Who Was Titus In The Bible

What Do We Learn From Titus In The Bible

Paul’s letter to Titus shows that he was a man of integrity and always ready to do Gods work. Most likely, he faced enormous opposition from the people and leaders in Crete. Paul was leading Titus to upend the Cretan way of life, but he was not doing this through social unrest and defiance. No, he was leading the church by example.

Today we face the same issues. As on the island of Crete, some claim to be followers of Christ, but their actions disclose their true hearts. Also, scandal and division tarnish churches. Some Christians are not living according to Gods Word, and churches fall into false doctrine and inadequate leadership.

In Pauls letter to another son in the faith, Timothy, Scripture warns us, For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power .

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Why Study This Book

Paulâs letter to Titus, like his letters to Timothy, contains timeless counsel from the Apostle Paul to a local Church leader. Paul wrote that the âhope of eternal lifeâ was first promised by God in the pre-earth life âbefore the world beganâ . He taught that the Saints should look forward to âthat blessed hopeâ of exaltation and to the Second Coming . Paul also wrote to Titus about the âwashing of regenerationâ and the ârenewing of the Holy Ghost,â alluding to the ordinance of baptism and the purifying effect of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, both of which are preparatory to being âmade heirs according to the hope of eternal lifeâ . By studying Paulâs inspired counsel to Titus, students can increase their faith that the doctrines and ordinances of the gospel bring hope for eternal life.

Architecture Urban Sculpture And Fortifications

Venetian constructions such as the , and the arsenal dominate the port area.

Several sculptures, statues and busts commemorating significant events and figures of the city’s and island’s history, like , , and can be found around the city.

Many fountains of the Venetian era are preserved, such as the Bembo fountain, the Priuli fountain, Palmeti fountain, Sagredo fountain and Morosini fountain .

After the St Titus Cathedral, the two largest medieval churches in the city were San Salvatore, belonging to the , and San Francesco, belonging to the . San Salvatore stood in Kornaros Square and was demolished in 1970.

Around the historic city center of Heraklion there are also a series of which were built earlier in the Middle Ages, but were completely rebuilt by the . The fortifications managed to withstand for 21 years, before the city fell to the in 1669.

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Myth Of Europa And Zeus

Classical Greek mythology has it that Gortyn was the site of one of Zeus’ many affairs. This myth features the princess , whose name has been applied to the continent, Europe. Disguised as a bull, abducted Europa from and they had an affair under a plane tree , a tree that may be seen today in Gortys. Following this affair three children were born, , and , who became the kings of the three Minoan Palaces in Crete. The identification of Europa in this myth gives weight to the claim that the civilization of the European continent was born on the island of Crete. A colossal statue of Europa sitting on the back of a bull was discovered at the amphitheatre in Gortyn in the nineteenth century and is now in the collections of the . Many coins were found with Europa representations on the back, showing that the people honored Europa as a great goddess.

Etymology Of The Name Titus

The name Titus was one of the most common first names in the old world. It comes from deep antiquity and the technical etymology is obscure. What it actually meant to the people of New Testament times is subsequently also unclear, but depending on creativity and leanings, it may have remembered some Latin speakers of:

• The mythical Titans, the giant ur-gods of the Greeks and Romans.
• The noun titillus, meaning a tickle, from the verb titillo, meaning to tickle.
• The noun titio, meaning firebrand.
• The noun titulus, meaning title, sign or inscription.

Greek speakers may have associated our name to:

• Again the Titans , or even Tityos , the unfortunate infractor whose liver was daily extracted and consumed by an eagle.
• The noun , which according to Liddell and Scott is a rare form of , meaning penalty, retribution or vengeance.
• The noun , meaning breast.

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Gorges Rivers And Lakes

The island has a number of gorges, such as the , , , , , the Gorge of the Dead and and waterfall at Exo Mouliana in .

The rivers of Crete include the , the Koiliaris, the Anapodiaris, the Almiros, the Giofyros, and Megas Potamos. There are only two freshwater lakes in Crete: Lake and Lake Agia, which are both in Chania regional unit. at the coast, at Aghios Nikolaos, was formerly a freshwater lake but is now connected to the sea, in Lasithi. Three artificial lakes created by dams also exist in Crete: the lake of , the lake of Potamos Dam, and the lake of Mpramiana Dam.

A large number of islands, islets, and rocks hug the coast of Crete. Many are visited by tourists, some are only visited by and . Some are . A small sample of the islands includes:

• the pirate island opposite the Balo lagoon
• , which commemorates a shipwreck and an Ottoman massacre
• island , which hosts the largest natural forest in Europe
• island where the god Apollo and the goddess Artemis were born
• The Venetian fort and leper colony at opposite the beach and shallow waters of
• islands which are in an environmentally protected region together the Palm Beach Forest of in the municipality of , Lasithi

Off the south coast, the island of is located 26 nautical miles south of and is the point of .

