Titus 3

CHAPTER 3

Doing What Is Good (3:1-15)

1 As is taught elsewhere in the New Testament, Paul here teaches that believers must be subject to rulers and authorities (see Romans 13:1-5; 1 Peter 2:13-14 and comments).

Remind the people … to be ready to do whatever is good. Christians should look for ways to contribute to the welfare of their villages and communities. They should support worthy community projects. They should be thinking of how they can be helpful to others.

In Paul’s time, many people mistakenly considered Christians to be enemies of the Roman Empire. Even today in some countries, Christians are regarded as enemies of society. Unfortunately, in some cases Christians themselves have given that impression by their misguided opposition to their governments. But Christians should rightly be recognized as law-abiding citizens. Therefore, insofar as possible, it is essential that Christians obey the law and support their government. We must try to be good citizens in every way.

2 … slander no one. We are not to slander or speak evil of anyone—neither believer nor unbeliever. Satan uses slander, murmuring, and evil talk to divide Christians; it is his most effective and dangerous weapon for destroying the church. We are never to talk against a person behind his back—even if what we say is true—because that is slander (see Matthew 18:15-16 and comment).

3 We must be patient with unbelievers and seek their good. Because we must remember that we too were once unbelievers. Even though we did not deserve it, God showed us mercy. Therefore, we must show mercy to others. We, too, were once foolish; that is, we were without spiritual understanding. We were in bondage to sin; we were enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. But now we have become free. Only when a man has been a prisoner or slave does he know the full blessing of being free; therefore, let us never forget how we once were! (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19 and comments).

4-5 Here in verses 4-7, Paul gives us a summary of the entire Gospel of Christ. Into the darkness and evil of this world, in which we were prisoners, came God our Savior, that is, Jesus Christ. He saved us, not because we obeyed some religious law or did some religious work, but because He loved us and had mercy upon us (see John 3:16; Galatians 2:15-16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; 1 John 4:910 and comments).

Christ saved us through the washing of rebirth (verse 5). Here washing refers to baptism. There is a sense in which Christ has saved us through baptism³ (see 1 Peter 3:21 and comment). The rebirth is the new birth or new life that comes from the HOLY SPIRIT (see Mark 1:8; John 3:3-5; 1 Corinthians 6:11 and comments).

Christ saved us also through the renewal by the Holy Spirit. The rebirth mentioned above happens just once at the beginning of our Christian lives; but the renewal by the Holy Spirit continues from the time we believe to the end of our lives (see 2 Corinthians 4:16; Philippians 1:6 and comments).

6-7 God poured out His Holy Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior⁴ (see John 7:37-39; Acts 2:1-4,32-33; Romans 5:5 and comments).

We have been justified by his grace (see Romans 3:23-24; 5:1 and comments). God has declared us righteous in order that we might be co-heirs with Christ and receive eternal life. Without having been justified by God, no one is worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven (see John 1:12; 6:40; Romans 6:23; 8:15-17; Galatians 3:26,29; 4:4-7; 1 John 5:11-13 and comments).

8 In verses 4-7, Paul has described the great work of God’s grace—our salvation—which has been carried out for us. Now in this verse, Paul instructs believers to be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. In the Bible, the great doctrines of the Gospel always come side by side with practical instructions for daily living. On one side, we see God’s great love and grace; on the other side, we see our duty. These two sides must never be separated.

In this verse, Paul twice writes the words these things. “These things” are all the teachings written in this letter.

9 See 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 4:7; 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:14,23 and comments.

10-11 Paul tells Titus to give just two warnings to the person who is divisive, who persists in quarreling and arguing. If he doesn’t heed the two warnings, then Titus should have nothing to do with him.⁵ He should not try to argue with such a person; it will do no good. Such a person is warped and sinful (verse 11). It is not possible to reason with him. He will not listen to any further warnings. Because of his divisiveness and his opposition to others, such a man sins against the church. He is self-condemned; that is, he is condemned by his own words and actions.

Men leave true doctrine and teaching because they want to walk in their own way and do as they please. Such men are selfish, proud, and ignorant. And after they leave the truth, they become even more enslaved by sin and their minds become even more hardened and corrupt (see 1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:16 and comments).

12 Paul was about to send Artemas⁶ or Tychicus⁷ to Crete, so that Titus might then be free to come to Paul in Nicopolis.⁸

13 Paul asks Titus to help Zenas and Apollos on their journey. Apollos was a famous preacher; he was a colleague of Paul’s (Acts 18:24-28; 1 Corinthians 3:46). Nothing else is known about Zenas.

14-15 Our people—that is, the believers in Crete—must be ready to help each other in all practical ways. They must especially give help and hospitality to travelers, such as Zenas and Apollos.

¹  Crete is a large island in the Mediterranean Sea south of Greece (see Acts 27:7-8, 12-13).

² Some Bible scholars believe that the title elder mentioned in verse 5 and the title overseer mentioned in verse 7 refer to two distinct kinds of church leader. The reason they believe this is because the word blameless occurs both in verse 6 and verse 7—as if Paul was talking about two different types of leader, both of whom had to be blameless. These scholars say that if Paul had been talking about only one type of leader, he wouldn’t have mentioned twice that they must be “blameless.” For further discussion, see General Article: Church Government.

³ The ceremony of baptism in itself does not save us. But true baptism in faith signifies the washing away of our sins, in which we were once dead (Ephesians 2:1), and our resulting spiritual rebirth. The washing away of our sins and our being reborn by the Spirit always go together. For further discussion, see Word List: Baptism.

⁴ Here we see that we have been saved by all three persons of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—working together. For further discussion, see General Articles: Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit.

⁵ Paul does not say here that such a person must be expelled from the church after two warnings; but certainly if he continues being divisive, he should be expelled (see 1 Corinthians 5:11,13 and comment).

⁶  Artemas is not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament.

⁷ Tychicus is mentioned in Ephesians 6:2; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:12.

⁸ Nicopolis is a city in western Greece.