Titus
Paul's companion in missionary tours. Not mentioned in Acts. A Greek, and therefore a Gentile (Gal 2:1; Gal 2:3); converted through Paul (Tit 1:4), "mine own son after the common faith."
Included in the "certain other of them" who accompanied the apostle and Barnabas when they were deputed from the church of Antioch to consult the church at Jerusalem concerning the circumcision of Gentile converts (Act 15:2), and agreeably to the decree of the council there was exempted from circumcision, Paul resisting the attempt to force Titus to be so, for both his parents were Gentile, and Titus represented at the council the church of the uncircumcision (contrast TIMOTHY who was on one side of Jewish parentage: Act 16:3.)
He was with Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19), and was sent thence to Corinth to commence the collection for the Jerusalem saints, and to ascertain the effect of the first epistle on the Corinthians (2Co 7:6-9; 2Co 8:6; 2Co 12:18); and there showed an unmercenary spirit. Next, Titus went to Macedon, where he rejoined Paul who had been eagerly looking for him at Troas (Act 20:1; Act 20:6; 2Co 2:12-13); "Titus my brother" (2Co 7:6; 2Co 8:23), also "my partner and fellow helper concerning you."
The history (Acts 20) does not record Paul's passing through Troas in going from Ephesus to Macedon, but it does in coming from that country; also that he had disciples there (Act 20:6-7) which accords with the epistle (2Co 2:12): an undesigned coincidence confirming genuineness. Paul had fixed a time with Titus to meet him at Troas, and had desired him, if detained so as not to be able to be at Troas in time, to proceed at once to Macedon to Philippi, the next stage on his own journey.
Hence, though a wide door of usefulness opened to Paul at Troas, his eagerness to hear from Titus about the Corinthian church led him not to stay longer there, when the time fixed was past, but to hasten on to Macedon to meet Titus there. Titus's favorable report comforted Paul. Then he was employed by Paul to get ready the collection for the poor saints in Judaea, and was bearer of the second epistle to the Corinthians (2Co 8:16-17; 2Co 8:23).
Macknight thinks Titus was bearer of the first epistle also: 2Co 12:18; 1Co 16:12, "the brethren" (but see CORINTHIANS, FIRST EPISTLE.) His location as president for a time over the Cretan church (Tit 1:5) was subsequent to Paul's first imprisonment and shortly before the second, about A.D. 67, ten years later than the previous notice of him in 2 Cor., A.D. 57.
Probably he met Paul, as the apostle requested, at Nicopolis, for his journey into Dalmatia subsequently would be more probable from Nicopolis than from distant Crete (2Ti 4:10; Tit 3:12). Artemas or Tychicus on arriving in Crete would set Titus free from his episcopal commission to go to Nicopolis. Titus seems to have been bolder and less timid than Timothy, whose going to Corinth was uncertain (1Co 16:10-11).
Hence, he was able so well to execute Paul's delicate commission, and see how the Corinthians were affected by Paul's reproof of their tolerating immorality in his first epistle. Titus enforced his rebukes, and then was not less "comforted in respect to the Corinthians" than Paul himself; "his spirit was refreshed by them all"; "his inward affection" and "joy" were called into exercise, so that we see in Titus much of the sympathizing, and withal bold, disposition of the apostle himself.
His energy appeared in his zeal at Paul's request to begin at his former visit to Corinth the collection about which the Corinthians were somewhat remiss (2Co 8:6; 2Co 8:16-17; 2Co 8:18). Trustworthiness and integrity were conspicuous traits in him (2Co 12:18); readiness also to carry out heartily the apostle's wishes. "God put the same earnest care (for the flock) in his heart" as in Paul's.
He needed no exhortation, such as Paul gave him, but "of his own accord," anticipating Paul's wishes, went where the apostle desired. Luke was probably the "brother" sent with him, "whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches."
Paul states his latest commission to Titus, Tit 1:5, "for this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting (epidiorthosee, 'follow up' the work begun by me, 'setting right the things' which I was unable to complete through the shortness of my stay in Crete) and ordain elders in every city as I had appointed thee" (he does not mention deacons).
Paul began the due organization of the Cretan church; Titus followed up the work in every city, as Gortyna, Lasaea, etc. Paul reminds Titus by letter of the commission he had already given him orally. Titus was to "bridle" the mouths of "deceivers" and Judaizing teachers (Tit 1:11, compare Psa 32:9), to urge a becoming Christian walk on all classes, the aged, the young, men, women, slaves, subjects, fulfilling relative duties, and to avoid unprofitable speculations.
