Titus 3 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

In this chapter, Paul continues giving Titus instructions on how to teach the elders and people under his care in Crete.

In verses 1–7 Paul explains how, by God’s mercy, the Holy Spirit makes our lives new and motivates us to live in a new way.

In verses 8–11 Paul explains what Titus should avoid and how to treat those who cause contention among the believers.

In verses 12–15, Paul closes the letter by telling Titus what to do after he appoints elders in Crete and by delivering greetings from those with him.

Verse 15 formally concludes this letter. This is a common way of ending a letter in the ancient Near East.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Genealogies

Genealogies (verse 9) are lists that record a person’s ancestors or descendants and show from what tribe and family a person came. For example, priests came from the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron. Some of these lists included stories of ancestors and even of spiritual beings. These lists and stories were used to argue about where things came from and about how important various people were.