Introduction to the Book of Titus – A Commentary & Explanation Study
When I sit down to reflect on the Book of Titus, I always feel this strange mixture of warmth and heaviness. Maybe because the epistle feels like a short letter tucked inside the folds of someone’s coat… like something Paul wrote while the ink was still drying on his heart. It’s short, yes, but short messages can sometimes smell the strongest—like old paper that holds the scent of the place it traveled from. Titus has that earthy tone. A pastoral fragrance of correction, encouragement, and a kind of godly sternness that don’t push away, but draw you in strangely.
This little letter… only three chapters, barely a few paragraphs compared to the prophets. Yet it carries weight. It has punch. You can almost hear Paul’s breathing patterns between the sentences—urgent but fatherly. And every time I read it, I end up stumbling over some Greek word that jumps out like a spark. The Hebrew ideas lingering behind those Greek expressions… it gives texture, you know? Some people forget that the New Testament world breathed both Greek thought and Hebrew memory. And Titus sits right there, in the middle, like a bridge.
So, let’s walk through it slowly. Not the whole book verse by verse right now, but the introduction—the doorway into the study, the threshold where your eyes adjust to the light of the text and you smell the air of 1st century Crete.
Who Was Titus? A Friend, A Son, A Fellow-Worker
Titus is one of those figures in Scripture who feels familiar and yet mysterious. Like someone whose picture appears blurry in the old family album but you know he was important to the family.
Paul called him:
“My true child in our common faith.”
Greek: γνησίῳ τέκνῳ (gnēsiō teknō)
— genuine offspring, authentic child, one really birthed in the truth.
There’s something touching there. "Gnēsiō" carries the feeling of legitimacy, something not fake, not created for show. And the Hebrew idea behind “child” sometimes echoes “ben” (בֵּן) which carries meaning beyond biological—a disciple, a follower, one shaped by the father’s way. So Titus is not just a travel companion; he’s shaped by Paul’s spiritual DNA.
Titus traveled with Paul to Jerusalem. He worked through messy church problems in Corinth. Paul trusted him so deeply that he sent him into the kind of places many preachers today would avoid… like Crete.
The island of Crete, you might know, wasn’t famous for good behavior. Actually, one Greek poet, Epimenides, described the Cretans with the rough line Paul quotes later:
“Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
Greek: Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεῦσται (Krētes aei pseustai)
It’s a biting description. You can almost taste the salt of the Mediterranean air in the phrase—sharp, biting, stinging. That’s the climate Titus walked into. He didn’t enter a polished church lobby with stained-glass windows; he stepped into a chaotic, half-formed community struggling to walk straight.
And Paul picked him for that.
That tells us Titus was steady, bold, patient, maybe even thick-skinned in the best way. A man who didn’t get thrown off by spiritual turbulence.
The Purpose of Titus – Order in the Midst of Disorder
Titus is basically Paul saying:
“Fix what is broken. Straighten what is crooked. Teach what is healthy.”
The key Greek phrase is in Titus 1:5:
“Set in order what remains.”
Greek: τὰ λείποντα ἐπιδιορθώσῃ (ta leiponta epidiorthōsē)
— from epi- (upon), dia- (through), orthos (straight)
The word orthos gives us “orthodontist,” the person who straightens crooked teeth. And the imagery fits so well—Titus is the spiritual orthodontist of Crete.
The Hebrew conceptual background might connect with the word יָשַׁר (yashar) meaning to make straight, level, upright. This combination of Greek precision and Hebrew moral direction creates a picture of a leader who doesn’t just scold or discipline… but realigns things.
So the purpose of the letter?
-
Establish healthy leadership
-
Confront false teachers
-
Correct unhealthy behavior
-
Teach sound doctrine
-
Encourage godly living in a messy culture
It’s like a spiritual toolkit: hammers for false teaching, plumb lines for doctrine, gentle sandpaper for shaping character.
