Truth is stronger than sin.
Some people assert that the details of faith are insignificant—that as long as we do the right thing, everything else will fall into place. But Paul’s letter to Titus contradicts that reasoning. Paul taught that everything we do is shaped by what we believe, and that there is a “truth which accords with godliness” (Titus 1:1).
Paul urged his friend Titus (see his profile at 2 Cor. 7:6), the pastor of a struggling church on the island of Crete, to “speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (2:1), for correct living is the product of correct belief. Heresy leads to sin. Only truth produces genuine Christlikeness.
In the modern world, many streams of thought lay claim to the truth. But nothing that goes against the gospel can stand up to the perfect character, integrity, and humility of Jesus. We should pay careful attention to the teaching we receive, evaluating whether it agrees with Scripture, honors God, and relies on the Cross.
Crete was home to an ancient culture that was notorious for its corruption. In this moral wasteland, Christians needed to stand out from their environment by speaking and living honestly. And more than anything else, the believers at Crete needed to exhibit a sincerity that spoke for the authenticity of their faith. Thus Paul urged Titus and his congregation to “adorn the doctrine of God” (2:10), making the truth about God attractive through their actions—something Christians are still called to do today.
The Book of Titus shares similarities with 1 and 2 Timothy not only in style and content but also in the circumstances of its production. Paul wrote this letter around the same time as 1 Timothy, likely not long after he visited Titus on the island of Crete (1:5). To learn more about Titus’s work with Paul, see the introduction to 2 Corinthians.
Key Verses in Titus
• “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).
• “When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us … that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4, 5, 7).