Day 201 – Wednesday, October 8, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Titus 1

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Greeting

1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, ² in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, ³ but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

⁴ To Titus, a true son in our common faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. 

(Titus 1:1–4, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul opened his letter to Titus with a slightly longer return address, explaining more fully his calling as an apostle. He gives God credit for his calling and his ministry.
• He addressed the letter to Titus, calling him a true son in the faith, much like he characterized his relationship with Timothy.
• He then offers the blessing of grace, mercy, and peace from God.

Qualified Elders

⁵ For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—⁶ if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. ⁷ For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, ⁹ holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 

(Titus 1:5–9, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul reminded Titus of his purpose in Crete, to establish and set in order the church and appoint leaders in all its cities.
• He rehearsed the qualifications for an elder and bishop, much like in his previous list of requirements in the letter to Timothy.

The Elder’s Task

¹⁰ For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹² One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. ¹⁵ To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. 

(Titus 1:10–16, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Paul told Titus that many in the church were stubborn, gossips, and deceptive. He told him that he must stop such attitudes and actions.
• Paul quoted a prophet from among the Cretans, saying that they were all liars, evil, lazy, and gluttonous. Paul confirmed that this statement was true.
• Paul called upon Titus to rebuke these types of people, calling them to be sound in their faith. He warned against false teachings and fables, and called them to purity.
• The problem, Paul said, is that they profess to know God, but do not show it in their works.
• Let us not be Christians in name only, but also live out the truth that we claim to believe.

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.