Scattered across a wicked island, surrounded and beset by liars, decieviers and 'beasts', under assault from the Judaizers and the circumcised, Titus is left the task of ministering to the believers on Crete.
After the initial mission to the Island Paul has returned to the mainland, and to the Church there; but Titus remains behind. Paul's band of converts and fellow-workers are now pastors in their own rights: Timothy is in Ephesus and Asia Minor, Erastus is in Corinth, Crescens is in Galatia, believers can still be found meeting in the home of Prisca and Aquilla, Philemon presumably still teaching in Collosae, Tychicus is to be found shoring up any holes in the fellowship, Apollos is setting off on a new mission and there are, of course, many many more I could mention, working hard for the spreading of the Kingdom.
So it is that we find Titus in Crete, left behind to establish the Churches, to appoint elders, and to lead the believers in their walk. This is no easy task, Crete is the very epitimisation of wickedness and slothfulness. Epimenides, a famous Creten poet, penned the line quoted by the Apostle Paul:
"Cretens are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."
And this view was a commonly held one! Titus was in a stronghold of the world, and his aim was to proclaim Christ.
Today we often view our country, and the western world, as slipping further and further into wickedness: Open rebellion against God is glorified, the reign of 'science' seems unquestioned, morality is discarded (much like the sanctity of life), pleasure is God, idols are raised up and the police and courts (the very symbols of 'right' and 'justice') harass and arrest Godly men and women. And how much better are things in the Church? Modern secular culture has invaded our fellowship, we become more liberal each day, the so-called "Church of England" supports homosexuality, the Archbishop of Canterbury appears to have had major surgery, thus removing any backbone he ever had, even amongst evangelical bible-believing churches disagreements and contentions have risen, leading to tension and even hate between brothers and sisters. Trivialities and the world have crept into our hearts, we are so concerned with our possesions and our reputations that Christ is relegated far down our list of priorities. Perhaps our world now isn't so different to the world Titus found himself in after all?
Paul writes to Titus, warning him of the immorality and worldliness of the Creten Church. Many of the old arguments and heresies that plagued the early years of the Church, those surrounding circumcision and the gentiles, were now plaguing the Creten community. Decievers and liars were abounding. Titus was given strict instructions in the choice of elders and overseers, apparently the Church was not what it should be.
All this goes to show how relevant the Epistle to Titus really is today. I would like to write, more specifically, about Paul's advice and encouragment to Titus in the weeks to come. I can offer no new revelations or ideas, but hopefully in reading God's word, and through his blessing we can see something for ourselves in this book.