Titus and Crete – A Harsh Environment for Soft Faith
Crete wasn’t the kind of place where people politely nod when you quote Scripture. The Cretan culture was direct, loud, rough. Maybe the smell of the sea mixed with sweat and market-place noise filled the air. Ships came in and out, sailors cursing, merchants bargaining. Goods exchanged hands, ideas exchanged tongues, and sin circulated freely.
Titus had to preach holiness there.
Imagine that.
No wonder Paul used strong language like "sound doctrine":
Greek: ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ (hygiainousē didaskalia)
— literally, “healthy teaching,” the same root as the English hygiene.
Healthy teaching in a spiritually unhealthy environment.
And the Hebrew sense behind doctrine often echoes the word תּוֹרָה (Torah) which means instruction, guidance, the teaching that points you in the right direction.
So Titus carried Torah-like guidance wrapped in Greek missionary garments.
Themes of the Book – Light in a Crooked Place
The themes are like threads woven into a tight tapestry.
1. Godly Leadership (Eldership)
Before anything else, Paul wanted Titus to appoint elders—
Greek: πρεσβυτέρους (presbyterous)
Hebrew parallel: זְקֵנִים (zeqenim) meaning “the aged,” but also “the wise leaders.”
Both languages carry the sense of maturity, not just age.
Character, more than charisma, is the qualification.
2. Sound Doctrine
Crete had false teachers acting like spiritual mold growing in the corners. Paul wanted Titus to disinfect the church with truth.
3. Good Works
Titus emphasizes good works more than many New Testament letters. Not works to earn salvation, but works that display salvation.
Greek word: ἔργα ἀγαθά (erga agatha)
Hebrew root idea: מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים (ma'asim tovim)
It’s like Paul says:
“Let your life smell like Christ. Let people sense something good, clean, kind, different.”
4. Grace That Transforms
Titus 2:11 is like a jewel sitting in the center:
“The grace of God has appeared…”
Greek: Ἐπεφάνη ἡ χάρις (epephanē hē charis)
— “grace shined forth, appeared like light.”
Grace is not fog. It's not vague. It appears.
The Hebrew thought behind grace is חֵן (chen)—favor, beauty, a pleasantness given by God.
Grace saves.
Grace trains.
Grace transforms.
Paul’s Tone in Titus – Fatherly Sternness
Sometimes when I read Titus, I imagine Paul writing with a firmness in his hand, like a father who loves too deeply to stay silent. His sentences feel concise, almost clipped in places. Greek scholars sometimes point out Paul uses some vocabulary here that he doesn’t use in other letters—maybe because he’s addressing specific messy issues on Crete.
There’s authority but also affection.
There’s structure but also warmth.
There’s warning but also hope.
The whole letter reads like someone tightening loose screws before a storm.
Verse-by-Verse Introduction & Commentary
Since this is an introduction, not yet a full verse-by-verse commentary, I’ll sketch the doorway into each chapter. Later, each verse can be unfolded like a scroll.
Titus Chapter 1 – Leadership and Truth
Paul opens by describing himself as:
“A servant of God”
Greek: δοῦλος θεοῦ (doulos theou) – slave, bondservant.
Hebrew: עֶבֶד אֱלֹהִים (eved Elohim) – servant of the Lord.
This is Moses-like language. Prophets were called “eved Elohim.” Paul is stepping into that lineage.
He reminds Titus that eternal life was promised before time began. Then he gets practical: “Fix what’s lacking and appoint leaders.”
But leaders must be clean, holy, self-controlled—not greedy, not violent. These qualities feel like the scent of righteousness, like breathing fresh morning air after a storm.
Paul warns Titus about “empty talkers”
Greek: ματαιολόγοι (mataiologoi)
— people whose words are like hollow gourds: noisy, but empty inside.
His tone sharpens because the danger is real.
Titus Chapter 2 – Sound Teaching and Christian Life
Paul turns from leaders to lifestyle. Older men, older women, young women, young men, slaves—all groups get instructions. It's like Paul is painting a household code of dignity.
