Commentary - Titus 1:1-4

Bird's-eye view

The opening of Paul’s letter to Titus is no mere formality. In these four dense verses, the apostle lays the entire groundwork for the instructions that will follow. This is not just a salutation; it is a theological manifesto in miniature. Paul establishes his authority, not on his own resume, but on his divine commission as a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. He then defines the entire purpose of his ministry, which is twofold: to build up the faith of God’s chosen people and to bring them to a robust, practical knowledge of the truth. This truth is not abstract; it is the kind of truth that produces godliness. The whole enterprise is anchored in the unshakeable hope of eternal life, a promise made by a non-lying God before the world began. This ancient promise has now, in our time, been publicly unveiled through the preaching of the gospel. Paul concludes by addressing Titus as a genuine son in this shared faith, extending to him the grace and peace that flow from God the Father and Christ Jesus, who are together designated as our Savior. In short, this introduction is the gospel compressed, the foundation upon which the orderly life of the church in Crete is to be built.

Paul is writing to his troubleshooter, Titus, who has been left on the island of Crete to set a disorderly church in order. Before you can get to the practical business of appointing elders and rebuking heretics, you must first establish the source code. The authority for church order comes from God’s eternal plan of salvation, which is executed in history through the preached word, and which results in a godly people. Everything Titus is about to be commanded to do is an outworking of the glorious theological realities packed into this apostolic greeting.

Outline

Context In Titus

This salutation sets the stage for the entire letter. Titus has been left in Crete, a notoriously difficult place, to establish order in the churches. The task is daunting: he must appoint qualified elders (1:5-9) and silence rebellious false teachers, particularly from the circumcision party (1:10-16). Paul’s detailed theological introduction in verses 1-4 is not just boilerplate. It serves to arm Titus with the divine authority and doctrinal substance he will need for this confrontational work. The emphasis on truth, godliness, and the divine plan provides the theological firepower to counter the "Jewish myths and commands of people who turn away from the truth" (1:14). The letter will move from the qualifications for leadership to instructions for various groups within the church (Ch. 2), and then to broader exhortations about Christian conduct in society (Ch. 3). But all of this practical instruction is rooted in the gospel foundation laid right here at the beginning.

Key Issues

The Gospel's Chain of Command

Before Paul gives Titus a single instruction, he establishes the complete chain of command. The authority flows downward, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior, through the divinely appointed apostle, to the apostolic delegate Titus, and then to the elders who are to be appointed. This is a top-down operation. The church is not a democracy; it is a kingdom. And the health of the church depends on its cheerful submission to the authority structure God has ordained. This structure is not based on raw power or human charisma, but on the faithful transmission of a specific message. The authority is in the gospel itself. Paul’s credentials are not his experiences or his intellect, but the fact that he was entrusted with a message from "God our Savior." This is why, before he gets to the business of church polity, he lays out the content of the message, the faith of the elect, the truth that leads to godliness, and the hope of eternal life. The marching orders for the church are derived directly from the character of the God who saves.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and the full knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

Paul begins by identifying himself with two titles. First, he is a slave of God. In our egalitarian age, this language is jarring, but it is essential. A slave, a doulos, is one who is owned. Paul is not a freelancer. He does not belong to himself. His will, his ambitions, his rights, all have been surrendered to his Master. This is the foundation of all true Christian service. Second, he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. This is his specific office. He is a sent one, a commissioned ambassador of the king. His authority comes not from himself, but from the one who sent him. He then defines the purpose of this slavery and apostleship. It is all directed toward a specific end: for the faith of God’s elect. The goal of his ministry is to awaken and nourish faith in the hearts of those whom God has chosen from before the foundation of the world. The doctrine of election is not a dusty theological conundrum; it is the engine of apostolic mission. Paul labors because he knows God has a people who will respond to the message. This faith is not a vague sentimentality. It is tied directly to the full knowledge of the truth. Saving faith is not a blind leap; it is a reasoned trust in a body of revealed truth. And this truth is not merely for intellectual satisfaction. It is a truth which is according to godliness. True doctrine always produces holy living. If your theology does not make you more like Christ, it is a false theology, no matter how orthodox it sounds.

