Titus was a gentile (Greek) converted by Paul. This chapter will talk about the qualifications of bishops and elders. Then gives warning of false teachers within the church. Titus 1 and verse 1 reads.
Titus 1:1] 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 truth shall set you free.
Titus 1:2] In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Speaking about the three world ages here. Before this world (second) age began he promised Salvation. In Gen.1:26 and it reads.
Gen.1:26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Saying in “Our Image”, meaning he would also come in the flesh. Isa.7:14 and Mat.1:23, Immanuel. Back to Titus 1 and verse 3 reads.
Titus 1:3] But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
In do seasons, made known unto me. This means that the Lord will open eyes and ears when He sees the time is right. Always at the Fathers will but through Jesus Christ.
Titus 1:4] To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
To his spiritual son, grace by the whole Godhead, the Trinity.
Titus 1:5] For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
In 1Cor.11:34 he says “And the rest will I set in order when I come.” He expects his church leaders to be able bodied in handling of the church’s affairs. But for the problems they cannot handle, just leave until he comes.
Titus 1:6] If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
[7] For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
[8] But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
[9] Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
This is written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia. These four verses show us how to prove an elder and a bishop for leadership of a church. Also taught in the letters to Timothy. Now we learn about deceivers and false teachers within a church.
Titus 1:10] For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Of the circumcision are those of Israel, they try to go back under law, meaning the blood ordinances. But, Jesus’ blood on the cross was once and for all time.
Titus 1:11] Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
They do it for the money. Teaching things that they know are false. Stop them, do not let them into the churches.
Titus 1:12] One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
They know they are liars, evil, slow minded. And I would say Kenites. Remember we are talking about those of circumcision, Israel. Never mind where they live, not all lived in Judaea.
Titus 1:13] This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
[14] Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
This should tell us right here that they are Kenites. Fables are theories, commandments are dictates. These are traditions of men, and not doctrines of God. Let’s go to Jer.17:5-7 and read.
Jer.17:5] Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
[6] For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
[7] Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Back to Titus 1 and verse 15 reads.
Titus 1:15] Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
We find this warning for them in 2Thes.2:10-12 and it reads.
2Thes.2:10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
[11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
[12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
I would say a fair warning from God if they would just read his Word. Back to Titus 1 and verse 16 reads.
Titus 1:16] They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Let’s go to 1John 2:4 and it reads.
1John 2:4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Know that in their “works” they deny him. Abomination, disobedient, reprobate. Look around today and we see the abominations they do in the streets and at the colleges. They even have their parades. Great study, we’ll pick it up again tomorrow. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible