So what's the Point?

Why do you think Paul writes this letter to Titus? No, I'm not asking what was the purpose of the letter. I mean what caused Paul to write this letter. This isn't a casual hey how's it going kinda letter. Paul is pretty direct and to the point with his message, almost like he is responding to questions that someone asked. Well, here is my theory (and it's just my thoughts). I think Paul received a letter from Titus that contained a bunch of whining. "Paul, these people won't listen to me. I keep telling them the right thing to do, but they keep doing what the other people tell them to do. They lie and cheat and act like a bunch of Cretans." Well, I think it went something like that!

In verse 5 of Titus 1, Paul says that he left him there for a reason and that he already told him what to do. "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." (NIV) So Titus already knew what to do, but it was hard work, and he was getting discouraged. Boy I can relate to that! The work gets hard, with very little results, and I get discouraged too and that's when I throw myself a big ole pitty party. Streamers, balloons, the whole works. So I don't Blame Titus for feeling down, but Paul just says, "GET BACK TO WORK." Ya know, you never really see a lot of mercy come out of Paul.

So what is he supposed to do? "Straighten out what was left unfinished..." Or your version might say, "to set in order the things that are wanting..." That phrase "Straighten out" or "Set in order" (Another Greek Freak moment) comes from the Greek word EPIDIORTHOO. That is where we get our word orthodontist; which is someone who straightens teeth; or orthopedic, like a mattress, that helps to align or straighten your back. This is a medical term!! Why does he use a medical term to instruct Titus? I think it is because these people are broken and need to be fixed.

It's like they have a broken arm and Titus needs to set it.

It's gonna hurt and it's gonna take time, but if you don't straighten it out; then it will always be wanting, unfinished or just plain crooked.

Isn't that just like us? We want the healing, but not the pain.

His Season

So we have reached the second half of April and I have my garden half planted. The Spring rains have been slamming us, which means that about 2 more weeks of sunshine and I'll be making hay (literally). Three days ago, I started my tractor (John Deere of course) to get my hay equipment hooked-up, when I noticed it was not running right. It died on me and I couldn't get it re-started! Do you know how hard it is to get a tractor worked on 2 weeks before hay season? Not to mention how expensive!! I can't just tell the hay to wait. You know what they say, "You have to make hay while the sun shines."

In verse 3 of Titus It talks about a season. It says, "At His appointed season He brought His word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior." Have you ever reached out to someone for Christ and they just say "no thanks". I have. I remember sharing the love of Christ with one teen 6 different times. I felt like God was giving me the words and clear thoughts and that no one had ever done a better job than I did with this teen. So my heart was just pounding everytime I asked her, "Do you want to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour?" And she would politely say, "No thanks." AAAAHHH!!! What did I do wrong? What could I have done different? It must have been my fault somehow. But no! Paul tells us that His word comes to light at His appointed season. When God says it's time; It is time. Just like the fact that I don't get to decide when it is hay season, but I can be ready for it (Lord willing and the tractor gets fixed). I really struggled with the rejection I got from that Teen. To this day I carry her picture in my Bible.

God doesn't expect me to save anyone. He doesn't expect me to change anyone. The only thing "entrusted to me" (or expected of me) is the preaching. Titus wanted so bad to change these people, because he cared about them, but Paul lets him know that ain't his gig. Imagine how hard it was for him to constantly share with these people of Crete and to constantly see then messing up. But if we just do what God has given us to do and let Him do the rest; it always turns out better.

About 4 years after my last time of sharing with that teen someone told me that she married a pastor. God is Good and now that picture that I carry has a whole different meaning to me. After all Paul did tell Timothy to be ready (to share) in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2). I pray that all your equipment is ready when the Son does Shine. I don't know about you, but I'm going to work on my tractor!

Titus: Hope

"A faith and Knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life." So what is hope? We use that word all the time. "I hope it's sunny tomorrow." "I hope the kids behave." "I hope that someday I actually get caught-up on my blogging (5 blogs in and I'm only on day 2, argh!!)."

So how do we explain a word like hope? I like those kind of words; like faith and love. They are such tiny words, that everyone thinks they know how to explain, but we usually don't quite get it.

This word "hope" in the Bible can't be anything like the way we use it. We use it like a wish; or something we want to happen, but there is no real guarantee. In this passage it says that our faith and knowledge are resting on hope. That sounds like it has settled in, as if to say, "What a relief!" This is a hope that is solid not a guess or wish. One of the ladies in our class called it a foundation for action. I like that. The way we use "hope" is kind of a wait and see attitude, but the hope of the Bible has no waiting involved. It says we should go ahead and take action because we have a guarantee. That is exactly what these Cretans need; a real guarantee.

And look who is backing that guarantee; God himself. Did you see the description of God? It's a big duh! He is the God "who doesn't lie." Well it is a "duh" to us, but an important thing to mention to the Cretans (who lie all the time). Now he says that this God, who doesn't lie has promised. And this isn't an ordinary promise, and not just because God made it (and can back it up), but because it says He promised before the beginning of time. Sometimes we make promises in the heat of the moment; like we are trying to get someone to believe us. My kids say things like, "If you let me go play now; I promise to clean my room later." Or, "If you let it slide this time; I promise I'll never do it again." But God doesn't have any conditions on His promise. He made the promise way in advance of our situations. In Romans 5:8 it tells us that, "God demonstrated His love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God is always so far ahead of us. The Cretans (as well as the rest of us) are usually reactive type people. Our promises come more out of whatever situation we find ourselves in. God promised us (developed a contract) before we were born. He's not reacting to anything we did, good or bad, He simply says, " here is the contract (promise), just sign on the bottom line. And He does that in His "season." "At His appointed season He brought His word to light..."(Titus 1:3).

Speaking of seasons, Spring has finally come to our area. I really don't like Winter!! I have already suffered the 6-7 month Winters of the north for way too many years. Now that I live in a more southern climate, I think to myself, "why did I allow myself to suffer so long in the freezing cold, when all it took was a decision to move?" Are you stuck in the Winter of your life? Maybe it's time for Spring? All it takes is a decision to move. After all, the Bible does say that We are all Cretans and have fallen short of the Glory of God. And that God so loved all of us Cretans that He gave his only son, that if any Cretan would believe in the promise of God; then he would see Spring. Okay, so I doctored that up a bit, but what do you expect from a Cretan like me. But seriously, if you don't know how to get out of Winter; then write me a comment and I would be glad to help.

Until later, I'm enjoying 70 degrees, green grass, and my garden is half planted! God is Good!!!

Titus: Faith & Knowledge 2

In the Old Testament it says the same phrase several times," Then they will know, that I am God." And in Psalms we see," be still and know that I am God." We even sing that good ole kids song," Jesus Loves me this I know." But in this Titus passage it says,"...for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness."

So what is this knowledge? There are generally 2 main versions of the word knowledge that are used in the Bible and for you Greek Freaks they are Epignosis and Gnosis. The difference between the two is really easy to understand. It's like when a parent is lecturing a teen about their behavior and the teen replies with, "I know, I know!!"

And then Mom or Dad says, "If you know it; then why don't you do it!!" The Teen version, (I know, I know) is the Gnosis type of knowledge. But Mom and Dad want the Epignosis type of knowledge. We would probably call it wisdom. That is the "knowledge" (Epignosis)used in this verse. It is like taking your Gnosis (what you have learned) and putting it into practice. Well, it's a little more than that. It's more like the things we learn or believe become a part of who we are. That's why it says that it leads to godliness.

I remember talking to a teen years ago when I was working with some migrant workers who spoke only Spanish. She had 4 years of Spanish in high school; while I had only ten months in the school of "Como se dice" (how do you say this?). She knew more Spanish words than I did and she knew the proper way to use them, but when it came down to actually having a conversation with someone who spoke only Spanish; she couldn't do it. I, on-the-other-hand, could have a conversation (though I'm sure I sounded like a 3 yr old) and even picked-up the Spanish accent, and was able to help start a growing ministry to the migrant workers in Michigan. I didn't know a lot of Spanish, but what little I knew, I used.

We need to remember that Titus is dealing with people who don't trust anyone and have already "heard" several different versions of the truth. Paul is telling Titus (and us) that people need to see what you know and believe; not just hear it. I like to think of it like an acorn. Inside that acorn is an entire oak tree, but if it never comes out; how would anyone ever see it and believe. So, grow little acorn; grow!! (Boy that was a corny ending)

Titus: Faith & Knowledge?

Alright, so we're 2 blogs in and still in verse one of Titus. Yes that is par for course with me. That is why I titiled it Inch By Inch. You really need to have your Bible open for these Blogs unless you have Titus memorized.

So in verse 1 it says,"...For the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth..." I know, you think I will be starting with the word "faith", but then we would miss the words "for the". Now this may seem like nit picking (does that phrase actually come from picking nits when treating for lice? That's a real head scratcher!) but no, this is kind of important to help understand why he uses the rest of the phrase. "For the" is Kata in Greek, which translates a little closer to "according to". What's the dif? Well, Paul isn't writing for the purpose of, or the cause of the faith, but according to the faith. In other words, He is using faith as a measuring stick, and not just any ole stick, but ("of God's elect") the same stick used in the Old Testament. You see some of the churches were teaching things that were different than what Paul had taught and the people didn't know who to trust. So paul is saying don't believe anything that doesn't measure up to the standard God has set.

Well, I guess I sorta already explained "faith", but one more thing would be that in this case the word is used in the sense of what one believes or the standard of belief (and that isn't even a nutshell of the 4 week study that we did of that word). Imagine building a house with several other people; each with his own idea of how many inches are in a foot. That is not a house I would ever live in. Well, that is exactly what the people of Crete were living in. No wonder they didn't trust anyone. I think that is part of why people today don't trust the church. They hear so many different things; that they don't know who to believe. That's why Paul doesn't stop with just establishing a measuring stick, but also sticks some of that knowledge stuff in there to make it all stick. Did I use the word stick enough yet?