To Whom Was It Written And Why

This epistle was written by Paul to Titus, whom Paul referred to as âmine own son after the common faithâ . Titus was Greek and had been converted to the gospel by Paul himself . After his conversion, Titus labored with Paul to spread the gospel and organize the Church . He helped gather donations for the poor in Jerusalem and also accompanied Paul to the Jerusalem council . Paul entrusted Titus to take to Corinth Paulâs first epistle to the Saints living there . Paul wrote to Titus to strengthen him in his assignment to lead and care for the branch of the Church in Crete in spite of opposition .

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The Lesson To Be Learned From Titus

Titus has been called the most enigmatic figure in Christian history. He is never mentioned in Acts, and his story has to be largely constructed from a few scattered references and the letter written to him by Paul. What we do know for sure, however, is that he undertook a successful mission to Yugoslavia .

The main lesson we learn from Titus life is the lesson of dependability. He was just the man to put in charge of a difficult job just the man to have around when spirits were flagging or zeal was dying. In fact, many commentators refer to him as Titus the Dependable. Paul was greatly comforted by the coming of Titus. We do not wonder at it!

Who Is Titus In The Bible Story Interpretation

Pauls letter to Titus. According to the Bible, Titus was a Greek adherent to Jesus and was an admired colleague and travel companion for Paul throughout the years. He was a friend to Paul through a myriad of crises over the years. And in this letter, we learn that Paul was entrusted with the responsibility of travelling to Crete, which is a huge island located off on the west coast of Greece and bringing order to the church network that was housed there.

It is believed that the Cretan culture was infamous in the early world. One of the Greek terms for being a liar was coined even though it was the word for a Cretan. They were well-known for their deceit and greed. A majority of the people who lived on the island were employed as mercenary soldiers for any bidder. The islands cities were considered to be unsafe as they were prone to sexual violence and violence.

The island of Crete was home to numerous strategic harbours. From Pauls perspective, Crete was the perfect location to establish an organization of churches. They served cities throughout the old Mediterranean Sea. It is unclear the specifics, but these churches fell under control from untrustworthy Cretan leaders. These churches claimed that they were Christians. However, they were desecrating churches.

The new leaders will preach Jesus gospel Jesus and replace the corrupt leaders that must be dealt with. Its a difficult mission. Paul names the teachers as being of circumcision.

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What Did Titus Do

Titus commanded a Roman legion in Judaea. In 70 CE he led a campaign that culminated in the capture and destruction of Jerusalem. Titus became the Roman emperor in 79. He completed construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum, and opened it with ceremonies lasting more than 100 days.

Important Lessons From Titus And The Book Addressed To Him

Sometimes shock-value is whats necessary. When describing heretics, Paul references a quote about Cretans being liars, crazy animals, and lazy gluttons to show how foolish these heretics are. This is essentially an ethnic joke, an example of Paul using slightly off-color humor. He does something similar in Galatians 5 when he talks about problems created by circumcisers and says, I wish the people who are bothering you would castrate themselves . Its certainly wrong to talk in a malicious way and Paul warns elsewhere about avoiding filthy jokes . However, Paul wasnt above making points in a risqué way if the situation called for it. Sometimes saying something shocking is whats needed to get the point across.

There is still room to turn around. Even though Paul spends a lot of time describing just how foolish heretics are, he holds out hope that they can change. He says that elders must show people who oppose sound teaching where they are wrong , describes the point of rebuking them as to make them strong in the faith , to give people creating disturbances two chances . Its important to affirm the damage that heresy creates, but without writing people off as unsalvageable too quickly.

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Eastern Orthodox Churches Under Communist Rule

After the of 1917, part of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church fled abroad to escape persecutions, founding an , which reunified with its Russian counterpart in 2007. Some actions against Orthodox priests and believers along with included , being sent to , or . In the first five years after the Bolshevik revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were executed.

After Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, revived the Russian Orthodox Church to intensify patriotic support for the war effort. By 1957 about 22,000 Russian Orthodox churches had become active. However, in 1959, initiated his own campaign against the Russian Orthodox Church and forced the closure of about 12,000 churches. It is estimated that 50,000 clergy had been executed between the revolution and the end of the Khrushchev era. Members of the church hierarchy were jailed or forced out, their places taken by docile clergy, many of whom had ties with the KGB. By 1985 fewer than 7,000 churches remained active.

