Titus
Titus helped settle how leadership in the early church should be structured, and it spells out the link between grace and living an ethical life.
Read this if you…
- want a Pastoral Epistle laying out the early-church criteria for elders and bishops
- like Paul's terse advice to a delegate planting churches on rowdy Crete
- care about the small NT books that shaped centuries of church polity and ordination
Skip this if you…
- don't want to read explicitly religious/Christian texts
Why It Matters
Titus helped settle how leadership in the early church should be structured, and it spells out the link between grace and living an ethical life. Its short summary of Christian theology in 2:11-14 has been used widely in liturgy.
Depicted in Art
Paul sits in a darkened cell, pen and codex on his lap, a sword leaning beside him — caught mid-composition by a shaft of light from a small window.
Rembrandt van Rijn, 1627
Paul stands on a stone platform in a Greek square, arms raised, preaching to a half-circle of Athenians — the canonical Renaissance image of Paul's Greek mission.
Raphael, 1515
Peter and Paul face one another against a dark ground; Paul on the right grips a closed book of his epistles and rests a hand on the table, Peter on the left holds the keys — the two pillars of the apostolic Church paired.
El Greco, 1607
John stands at the front holding an open New Testament, reading the opening verses of his Gospel; Peter looks over his shoulder holding the golden key.
Albrecht Dürer, 1526
Medieval Byzantine fresco portrait of Saint Titus in episcopal vestments, holding a closed Gospel book and turning slightly toward the viewer.
Recommended Editions
King James Version
Cambridge University Press · 1611
The most influential and commonly quoted translation in English. The prose rhythm everyone else is responding to, even modern translations.
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Deep Dive
What It's About
This summary gives away plot details.
Notable Quotes
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
“One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.”
More by Paul
- Galatians
c. 50 · Epistle
- 1 Thessalonians
c. 51 · Epistle
- 2 Thessalonians
c. 51 · Epistle
- 1 Corinthians
c. 54 · Epistle
- 2 Corinthians
c. 56 · Epistle
- Romans
c. 57 · Epistle
- Philemon
c. 60 · Epistle
- Philippians
c. 61 · Epistle
- Colossians
c. 62 · Epistle
- Ephesians
c. 62 · Epistle
- 1 Timothy
c. 63 · Epistle
- 2 Timothy
c. 64 · Epistle
- Hebrews
c. 65 · Epistle