After godliness
Titus 1:1-4 “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
But hath in due times manifested HIs Word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior.
To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Timothy and Titus are the pastoral epistles. They were sent to churches which were already established….to exhort and edify them in the practical doctrine of godliness.
Godliness in both epistles means piety….the practical living as if you belonged to Christ Jesus the Lord.
Titus is an interesting person….he is first seen in the letter to the Galatians, where he is mentioned as an helper to Paul. (Galatians 2:1, 3)
Titus is a Gentile, a Greek, led to the Lord through Paul. After his conversion, he was called to preach and followed Paul to Jerusalem when the discussion about Gentiles….and what they needed to do to be part of the church was addressed.
There at Jerusalem, was the prayer and discussion about the Gentile converts….Titus being one of them.
Should they follow the Mosaic Law? What exactly should these Gentile Christians do?
It was decided that nothing needed to be added to them….but that they should be set aside from pollution.
In other words….they should be godly.
And this is the stress of Paul’s letters to both Titus and Timothy…both pastoral epistles.
Timothy was sent to Ephesus to set up the order of the church…and follow up with the exhortations Paul had given them.
He was a shy and retired person, and Paul exhorts Timothy to be diligent and bold in dealing with this church….and setting things in the order so they can carry on the work, themselves.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
1 Timothy 4:1-3 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,…
Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;…”
Titus….who was sent to Crete, for a short while, to see to the Christians there…for they had become lazy in following the doctrine of sanctification….and had let in some who believed that the spirit was the only thing that needed to be godly….the body could sin.
Titus 1:10-12 “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,…
….whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not,…
One of themselves,…said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts (following their own desires), slow bellies (slow to understand and assimilate truth).”
Paul had visited Crete after his release from prison the first time….taking Titus with him. Paul left him there to finish what he could not, being called on to other places.
Both deal with godliness….”acknowledging the truth after godliness”.
Which means that when we receive the truth….we are to put it into practice.
Both deal with the older men and women:
“That the aged men be sober…sound in faith, in charity…
“That the aged women…be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers,..
and younger men and women….to be discreet, love their husbands and wives, to love their children…
…in all things showing a pattern of good works….
….in doctrine showing sincerity. (Titus 2:2-8)
And the importance in seeking after godliness is:
Titus 2:13-14 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
(peculiar here means superlative…or beyond normal. Our good works should be beyond the normal kindnesses of people….for they should have the love of God in them. We are a superlative people…those whose privilege it is to do good…for Christ’s sake.)
In a world that still says, “…that gain is godliness”…let us show that:
1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Let us acknowledge the truth which is after godliness….living, practically, that truth….and looking for Christ’s soon return.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 