Truth In Scripture Pastor Rick Kabrick
Commentary on The book of Titus. CH 1. Tuesday March 1, 2022
Email: pastorrickk@gmail.com
Pastor Rick Kabrick PO BOX 595 Tiverton RI 02878
Truth In Scripture Pastor Rick Kabrick Tuesday, March 1, 2022Commentary on The book of Titus. CH 1.
There are enough biblical and historical hints floating around to allow us to reconstruct some of what happened after he left Rome. And many call that time his 5th missionary journey. That is they count his trip to Rome as his 4th.Paul appeared before Nero sometime during his house arrest in Rome. And he was released by Nero for a time.
Clement wrote that after Paul “had preached in the East and in the West, he reached the farthest limits of the West”. Well, at that time, that phrase the farthest limits of the West referred to Spain.
After Crete, Paul traveled to Ephesus where Timothy was serving. During Paul’s time in Ephesus: Paul encountered opposition from Alexander the coppersmith. Paul then urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus to correct false doctrine. Perhaps here It may be that Paul also followed through on his previously stated intention to visit Philemon in Colossae. Paul spent the winter months in the warmer city of Nicopolis where he wrote this letter to Titus. It seems that this is where Paul was arrested again.
After Paul’s arrest, he was taken to Rome and imprisoned, not in a house as during his former internment, but probably in the notorious and cold Mamertine Prison around the time that Nero started to unleash horrific persecution against Christians in Rome.
Paul was aided by the physician Luke, who sought to attend to his needs. It is historically taught that Paul was beheaded, rather than thrown to the wild animals because he was a Roman citizen.
The list in the following verse means that GOD has specific qualifications for leaders in the Church. Leaders should not to be chosen at random, nor just because they volunteer, or because they desire the position, or even because they are thought of as natural leaders.
Of course, these qualifications are valuable for every believer, not only those who aspire to leadership and certainly not everyone does aspire to leadership. And no one should feel bad that they don’t have a desire to be a deacon, or Pastor or Church Leader. But they are to serve the body of Christ by using their Spiritual gift to bring glory to GOD and edify the Body of Yeshua.
Drunkenness, however, was unacceptable for a Church leader. Those who become drunk are either demonstrating poor judgment, or they are showing a dependence on something other than Christ, or simply showing that they are living a pleasure-seeking lifestyle as their priority.
An elder is to be hospitable. Since Churches met in homes, an elder must be known for hospitality, which was also a key virtue in the ancient Near East.An elder must be a lover of good.An elder must be self-controlled. This trait complements Vs 7 where elders are not to be quick-tempered.An elder must be fair or just. An elder must be holy or set apart.An elder is to be disciplined under self-control, focused.
This means first that the leader must be sure of the faithful word for himself. When he brings the word of GOD to people he must bring it with confidence and authority that GOD’s provides. This means also that the leader will stick to GOD’s word, instead of a focus on worldly things. Stick to teaching GOD’s word ignoring worldly agendas.
Paul notes that there are many of these false teachers. The problem of phony teachers was a large-scale problem for Titus and other Christians on Crete.
These people were a movement within the early church who taught Gentile Christians that they must be circumcised and obey the law of Moses to live as obedient followers of Christ. We are familiar with them from our previous studies.
The Church at Jerusalem addressed this controversy some 14-15 years earlier. Around 50 AD it was understood and agreed upon by the leadership of the new Church that circumcision and Torah-observance WAS NOT required of Gentile converts (ACTS 15).
For the sake of dishonest gain: These problem people were motivated by gain financial or otherwise. Paul’s main idea seemed to be that of dishonest financial gain, and there are many, I dare say who fit that description today.
Paul clearly reminds Titus this is not the true good news of Yeshua. Instead, the Gospel was for Jews and Gentiles. Yeshua came to complete to fulfil the Law, not to make Gentile converts slaves to it. That is what the Jews did, to themselves, they made themselves slaves to it.
Some ancient writers referred to Crete as lying Crete. The Greeks used the verb cretize to act like a Crete, that is to lie.It seems the ancient Cretans were lying about many things but were known for spreading the…well…lie that most of the mythological gods were from there and that Zeus was even buried there.

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