2 in the hope of eternal life, which the God who cannot lie promised from all eternity,

The entire apostolic project, the slavery, the mission, the faith, the knowledge, the godliness, is all resting on this foundation: the hope of eternal life. This is not a flimsy wish, but a confident expectation. And its certainty is based entirely on the character of the one who made the promise. It was promised by the God who cannot lie. In a world of deceit, spin, and falsehood, the gospel is anchored to the immutable veracity of God. He is constitutionally incapable of falsehood. But the most staggering part of this verse is when the promise was made. It was promised from all eternity, or "before times eternal." Before there was a world, before there was a man to sin, before there was a need for a Savior, God had already determined the outcome. The plan of salvation is not God's Plan B. It is the eternal purpose of the Triune God, settled in the council of His will before the first star was hung in the heavens. Our hope is not a recent development; it is as ancient as God Himself.

3 but at the proper time manifested His word in preaching, with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

That eternal promise was not kept a secret forever. At the proper time, at the moment in history appointed by God, He manifested His word. The eternal, hidden counsel of God was made public. And how was it made public? Through an elaborate temple ritual? Through a new book of laws? No, it was manifested in preaching. The Greek word is kerygma, the proclamation of a herald. God’s grand plan is unveiled through the foolishness of preaching. This is God’s chosen method. And Paul states plainly that this proclamation was entrusted to him. It was a sacred trust, a stewardship. He did not invent the message; he received it. And he received it according to the commandment of God our Savior. Paul’s preaching ministry was not his own career choice. He was under divine orders. The title "God our Savior" is significant. In the Old Testament, Yahweh is the Savior of His people. Paul unhesitatingly applies this title to God the Father, underscoring that the entire plan of salvation originates with Him.

4 To Titus, my genuine child according to our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Having laid the massive theological foundation, Paul now turns to the recipient. He addresses Titus as his genuine child. This is a term of deep affection and spiritual kinship, indicating that Paul was likely the one who led Titus to the Lord. Their relationship is defined by our common faith. This is the objective body of truth, the gospel, that they both believe and serve. It is the same faith of God’s elect mentioned in verse one. They are on the same team, fighting the same battle, because they share the same faith. Paul then bestows the standard Christian greeting: Grace and peace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God, the source of our salvation. Peace is the result of that grace, the wholeness and tranquility that comes from being reconciled to God. And this grace and peace flow from a dual source: from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Notice the brilliant parallel. In verse 3, it was "God our Savior." Here, it is "Christ Jesus our Savior." The Father and the Son are placed on the same level, both as the source of divine blessing and both sharing the title of Savior. The deity of Christ and the unity of the Godhead in the work of salvation are woven into the very fabric of Paul’s greeting.

Application

Paul’s introduction to Titus is a potent corrective for the modern church, which is so often tempted by pragmatism and doctrinal minimalism. We learn here that right practice is always downstream from right doctrine. Before we can talk about what the church should do, we must be crystal clear on what the church is and what it believes. The health of a church is not measured by its attendance numbers or the slickness of its programs, but by the degree to which its people are growing in the faith of the elect and the knowledge of the truth that produces godliness.

Every Christian is, in a fundamental sense, a slave of God. We have been bought with a price. This should produce in us a radical humility and a joyful obedience. Our lives are not our own. We are on a mission, under the commandment of God our Savior. And that mission is to live out and proclaim the word that He has manifested in the world. We must anchor our lives, our families, and our churches not in the shifting sands of cultural approval, but in the bedrock hope of eternal life, promised by a God who cannot lie before the world began. When we are secure in that eternal promise, we can face the challenges of our own Cretan outposts with the same confidence and authority that Paul sought to impart to Titus.