THE LETTER TO TITUS
St. Paul's Letter to a Trusted and Beloved Colleague
Lesson 2
Chapters 2-3: Good Christian Behavior, Maintaining Good Works and Obedience to Leaders, Final Words of Advice, and Farewell
Beloved Heavenly Father,
We sometimes forget that we have an obligation to our Savior
and to His Church to live in imitation of His righteous life. We must act with
integrity, show love to our brothers and sisters in the faith community and the
human family, and adhere to sound Catholic doctrine. When we behave badly, our
actions reflect poorly not only on us as individuals but on the Church's
witness for the goodness and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Souls are at
stake in the battle against Satan, and our mission is to carry on Jesus' work
of redemption in the world. Lord, give us the courage and conviction to live a
holy life, free from arrogance and ill-will, so, at the end of our lives, You
will welcome us into Your Kingdom with the words, "Well done, my good and
faithful servant." We pray in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. Amen.
+ + +
Take care to do
all things in harmony with God, with the bishop presiding in the place of God
and with the presbyters in the place of the Council of the Apostles, and with
the deacons, who are most dear to me, entrusted with the business of Jesus
Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and is, at last, made
manifest.
St. Ignatius, Letter to the Magnesians, 6.1
(St. Ignatius of Antioch was a disciple of St. John the Apostle and the Bishop of St. Paul's
original faith community in Antioch (Syria). He suffered martyred in AD
107/110).
Chapter 2: The Good Christian Life Within and Outside the Community
Part III: Good Christian behavior (2:1-14)
Part IV: Maintaining good works and obedience to leaders (2:15-3:8)
Part V: Final words of advice and farewell (3:9-15)
In the last two sections of the letter, Paul urges Titus to
be doctrinally orthodox, sincere in his actions, and upright in his conduct to
counter the misdeeds of those who live at odds with what they profess to
believe as Christians. The Second Vatican Council teaches that faith and
righteous actions must shape the Christian's life: "Bishops should be
especially concerned about catechetical instruction. Its function is to
develop in men a living, explicit and active faith, enlightened by doctrine.
It should be very carefully imparted, not only to children and adolescents but
also to young people and even to adults. In imparting this instruction, the
teachers must observe an order and method suited not only to the matter at hand
but also to the character, the ability, the age, and the lifestyle of their
audience. This instruction should be based on Holy Scripture, tradition,
liturgy, and on the teaching authority and life of the Church" (Vatican II,
Christus Dominus, 14).
Part III: Good Christian Behavior
Titus 2:1-14 ~ Living in the Image of Christ
1 As for yourself, you must say what is consistent with sound doctrine, namely,
2 that older men should be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance.
3 Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is good,
4 so that they may train younger women to love their husbands and children,
5 to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers, under the control of their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.
6 Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,
7 showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity,
8 and sound speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame without anything bad to say about us.
9 Slaves are to be under the control of their masters in all respects, giving them satisfaction, not talking back to them
10 or stealing from them, but exhibiting complete good faith, so as to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every way.
Paul reminds Titus about the obligations and virtues the members of the faith community must have depending on their age, social position, and station in life. What Paul writes is like the advice he gave Timothy in his first letter (see 1 Tim 5:1-6:2).
Question: What five different groups of people does
Paul point out to Titus?
Answer: He writes about the right conduct for older
men, younger men, older women, younger women, and slaves.
Question: What does Paul recommend concerning correct
behavior for the Cretan Christians in general, for Titus, for older men and
women, for younger women and men, and slaves? See 1:13-15 and 2:1-10.
Answer:
Older men and women have the responsibility to "train" younger men and women by their devout and pious examples of behavior. Paul's statement that older women should train younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers, under the control of their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited elicits some criticism in the modern age. We cannot judge the ancients by our modern standards. It wasn't until the late 19th and 20th centuries that women had the freedom to pursue careers.(1) For most of human history, men were responsible for providing for their families. Paul, however, is not suggesting that Christian women are not equal to their husbands. In his other letters, he writes about the equal partnership between husbands and wives based on their love (1 Cor 7:3-5, 33-34), their mutual submission in the bond of love (Eph 5:21-25), and the equal value of their service to the Lord (Gal 3:28).
Paul urges Titus to show himself as a model of good deeds
in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, 8 and sound
speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame
without anything bad to say about us.