The centerpiece is grace appearing. Grace teaching us to say “No” to ungodliness.
The imagery is like a school. Grace is the teacher, and we are the students learning holiness.
Titus Chapter 3 – Good Works and Mercy
Paul closes with reminders to be gentle, to avoid quarrels, to submit to authorities. He paints a before-and-after picture:
Before: foolish, disobedient, deceived.
After: renewed by the Holy Spirit.
Greek word παλιγγενεσία (palingenesia) — rebirth, regeneration.
Hebrew echoes חָדָשׁ (chadash) — newness.
Good works again appear like fruit from a healthy tree.
Cultural Background – Why Crete Needed This Letter
Crete had a reputation for:
-
Dishonesty
-
Violence
-
Sexual sin
-
Reckless living
Some historians mention that Cretans claimed Zeus, a god known for deception, was born on their island. The mythology encouraged cunning behavior—not admirable, but clever.
Paul opposed this cultural tendency with God’s truth.
He stresses truth again and again:
Greek: ἀλήθεια (alētheia)
Hebrew: אֱמֶת (emet) – firmness, faithfulness, reliability.
Paul is essentially saying:
“Your culture tells you lies are clever. But the God of truth calls you to a different life.”
Why Titus Still Matters Today
Sometimes the book feels uncomfortably modern.
Churches today still wrestle with:
-
False teaching
-
Lack of leadership integrity
-
Moral compromise
-
Confusing grace with permissiveness
-
Cultural pressure squeezing believers
Titus teaches us that truth and love walk together. That grace is not soft… it is powerful. That good works matter. And that godly leadership can shape entire communities.
Titus challenges us to straighten what is crooked in our own lives.
Greek & Hebrew Flavor Throughout the Letter
Here are a few more key word comparisons that give depth to interpretation:
“Faith” – πίστις (pistis) / אֱמוּנָה (emunah)
Greek pistis focuses on trust, belief.
Hebrew emunah has a deeper sense of faithfulness, steadiness.
Together they paint faith as loyalty of the heart.
“Hope” – ἐλπίς (elpis) / תִּקְוָה (tikvah)
Elpis is expectation.
Tikvah literally means a “cord” or “rope”—something that binds you.
Hope is like a rope pulling you forward.
“Love” – ἀγάπη (agapē) / אַהֲבָה (ahavah)
Agape emphasizes sacrificial love.
Ahavah carries roots of affection, desire, breath.
Love is both action and heartbeat.
The Studying Titus
Sometimes when I read Titus, I get this feeling like someone is cleaning out an old room. Dust lifting off shelves. The air changing from stale to fresh. You open a drawer and find something crooked and you straighten it. You sweep corners and the floor begins to shine again.
Titus feels like that—housecleaning of the soul.
And the sounds of the text feel like wooden floors creaking, hammers tapping nails, wind blowing through an open window. There’s life in those sounds.
Paul’s voice, rough but caring.
Titus’ courage, quiet but firm.
The Spirit’s breath, gentle but powerful.
Reflection Before Closing
If I’m honest, sometimes the book makes me uncomfortable. Because it demands something from me. It doesn’t let me wander off into vague spirituality. It says:
“Be disciplined. Be upright. Be genuine. Let your life reflect the doctrine you preach.”
And maybe that’s why Paul sent Titus to Crete. A hard place needs a steady soul. A messy world needs leaders of integrity. And Titus was that—imperfect, human, but faithful.
We need that today too—people whose faith smells like sincerity, whose lives sound like truth spoken in love.
And this little letter, written long ago, still speaks with a voice that echoes across centuries. The Greek words, the Hebrew background, the ancient island, the modern heart… all woven together like threads in God’s tapestry.
The introduction to Titus is not just history.
It’s a mirror.
A window.
A doorway.
And now, we step inside.
Comments