preaching or teaching Your true Word.

My Father, teach us discernment, and help all Your children to know You better, and love You more, then we will also love one another as You have loved us.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Elder Qualifications

Titus 1: 5-9

Now Paul gets into the meat of the message.

(5) For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

The reason why Paul had Titus to stay in Crete was for him to straighten out these believers, and set up godly men to lead each congregation there. Here are the qualifications he is to look for:

(6) namely, if any man is above reproach,

He must find men who are blameless, unaccused, irreproachable. Having a clean reputation.

the husband of one wife,

This, again, means a "one-woman man," in a polygamous society; not having an eye out for the "next one."

having children who believe,

His little children are to be obedient, and adult children ought to be believers.

not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 

He is not to be able to be accused of profligacy, reckless extravagance, excess, riot; or insubordination or being unruly.

(7) For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward,

Someone who is to be an example to the flock is to be so respectable and godly that there would be nothing that anyone could find to hold against him.

not self-willed,

He doesn't try to get his own way.

not quick-tempered,

Having patience to hold his temper when provoked.

not addicted to wine,

This is obvious, though it doesn't forbid just one drink or two with a meal.

not pugnacious,

Never throwing the first punch.

not fond of sordid gain,

This is a very common temptation, to focus on "filthy lucre," sordid gain, the almighty dollar.

Now lets look at some positive qualities.

(8) but hospitable,

Hospitality is the opening of the heart and home freely.

loving what is good,

Preferring the righteous rather than living on the edge.

sensible,

Sanity of mind, sober.

just,

Equitable, having to do with justice in relationships.

devout,

Purity from defilement, holy, hallowed, pious, sacred.

self-controlled,

Temperate, maintaining control over one's own passions.

(9) holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching,

Firmly believing what is actually true, according to how Paul has presented it.

so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Each leader must be both able to teach boldly what is right according to God's Word, and also to be able to counter error effectively.

Leaders must embody the characteristics they want to instill in their followers, and church elders and overseers are to live out the godliness they're teaching the congregation.

These are qualities we all need in our lives, so those we are sitting under are to demonstrate them, so we all can model our responses after them. We in the congregation also need to know these qualities, so that we can find leaders that do embody them, and not be deficient in any.

God had Paul write these to Titus, and include this letter in His written Word, so that we all could learn how to look at our leaders to see if they are embodying these qualities.

O my Father, please help us all to live out these character qualities in our lives, whether we are leaders or simply sit in the congregation. And those of us who are just satisfied to "sit, soak and sour," please build a fire in us to get up and out to the missionary field around us!

O Father, You are so good, and so great. You have planned out Your great Plan of the Ages even before You began to make it, and now You are working our lives out according to Your Plan. Everything we choose, You are using to further along Your Plan, whether our decisions are good or bad, You use it.

And when we decide to live our lives according to Your ways, doing Your work as Your hands and feet, in the power of Your Spirit, then You will reward us!

Father, You are so generous to give us rewards for what You are doing in and through us! It's You doing it, yet You give us the benefit!

My Father, help us all to share Your love with every living person in every nation of the world! Let every one of them know how to accept Your free, gracious and generous gift of Salvation!

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Titus, Paul's Partner

Titus 1: 1-4

This short letter follows Paul's letters to Timothy, and it stands on its own in being rich in doctrinal and practical matters--worthy of our study.

Paul wrote this to his representative who was facing a difficult situation in the church on the island of Crete.

(1) Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

As the servant of God he is God's agent; and further, he is also Jesus Christ's apostle, one who has been called, equipped and sent forth, authorized in the office of laying the foundation of the church.

for the faith of those chosen of God

For the purpose of laying down the standard of the faith that God has given to His elect, those He has chosen.

The Biblical teaching on election is for believers, intended to be very practical, assuring faithful, struggling believers that their salvation is all of God from beginning to end. His grace gift.

and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

This knowledge of the truth is linked to faith, and is an intellectual and a heart response to divine reality as revealed in the Word of Truth, the Bible. This will result in a moral character.

There is an intimate connection between knowing God's Truth and living a life that is in accordance with God's high moral standards. This is a lesson that the believers on Crete needed to learn.

(2) in the hope of eternal life,

This Christian character of life is grounded in the expectation of living with God in His eternity. This is our future.

which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

God has told us about this in His written Word, that He promised before He even began to create. His plan that He is now carrying out.

(3) but at the proper time manifested, even His word,

This pronouncement, conceived in the mind of God, was shown in history through the clear, public preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The appropriateness of the time is evident from the existence of the Roman peace that gave a favorable setting for the preaching of the Gospel, and the development of Greek (the most exact and precise language ever) as the linguistic medium of its world-wide proclamation.

in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

The message is what God entrusted to Paul to preach, and its purity must be maintained to retain its power and authority. This is what needed to be preserved on the island of Crete.

