Titus

Titus is the fifty-sixth book of the Bible and the third of the Pastoral Epistles. It is traditionally attributed to Paul, writing to his coworker Titus whom he has left on the island of Crete to organize the churches there. The letter is generally dated to around AD 62 to 64, between Paul's two Roman imprisonments.

The situation on Crete was difficult. The young churches needed leadership and order, and the local culture, which Paul describes by quoting a Cretan poet who said Cretans were "always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons," was not helping. Titus's job was to appoint elders in every town and bring the churches into a healthy condition.

Paul gives Titus instructions on the qualifications for elders, very similar to those given to Timothy. He describes the kinds of false teaching to silence, including disputes over Jewish myths and factions among the believers. He gives instructions for different groups within the churches: older men, older women, younger women, younger men, slaves. Each is described in terms of character rather than rules.

The letter is short, only three chapters, but contains some of Paul's most concentrated theological summaries, including the description of grace appearing to bring salvation to all people and training believers to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives.