VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 7 | November 6, 2016 The Compass First Family Church Leading Families Toward Spiritual Maturity This Week’s Core Practice Self-Control (Titus 2:11-13): I have the power, through Christ, to control myself. T his week we begin a four-week study of Paul’s Epistle to Titus. is short epistle is a part of the Apostle Paul’s trilogy known as e Pastoral Epistles, which includes 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. In these letters, Paul addressed his two trusted assistants, Timothy and Titus, men in whom he placed a lot of re- sponsibility and authority as his point men for churches Paul had started as part of his missionary efforts. Titus was leſt by Paul on the Island of Crete, an island in the Mediterranean Sea located south of Greece. His- torically, Cretans are typically viewed in a negative light. Paul even references this in his letter to Titus when he states, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). As if to underscore the description, Paul states in simple terms, “this description is true” (1:13). (I find the King James translation of this verse even more illustrative. e KJV states, “e Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.” at picture of “slow bel- lies” is of an extremely overweight person who drags his belly around, and could not be more descriptively offen- sive.) Paul admonishes young Titus to “rebuke them sharp- ly!” He concludes his opening charge to Titus with this stinging summary: “ey profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. ey are detestable, disobedi- Continued on page 2... www.thecompass.life CHURCH 101
Transcript
VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 7 | November 6, 2016
The Compass First Family Church
Leading Families Toward Spiritual Maturity
This Week’s Core PracticeSelf-Control (Titus 2:11-13): I have the
power, through Christ, to control myself.
This week we begin a four-week study of Paul’s Epistle to Titus. This short epistle is a part of the Apostle Paul’s trilogy known as The Pastoral
Epistles, which includes 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. In these letters, Paul addressed his two trusted assistants, Timothy and Titus, men in whom he placed a lot of re-sponsibility and authority as his point men for churches Paul had started as part of his missionary efforts.
Titus was left by Paul on the Island of Crete, an island in the Mediterranean Sea located south of Greece. His-torically, Cretans are typically viewed in a negative light.
Paul even references this in his letter to Titus when he states, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). As if to underscore the description, Paul states in simple terms, “this description is true” (1:13).
(I find the King James translation of this verse even more illustrative. The KJV states, “The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.” That picture of “slow bel-lies” is of an extremely overweight person who drags his belly around, and could not be more descriptively offen-sive.)
Paul admonishes young Titus to “rebuke them sharp-ly!” He concludes his opening charge to Titus with this stinging summary: “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedi-
Continued on page 2...
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CHURCH 101
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Titus 1:1-9 (ESV)1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a com-mon faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and ap-
point elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tem-pered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doc-trine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Step 1 ENCOUNTER–God’s Word to put yourself in touch with him.
ent, unfit for any good work” (1:16). This, really, gets to the heart of Paul’s letter to Titus. He wants Titus to set things in order on the Island of Crete and help these Cretan Christians to begin acting like Christians. Sound thinking begins with sound doctrine, and sound doctrine must be communicated by godly teachers. Paul identifies three groups that need to step up to the plate–elders, men appointed by Titus to lead the house churches in Crete, older men and older women. Together, they are to set the example and teach the younger people how to be godly husbands and wives, sons and daughters.
There almost seems to be a level of exasperation in Paul’s tone. It’s as if he’s telling Titus, “Enough! You tell these people that if they are going to call themselves Christians, they need to start acting like Christians, not like a bunch of foolish Cretans!”
As we will see during our study of Titus, Paul is ad-dressing Titus, but he is instructing him how to lead the church. There is a lot of application for us today as we study the Epistle to Titus. We are calling this study “Church 101” because many of the things Paul teaches are elementary principles for the Christian. First and foremost, doctrine is important. As Christians, do we ac-knowledge this truth? Do we get our priorities and our list of do’s and don’ts from Scripture?
Secondly, we will see the importance of leadership within a church. Leaders are to model godly character before the people and lead with both integrity and doctri-
nal proficiency. Combined, these contribute to one of the most essential qualities of a biblical leader–credibility in the eyes of the church.
Finally, Paul underscores the importance of a multi-generational church family, in which the older believers are teaching and showing the younger believers how to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling. Under-stand that this is not just adults showing children, but older men and older women who teach and show young-er men and younger women how to be good husbands and fathers or good wives and mothers. Paul draws an-other word picture for us when he describes our good, godly behavior that “adorns the doctrine of God our Sav-ior” (2:10). In other words, our good behavior is the icing on the cake, it is the finishing touch to the doctrine of God that makes biblical Christianity both distinctive and attractive to a lost and dying world.
