Titus 1 - 3 (19th December) - Alvin

A Book of Good Works!!

If you pay careful attention, you would have noticed the words “good works” being repeated many times in the three short chapters of the letter of Paul to Titus. In the NKJV, I counted six “good works”. And when you do Bible study, one of the things to take note is repetitive words as they are a sign that God has something important to say.

First, let’s have some context for this letter. This was a letter written by Paul to his spiritual son, Titus, who was left in Crete to pastor the church that Paul has planted there. The church in Crete is a relatively new church and a church under attack by false doctrines and false teachers.

Hence this was a letter of instruction for Titus to rebuke the false teachers and correct the false teachings; to appoint the leadership to oversee the young church in Crete and to instruct the believers on proper Christian living.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”

And James said in James 2:14
26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

The true demonstration of faith is in the doing and the living out of it in our daily lives. And that is the message of God that Paul is teaching the church in Crete. So the whole book is really about how then should a Christian behave, in whatever position one is in; as a young man, as a leader in church, as a citizen, as a slave, as an old man etc.

So go and read this letter again, and re-evaluate our lives in the light of what Christian and Godly living really is, in whatever position God has placed us in. And it’s not too late to start doing the good works!!

One more note: if you read the book of Titus carefully, in the instructions given by Paul, the word “all” and “every” appears many times. It’s a reminder that all Christian living must be evident to all man at all times. May God convict our hearts again to be all that we are meant to be as witnesses of His name and may we not blaspheme God’s name by our conduct.