Who was Titus in the Bible?

A Greek convert, Paul's "own son after the common faith." The apostle took him to Jerusalem, but being a Greek he was not circumcised. Gal. 2:1-3. Paul describes him to the Corinthian church as "my partner [or companion] and fellow-helper" on their behalf. He had been sent to Corinth, and from thence brought word of the effect of Paul's First Epistle to the church there. He was also employed by Paul to get ready the collection for the poor saints in Judaea. Paul afterwards left him at Crete to set things in order, and to ordain elders in every city. This he did as the apostle's delegate for that particular place. He was not permanently settled there, for he was to leave when other labourers were sent. Titus 3:12. Afterwards, when Paul wrote 2 Tim. 4:10, he had gone to Dalmatia. It is only the later MSS of the Epistle to Titus that in the subscription say he was 'bishop of Crete.' He had the privilege of working with and for the apostle, and was doubtless a zealous and faithful servant of the church. 2 Cor. 2:13; 2 Cor. 7:6-14; 2 Cor. 8:6-23; 2 Cor. 12:18; Gal. 2:1, 3.

One of the Pastoral Epistles, so called because addressed to an individual servant of the Lord. It was apparently written after Paul's first imprisonment at Rome (when otherwise could he have left Titus at Crete? Titus 1:5), and before his second imprisonment. From whence it was written is not known: its date may be about A.D. 64. The epistle urges the maintenance of good works and order in the church, and states the principles on which they are founded.

Titus, to whom this Epistle is addressed, was a Greek convert of the apostle (Titus 1:4; Gal. 2:3). We have little knowledge of him. From the Epistle to the Galatians we know that he accompanied Paul and Barnabas in their journey to Jerusalem to attend the council in which the question of the relation of believing Gentiles to the law was decided (Acts 15). From the Second Epistle to the Corinthians we learn that Paul sent him to Corinth to gather the collection (2 Cor. 8:1-6) and that he discharged the duty in a zealous way. "But thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you" (2 Cor. 8:16-17). Paul also stated in the Second Corinthian Epistle that he had no rest when he did not find Titus (2 Cor. 2:13), but when he came Paul was greatly comforted. "Nevertheless God, who comforteth those who are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (2 Cor. 7:6). The Epistle shows that he was in the island of Crete. Paul visited this island in company with Titus, leaving him there. Titus probably did not stay long in Crete, for Paul asked that he should meet him at Nicopolis (3:12). This is all that can be said on the person of Titus.

The apostle Paul calls Titus “my own child according to the faith common to us” (Titus 1:4), i.e. Titus would have found faith in the Lord Jesus through Paul. He became a close co-worker of the apostle. However, it is peculiar that Luke does not mention his name in Acts at all. But nine times out of thirteen the name Titus is found in the New Testament occur in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2:13; 7:6; 7:13; 7:14; 8:6; 8:16; 8:23; 12:18 twice).

Titus is first mentioned in Galatians 2:1-3. Paul and Barnabas took Titus with them from Antioch to Jerusalem when they met there with the other apostles and elders for discussions concerning the law. Here we learn that Titus was of Greek origin. After the first letter was sent to the Corinthians from Ephesus Paul sent Titus to Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:18) to look into things. Shortly after they meet again in Macedonia after Paul had waited in vain for Titus at Troas (2 Corinthians 2:13; 7:6; 7:13-14). Then Titus with two other brothers travelled once more to Corinth bringing them the second letter (2 Cor. 8:6; 8:16; 8:23).

A few years later Paul wrote a letter to Titus which bears Titus' name. At that time Titus dwelled in Crete and he received several instructions concerning the order in those local assemblies.

Titus was, as was Timothy also, a close co-worker of the apostle Paul. We conclude that Titus got converted through Paul as the apostle calls him "my own son after the common faith" (Titus 1:4). As Timothy could have been a real child of the apostle, so could have Titus (in respect of their age difference). The apostle admonishes Titus to be a pattern of good works to the young men especially (Titus 2:6-7). Compare also Titus 2:15 with 1 Tim. 4:12.

Titus is not mentioned once amid Paul's companions in the Acts. For this reason one has concluded – and maybe rightly so – that Titus was a brother of Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles.

Gal. 2:1-10 tells us that Titus must have been a co-worker of Paul quite early. This passage tells us of Barnabas' and Paul's journey to Jerusalem to the council of the apostles (see Acts 15). Contrary to the half-Jew Timothy, Titus, the Greek, was not forced to be circumcised. This demonstrated that the Christian is not under the law of Sinai.

