SETTING

A group from Crete had been in Jerusalem during Pentecost at the birth of the Christian church (Acts 2:11). Some of these might have carried the Christian faith back to the island at that time, but this letter to Titus suggests that the church on Crete had been recently founded as a result of Paul’s mission (see Titus 1:5; 3:15). The only other mention of Crete in the NT comes during Paul’s transfer to Rome as a prisoner (Acts 27:7-21), but he did not have an opportunity to become active in Crete at that time. Most likely, Paul’s work in Crete began after the events of Acts 28:1-31 (AD 60–62) and before his final Roman imprisonment (about AD 64~65?).

As during his first missionary journey out of Antioch, Paul had begun the church in Crete without appointing leaders. As with those earliest churches, he now wanted leaders to be established (cp. Acts 14:23), although in this case he delegated the responsibility to Titus, a longtime co-worker. Paul was headed for Nicopolis on the west coast of modern Greece, and he wanted Titus to join him there when Artemas or Tychicus had arrived on the island of Crete (Titus 3:12). Paul’s plan to winter at Nicopolis suggests that he planned to sail westward from there when spring arrived (see 2 Tim 4:21), probably heading for Italy and possibly Spain (Rom 15:24, 28).

On Crete, the degenerate culture was negatively influencing the believers in the young church. False teachers were also troubling the community, seemingly like those mentioned in 1 and 2 Timothy. As Paul’s delegate to Crete, Titus had to set this church in order before the arrival of Artemas or Tychicus. Above all, he needed to assign elders in each city. When this was completed, he would depart and join Paul.

SUMMARY

The letter to Titus is all business, setting the tone for Titus himself to follow. Each section of the body (Titus 1:5–3:11) is composed in a pattern of command, rationale, and charge. Paul consistently repeats this pattern—whether addressing the appointment of elders (Titus 1:5-16), right conduct among members of the household of faith (Titus 2:1-15), or right conduct in society at large (Titus 3:1-11). The rationale for Paul’s commands in the first section, on leadership, is that the community is threatened by false teachers and needs decisive leadership. In the next two sections, on right conduct, the commands are based on the rationale of God’s grace and mercy and its provisions.

DATE OF WRITING

All three of the letters to Timothy and Titus were written at about the same time, addressing three distinct situations and yet sharing significant historical and theological elements. It is possible that Paul wrote these letters, including the one to Titus, during the period prior to his arrest in Acts 21:1-40, but a date sometime after the imprisonment of Acts 28:1-31 is more likely (see Introduction to Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus, “Date of Writing”).

SITUATION AT CRETE

The study of Greek mythology at Crete has given us insight into the situation Paul faced there.¹ According to Cretan mythology, the god Zeus was once a mere human who lived and died on Crete but who had achieved godhood through the benefits he gave to humans (see note on 1:12). The idea of a great human benefactor being exalted to the status of god by virtue of good deeds contradicts the Good News. God graciously lowered himself to humanity in Jesus Christ—“our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13)—and offers salvation through pure mercy (Titus 3:5).

LITERARY GENRE

Like 1 Timothy, this letter has characteristics similar to a Greco-Roman mandatum principis (“commandment of a ruler”)—see 1 Timothy Introduction, “Literary Genre.”

COMPARISON WITH 1 & 2 TIMOTHY

Although Crete is some distance from the church in Ephesus (the recipients of 1 & 2 Timothy), there are some intriguing parallels between the two situations. The characterization of the false teachers and their teaching (Titus 1:10-16) suggests that quite similar teachings were being confronted in both places (see 1 Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-4; 2 Tim 3:1-7; 4:3-4).

That said, the situation on Crete as addressed in Titus is not identical to that of Ephesus in 1 & 2 Timothy. The church in Crete was new, whereas the church in Ephesus was long established. Crete was socially less civilized than Ephesus. The newness of the church in Crete might explain the absence of a widows list (1 Tim 5:3-16) and deacons (1 Tim 3:8-13). The differences in the troublemakers might account for silence on the subject of women teachers (see 1 Tim 2:11-15). The criteria for leaders (Titus 1:6-9), as well as the standards of conduct for members of the community (see Titus 2:3-4), might represent a lowering of the bar to accommodate new converts from an uncouth background. Finally, the stress on guarding the “deposit,” so important in Timothy (1 Tim 1:18; 6:20; 2 Tim 1:12-14; 2:2), is absent in Titus.

MEANING AND MESSAGE

Central to this letter is the realization that the Christian community should enact God’s saving grace, which has been shown to the world in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The community’s behavior among its members, and in relation to those outside, should be consistent with the way that God had dealt with it. Christians must embody God’s grace in the world and toward the world. In so doing, they will advance the Good News within their territory and culture (Titus 2:10-11; 3:2-3, 8; see Matt 5:14-16).

The drama of the divine salvation of humanity invites participation. As Christ’s followers, we must become players in this performance of grace. Our communities should promote godly lives because the appearance of grace, in the person of Christ, has taught us how to live and has made such living possible (Titus 2:1-15). As believers, we must also conduct ourselves properly in a fallen world, with hearts bent on the salvation of others. We must bear in mind our former lives—remembering how God has dealt with us, has given us salvation, and has provided for our godliness (Titus 3:1-11).