January 4, 2015
Morning Service

Titus Intro. Chapter 1.

 

Intro to Titus

Titus, was with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, and accompanied them to the council at Jerusalem (Gal_2:1-3; Act_15:2), although his name nowhere occurs in the Acts of the Apostles. He appears to have been a Gentile, and to have been chiefly engaged in ministering to Gentiles; for Paul sternly refused to have him circumcised, inasmuch as in his case the cause of gospel liberty was at stake. We find him, at a later period, with Paul and Timothy at Ephesus, whence he was sent by Paul to Corinth for the purpose of getting the contributions of the church there in behalf of the poor saints at Jerusalem sent forward (2Co_8:6; 2Co_12:18). He rejoined the apostle when he was in Macedonia, and cheered him with the tidings he brought from Corinth (2Co_7:6-15). After this his name is not mentioned till after Paul's first imprisonment, when we find him engaged in the organization of the church in Crete, where the apostle had left him for this purpose (Tit_1:5). The last notice of him is in 2Ti_4:10, where we find him with Paul at Rome during his second imprisonment. From Rome he was sent into Dalmatia, no doubt on some important missionary errand. We have no record of his death. He is not mentioned in the Acts.

 

Titus, Epistle to

Was probably written about the same time as the first epistle to Timothy, with which it has many affinities. “Both letters were addressed to persons left by the writer to preside in their respective churches during his absence. Both letters are principally occupied in describing the qualifications to be sought for in those whom they should appoint to offices in the church; and the ingredients of this description are in both letters nearly the same. Timothy and Titus are likewise cautioned against the same prevailing corruptions, and in particular against the same misdirection of their cares and studies. This affinity obtains not only in the subject of the letters, which from the similarity of situation in the persons to whom they were addressed might be expected to be somewhat alike, but extends in a great variety of instances to the phrases and expressions. The writer accosts his two friends with the same salutation, and passes on to the business of his letter by the same transition (compare 1Ti_1:2, 1Ti_1:3 with Tit_1:4, Tit_1:5; 1Ti_1:4 with Tit_1:13, Tit_1:14; Tit_3:9; 1Ti_4:12 with Tit_2:7, Tit_2:15).” Paley's Horce Paulince.

The date of its composition may be concluded from the circumstance that it was written after Paul's visit to Crete (Tit_1:5). That visit could not be the one referred to in Act_27:7, when Paul was on his voyage to Rome as a prisoner, and where he continued a prisoner for two year. We may warrantably suppose that after his release Paul sailed from Rome into Asia and took Crete by the way, and that there he left Titus “to set in order the things that were wanting.” Thence he went to Ephesus, where he left Timothy, and from Ephesus to Macedonia, where he wrote First Timothy, and thence to Nicopolis in Epirus, from which place he wrote to Titus, about A.D. 66 or 67.

THE LETTER.

Tit 1:1-16  Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; 

The Scripture speaks:  (1.) of the election of individuals to office or to honour and privilege, e.g., Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Saul, David, Solomon, were all chosen by God for the positions they held; so also were the apostles.

There is an election of individuals to eternal life (2Th_2:13; Eph_1:4; 1Pe_1:2; Joh_13:18). 

The ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God (Eph_1:5, Eph_1:11; Mat_11:25, Mat_11:26; Joh_15:16, Joh_15:19). God claims the right so to do (Rom_9:16, Rom_9:21).

It is not conditioned on faith or repentance, but is of sovereign grace (Rom_11:4-6; Eph_1:3-6). All that pertain to salvation, the means (Eph_2:8; 2Th_2:13) as well as the end, are of God (Act_5:31; 2Ti_2:25; 1Co_1:30; Eph_2:5, Eph_2:10). Faith and repentance and all other graces are the exercises of a regenerated soul; and regeneration is God's work, a “new creature.”

Men are elected “to salvation,” “to the adoption of sons,” “to be holy and without blame before him in love” (2Th_2:13; Gal_4:4, Gal_4:5; Eph_1:4).

The ultimate end of election is the praise of God's grace (Eph_1:6, Eph_1:12).

This topic is very difficult, and very controversisal. Don’t wrestle with it. Accept it by faith.         This is why you have these notes.  Compare in your private Bible study.

 

(2)  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; 

·         In hope………Bro. Steve, in his Christmas message, spoke on how powerful, and necessary it is that we recognize our hope.  This is taught throughout our Bible, which is to build our faith.

·         We know God is not going to lie.

·         Promised before the world began?    This phrase is used on different occasions by Paul.

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

·         Along with this idea of salvation before the foundation of the world is the statement concerning the book of life.     MOSES WAS THE FIRST TO MENTION THIS BOOK.

****Exo 32:31-33  And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.  (32)  Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.  (33)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.     N.T. = Mercy, grace, forgiveness, & love.

******(Php 4:3)  And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

****Jesus speaking:  (Rev 3:5)  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

****(Rev 13:8)  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

***(Rev 17:8)  and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,

AT THE JUDGMENT.

******(Rev 20:12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.           (Revelations is the darkest of books.)

******(Rev 20:15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.     (Hell is real, but it was not created for mankind, but satan.)

******(Rev 21:27)  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.    (We must strive to be like Christ.)

******(Rev 22:19)  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

From these scriptures we can conclude that God wrote everyones name in His book of life..

1.       God told Moses “he that sins, or practices sin, I will remove his name from the book of life.”

2.      What we have discussed here this morning is what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he told the Corinthians;

(1Co 3:2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.    ( You will be ready for meat, when you have quit being carnal.)

Almighty God, let us accept all that You have given us, through faith, and Your amazing love.  Amen.