The Letter to Titus

Synopsis

Titus is the shortest of the three Pastoral Epistles, addressed to Paul's associate Titus, left behind to "set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city" on the island of Crete (1:5). After listing qualifications for elders similar to those in 1 Timothy, the letter briefly warns against "unruly and vain talkers" among the Cretans, quoting, notably, a line from the Cretan poet Epimenides — "the Cretans are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" (1:12) — an unusual direct quotation of pagan literature for a New Testament letter to make a point about a specific cultural reputation Paul apparently expected his readers to recognize.

Chapter 2 lays out brief instructions for how different groups within the church — older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and servants — should live, grounded in the statement that "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men," teaching believers to live "soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (2:11–12). The letter closes with general exhortation to good works, avoiding foolish controversies, and a brief set of personal instructions and greetings.

Historical Background

Titus shares the same authorship debate as 1 and 2 Timothy, discussed more fully on this site's 1 Timothy page: whether Paul wrote it directly, or a later associate wrote in his name, addressing the concerns of a more institutionally developed church. The arguments on both sides mirror those made for 1 Timothy, and scholars who accept or doubt one of the three Pastoral Epistles' authenticity typically, though not always, reach the same conclusion about the other two, since they share closely overlapping vocabulary and concerns.

If genuinely written by Paul, most scholars date Titus to around the same period as 1 Timothy, roughly AD 62 to 64. Crete, where Titus is stationed, was a large Mediterranean island with a mixed reputation in the ancient world, reflected in the letter's quotation of Epimenides, and apparently a relatively new and undeveloped mission field for the church at the time of writing, consistent with the letter's practical focus on establishing basic order rather than resolving a long-developed controversy.

Scholarly Discussions and Open Questions

Shared Authorship Debate

As with 1 and 2 Timothy, scholars remain divided over whether Titus was written directly by Paul or by a later associate in his name. Because the letter is short and its concerns closely parallel 1 Timothy's, it has generated relatively less independent scholarly discussion of its own compared with the other two Pastorals, and is usually treated as part of the same broader question.

Quoting a Pagan Poet

The quotation of Epimenides in 1:12 has interested scholars both for what it reveals about the author's education, since quoting Greek poetry was a mark of rhetorical training, and for the question of how Paul, or whoever wrote in his name, could apply such a sweeping cultural stereotype in a letter meant to build up a church made up largely of the very people being stereotyped — a tension scholars continue to discuss without full resolution.

Key Themes

Order and leadership. Like 1 Timothy, Titus is chiefly concerned with establishing qualified, trustworthy leadership in a young church.

Grace that trains. The letter frames grace not simply as pardon but as something that actively teaches believers to live soberly and righteously in the present.

Good works. Titus repeatedly returns to the expectation that sound doctrine should visibly produce good works, closing with the instruction that believers "maintain good works for necessary uses" (3:14).

Common Questions