This is the third letter of Paul’s Pastoral letters. The three letters of first and second Timothy and Titus were personal letters written to pastors to instruct them in the context of the behavior of pastors and the church. Paul may have been in Macedonia while writing this letter, while Titus was in Crete. Paul most likely wrote this letter at the same time he wrote his first letter to Timothy.

There is minimal knowledge about Titus. He is not mentioned in the book of Acts. He travelled with Paul. Titus was sent by Paul to deliver the second letter to the Corinthians. Titus also gathered money for the church in need in Jerusalem. One of Paul’s first outreaches was to the island of Crete. Paul eventually sent Titus to Crete to assist in getting the church established.

The major theme of this letter is the organization and orderliness of the church and the qualifications of its leaders (Titus 1:5). Paul exhorts the believers to live a life of grace and to demonstrate it by their good works.

While Paul describes the qualifications of church leaders, he reminds Titus of the correct perspective of any church leader is “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). In addition to being one of the strongest declarations of the deity of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, this verse also reminds us to focus our eyes on the sky, waiting for the rapture of the Church. To live our lives knowing Jesus could return imminently. Paul filled a lot of precious treasures into this short letter. Every Christian, especially church pastors should read and study it often.