• Titus 1:1 - Introduction:
    • We know Titus was Greek (Galatians 2:3).
    • He may have been converted after hearing Paul’s preaching (Titus 1:4).
    • Paul speaks highly of Titus (II Corinthians 8:23).
    • Titus appears to have been instrumental in handling the tense situation in Corinth (II Corinthians 7:6-7,13-14; 12:18).
    • Crete was reputed to be an island of sin, so Titus would have had his hands full preaching there (Titus 1:12-13).
  • Titus 1:2 – God cannot lie. See II Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19.
  • Titus 1:5 – This seems to imply that a church is not fully formed until it is functioning with qualified elders. This should not be taken to mean that Titus had all the authority to select the men and the local church would just have to live with the decision (see Acts 6:3). Most likely, Titus would go and teach people what the qualifications were and help them through the process of appointing elders. Also note that elders here and everywhere else in the New Testament are always mentioned in plural. We never read of a single elder overseeing the flock by himself. Several words are used to refer to the same position: elders, bishops, overseers, pastors, and shepherds (see Acts 14:23; 1:20; I Timothy 4:14; 3:1-2; I Peter 5:1-3; Ephesians 4:11).