It is my prayer that as we look at the Epistle to Titus, we will let the Word of God have its perfect way with us as a church family. The temptation is going to be there to scoff at some of Paul’s instructions in this letter. “Oh, that doesn’t apply to today, that’s First Century.” Resist that temptation. Your home, your family, and our church are called to be different from the culture. Paul describes us as “a peculiar people” (Titus 2:14 KJV). Are you ready to become a peculiar man, a peculiar woman, a peculiar family? May it be so as we embark on this journey to-gether to become a peculiar kind of church.–Chris Eller
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Use the questions below to guide your reading and to ensure you are grasping the key lessons and themes of the text. This is called Inductive Bible Study, in which you ask the questions, Who?, What?, Where?, Why?, When?, How? as you read the text. (Also known as the “5Ws and an H.”)
1. How is Paul’s description of himself at the beginning of this letter significant? (1:1)
2. How did Paul describe the faith that he had? (1:1-2)
3. In light of Paul’s reference to Titus, what kind of relationship did these two believers have? (1:4)
4. Why did Paul leave Titus in Crete? (1:5)
5. For what reason was it necessary to appoint elders in the towns? (1:5, 10)
6. What qualifications were necessary to be an elder in Titus’s church? (1:6-9)
7. Why is it necessary for an elder to be blameless? (1:7)
8. What is the result of holding firm to the “trustworthy message”? (1:9)
Consult the commentary on the text and the notes following this page for additional help.
Summary NotesWrite a one paragraph summary of this week’s text including key areas of interest and significant instruction.
Step 2 ENQUIRE–the answer to these questions to better understand what the passage means.
About The CompassThe Compass is a ministry of First Family Church and is edited by Chris Eller. The purpose of The Compass is to help you better grasp the truth of the biblical text from which the weekend sermon is based.
The Compass also connects readers with the principles of discipleship found in 10 Core Beliefs (doctrine) 10 Core Practices (disciplines), and 10 Core Virtues (spiritual fruit).
If you would like The Compass deliv-ered each week to your email box, you can to to www.ffcgrow.com for a free subscription.
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Introduction to Titusby John Phillips
Titus, a pagan whom Paul led to Christ, became one of the apostle’s most beloved and loyal supporters. Titus likely was a native of either Syria or Crete, a large island in the Mediterranean, lying south of Greece and north of Libya.
Crete loomed for a moment during Paul’s fateful voy-age to Rome, a voyage that ended in shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta). As the incident is recorded in Acts 27, the vessel had hugged the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean as far as Cnidus, an important city at the extreme southwestern point of Asia Minor. The seasonal winds, however, were already proving troublesome, so the sailors turned south toward the island of Crete, which promised shelter from the boisterous waves and contrary winds. They managed to make Fair Havens, an anchor-age on the island’s southern coast that offered some re-lief from the storm. By then, however, the likelihood of frequent winter storms made further seafaring extremely dangerous. Paul, a seasoned traveler with memories of past shipwrecks (2 Cor. 11:25), urged that the ship remain in Fair Havens until spring. Unfortunately, the bay where the vessel was anchored was not a comfortable refuge, so the centurion sided with the ship’s captain, who wanted to make a dash for the more inviting port of Phenice at the western end of Crete. A seductive south wind that “blew softly” (Acts 27:13) seemed to favor the captain’s decision, so the attempt was made. The ship failed to make it.
We can picture Paul’s standing in the stern of the vessel, watching Fair Havens drop out of sight, and won-dering if he would live to see Crete again. Doubtless, his missionary zeal made him long to go ashore and preach the gospel to the Cretans. He did go back later and soon discovered that Crete was not an easy place to labor; the inhabitants were characterized by duplicity, wildness, and sensuality. Cretan Jews who were in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11) had probably carried Christianity to the island at an early date.
We do not know when or where Paul led Titus to Christ because although he was one of Paul’s highly es-teemed collaborators, Titus is not mentioned at all in the book of Acts. (He is mentioned in 2 Corinthians, Gala-tians, and 2 Timothy as well as the epistle to Titus.) Titus appears first in Scripture as Paul’s companion in Antioch before the council in Jerusalem. Because Titus was a Gen-tile, Paul took him to that conference as a test case; Paul wanted to see if the Jewish church would receive a Gentile Christian unconditionally into its fellowship (cf. Gal. 2:3 and Acts 15).
We learn from the epistle to Titus that Paul had ei-ther sent Titus to Crete or left him there to deal with dis-
orders that had arisen in the church. Titus had already done well as Paul’s emissary to Corinth. No doubt, the experience he gained in dealing with the difficulties in the Corinthian church equipped him for coming to grips with the situation on Crete. He was a loyal friend, capable colleague, wise mediator, and brave warrior.
Both Titus and Timothy were young, gifted, and beloved by Paul; both of them were entrusted with deli-cate missions on more than one occasion. But there the similarities end. Titus and Timothy are a study in con-trasts. Timothy was half Jew and half Gentile; Titus was a full-blooded Gentile. Paul circumcised Timothy because the young man was already half Jewish and making him a full Jew would increase his usefulness in dealing with Jews. Paul did no such thing with Titus. On the contrary, the apostle took advantage of Titus’s uncircumcision to face down the Jerusalem church. There were differences in temperament as well. Timothy had a retiring disposi-tion; Titus was made of tougher fiber and was less likely to be intimidated. We also note that Paul often associated Timothy with himself when addressing letters to various churches but never included Titus in his salutation. Also, Timothy appears here and there in the book of Acts; Titus appears nowhere in Acts.
After his release from his first Roman imprisonment, Paul visited Crete. While he was on the island, he doubt-less did some evangelizing, pastoring, and teaching. Paul remained there long enough to form a sound opinion of the Cretan character but evidently not long enough to do much about organizing the Cretan churches. He delegat-ed that task to Titus.
Paul’s immediate purpose in writing to Titus was to summon him to Nicopolis and to tell him that Artemas or Tychicus would be replacing him on Crete. Paul ex-panded the letter by including instruction, exhortation, and guidelines for local churches. Although the epistle is brief, it is a veritable miniature manual for ministers and includes several outstanding doctrinal statements (e.g., 1:1–4; 3:11–14). As brief as the letter is, it contains forty-four words that occur nowhere else in the New Tes-tament.
The name Titus was a name to be reckoned with in Paul’s day. Vespasian, the conquering Roman general and founder of the Flavian dynasty, had a son named Titus. Vespasian was about to be proclaimed emperor (A.D. 69), and Titus was already on the road to fame. It was he who concluded the siege of Jerusalem (begun by Vespa-sian) and whose soldiers burned the Jewish temple to the ground in A.D. 70. In A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii. Titus became emperor that same year. The next year, he dedicated the coliseum in Rome where so many Christians were to die.
Step 3 EXPLORE–the commentaries to answer the questions.
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So the world had its Titus. But the church had a Titus too. The world’s Titus found his way into history books; the church’s Titus found his way into the Book of books. Doubtless, it was a high honor to have one’s name written in the roster of the caesars, but it is a far greater honor to have one’s name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and in the Word of God.
The Roman Titus had his hour of glory. The trium-phal arch built in his honor survives to this day, but he is dead and gone. No one studies his history today hoping to learn lessons on how to live. On the other hand, the bibli-cal Titus will have his triumph in a day to come. Today,
people the world over study Paul’s brief memo to him; they weigh every word and search out its significance. Ti-tus the Roman will stand at the Great White Throne to answer for his deeds. Titus the Christian will stand at the judgment seat of Christ and hear the Lord’s “Well done!” He will “shine as the brightness of the firmament” and “as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3)
John Phillips, Exploring the Pastoral Epistles: An Expository Com-mentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Tt.
Kali Limenes, the Greek name that translates “Fair Havens,” is situated on the southern coast of Crete. Its position matches the biblical description (Acts 27:7-8, 12): Fair Havens lies under the lee of Crete; it would have been “unsuitable to winter in”; and it is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Lasea.
During the reign of Roman emperor Claudius (AD 41-54) the survival of the city of Rome depended on fleets bringing grain from Alexandria. In Acts 27, Paul was being transported to Rome under the charge of a centurion named Julius. They transferred to an Alexandrian grain ship that was attempting a winter run. “We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea” (Acts 27:7-8, ESV).
The harbor is formed by a gradually curving shoreline that runs east and southwest. It did not shelter ships from the wind in every direction. The harbor’s shape sheltered ships from the northwestern wind, but other than a few offshore islets, it was un-protected from the sea. There does not seem to have been any town at the harbor, which is probably why Luke mentions it being near the town of Lasea.
Fair Havens would have been the westernmost harbor Paul’s ship could reach while staying under the lee of Crete. Beyond the cape west of Fair Havens, the shore turns north dramatically, exposing the ship to the winds they were trying to avoid. The fact that the harbor was “unsuitable to winter in” was confirmed in 1853 by an explorer named Captain T. A. B. Spratt, who observed that winter winds from the east and southeast blow right into the harbor. But the decision to make a run for Phoenix was not wise. Vegetius (4th century AD) records that sailing in the Mediterranean after September 15th was dangerous, and after November 11th was impossible (De re militari 4.39). When they decided to sail after the Day of Atonement (Acts 27:9), it was the middle of the “dangerous” period.
