Question 1

Who is Paul calling himself a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ?

Accepted Answer

When Paul calls himself a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, he is saying that his whole life and work now belong to God. “Servant” shows humility and obedience, not just as any believer, but in a special calling to serve through the message of the gospel. “Apostle of Jesus Christ” means he was personally called and sent out by the risen Jesus, with authority to preach and teach. By starting this way, Paul reminds Titus and the churches that what he writes is not his own ideas, but a message entrusted to him by God.

Question 2

What does the phrase faith of God’s elect mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

“Faith of God’s elect” points to the trust in Christ that God works in those he has chosen for salvation. Paul’s work as an apostle aims to serve and strengthen this faith. It is not a vague belief, but a real reliance on Jesus that marks out God’s people from those who only claim to believe. This faith is joined to the knowledge of the truth and leads to a changed life. Paul is saying his teaching agrees with the faith of all God’s people and helps bring them to a solid, active trust in Christ.

Question 3

What is the truth which is after godliness that Paul mentions?

Accepted Answer

The “truth which is after godliness” is the message of the gospel that comes from God and leads to a godly life. It is not just information to store in the mind, but truth that changes how a person lives. Real knowledge of this truth moves people to worship God rightly, fear him, and obey him. Paul is showing that sound teaching and holy living belong together. If a message encourages sin or carelessness, it does not match this truth. The truth God gives is pure and it produces reverence and obedience in those who believe it.

Question 4

What does Paul mean by hope of eternal life which God promised?

Accepted Answer

The “hope of eternal life” is the sure expectation that those who believe will live forever with God. This hope is not based on wishful thinking, but on God’s own promise. Paul says God, who cannot lie, promised this before the world began, which shows that eternal life has always been part of God’s plan. That promise is now clearly brought to light in the good news about Jesus. Faith and godliness look forward to this future life, lifting our hearts from this world toward what God has prepared for his people in Christ.

Question 5

What does it mean that God promised eternal life before the world began?

Accepted Answer

When Paul says God promised eternal life before the world began, he is pointing to God’s eternal purpose. Long before people existed, God had already planned to give eternal life to his people. Some understand this as God’s inner decision and plan, others link it to early promises given in very simple form from the start of human history. Either way, the point is that eternal life is not a new idea or an afterthought. It rests on God’s unchanging will. This gives strong comfort, because what God has purposed from eternity he will surely bring to pass.

Question 6

How did God manifest his word through preaching according to Paul?

Accepted Answer

Paul says that in due times God manifested, or made clear, his word through preaching. For a long time, God’s plan of salvation was given in hints and shadows. At the right time he brought the message into full light through the public preaching of the gospel. God chose to use spoken proclamation, which some might think weak, as the main way to spread this truth. Paul explains that this preaching was entrusted to him by God’s command. So when he preached Christ, he was carrying out God’s own plan to reveal his saving word to the world.

Question 7

Why does Paul call Titus mine own son after the common faith?

Accepted Answer

Paul calls Titus “mine own son after the common faith” to show their close spiritual bond. Titus was not Paul’s child by birth, but Paul had been a means God used to bring Titus to faith and to shape him in the gospel. Calling him a son points to real affection and care, and it also commends Titus to the churches as a trustworthy coworker who shares the same faith and teaching as Paul. The “common faith” means the shared Christian faith all true believers hold, not a private or special belief, but the same saving faith that unites God’s people.

Question 8

What does this greeting of grace, mercy, and peace teach about God and Christ?

Accepted Answer

Paul’s greeting of “grace, mercy, and peace” shows what believers most need from God. Grace is God’s free favor, accepting people who do not deserve it. Mercy is the kind working out of that favor, forgiving sins and lifting misery. Peace is the result, a settled relationship with God and inward rest. These blessings come “from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour,” showing that the Father is the source of every good gift and that Jesus is the one through whom salvation and peace are given. It quietly teaches the high place of Christ in God’s work.

Question 9

How can this passage about Paul and Titus apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

This passage still speaks today in several ways. It reminds believers that Christian truth is meant to lead to godliness, not just to win arguments. It calls us to rest our hope of eternal life on God’s promise, trusting that he cannot lie. It also shows the value of faithful preaching, since God chose that way to make his word known. The warm bond between Paul and Titus encourages older and younger believers to walk together in the same faith, helping one another grow. Finally, the greeting of grace, mercy, and peace reflects what every believer should seek from God each day.

Titus 1:1

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;

Paul’s Greeting to Titus

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Titus 1:1

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;

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Paul’s Greeting to Titus

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