By mentioning "good deeds," Paul is likely referring to
seeing to the material needs of the poor in the Christian community, usually,
widows who did not have sons to support them (Acts 6:1). But since Paul
mentions "sound speech" in verse 8, he could be referring to Titus' teaching
ministry as his primary "good deed" in seeing to the spiritual health of the
Church in Crete. The phrase "speech that cannot be criticized" contains a
Greek legal term that can also be translated "free from censure" that only
appears here in the New Testament. The phrase refers to a person being
declared innocent of a charge against him in a Roman court. Roman courts could
find a Christian guilty of atheism by refusing to worship the Roman gods. However,
Christians should not fear to speak the truth of the Gospel in declaring Jesus
Christ the One True God above all the false gods of the pagans. Our God is the
ultimate Judge of humanity, and "the opponent put to shame" by the truth of the
Gospel is Satan, the old accuser who encourages slander against Christians (Rev 12:10).
9 Slaves are to be under the control of their
masters in all respects, giving them satisfaction, not talking back to them
10 or stealing from them, but exhibiting complete good faith, so as to
adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every way.
Slavery was a fact of life in the ancient world. The Church,
at this point, didn't have the influence to condemn slavery that they later
used to fight against that evil. Instead, the Church urged masters to treat
their Christian slaves like the brothers and sisters they were in the family of
Christ and for slaves to be obedient to their masters as Christians were
obedient slaves of Christ, their Lord (see Paul's Letter to Philemon).
Part IV: Maintaining Good Works and Obedience to Leaders
Titus 2:11-15 ~ The Basis of the Christian's Transformed Moral Life
11 For the grace [charis] of God has appeared for the salvation of all men,
12 training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world,
13 awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
15 Say these things. Exhort and correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you.
The "grace of God" who "has appeared for the salvation of all men" is Jesus Christ. He has called us to renounce the world and its disorder passions and to embrace right worship through godly lives dedicated to good deeds as we await the return of our Lord and Savior at the end of time. The Christian life of righteousness is the fruit of grace. God is the source of that grace, and salvation is the goal given to us through Christ Jesus. Divine grace, manifested in the Incarnation, is actively at work in redeeming each Christian. It is also the basis of our hope in the Second Coming of Christ (verse 13).
The word grace appears more than sixty times in Paul's letters. The Greek word translated "grace" is charis. Its counterpart in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament is the word hen (mercy, favor) or hesed, God's merciful, faithful love shown to His covenant people. For the Hellenistic Gentiles, the Greek word charis appears for favors granted by a king or the Roman emperor on the occasion of his visit to a city. The aorist tense of the verb "has appeared," epephane (related to the Greek term epiphanea or "epiphany" in English) points to a moment in the past. In this case, in verses 13-14, Paul is referring to the Incarnation of Jesus, His saving self-sacrifice on the cross, and the glory of the risen Savior that he witnessed in his conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6), Paul expresses all of these as one event of glorious revelation leading to God's infinite grace (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: First and Second Timothy, Titus, page 238).
Question: What is the difference between God's grace
and the "favor" granted by the Roman Emperor?
Answer: The charis of a human leader is temporal,
but the charis/grace God offers is eternal salvation.
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity
and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Verse 14 is a summary of the doctrine of redemption and
lists four essential elements:
Jesus purchased us from our bondage to sin and purified us for a life of divine daughter/sonship. The expression "a people of his own" is from the Greek translation of the Old Testament in Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6. Both Old Testament passages use the same words to describe Israel as Yahweh's exclusive possession as a covenant people. God's purpose for choosing Israel to form a corporate covenant nation was to set them apart as a holy and priestly people to reveal the One True God to the other nations of the earth (Dt 4:6-8; Is 49:6). However, the Old Covenant did not equip Israel to fulfill this holy vocation. God the Son came to redeem and reconstitute His New Covenant people as the new Israel (CCC 877) and to empower them to fulfill the mission of carrying His Gospel message of eternal salvation to the world (Mt 5:14-16; 1 Pt 2:9).
15 Say these things. Exhort and correct with all
authority. Let no one look down on you.
For the third time, Paul urges Titus to take an aggressive
stand against those who speak falsely and correct their misleading teachings
with the authority he possesses (also see 1:11 and 13). Paul is urging Titus
to have the courage to defend the true faith in his role as the chief bishop of
Crete. Paul's point is that Titus serves Christ, the Eternal King of kings
and, therefore, no one has the right to "look down" on him or the authority of
his holy office.
Chapter 3: Sound Instruction and Paul's Farewell
In a like manner,
let everyone respect the deacons as they would respect Jesus Christ, and just
as they respect the bishop as a type of the Father, and the presbyters as the
council of God and college of Apostles. Without these, it cannot be called a
Church.
