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"Calling
All Bondservants" • 9.11.16 • Calvary
Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- The book of Acts ends with Paul in a Roman home under a gentle house arrest.
Scholars believe that this occurred in 62 A.D.
- Those same authorities hold that Paul was
acquitted and free to travel again. We have no enduring record of that period of
Paul's life.
- We do have in Titus however, a bit of a hint that Paul visited and succeeded in
planting a group of churches on the Island of Crete around 63 A.D.
- Paul's departure from the work, perhaps his
final arrest, left the church without much organization. The only person with
him was Titus.
- Without the ability to return to Crete, Paul
made use of the one medium that he had to help guide Titus and the churches
that he was now to oversee.
- Our passage today is the opening volley of
the epistle, but it contains a wealth of information which grants us great
clarity about our role and purpose in the world. Three sections lie before us.
I. A Pastor's Profile (v.1a)
II. A Church's Program (v.1b-3)
III. A Disciple's Personal Mission (v.4,5)
Text
I. A Pastor's Profile (v.1a)
•
Titus 1:1a : "Paul, a bondservant of God and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, " : Ancient
scrolls generally opened with the author's name and description. When Paul
opens his letters, he often leads with the title of Apostle.
-
He begins here with the phrase "Bondservant of God." He writes to
Titus first as a matter of service to God's will.
-
Commentators note that the word used here denotes the lowest type of slave in
the Roman empire. To the Jewish mind, this was also a distinct type of slave.
-
The Bondslave was a man who came into an agreement with a Master, often to whom
he was indebted, for a term as long as he carried a debt or to six years.
-
At the end of his 6th year of service, his Master was to allow him to go free. The
Bible speaks of a choice that the man in such a condition could make.
•
Exodus 21:5,6 : "But if the servant plainly says, ‘I
love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to
the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his
master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever." : The bondslave is one who sees the benefits of his service being
greater than the benefits of freedom.
-
He accepts a lifetime of service, willingly and joyfully! For Paul, as it
pertained to the work that God set out for him, he was satisfied to accept
every directive from His Master.
-
Paul of course, was not simply a slave, but a son. But that's not how he viewed
his work. He had found that serving God as a slave held greater satisfaction
than any other life.
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He was not allowing himself to be entitled by his sonship. He looked at his
work through the lens of slavery. There isn't any other way to perceive our service
to Christ.
-
Do you understand how misguided our era is in relationship to these Biblical
giants that we study? Paul doesn't call for special recognition or appeal to
celebrity status.
-
He doesn't boast about what he has accomplished or how many he has affected.
When he is forced to do so, he considers such speaking to be the act of a fool!
(II Corinthians 11:16-21)
-
To those that he ministered with, he was a fellow Bondslave, simply carrying
out the tasks given to him by their common Master! Are you content to be seen
in that way?
-
When you have truly discovered that the best life is the life that is resigned
to godly service, you will have the joy that the Lord intends for you.
-
The longer you persist in making life an expression of your own desires or
fighting against what God says about who you are in Him, the more that
Christian joy will escape your grasp.
-
Paul was a Bondslave and the particular task he had been given was to be an
Apostle of Jesus Christ. This is not a stretch of the imagination.
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In ancient times, you could be a man's slave by performing the work of a doctor
or lawyer. Paul was a slave who was Christ's official delegate and
representative.
-
The Slave Apostle has no agenda of his own. He has no other business than to
relay the wishes of his employer. He doesn't even really speak for Him, but
speaks from Him!
-
There is a very distinct difference and we would all do well to comprehend it,
certainly as it pertains to Paul's authority and as it pertains to what is
about to be written.
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The person receiving this letter is receiving instructions that have come
directly from Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church! What significance does that
have to Titus or by extension, you?
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Is this letter you are about to study, simply the words of a long dead Apostle
or are these the very words of God?
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I am not shy in saying to you that we believe it to be the very heart of God
and the mind of Christ, captured upon the pages that are opened before us!
Verse 1b.
II. A Church's Program (v.1b-3)
•
Titus 1b-3 : "according to the faith of God’s
elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God,
who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His
word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment
of God our Savior;" : Paul tells Titus that he is
an apostle first because of God's choice and second, because of the faith of
God's elect.
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He is not saying that the church's faith caused him to be an Apostle.
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Rather, he means to say that he exists to serve their faith. The phrase is not
immediately clear and each translation grabs onto it's own interpretation.
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The NLT says that Paul has been sent to "proclaim faith." The NIV and
the RSV use the phrase "to further the faith." And the HCSB states,
"to build up the faith."
