Titus was a Gentile convert of Paul's who often traveled with Paul, who transcribed and delivered some of Paul's letters to the churches, and who later became bishop of the church at Crete.
We first met Titus in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, but he is also mentioned in Paul's letters to the church at Galatia and to Timothy. In these letters we learn that Titus is Paul's brother in the faith, that his presence is comforting, that it makes him happy to see the faith of others, that he is a true friend, that his heart is deeply concerned for all the believers, that he has an enthusiasm for ministering to the churches, that Paul considers him a partner and co-worker in the gospel, that he's an honest man, and that he didn't give in to pressure at Jerusalem to be circumcised in order for some of the leaders there to consider him "more saved". By his actions at Jerusalem he set an example for all other Gentile men who had converted to Christianity, by believing what he was taught by men like Paul who assured the Gentiles that salvation always had been and always would be by faith, not by following traditions and laws. A person can be circumcised and strictly follow the law and yet still possess a heart that is far from God, which is why God Himself instructed the people to "circumcise your hearts". (Deuteronomy 10:16) God said this to Israel when giving them the law, proving that the condition of the heart is what makes the deeds of a person acceptable or not. If everyone meticulously followed the law, yet had no love and respect for the Lord, their observance of His laws could not make them righteous in His sight. It's the condition of the heart that sanctifies us and sets us apart for the Lord's use.
It's believed that Paul wrote this letter to Titus at about the same time he wrote the first letter to Timothy. The material is quite similar, though worded differently. Even though some of his instructions to Titus are the same as his instructions to Timothy, every word of God is valuable and should be studied by us. There is something to be learned from each page of God's holy word.
"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness---in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at His appointed season He has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." (Titus 1:1-4) Titus, a young man so close to Paul that Paul considers him a son, already knows all these things about Paul. But this letter will be read to the congregation at Crete, so Paul supplies his credentials as an apostle. This will help the church members to respect and obey the instructions included in the letter.
Though the Bible tells us nothing about Paul's time in Crete, we learn from his next words that his missionary journey to Crete planted a church there and that he is commissioning Titus to finish the work of setting up the church, which includes appointing elders to oversee the affairs of the church. "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." (Titus 1:5) There is always "unfinished business" to be finished. We all have a role to fulfill for the kingdom of God. We must all do whatever God has called us to do for the benefit of His church.
Paul now describes the qualifications of an elder. He likely gave Titus these same instructions before he departed from Crete, but Titus won't be in Crete forever and the people there need to know how to elect leaders for the church after Titus' departure. "An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient." (Titus 1:6) Before any of these men came to Christ they may have lived in all sorts of immorality, but now that they belong to Christ they must have a reputation that is honorable. There can't be any "skeletons in the closet" since they came to Christ. These men must be faithful to their wives, for a man who can't be faithful to the promises he made to his wife won't be faithful to the promises he makes to God either. His leadership skills must be proven by the way he has brought up his children. If he hasn't earned the respect and obedience of his children, he's not likely to earn the respect and obedience of the church members. If he has been unable to influence his own children for Christ, his ability to lead others to Christ is thrown into doubt.
Elders must be men of good character with admirable qualities, not men who are unlikable and quarrelsome. "Since an overseer manages God's household, he must be blameless---not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain." (Titus 1:7)
Elders can't be emotionally unstable. They must be disciplined and self-controlled. Who wants to come to an elder for advice if that elder can't be counted on to keep his cool? Who wants to ask an elder for help if that elder appears to need help himself? Who would come to an elder with a problem if that elder doesn't seem very welcoming? "Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined." (Titus 1:8)
Lastly, and most importantly, elders have to be grounded in the word of God and in the gospel message. They can't lead others to Christ if they aren't sure of their own beliefs. They can't point out false doctrine if they don't know true doctrine. Men who have no love for God's holy word must be rejected as church leaders because they won't be able to do what they need to do, which is this: "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Titus 1:9) These men can't give an inch when it comes to the gospel message. They have to know it, believe it, and stand firm on it. If they don't, heresy will creep into the church. If they don't hold to the truth themselves, they can hardly help others hold on to it, and in that case they will become "blind guides". And we know what the Lord said about the sad fate of the blind guides and those whom the guides are leading: "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14)
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