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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 20 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Titus
| Along with I Timothy and II Timothy, what type of letter is Titus classified? | Epistle to Titus
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Pastoral. A pastoral epistle is a letter written by St. Paul to one particular individual rather than a large group such as a church. Some people also consider Philemon to be pastoral.
In Titus, St. Paul advises his friend as to what is needed for men if they are to be good presbyters and bishops: they must be "... irreproachable, married only once, the father of children who are believers and are known not to be wild and insubordinate ... He may not be self-willed or arrogant, a drunkard, a violent or greedy man. He should, on the contrary, be hospitable and lover of goodness; steady, just, holy, and self-controlled." (Titus 1:6-8)
| Early in the letter, St. Paul writes to Titus about his purpose in leaving Titus in a certain location. What location is this? | Epistle to Titus
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Crete. Before, St. Paul had worked with Titus helping him strengthen his Christian faith. St. Paul then left Titus in Crete, confident that Titus would have the ability to build a strong Cretian Church. (Titus 1:5)
| After expressing to Titus the necessary attributes of presbyters and bishops, St. Paul then admonishes "irresponsible teachers". He goes on to say that: "A man of Crete, one of their own prophets, has testified, 'Cretans have ever been liars, beasts, and lazy gluttons,' and that is the simple truth!" (Titus 1:12-13) These verses have today become known as what? | Epistle to Titus
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The Epimenides paradox. The pagan prophet that St. Paul refers to here is almost certainly a man named Epimenides. Long before St. Paul's epistle was written, Epimenides had attacked the people of Crete because many of them had declared that their god Zeus was dead.
The paradox here is that Epimenides himself lived on Crete, so if "all Cretans are liars" that would include himself, making his statement untrue.
| What does St. Paul warn Titus to keep the Christian teachers unaffected by? | Epistle to Titus
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Jewish myths. In Titus 1:13-16, St. Paul clashes with some Judaeo-Christians who spend time on speculations or myths about Old Testament teachings. Many of these people also insisted that Christians should carefully follow all the old Jewish laws and observances.
| Paul tells Titus to advise older women to avoid what particular vice, which often is more harmful than most of us tend to think? | Epistle to Titus
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Gossip. St. Paul is very clear when he writes, "Similarly, the older women must behave in ways that befit those who belong to God. They must not be slanderous gossips or slaves to drink." (Titus 2:3)
To be submissive. Paul gives this advice in Titus 2:9. The early Christian Church was not known to speak against the institution of slavery, although Christian principles are now seen as contrary to it. Calls from Christian leaders to end human enslavement did not become loud and clear for another 1,700 years.
| St. Paul writes to Titus, describing the condition of the believers' before "the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared..." What does he say that condition was? | Epistle to Titus
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Hateful. The quote from the Epistle is: "We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and far from true faith; we were slaves of our passions and pleasures of various kinds. We went our way in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us; not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:3-5)
| What does St. Paul encourage Titus to tell the people in regards to their human government? | Epistle to Titus
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To be loyal and subject. Here St. Paul encourages believers to 'render to Caesar': "Remind people to be loyally subject to the government and its officials, to obey the laws, to be ready to take on any honest employment." (Titus 3:1)
| What does St. Paul advise Titus to do in regards to heated discussions of theology and spiritual law? | Epistle to Titus
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Abstain from such discussions. After most likely having had engaged in many frustrating debates himself, St. Paul knows that they are not very valuable: "See to it that you abstain from stupid arguments and genealogies, and from all controversies and quarrels about the law. They are useless and have no point." (Titus 3:9)
| Titus was one of those close to Paul, to whom Paul could delegate the task of church oversight. What description does Paul use, in the letter's introduction, to describe his relationship with Titus? | Quizzing the New Testament : Titus
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My true son in our common faith. Elsewhere, Paul describes Titus as his brother (2 Corinthians 2 v. 13) and "partner and fellow worker" (2 Corinthians 8 v. 23).
Crete. It is not clear how the Cretan church was founded. There were Cretans present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) so it is possible that Christianity could have reached the island through this route. Paul is also recorded as having sailed along the coastline of Crete en route to Rome (Acts 27), although there is no evidence of him making significant contact with its people.
| "For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group." (Titus 1 v. 10)
In which city had there been controversy over the fact that Titus was not circumcised? | Quizzing the New Testament : Titus
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Jerusalem. Paul writes of the controversy in his letter to the Galatians. He had made the journey to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus and, whilst there, they met privately with the leaders of the Jerusalem church. His reason for giving this account was to stress that these leaders had not demanded that Titus, a gentile, be circumcised:
"Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves." (Galatians 2 v. 1-4)
| Which word is missing from Paul's summing-up of his attitude towards the Jewish purity laws?
"To the pure, all things are ______ , but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure." (Titus 1 v. 15) | Quizzing the New Testament : Titus
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Pure. Paul takes this a little further in his letter to the Corinthians. There he again asserts that all things are "permissible" for the Christian but goes on to counsel that sometimes it is better to abstain than risk damaging the faith of a fellow believer (1 Corinthians 10).
Paul's objections are not just doctrinal. His letter to Titus contains constant encouragement that people should be living good lives. This he does not see in those who obsess over the purity laws:
"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." (Titus 1 v. 16)
| Paul moves on to the advice for personal living that Titus should give to various groups of people. Which group are identified as having problems with slandering others and addiction to wine? | Quizzing the New Testament : Titus
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The older women. "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good." (Titus 2 v. 3)
A major theme in all of the practical advice that Paul gives here is that personal lives should both be an inspiring example to others and leave no room for possible criticism.
| Several times in the letter, Paul advises that people should lead self-controlled lives. What event, does he say, helps us to make this possible? | Quizzing the New Testament : Titus
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The appearance of Jesus Christ. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age..." (Titus 2 v. 11-12)
Paul makes clear that the grace of God was revealed to the world in the coming of Jesus Christ among us. The need for self-control is highlighted five times in this short letter. At various times it is advised for elders; older men; younger men and younger women.
| Paul writes that Titus should avoid any unnecessary quarrels or controversies. He is advised to "warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him." (Titus 3 v. 10)
In saying this, Paul is echoing the words of Jesus from which of the gospels? | Quizzing the New Testament : Titus
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Matthew. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." (Matthew 18 v. 15-17)
This is an unusual passage in that it uses the Greek word "Ecclesia" for church. The kind of church structure that the word suggests is that of Paul and Titus' day rather than Jesus' lifetime. Most scholars, therefore, accept that, whilst the gist of the passage may be true, the actual word has been read back onto Jesus' lips.
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