We have a letter from Paul to Titus in the Bible, but who was Titus? He is only mentioned a few scattered times in the New Testament. Paul called him a son in the faith. Titus 1:4 I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share. [1] From this, we can infer that Paul was responsible for bringing Titus to faith. They seemed to share a special relationship.
The first time Scripture mentions Titus is in Galatians 2 when Paul took Titus to a Jerusalem council. Following Jesus was something entirely new for Jewish believers. Should Gentiles become Jews before they become Christians? Do the men need to be circumcised first? They were meeting in Jerusalem to settle this issue. Paul had brought Titus as an example of a Christian who had not become a Jew first. Titus must have made an impression because the council decided that circumcision was not a requirement to become a Christian.
Titus was a Competent Pastor
Paul had written 1 Corinthians to the church in Corinth to correct some issues. They did not receive the letter well, and even a visit from Paul was painful. Paul sent Titus in to troubleshoot, and he successfully eased tensions between Paul and the church (2 Corinthians 7).
Titus was on assignment in Crete when he received a letter from Paul. Crete would have been a difficult task. The island was renowned for its immorality and lying. The new believers had brought their lack of character into the church. Paul had tasked Titus to bring some order and direction to the churches there. He was to choose leaders and train the churches to live out their belief in Jesus. Their lives were to honor God and cause unbelievers to notice the difference their faith made.
Titus Wasn’t Well Known but Made a Difference
We don’t know as much about Titus as we do about Timothy, but that doesn’t mean Titus was less influential. He seemed to get the challenging assignments from Paul and successfully carried them out. In our social media culture, we may have false notions that you must be famous to make a difference. That is a falsehood.
God places us in unique situations, each with a circle of people we influence. While we may not be famous, we can make a difference in the lives of those around us. Paul asked Titus to live his life with integrity to show who Jesus is. We, too, can do the same. We need to live out our faith in Jesus through our actions. That means our lives should look different than the lives of unbelievers. As we become the hands and feet of Jesus, others should wonder who Jesus is. Then, we have an opportunity to share what we know about Jesus.
Who was Titus? To find out more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/lead-with-integrity
[1] Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.