Day 295 – Titus – Introduction

“I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.” Titus 1:5 NLT

The vacuum produced when a strong leader departs can devastate a movement, organization, or institution. Having been dependent on that leader’s skill, style, and personality, associates and subordinates flounder or vie for control. Soon, efficiency and vitality are lost and decline and demise follow. Often this pattern is repeated in churches. A great teacher gathers a following. Lives are being changed, and people are being led into the Kingdom. But when they leave or die, the drive and the heart of the church can follow suit.

People flocked to hear Paul’s teaching. Educated, persuasive, motivated, and filled with the Holy Spirit, this man of God faithfully proclaimed the Good News throughout the Roman Empire; lives were changed and churches begun. But Paul knew that the church must be built on Christ, not on any other individual. He also knew that eventually he would not be there to build, encourage, discipline, and teach. So he trained young pastors to assume leadership in the churches, urging them to centre their lives and preaching on the Word of God and to train others to carry on in ministry.

Titus was a Greek believer. Taught and nurtured by Paul, he stood before the leaders of the church in Jerusalem as a living example of what Christ was doing among the Gentiles. Like Timothy, he was one of Paul’s trusted traveling companions and closest friends. As with Timothy, Paul told Titus how to organize and lead the churches as he was growing into a mature Christian and responsible leader.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the people You gave Paul with whom he could share the wisdom given to him from You. Thank You for the encouragement and examples we find in the book of Titus. Amen.