The Story of God: Titus

Listen along as we wrap up the pastoral epistles.

Notes/Quotes:

Titus 2:11-3:11
Titus 1:5
Crete Pic
1:10-16
“In verse 12, Paul calls the Cretans “evil brutes.” It is a damning indictment, and probably not something you would want to say of a group of people unless you were able. To cite one of their own as the source—which is precisely what Paul is doing here. “One of Crete’s own prophets” - The philosopher Epimenides - thinks this of his countrymen. In the Greek language, “Cretan” became a by-word for dishonesty: “To Crete” was to lie. The phrase translated “evil brutes” is literally “dangerous animals.” Crete was famous for having no dangerous animals, but the saying was that the human inhabitants more than made up for this lack of wildlife.” - Tim Chester, Titus For You 

“The laws allow them to possess as much land as they can get with no limitation whatever. Money is so highly valued among them, that its possession is not only thought to be necessary but in the highest degree creditable. And in fact greed and avarice are so native to the soil in Crete, that they are the only people in the world among whom no stigma attaches to any sort of gain whatever. Again all their offices are annual and on a democratical footing…the Cretans by their ingrained avarice are engaged in countless public and private seditions, murders and civil wars, they yet regard these facts as not affecting their contention, but are bold enough to speak of the two constitutions as alike”. Polybius, Greek Philosopher, 150 B.C.

Titus 1:5-9

“The vocation of pastor(s) has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans.” - Eugene Peterson

“My job is not to solve people's problems or make them happy, but to help them see grace operating in their lives…Congregations are composed of people, who, upon entering a church, leave behind what people on the street name or call them. A church can never be reduced to a place where goods and services are exchanged. It must never be a place where a person is labeled. It can never be a place where gossip is perpetuated. Before anything else, it is a place where a person is named and greeted, whether implicitly or explicitly, in Jesus’s name. A place where dignity is conferred.” Eugene Peterson

Titus 2:1
Titus 2:11-15
Titus 3:1
Titus 3:2
Titus 3:3
Titus 3:4-7
Titus 3: 8-11