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Paul has seen God initiate faith through his preaching and he has seen God
strengthen faith through his teaching, so both are true. Evangelism and
teaching are functions which focus on faith.
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Every true minister, every Christian, is either working for the opportunity to
share their faith or looking to be an asset to a person's growing faith.
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You are either doing the work of an evangelist or doing the work of a disciple
maker!
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Paul serves for the faith of the elect. This has been an unnececessarily uncomfortable
word for decades. The word "elect" simply means chosen of God.
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This is a Biblical word and conception which does not belong to certain groups.
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The Bible clearly states that God has made a choice regarding who would be
saved. The arguments about the basis for that choice have been the cause of
incredible and endless division.
-
I am happy to say that we needn't waste our time attempting to figure that part
out. God leaves a tension in scripture that will only be alleviated in eternity.
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The more that you seek to reconcile that tension with human systematic
categories, the more you will find yourself opposing scripture and alienating
brothers and sisters. A word of caution!
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What can be said here is that God's elect people are people who possess saving
and growing faith. "What distinguishes a person that is included in that
number?"
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Paul anticipates your question. The elect are those who demonstrate an
acknowledgment of the truth which the herald or in this case, the Apostle
proclaims.
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The word "acknowledgement" comes from the term "epignosis"
which speaks to an accurate and full knowledge of the truth.
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To acknowledge in this case, extends beyond the comprehension of factual data.
The elect one knows experientially, personally.
-
We have heard that the Greek preposition "epi" speaks of being upon.
"Gnosis" is a knowledge. The elect of God have taken the claims of
the truth upon themselves.
-
They are clothed in the truth having personally tested and submitted to the
truth claims of scripture. They view the scripture as truth. There is no debate
for them.
-
There is no seeking for a way to ignore or cast aside the truth. When the Word
speaks, their heart, perhaps not immediately, but fairly quickly, will cry
"amen!"
-
That acknowledgement of the truth then issues in a godly life. It is a mind
that is aware of the truth and caters to the preferences of God discovered in
the pages of scripture.
-
What other body of truth effects a person in this way? What else can you read
or apprehend in this world that will make you a godly person? God's truth
stands alone in that regard.
-
A godly person accepts the clear teaching of scripture and will ultimately not
live in contradiction to it's demands. The elect are willing to give up their
identity for the hope of eternal life.
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Consider the word "hope." I will not base my life around the precepts
of God if eternal life is my sincere wish! That isn't the word here. This word
speaks of an expectation of a certain outcome!
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This promise of eternal life is the confident belief of every person who has
acknowledged the truth of God!
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It is not our confident belief because of our own worth that we are saved! No
indeed! You and I are saved because it's God's promise.
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He is the One who has promised eternal life to us and He cannot lie! If you
have ever wondered if there were things that God could not do, lay your eyes
here!
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God has bound Himself to His own Word, which cannot be shaken! In fact, His
promise has always been, before the dawning of time, literally before the ages!
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Everything that God decided, He decided before He created time! It was in His
mind, but has only come to light during the right season of opportunity! Look
at that juxtaposition.
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God's eternal decree and the preaching of the word! How majestic is His power
and how foolish is the vehicle of preaching, announcing, heralding of the human
vessel?
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When we proclaim the gospel, we are making clear what has been decreed from
before time began! We are making clear the plain truth of God!
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How much more incredible is it that God chose Paul, committing, entrusting this
cherished word to him according to His own commandment!?
-
Before we move on, let us quickly recap what this section speaks to us regarding
the nature of the church. Paul exists to initiate and strengthen faith, as it
pertains to God's elect.
-
He has a duty to proclaim the truth as it pertains to unbelievers as he shares
the gospel. That is the single message that an unbeliever must receive from the
Church.
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If you have not settled the matter of your own salvation, or if you are called
upon to proclaim this truth, allow me to help: Jesus Christ lived perfectly
before God, fulfilling His law entirely.
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He died vicariously, in our place, for those of the World would believe upon
Him. He rose victoriously because sin had never touched Him and God accepted
His sacrifice.
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He lives eternally, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, performing His
High Priestly duty, interceding on behalf of His people. Why did He do this?
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So that God can act generously toward those who believe upon Him! Believers in
Christ share in the inheritance that Jesus has earned and deserves! That is the
gospel.
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If you will believe exclusively in Christ and turn from any known sin, the
Bible uses the word "repent," then you can have confidence that God
is your Father and Christ is Your Savior.
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In that way, you have acknowledged the truth and the church then exists to see
your faith grown and made mature through the study of God's Word, which is
God's truth.