A firm and consistent ruler was needed for the lawless, self indulgent, and immoral Cretans, as they are pictured by their own poet Epimenides (Tit 1:12-13) who sarcastically remarked that the absence of "wild beasts" from Crete was supplied by its human inhabitants. Livy, 44:45, brands their avarice; Polybius, 6:46, section 9, their ferocity and fraud; and 6:47, section 5, their mendacity. To Cretanize was proverbial for "to lie", as to "Corinthianize" for "to be licentious".
Hence flowed their love of "fables" (Tit 1:14), which even pagan poets ridiculed, as for instance their assertion that they had in their land Jupiter's sepulchre. The one grand remedy which Titus was to apply is (Tit 2:11-15) "the grace of God that bringeth salvation" in Christ, who "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity."
Paul tells Titus to hospitably help forward Zenas the converted Jewish lawyer or scribe and Apollos, with the latter of whom Titus had been already associated in connection with Corinth (1Co 15:12; 2Co 7:6; 2Co 7:9; 2Co 8:6; 2Co 12:18; Act 19:1). A ruined church on the site of Gortyna bears the name of Titus, whom tradition makes bishop of Gortyna. His name was the watchword of the Cretans when invaded by the Venetians.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Titus
Titus ti'-tus (Titos (2Co 2:13; 7:6,13 ff; 2Co 8:6,16,23; 12:18; Ga2Co 1:2:2Co 1:1-24,3; 2Ti 4:10; Tit 1:4)): ⇒See a list of verses on TITUS in the Bible. 1. One of Paul's Converts: A Greek Christian, one of Paul's intimate friends, his companion in some of his apostolic journeys, and one of his assistants in Christian work. His name does not occur in the Acts; and, elsewhere in the New Testament, it is found only in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 2 Timothy and Titus. As Paul calls him "my true child after a common faith" (Tit 1:4), it is probable that he was one of the apostle's converts. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. 2. Paul Refuses to Have Him Circumcised: The first notice of Titus is in Ac 15:2, where we read that after the conclusion of Paul's Ac 1:1-26st missionary journey, when he had returned to Antioch, a discussion arose in the church there, in regard to the question whether it was necessary that Gentile Christians should be circumcised and should keep the Jewish Law. It was decided that Paul and Barnabas, "and certain other of them," should go up to J…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Titus
A companion of St. Paul, who is always mentioned by him with great affection and confidence, yet whose name appears but on rare occasions in the Epistles and never in the Acts. On account of tfiis silence of the Acts it has been conjectured that Titus is the second name of some one of St. Paul's companions who are mentioned there, and attempts huve been made to identify him with Timothy, with Silas, and with Titus (or Titius) Justus (Ac 18') ; but none of these conjectures has met with acceptance (cf. Zahn, Ein- leitung, i. pp. 149, 190; KoltzmSiUB, Pasioralbricfe, p. 81). The name is Latin, but, as ■with Paul, this proves little : his birthplace is unknown ; later legends place it in Crete; St. Chrysostom in Corinth; and the Acts of Thecla (c. 2) speak of him as living with Onesiphorus at leonium at the time of St. Paul's first visit there. All that can be said for certain is that he was a Gentile (Gal 2'), probably converted by St. Paul himself (yvqalui TiKvi^i, Tit I''), and living at Antioch fourteen years after St. Paul's conversion, when the dispute arose about the circumcision…
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Titus
Our materials for the biography of this companion of St. Paul must be drawn entirely from the notices of him in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, the Galatians, and to Titus himself, combined with the Second Epistle to Timothy. He is not mentioned in the Acts at all. Taking the passages in the epistles in the chronological order of the events referred to, we turn first to (Galatians 2:1,3) We conceive the journey mentioned here to be identical with that (recorded in Acts 15) in which Paul and Barnabas went from Antioch to Jerusalem to the conference which was to decide the question of the necessity of circumcision to the Gentiles. Here we see Titus in close association with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch. He goes with them to Jerusalem. His circumcision was either not insisted on at Jerusalem, or, if demanded, was firmly resisted. He is very emphatically spoken of as a Gentile by which is most probably meant that both his parents were Gentiles. Titus would seem on the occasion of the council to have been specially a representative of the church of the uncircumcision. It is to our…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia