Titus: Book Seventeen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Three

There are only three chapters in Titus, but it isn't the shortest book in the New Testament - 2 John, 3 John, Philemon and Jude all have only one chapter. The epistle covers themes of doctrine and leadership, emphasising that leaders must be beyond reproach, adhering only to Christian principles.

Titus is instructed on how to deal with people of all ages, men and women, with the emphasis being that faith is demonstrated by the way believers behave to their fellow citizens.

Answer: True

Although the epistle begins with the words 'Paul, a servant of God', there are theologians who make the case that the language and expressions do not match those seen in the epistles which are indisputably the work of Paul. They also argue that the structure of the church mentioned would not have been in place during Paul's lifetime and the epistle may have been written by a student of Paul's, using his name.

The counter arguments are that the letter itself would not have been in Paul's hand, but written by a scribe who may well have inserted his own words. Also, the events to which Paul refers can be tied to his timeline and the invitation to visit the writer imply a personal relationship. Finally, the words we read are not the original words, but translations which may not accurately reflect the writer's meaning.

The epistles to Titus and also Timothy are sometimes referred to as pseudo-Pauline because of these debates. There is no way to prove the authorship beyond doubt and the advice given to Titus is valid no matter who wrote it.

Answer: Crete

The wordings of verses four and five in chapter one make it clear that Titus, himself a Greek, had been left on the island of Crete to ensure that the inhabitants were converted to Christianity: 'To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee'.

The instructions are explicit with regard to the type of person Titus is to choose as leaders of the new Churches, with 'sober, just, holy and temperate' among the required qualities.

Answer: False

Definitely false; in fact, the complete opposite applies with Cretans being described in these words: 'the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies' in chapter 1, verse 12, with the writer saying it was a prophet, native to Crete, who described them as such. Titus is advised to 'rebuke them soundly' before the writer goes on to say they are 'abominable and disobedient' in the final verse of the first chapter.

Chapter 2 gives Titus specific advice on how to teach the people, with much emphasis on the word 'sober'. He is also explicitly told to allow only two chances and to reject anyone who remains a heretic after two warnings.

Answer: Filthy lucre

The epistle uses the term 'filthy lucre' twice, in verses seven and eleven of chapter one. The expression also appears in I Timothy and in I Peter. In Titus, chapter I verse 7, these words appear:
'For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre', while verse ll states: 'Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake'.

The wordings here remind us that 'the love of money is the root of all evil', the words which appear in I Timothy. The writer is reminding Titus that those chosen to lead the Churches must be motivated by the love of God, not the hope of financial gain.

Answer: Jewish

As Titus is on Crete, it might be thought that the Cretans would be more familiar with Greek myths, but it is Jewish myth that the author specifically mentions. The wording is not specific, but some sources claim that the reference could be to legends about the Old Testament patriarchs.

The author also mentions 'vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision' , which has been interpreted as being a warning that gentiles did not need to be circumcised even though some Jewish leaders tried to enforce this.

Since Paul was a Jew, these words have been used to support the argument that he is not the true author of this epistle.

Answer: Augustus

There were several places with the name of Nicopolis, but most theologians place this as being the one in Greece, in the Roman province of Epirus. The city was founded in 29BCE to celebrate victory at the Battle of Actium, when the Romans, led by Octavian as he was then known, defeated the Egyptians and Mark Antony. The name means 'city of victory'.

The city is on mainland Greece, so it would have involved a sea and land journey for Titus to join the writer, who had decided to spend the winter in the city, according to his letter.

Answer: Lawyer

Apollos is a well known figure in the New Testament, and is closely associated with Paul. He appears in the Book of Acts as a Jew who is converted to Christianity by Priscilla and Aquila. Originally from Alexandria in Egypt, Apollos is particularly associated with Corinth as a colleague of Paul. Zenas, by contrast, appears only once. He seems to be a learned man - the reference to lawyer may not just refer to actual law. He is recognised as a saint in the Roman Catholic church.

The letter instructs Titus to take care of the visitors and make sure they have everything needed for their journey, with the implication that they were just passing through Crete on a longer trip.

Answer: Artemas

Chapter 3, verse 12, tells Titus 'When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter'. Although it does not say specifically that one of them will cover for him, the implication is there. Tychicus is mentioned a few times in the New Testament as a trusted associate to Paul, while Artemas is mentioned only once, in the verse quoted. There is a Saint Artemas, who is said to have been the Bishop of Lystra, now in Turkey, who may be the same man.

The three wrong answers all appear in the Old Testament. There are two kings named Ahaziah, one of Israel and the other of Judah. Amos is one of the minor prophets while Abednego is one of the three men cast into the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel.

Answer: Pastoral

All the options are names given to epistles in the New Testament, but the two written to Timothy and the one received by Titus are known as pastoral, as they focus on advice to the two men left to promote Christianity. As with Titus, Timothy receives guidance on how to help the local people become Christians.

The major epistles are those where scholars are agreed that Paul was the author - they include Romans, the two epistles to the Corinthians and Galatians. The four prison epistles are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon and are, as you might have guessed, called that because Paul is believed to have written them while in gaol. The catholic epistles are those not written by Paul, such as James, the two books of Peter, the three of John and Jude. The use of the word 'catholic' means only that they were written to a general group, not a specific person or Church.