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WORDSEARCH–all the words come from this week’s text or lesson.Church Leadership
Titus 1:1-9November 6, 2016
X A R Q Z J E S U S C H R I S T C E L E S H L Z HG B S N P B T N E L O L I V C L Y S D Q H T K P TN Y T S T N A G O R R A T I U N G R S R O I D E US N O I T A N I D R O B U S N I A E I E L A E L RV R U S F K D M T L O P Q E N W L I H P Y F N S TD Z E T B B N O O I L U F I E F R K C A C P I K GN Z H D O Q D J G G J I E T C C E Z A U D E L N VA G E H L L V N O F L A S O B H E M O L E A P O UB J U M W E I D D L O B N X E I S Z R I T C I W YS Y F N T H L B A Z D T Q J L L R G P B S E C L EU E I M C I W N Y R R S N X I D E R E T E V S E LH J V A N I R F A O H W Z A E J V E R I F C I D TD L E E F E J K L H V Y T U V L O D E T I K D G SY R S E T N N L H C Z O Z H E R W R V U N U M E OP S O E W U E N W O T C X V R B E O O S A C B S PG L W W R D Q T A C R E T E S A B S B U M H J L AT Z S D Y R E H C U A B E D P Y E C A R G X U N D
Paul Servant of God Apostle Jesus Christ FaithElect Knowledge Truth Godliness Eternal LifeManifested Word Preaching Titus ChildGrace Peace Crete Order EldersTown Above Reproach Husband Wife BelieversDebauchery Insubordination Overseer Steward ArrogantDrunkard Vilolent Self-Controlled Holy Disciplined
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10 Core BeliefsThe Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17): We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. God the Father (Psalm 121:1–2): We believe God is personally involved in and cares about the daily lives of His children.Jesus Christ (John 1:12): We believe in Jesus Christ, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory. We are significant only because of our position as children of God. The Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14): We believe the God of the Bible is the only true God and is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Humanity (John 3:16): We believe all people are born separated from God by sin, but God in his love sent his Son Jesus Christ as their savior. Eternity (John 14:1–4): We believe there is a heaven and a hell and that Jesus Christ is returning to judge the earth and to establish his kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the dead: the believer to life everlasting and the unbeliever to the resurrection of judgment. The Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16): We believe in the church as the body of Christ, which is composed of all believers who have ac-cepted Christ as Savior. We believe the church is God’s primary way to accom-plish His purposes on earth today.
Stewardship (1 Timothy 6:17-19): We believe that everything we have, including our very life, belongs to God. Salvation by Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-25; 8:38-39): We believe a person has a right relationship with God only by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. This makes believers eternally secure in Jesus Christ. Compassion (Psalm 82:3-4): We believe God calls all Christians to show compas-sion to those in need.n
10 Core PracticesWorship (Psalm 95:1-7): I worship God for who He is and what He has done for me. Bible Study (Hebrews 4:12): I study the Bible diligently to know God, to become like Christ, and to discern His will for my life. Service (Colossians 3:17): I give away my time to fulfill God’s purposes. Witness (Matthew 28:18-20): I live to tell the story of Jesus and to make disciples of Him even to the ends of the earth, know-ing he is with me always.Biblical Community (Acts 2:44-47): I fellowship with other believers in a small group to accomplish God’s purposes in my life, others’ lives, and in the world.Prayer (Psalm 66:16-20): I pray to God to know Him, to lay my request before Him and to find direction for my daily life. Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:4-6): I know and use my spiritual gifts to accomplish God’s purposes. Authenticity (John 13:33-34): I know and understand biblical truths and transfer these truths into everyday life. Who I am
on the inside and outside is a pure reflec-tion of Christ and His Word. Simplicity (Matthew 6:33): I seek to live a simple life focused on God and his priori-ties for my life. Possessions (Luke 16:11–12): I seek to maintain an eternal perspective on money and possessions, realizing God has give me all that I have, and that he expects me to manage it wisely for His glory. n
10 Core VirtuesGentleness (Philippians 4:5): I am thoughtful, considerate and calm in deal-ing with others. Faithfulness (Proverbs 3:3-4): I have es-tablished a good name with God and with others based on my long-term loyalty to those relationships. Hope (Hebrews 6:19-20): I can cope with the hardships of life and with death be-cause of the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Joy (John 15:11): I have inner contentment and purpose in spite of my circumstances. Love (1 John 4:10-12): I sacrificially and unconditionally love and forgive others. Peace (Philippians 4:6-7): I am free from anxiety because things are right between God, myself and others. Self-Control (Titus 2:11-13): I have the power, through Christ, to control myself.Humility (Philippians 2:3-4): I choose to esteem others above myself. Patience (Proverbs 14:29): I take a long time to overheat and endure patiently under the unavoidable pressures of life. Kindness/Goodness (1 Thessalonians 5:15): I choose to do the right things in my relationships with others. n