St. Ignatius, Letter to the Trallians, 3.1
Titus 3:1-8 ~ Instruction for Believers
1 Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise.
2 They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone.
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared,
5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal [palingenesia] by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
8a This saying is trustworthy.
Notice that Paul writes "God our Savior" in verse 4 and "Jesus Christ our Savior" in verse 6. They are one and the same God (Jn 10:30; 14:7, 9-10; 17:11, 21). The list of Christian duties continues from 2:9-10. In addition to obedience to Church leaders, Christians are to be good citizens who obey the civil laws of the Roman magistrates.
Question: What does Paul list in verses 1-2 as
examples of good citizenship?
Answer: Christians should be obedient to local laws,
ready to assist any good civil enterprise, not to engage in gossip or slander,
to keep the peace, and practice kindness to everyone.
He also asks Titus to remind the Cretan Christians to be patient with their pagan neighbors because, before Christian conversion, Paul writes, we were all lost in foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. In other words, where our pagan neighbors are now, except for the grace of God calling us to salvation, we might also have found ourselves in their disgraceful state.
In verses 4-7, St. Paul lists the effects of Christian baptism as rebirth, the forgiveness of sins, reception of His Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), and justification by grace so we can obtain the immediate enjoyment of all rights as heirs to eternal life (2 Cor 1:22).
5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal [palingenesia] by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior...
The Greek word palingenesia refers to rebirth,
renewal, or restoration. The term only appears twice in the New Testament,
here and in Matthew 19:28 where Jesus told the Apostles: In truth [amen] I
tell you, when everything is made new [palingenesia] again, and the Son of Man
is seated on his throne of glory, you yourselves will sit on twelve thrones to
judge the twelve tribes of Israel (NJB, Interlinear Bible Greek-English, vol.
IV, page 57). In Matthew, Jesus uses the word in one of two ways. It may
refer to the rebirth affected by the coming of His Kingdom after the
resurrection when the Twelve Apostles will be the governing authority of the Church
of the New Israel (CCC 877). Or, since Jesus mentions the Son of Man "seated
on his throne of glory," it could refer to the time after Jesus' Second Advent
and the Last Judgment when the Apostles will be joined with Jesus in judging
the people of Israel. However, in Titus 3:5, palingenesia refers to the
spiritual gift of salvation through the forgiveness of our sins and rebirth in
Christian baptism.
7 so that we might be justified by his grace and
become heirs in hope of eternal life. 8a This saying is trustworthy.
These are the gifts of the Christian that begin with a new
life, reborn into the family of God through the Sacrament of Baptism, when
every Christian baptized in Christ, in the Trinitarian formula Jesus gave us in
Matthew 28:19, becomes God's chosen servant and an heir to eternal life. That
we will be justified (made just/righteous before God) by His grace and become heirs
"in hope of eternal life" is a pledge made to us by the Most Holy Trinity, as
St. Paul writes:
8a This saying is trustworthy.
Part V: Final Words of Advice and Farewell
Titus 3:8b-11 ~ Final Directives for Titus
8b I want you to insist on these points, that those who have believed in God be careful to devote themselves to good works; these are excellent and beneficial to others.
9 Avoid foolish arguments, genealogies, rivalries, and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and futile.
10 After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic,
11 realizing that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned.
Paul makes two final points to Titus concerning the Christians of Crete:
This warning probably refers to Jewish Christians who want to dominate the community by using senseless disputes concerning Biblical genealogies and ritual purity laws that are no longer binding under New Covenant Law. These disputes were based on the unwillingness of some Jewish Christians to accept the Gentiles as Christian brethren. One such group was the Jewish Christian Ebionites (c.f., St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.11.7). They were in theological conflict with the Church in welcoming the conversion of Gentiles. They insisted on adherence to the Old Covenant rite of circumcision, Jewish dietary and religious laws, only used the Gospel of Matthew, and rejected the writings of St. Paul.
10 After a first and second warning, break off contact
with a heretic, 11 realizing that such a person is perverted
and sinful and stands self-condemned.
Paul is echoing Jesus's warning concerning those who persist
in sin within the community from Matthew 18:15-17. Jesus listed four steps we
are to follow when a Christian brother or sister falls into error:
The ban of excommunication for someone who continues in a grievous sin may seem unkind to some. However, it is necessary to protect the Christian community from influences that could damage the Body of Christ by encouraging others to fall into sin or to accept heretical teachings. Persistent sin is as deadly to one's spiritual health as disease is to one's physical health. Such a ban is always meant to be redemptive, in pointing out to the person the grievous nature of his actions that could determine his eternal destiny.