Relations With Other Christians

In 1920, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, published an encyclical “addressed ‘To all the Churches of Christ, wherever they may be’, urging closer co-operation among separated Christians, and suggesting a ‘League of Churches’, parallel to the newly founded “. This gesture was instrumental in the foundation of the as such, almost all Eastern Orthodox churches are members of the WCC and “Orthodox ecclesiastics and theologians serve on its committees”., a British metropolitan bishop of the Orthodox Church, has stated that “is important for Orthodoxy: it has helped to force the various Orthodox churches out of their comparative isolation, making them meet one another and enter into a living contact with non-Orthodox Christians.”

The Oriental Orthodox churches are not in with the Eastern Orthodox Church, despite their similar names. Slow dialogue towards restoring communion between the two churches began in the mid-20th century, and, notably, in the 19th century, when the Greek Patriarch in Egypt had to absent himself from the country for a long period of time he left his church under the guidance of the Coptic .

Notwithstanding certain overtures by both Catholic and Orthodox leaders, the majority of Orthodox Christians, as well as Catholics, are not in favor of communion between their churches, with only a median of 35 percent and 38 percent, respectively, claiming support.

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Holiday Homes And Immigration

Crete’s mild climate attracts interest from who want a holiday home or residence on the island. citizens have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality. In the cities of Heraklion and Chania, the average price per square metre of apartments ranges from 1,670 to 1,700. A growing number of real estate companies cater to mainly British immigrants, followed by , , and other European nationalities wishing to own a home in Crete. The immigrants are concentrated in the western regional units of and and to a lesser extent in and .

What Is Titus In The Bible

Titus was a young Christian pastor, a missionary and companion, and a disciple of Paul the Apostle. The latter was mentioned in a number of Pauline epistles. This includes the Epistle to Titus. Titus, A letter of fundraising, was sent by Paul to Corinth to solicit donations for the needy in Jerusalem.

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Sin Salvation And The Incarnation

When Eastern Orthodox Christians refer to fallen nature they are not saying that human nature has become evil in itself. Human nature is still formed in the image of God humans are still God’s creation, and God has never created anything evil, but fallen nature remains open to evil intents and actions. It is sometimes said among Orthodox that humans are “inclined to sin” that is, people find some sinful things attractive. It is the nature of temptation to make sinful things seem the more attractive, and it is the fallen nature of humans that seeks or succumbs to the attraction. Orthodox Christians reject the that the descendants of Adam and Eve are actually guilty of the original sin of their ancestors.

Since the fall of man, then, it has been mankind’s dilemma that no human can restore his nature to union with God’s grace it was necessary for God to effect another change in human nature. Orthodox Christians believe that Christ Jesus was both God and Man absolutely and completely, having two natures indivisibly: eternally begotten of the Father in his divinity, he was born in his humanity of a woman, Mary, by her consent, through descent of the Holy Spirit. He lived on earth, in time and history, as a man. As a man he also died, and went to the place of the dead, which is . But being God, neither death nor Hades could contain him, and he rose to life again, in his humanity, by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus destroying the power of Hades and of death itself.

Place And Date Of Writing

Paul possibly wrote from Macedonia, for he had not yet reached Nicopolis . The letter was written after he was released from his first Roman imprisonment , probably between a.d. 63 and 65 — or possibly at a later date if he wrote after his assumed trip to Spain.

Distinctive Characteristics

Especially significant, considering the nature of the Cretan heresy, are the repeated emphases on loving and doing and teaching “what is good” and the classic summaries of Christian doctrine .

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Deeper Into The Gospel

The book of Titus is a letter from Paul to a young pastor, urging him to lead his people deeper into the gospel. Paul is concerned about the corrupting influence of false teachers in Crete, and this concern frames the book. He shows that the gospel presents a fundamentally different approach toward God than the false teachers do, one based on hope in Gods grace and not on human accomplishments. Grace produces an entirely different kind of fruit in the lives of believers.

Only a profound experience with Gods grace transforms the heart.

The church in Crete was plagued by two problems: licentiousness and legalism . Licentiousness is reckless, godless, rule-free living. Legalism is dutiful, strict, dry living. The first takes advantage of the grace of God, the latter seeks to earn it. Though very different in their expressions, Paul shows that licentiousness and legalism grow from the same root: hope in the flesh for personal fulfillment. The licentious person feeds on the lusts of the flesh the legalist feeds on pride in his flesh. Both paths result in spiritual fatigue, strife, sin, and eventually, hatred of God.

The ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible features 375,000+ words of gospel-centered study notes, book introductions, and articles that explain passage-by-passage how Gods redemptive purposes culminate in the gospel and apply to the lives of believers today.