Titus

Biography

Titus was a Gentile, a Greek, who became one of Paul's most trusted co-workers and a living test case for the gospel's freedom from the law. When Paul brought Titus to the Jerusalem council to defend Gentile inclusion in the church, some sought to compel his circumcision, but Paul refused to yield even for an hour, preserving the truth of the gospel that Gentiles are saved by faith alone. Paul relied heavily on Titus during the difficult period of his relationship with the Corinthian church, sending him to deliver a severe letter and gauge the church's response. Titus returned with news of the Corinthians' godly sorrow and repentance, bringing Paul great comfort and joy, and Paul called him his partner and fellow-worker, along with the messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. Titus also oversaw the collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem, demonstrating administrative gifts alongside pastoral sensitivity. Paul later left Titus in Crete with the specific task of setting in order what was lacking and appointing elders in every city, a role requiring wisdom to identify qualified leaders amid a notoriously difficult culture Paul himself described bluntly through a Cretan poet's own words. Paul's letter to Titus outlines detailed qualifications for elders and practical instruction for sound doctrine and good works across every category of the church. Titus's ministry demonstrates the trust Paul placed in Gentile converts for the church's most sensitive and administratively demanding tasks, a living argument that the gospel truly makes no distinction between Jew and Greek.