Genesis is the book of beginnings. The first eleven chapters reveal how the world and humanity began and fell into sin, and chapters twelve through twenty-four displayed how God began to enact His plan of global redemption through the family of one man, Abraham. God pulled Abraham from his family, took him to a foreign …
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” Titus 3:3 As with verse 11 of chapter two, the word “for” here indicates that this section is the reason and motivation behind the exhortations given …
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age Titus 2:12 Even in sections of theology like this one, Paul cannot refrain from disclosing doctrine’s application. Here the emphasis is that the gospel trains us in godliness. In believing the truth of Scripture, we …
Having just concluded the Easter season, the resurrection of Christ is firmly established within our minds. After all, we cannot truly consider the work of Jesus without declaring the glory of His resurrection. The miraculous incarnation set the foundations for the redemptive work of Christ. It provided the platform by which God was able to …
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10b But it is a dangerous error, surely very widespread among Christians, to think that the heart can pray by itself. For then we confuse wishes, hopes, sighs, laments, rejoicing so—all of which the heart can do by itself—with prayer. And we confuse …
Your kingdom come, Matthew 6:10a Many Christians do not realize that all of Jesus’ teachings and ministry can be easily summed into one sentence: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17).” The entire life of Jesus centered around the idea that He was bring the kingdom of heaven down to earth. …
Hallowed be your name. Matthew 6:9c To be such a key biblical concept, holiness is sorely misunderstood and overlooked. Most of this, I fear, comes from an ignorance as to the meaning of being holy. If this is so, we must seek to readily correct it because holiness is of tremendous importance. For instance, ancient …
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. (Titus 1:5 ESV) Given that appointing elders in every town was Paul's primary directive to Titus, it is troublesome that so few of us understand the biblical concept …
Continue reading Biblical, Historical, and Practical Arguments for Elder Plurality
Author Though some secular scholars have sought to argue against it, Paul is clearly identified as the author in the first verse of the letter. Still, they posit that Titus along with the letters to Timothy & Philemon are too stylistically different from Paul’s other epistles to be genuine; therefore, they suggest that someone else …
Even though the word is never used in the letter, Titus is all about the church. Paul left Titus on the island of Crete for the purpose of organizing and establishing each city’s church, and his letter to Titus is an encouragement and guide for how that is to be done. Therefore, if we want …
B. C. Newton 