The second in order of the pastoral epistles was written to Titus, Paul's own child, according to the common faith, a Greek by birth (Gal. 2:3), who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem on the occasion of the conference, at which the freedom for all who had been Gentiles from subjection to circumcision and the law of Moses was definitely determined. The presence of Titus with Paul at that time was an illustration of the truth so firmly held by the great apostle of the Gentiles.

A genuine (gnesios) child of Paul in the faith as Timothy also was, he did not, however, apparently hold the same place in the apostle's heart as his faithful and almost constant companion, the son of Eunice, whom he called his beloved child in the last canonical epistle which came from his hand. (2 Tim. 1:2.) Titus is described as Paul's companion and fellow-labourer (2 Cor. 8:23), and the only special service with which his name is connected, previous to the date of the letter addressed to him, is that carried out at Corinth, first in ascertaining for Paul the state of the Corinthian assembly, and how they had responded to his epistle (2 Cor. 2:13, 7:6); and second, by his return thither to collect their alms on behalf of the poor saints at Jerusalem.

The great apostle to the Gentiles was unwearying in his labours. He surpassed all the other apostles (1 Cor. 15:10). Over an enormous stretch of territory, as big as from London to Moscow, to the south of Italy, or to Morocco, he had not only preached, but fully preached, the gospel (Rom. 15:19). From Illyricum Titus carried the gospel further afield, into the adjoining province of Dalmatia. Paul spared him, when he was within a few days of his own martyrdom, to go off on this pioneering journey (2 Tim. 4:10).

Paul himself, after his release from his first imprisonment at Rome, seems to have gone with Titus pioneering in the great island of Crete. Assemblies sprang up as the result, and the Apostle left Titus there to set things in order and to appoint elders "in every city" (Titus 1:5). He was then to rejoin Paul at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12) .

The Second Epistle to the Corinthians clearly shows how much Paul esteemed Titus. In chapter 2:13 he calls him “my brother” and in chapter 7:6.7.13 he is comforted by Titus. Paul also praises Titus' earnest care (chap. 8:16-17) and finally calls him his partner and fellow-helper in respect to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 8:23).

“…(but neither was Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, compelled to be circumcised;) …” (2:3)

Titus was a Gentile believer. He had not been circumcised and he was not compelled to be circumcised. His being with Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem was again the wisdom of God. So here we have an object lesson. Titus was a living demonstration of the liberty of the gospel of grace for both Jew and Gentile believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why it was so important. If Titus had been compelled to be circumcised it would have implied that Paul’s ministry had been in vain. But this decision in Jerusalem was a demonstration that the leaders agreed with Paul’s teaching; that they supported it. This was very important. Titus was the living demonstration of this agreement. The matter of Titus not being circumcised was not in conflict with what Paul did with Timothy in Acts 16:3. Timothy was half Jewish, his mother being a Jewess but his father a Gentile; and so Timothy was circumcised for a different reason, to have freely access to Jewish circles, to preach to them. So Timothy represents a different category than Titus; this was not a compromise either. Paul never compromised, as far as we know, although some of his actions may have given an appearance of compromise.

In Galatians 2 Titus comes before us in a deeply interesting manner. He was one of the "certain others" from among the saints at Antioch, who went with Paul and Barnabas to the great council at Jerusalem. No one was a more suited companion of the apostle; for Titus was a Greek, and so an uncircumcised man. He was therefore just a case in point. Must this Gentile believer be circumcised? Must he keep the law of Moses? The apostles and the elders, with the assembly as a whole, decided against any such compulsion. As the apostle Peter pointed out; the Holy Spirit had already decided the question by putting no difference between the circumcised and the uncircumised believers. Their hearts alike were purified by faith, and the heart-knowing God had given the Holy Ghost to both. It was to tempt God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which the fathers or the sons of Israel never were able to bear. Salvation is wholly through grace and by faith, consequently as open to the Gentile as to the Jew. If Moses had in every city those who preached him in the synagogues, it was now for all Christians a question of preaching our Lord Jesus Christ. The boldness of faith in the apostle was entirely vindicated at the council. And the grace already manifested in the call of Titus was confirmed by apostolic authority, not alone among the Gentiles, but in Jerusalem itself.