(4) To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Titus is first introduced in Galatians 2: 1-3 as Paul brought him with him from Antioch to Jerusalem, an uncircumcised young Greek believer, as a worthy example of his work among the Gentiles, becoming a believer under Paul's preaching.

He had proved to be a valuable partner and fellow-worker to Paul in handling sensitive assignments in Corinth concerning a collection to be taken to benefit the believers in Judea, and also to help straighten out the tangled affairs there and counter the work of opponents of Paul (I Corinthians 16: 1-4; II Corinthians 9: 2, 12: 18; and II Corinthians 2: 12-13; 7: 5-7, 13-15; and II Corinthians 8: 6-7, 16-24; and II Corinthians 12: 17-18).

Paul had noticed the deplorable condition of the church on Crete when they apparently were ministering there together, and after a short time he left Titus there (1: 5), trusting him to also handle this situation.

Titus may have been working there for some time when Paul wrote this letter to him.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

This is Paul's characteristic greeting. "Grace" is the unmerited favor of God at work in the life of the believer, and "peace" is the resultant experience of harmony and well-being in the life of the reconciled. This blessing is from both the Father and the Son as one Source.

We have one God. He makes Himself known to us as a Father who thinks, plans, decides; and a Son who does the work and makes actual the Father's ideas; and a Spirit who is the life and power to get it all done. All one God.

O my Father, You gave Titus to Paul to work with Paul in his work that You gave him to do to lay the foundation of belief for Your church. And Titus was resourceful, energetic, tactful, skillful in dealing with difficult situations, and effective in conciliating people. He was extremely helpful to Paul.

Father, teach me how to also be like Titus in my work in Christ to spread the seed of the Gospel, to work with people in resourceful and tactful ways. Teach me how to be skillful in dealing with all sorts of situations, and give me effectiveness in conciliating people who aren't getting along. Let me be a peacemaker and a friend to the friendless.

O Father, send out all of Your children, strengthen all of us to be faithful witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ, to share with others how much You love us all and have already met all of our needs, especially the most important ones.

My Father, You have loved us more than we could ever deserve. In Your mercy You have placed on Your Son all the wrath we deserve, and in Your grace You have given us everything that You want to enrich us with, even though we don't deserve any of it. You have decided to create us to be Your family, and nothing and no one can ever override Your will.

O Father God, You have planned out everything, then You have made everything according to the way You wanted it to be, and You are guiding the moments of every day of every year to work out Your plans for each of us and for all of us.

You alone are God, You alone are sovereign, You alone have the power and authority to do everything You want to do. There is no one else, and there will never be anyone else, who would be able to question You to account, as You are our Standard.

Everything else will be measured by You, whether it is righteousness or beauty or intelligence or Truth. Anything that can be measured, is judged by You as our Source of everything, bar none.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

The Lord Stood With Me

II Timothy 4: 16-22

(16) At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

Paul is gracious to not hold against his friends that they were all nowhere to be found when he needed them.

(17) But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me,

When all we have is the Lord, the Lord is all we need.

so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear;

Through his defense of the Gospel, Paul was able to share God's love throughout all of Rome, to places he wouldn't have been able to preach had he not been a prisoner.

and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.

This could be either literal or figurative, but he was released after his first imprisonment.

(18) The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly Kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Even though he is in prison again, and he may not be released this time, he is still trusting God to bring him safely to his destination, His heavenly Kingdom. And he breaks out in spontaneous praise.

(19) Greet Priscilla and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

He's saying hello to his friends and partners, Priscilla and Aquila, who may have been staying in the home of Onesiphorus in Ephesus.

(20) Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

Erastus stayed behind in Corinth when Paul continued on, and when Trophimus got sick and couldn't travel, Paul left him in the care of friends in Miletus.

(21) Make every effort to come before winter.

Paul has asked Timothy to come as soon as he can, and to bring him his warm cloak and his study materials; and now he asks him to try to get there before it gets cold.

Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.

And he sends greetings from some of the church members there in Rome.

(22) The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

And Paul ends this letter with a blessing. 

O my Father, please help me to be gracious like Paul was toward the end of his life. Help me to follow Paul as he followed Christ. Teach me how to love others as You have loved me, and to reach out to the world, to be a soldier in Your army to reach every living person in all the nations of the world.

Father, every person needs to have enough understanding to be able to make an informed choice to accept Your gracious and generous gift, or to reject it.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!