Titus 3:12-15 ~ Paul's Farewell
12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, try to join me at Nicopolis, where I have decided to spend the winter.
13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey soon, and see to it that they have everything they need.
14 But let our people, too, learn to devote themselves to good works to supply urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive.
15 All who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
In this passage, Paul names four Christians who are part of his missionary team:
One of these two men named in verse 12 would serve as Titus' replacement so he could rejoin Paul at Nicopolis during the winter. Paul is probably referring to a city in the Roman Province of Epirus on the western coast of Greece whose name means "victory city."(2) There is no additional information in the New Testament concerning Artemas. However, Tychicus accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4) and delivered Paul's letters to the Ephesians and Colossians (Eph 6:21-22; Col 4:7-9). Paul mentions him several times in his letters, calling Tychicus "my beloved brother, trustworthy minister and fellow slave in the Lord," who sometimes acted as Paul's emissary to Christian communities (Eph 6:21; Col 4:7; 2 Tim 4:12).
Zenas and Apollos probably delivered Paul's letter and remained for a short time to preach to the Cretan Christians. Zenas, the lawyer, is not mentioned again in the New Testament, but Apollos, a Jewish convert from Alexandria, Egypt, was a gifted Christian orator (Acts 18:24-28). He preached in Ephesus, where he met Paul's dear friends Pricilla and Aquila. At that time, Apollos only knew about St. John the Baptist's baptism of repentance, so Pricilla and Aquila schooled him in a complete understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 18:25-26). Later he ministered in Corinth (Acts 18:24-28; 19:1; 1 Cor 1:12; 3:3-9; 4:6; 16:12).
Paul's instructions to Titus to show hospitality to the visitors highlights the importance of welcoming fellow Christians to the various faith communities. Paul wants Titus to be a model for others regarding help to those in the ministry and those in need. Concerning this passage, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: "The people of God, the vineyard of the Lord, should yield not only spiritual fruit but also material fruit, and the latter it should use to meet needs as they arise; otherwise Christians would be unfruitful" (Aquinas, Commentary on Titus).
15 All who are with me send you greetings. Greet
those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
Paul ends his letter with greeting from those missionary
associates who are with him, All who are with me send you greetings, and
adds, Greet those who love us in the faith, referring to the Christians
whose love for one another comes from God's love. Concerning this verse, St.
Jerome wrote: "If anyone who loves loved in the faith, St. Paul would not have
added faith to love; mothers love their children and are ready to give their
lives for them, but that kind of love is not necessarily love in the faith; and
wives love their husbands and often even die for them, yet that is not love in
the faith. Only saints love in the faith, for their love embraces also
unbelievers; indeed, they love even their enemies; that is love in the faith,
for it is a love based on Him who has promised the reward to those who keep the
new commandment" (Jerome, Commentary on Titus). The kind of love Paul
and Jerome wrote about is the supernatural kind that comes from being washed
with the love of grace that comes from the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity,
as Paul finished his letter with the blessing of God's Grace be with you
all.
Paul intends the last part of his farewell for all the Cretan Christians to whom Titus will read his letter. After hearing Paul's instruction to Titus, the Christians on Crete will understand Paul has commissioned Titus to teach, organize, and provide discipline with his full authority and that of the Church.
Questions for discussion or reflection:
How is it that sometimes our best Christian witness can be
through our actions and not just our words? As a committed Christian, what steps
can you take to advance the Gospel of salvation as one of Christ's apostles?
Endnotes:
1. Lydia, a Jewish woman from Thyatira, was the exception
(Acts 16:11-15). She owned and managed a textile company specializing in
expensive purple cloth, but she was probably a widow who took over her husband's
successful business after his death.
2. There were several cities named Nicopolis. The city Paul mentioned may be the Nicopolis near the Adriatic called Actia Nicopolis, the capital city of the Roman province of Epirus Vetus, located in the western part of Greece. Roman emperor Caesar Augustus founded the city in 29 BC in commemoration of his victory over Marc Antony and Cleopatra VII in 31 BC at the Battle of Actium that took place just off the coast, hence the name "victory city." It soon became the principal city in the region of Epirus.
Catechism references for this lesson (* indicates
Scripture is either quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
Titus 2:1-6 (CCC 2342*);
2:12 (CCC 1809);
2:13 (CCC 449*, 1041, 1130, 1404*, 2760, 2818*);
2:14 (CCC 802);
3:5 (CCC 1215);
3:6-7 (CCC 1817)
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