Titus: Meet Paul

So we ended the last blog with alot of "why" about the intro to Titus. Let's see if we can figure that out. Paul first says that he is a servant and an apostle. At first glance, we would say "Duh, of course he is a servant and apostle," and that is exactly what Titus would think (and maybe did at first)until he finished the letter. Yes, if you want, you can finish the letter (I'll wait). Now let's look at that word "servant" or "Doulos" (and that is a real Greek word). But this isn't just any ole servant; this is a bond servant. A bond servant was like a volunteer slave. He was so attached to his master, so happy to serve him, so overwhelmed with the care he received; that he didn't ever want to leave. He would bond himself permanently to his master and in return he got an earring.

I have always said that if I ever decide to get an earring; that I would do it like the bond servants did. They would go to the temple and put their ear against the door post while the priest would take an awl, yes an awl (a big pointy spike) and pound it through his ear. Now that's commitment! And a great deterrent for me to ever get an earring. So what's the point (ha, ha no pun intended)? Paul basically says that he is bonded to God. He is not acting on his own be-half, or for his own purpose or gain. He is saying that he has no personal agenda, but he does whatever his Master says, because he is just a servant.
Now lets look at that apostle thing. An apostle is a messenger, or one sent with orders. He says that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, and so the message comes from Jesus.
Again, so what? Well poor little Titus is dealing with the people of Crete (IE, Cretans). Have you ever used or heard that term? Before Paul came along, the Cretans were known for being "Liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons (1:12)." They actually took pride in it. Think about it. If you are a constant liar, and everyone you know is a liar; then why would you trust anything that anyone says?
Paul is simply saying, "Don't trust me, trust God." He sets that as an example for Titus on how to reach these people. I was speaking with a teen the other day who was causing problems in the youth group. He and I were hitting heads all evening when I pulled him aside to consider what may be bothering him (Okay, I really wanted to ring his neck). As I started talking to him (with veins popping out of my head) I said,"You know if I died tonight; you wouldn't even care, but I want you to know that I care about you." He responded with,"Why?" I said,"That's a good question. I guess it doesn't make sense, but I know that God cares about you, and I should too." Boy did that open some doors. You know people don't trust us, and they don't trust the church, but they still want someone to care about them. We need to realize that our actions as a servant should not be our own (when we want to ring their necks, maybe we should put a hand on their shoulder), and the messages that we bring are the words of Jesus Christ (not attacking someones actions because we view them as "evil brutes")
And lastly; if you are going to become a bond servant; be sure to give your awl!!