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As you submit to it, your life will take on a godly resemblance that will bring
glory and honor to the One who saved you! That is why the church exists!
-
This is why we open His Word and proclaim His truth. This is why genuine
believers crave the Word of God and will settle for nothing less. Verse 4.
III. A Disciple's Personal Mission (v.4,5)
•
Titus 1:4 : "To Titus, a true son in our common
faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior." : We mentioned last
week that Titus' name means
"nurse." Paul identifies him here as a genuine, legitimate son.
-
They are not physically related, but they share in the same faith that is
common to all believers. This is the greatest bond that can be experienced, as
it is an eternal bond.
-
Titus is a virtual unknown who is nevertheless mentioned 13 times in Paul's
epistles.
-
He is been part of the fabric of Paul's ministry for many years, as early as
the end of the first missionary journey!
-
Galatians 2 informs us that Titus
came along with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. This would have been about the
time of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.
-
Given that information, consider the significance of the fact that Titus was a
full born Gentile. Unlike Timothy who was part Jewish, Titus was all Greek! (Galatians 2:3)
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Titus figures prominently among the story line of the triumph of the gospel,
especially during those early years when there were prominent voices calling
for Gentiles to be circumcised.
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Circumcision was simply the doorway, the initiation, into a full legal
relationship with the Lord.
-
There was a strong contingent who insisted that one could only be saved by
adhering to the Mosaic law.Listen to Paul's testimony regarding Titus' attitude.
•
Galatians 2:2,3 : "And I went up by revelation, and
communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but
privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or
had run, in vain. Yet
not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised." : In the face of certain luminaries, Titus, being completely
satisfied with his salvation, didn't see the point!
-
This, I have found, is the cornerstone of Christian perseverance. Those who
have either gone into legalism or have fallen into liberality, have done so
because they aren't satisfied with Christ!
-
Titus, looking at his own salvation, had no need for anything to be added to
it! In this way, he was very much the legitimate son of Paul!
-
Aside from his comprehension of the gospel, Titus was also a faithful worker,
willing to go into difficult places like Corinth, where he served in Paul's
stead. Listen to Paul's description of Titus.
•
II Corinthians 8:16,23 : "But thanks be to God who
puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. . . If anyone inquires
about Titus, he
is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the
churches, the glory of Christ." : Titus shared Paul's heart
for Corinth, which, if you remember our studies in II Corinthians, was not an easy thing to engender!
-
Paul loved that wayward church and so did Titus, which is why Paul was not
ashamed to vouch for him, calling him a partner and a fellow worker.
-
Titus was willing to work in difficult places with the same heart for them as
Paul and last week, we observed that Titus was willing to go to new places,
like Dalmatia.
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Suffice it to say, Titus was an honored son of Paul's and an exemplary leader
in the early church. Paul extends his Pastoral greeting to him: "Grace,
mercy and peace!"
-
Titus, may you have them all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Every believer, if they are to know the true meaning of these attributes must receive
them from the Lord.
•
Titus 1:5 : "For this reason I left you in
Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint
elders in every city as I commanded you—" : Crete
is the largest and most populated of the Greek Islands, sitting to the south of
both the European and Asian continents.
-
There was unfinished business to attend to and Paul wanted Titus to further
arrange things that had been neglected.
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He doesn't elaborate on what had been left undone, but it was worth a man's
life to set things in order for the church. Titus was that man.
-
The next part of his duty was to appoint elders, presbyteros. The KJV uses the
word "ordain."
-
The sense is that he is to set elders in their appointed offices. These people
are already performing the tasks associated with eldership.
-
As we have noted in the past, the elders were those who oversaw the spiritual
direction of a given church body.
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Titus is called upon to recognize them and designate who they are to the
various independent church bodies.
-
Please understand that Titus is not training or manufacturing elders. That
isn't the Biblical model. He is recognizing men who are already taking the
leadership in their churches.
-
In the church, God ordains men and women with gifts to lead that group in the
way that they should go. Titus had several churches that he had to oversee this
process in.
-
This meant that he would need to spend time and get to know the individual
groups and weigh the elders against the standards that Paul lays out in verse 6 which we will study next time.
Conclusion
- As we close, may I ask you: How do you view yourself
in light of this passage? Are you God's slave and Christ's representative?
- Do you exist
to see saving faith in Jesus Christ born in the members of your family, friends
and co-workers?
- Are you witnessing
to God's work in your life by embracing the truth and expressing a godly life?
May God's Spirit give us the grace to consider these things as we begin our
week!
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