WE know very little about Titus, compared with prominent disciples such as Peter, John and of course Paul. But what we do know about him is not only interesting and instructive, we see a wonderful example. We see him as a tireless worker for the Lord Jesus, and as a reliable companion for Paul in his work of preaching the Gospel.
Titus was a Greek from Antioch, probably one of the first of Paul’s converts. We find him first as a pupil, and then called by Paul ‘my true child in a common faith’ (Titus 1:4). Although he is not mentioned in the book of Acts, which is the account of the growth of the early church, Paul mentions him several times in his letters, and obviously trusted him and gave him much responsibility.
A Faithful Companion
Titus was one of Paul’s companions with Barnabas on their journey to Jerusalem (Acts 15:2 and Galatians 2:1–3).
Here they had to deal with the problem of circumcision. There were Jewish Christians who were insisting that when Gentiles (non-Jews) became Christians they must become Jews and be circumcised. It seems as though Paul deliberately took Titus, a Greek, in order to demonstrate that this was not necessary.
It is difficult to establish the chain of events in his life. When we see him as Paul’s companion, he would be learning from Paul and Barnabas how to deal with the various situations and problems which arose during their preaching and pastoral work. He would learn tact, wisdom, humility, patience, and a Christlike attitude. He was evidently an able administrator and a trustworthy messenger. He probably carried Paul’s first letter to Corinth
(2 Corinthians 7:6–7)
There is a suggestion that he may have been the brother of Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts, who was also a Greek. Luke does not mention himself in Acts, but we know when he’s present because the narration switches from ‘they’ to ‘we’. There are occasions when Titus was probably present but he is not mentioned, so perhaps Luke’s modesty extends to both of them.
‘My True Child’
Paul addresses him as ‘my true child in a common faith’ (Titus 1:4). He was probably baptised during Paul’s first missionary journey. More than half of the mentions of his name are in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It is known that he visited Corinth at least three times. Such was his influence at Corinth that Paul wrote, ‘Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you… he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit’ (2 Corinthians 8:16, 23).
From these few references to Titus there emerges a record of one of the most trusted and valuable helpers anyone could have in the important work of preaching the Gospel of Christ. He was a true lifelong servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is much to appreciate about a person who dedicates their whole life to the tremendous responsibility they carry, and working alongside the Apostle Paul would have been a wonderful experience.
After Paul’s release from his first imprisonment, his two companions Titus and Timothy were with him. Timothy was left at Ephesus, then Paul and Titus visited the island of Crete. They found that there were issues to deal with among the new congregations. Titus was the ideal person for this task, and Paul left him there with a job to do: ‘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). The last we see of him is in Paul’s final letter, in which he mentions that Titus has left for Dalmatia
(2 Timothy 4:10).
Tradition has it that Titus died of old age in Crete.
He was a truly remarkable brother in Christ, who along with his companions was willing to dedicate his whole life to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and serving his brothers and sisters. He provides a lesson and an example for all followers of Christ.
Tom Ingham