Tour of Living Letters: Introduction to Titus

1. •Galatians - Freed & justified by the gospel
•Ephesians - “in Christ” identity and conduct
•Philippians - Christ-mindedness
•Colossians - The supremacy and sufficiency of Christ
•1 Thessalonians - Christ will come again
•2 Thessalonians - Comfort, correction, confrontation
•1 Timothy - The youthful minister
•2 Timothy - Paul’s last will & testament
REVIEW

2. Titus
A Manual for theTrue Local Church & Her Leaders

3. Titus
“In 1 and 2Timothy the emphasis is on doctrine: in
Titus it is on good works. 1Timothy is a charge. 2
Timothy is a challenge. The epistle ofTitus is a
caution--a strong and urgent reminder that sound
faith must be accompanied by good works...These
three epistles are really a trinity in unity, exhorting us
to “guard” the precious “deposit” of the Gospel. In 1
Timothy we are to protect it. In 2Timothy we are to
proclaim it. InTitus we are to practice it.”

4. Background:
•Titus is the one who carried Paul’s “painful letter”
to Corinth (2 Cor. 2:12f; 7:6).
•Titus brought an encouraging word to Paul about
the Corinthians’ repentance.
•Titus was involved in collecting the offering for
the Jerusalem church (8:6) and was to return to
Corinth to complete the task (8:16f, 23).
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5. Purpose:
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that
you should set in order the things that
are lacking” (Titus 1:5a NKJV)
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6. Outline
I.Chapter 1 — elders’ qualifications, dealing
with false teachers.
II.Chapter 2 — instructions to the aged, the
young, servants, masters, a word on grace.
III.Chapter 3 — respect for rulers, vileness
of worldliness, admonitions & personal
matters
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7. Main themes:
•The glory of salvation in Christ (3:5).
•Christology (2:13). This is one of the few explicit
statements in the NT declaring that Jesus is God.
•Ethics. Nearly half the letter deals with how elders and
members are supposed to live.
•The need to practice one’s beliefs in one’s moral life (2:7).
•Ecclesiology: the entire letter focuses on life in the
church.
•Conversion (3:3-7).
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8. Key passages:
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I
want you to affirm constantly, that those
who have believed in God should be careful
to maintain good works.These things are
good and profitable to men.”
(Titus 3:8 NKJV)
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9. Key passages:
“For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men, teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in the present age,”
(Titus 2:11–12 NKJV)
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10. Key words: “good works”
• “in all things showing yourself to be an [example] of good
works” (2:7)
• “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless
deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for
good works.” (2:14)
• “those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain
good works.” (3:8)
• “let our people learn to devote themselves to good
works” (3:14, ESV)
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11. The Message for
Today
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