Supporting Roles #7: Titus
CCEA
School of Discipleship
February
22, 2026
Introduction
Welcome to our seventh class in our “Supporting Roles” series. This week we will look at
Titus.
Next week is our final class.
Homework
Read: 2Corinthians 7-8
Read: Romaine: Shade (11 pgs)
Did you understand what was Romaine talking about when he talked about
those who “labor in the shade”?
He was talking about those who are behind the scenes, not in the spotlight.
Was there something in this chapter that stood out to you?
Memorize:
(Mark 10:43–45
NKJV) —43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever
of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The Final is now available for you to complete. You should have received a
copy to print out in last week’s email.
You need to find a person or persons outside of
this class and recite your verses to them.
You don’t have to do all three at the same time, you can do them one at a
time.
You don’t have to be perfect.
After each verse that you recite, have your witness sign their name and
date.
When you are done, you can either turn the final in at class,
or email me a picture of it.
You’ll get 20 points just for trying, and 10 points for each verse you are
able to recite.
All finals and makeup quizzes are due the Sunday
after our last class, or, March 8.
Titus
His name
Titus – a Roman name – can mean “nurse”, protected, honorable
He was a Gentile. I’d like to suggest that we could call him “Titus the
Gentile”
His Life
He is not mentioned in the book of Acts, but only in Paul’s letters.
But his name does appear 13 times in Paul’s letters.
We’ve talked before about the great church council held in Jerusalem to
discuss the salvation of the Gentiles.
(Acts 15:1–2 NKJV)
—1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the
brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you
cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and
Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles
and elders, about this question.
When Paul and Barnabas left Antioch and went to Jerusalem, they were not
alone. They took a saved “Gentile” with them.
Paul gives his take of the trip in his letter to the Galatians:
(Galatians 2:1–5
NKJV) —1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. 2 And I went up by revelation, and
communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but
privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or
had run, in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus who was
with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 And this
occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by
stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage), 5 to whom we did not yield submission
even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
Historically, this is the first time that Titus appears
with Paul. They had “Titus the Gentile” with them.
This was at least a year or more before Paul would meet
Timothy (Acts 16).
We don’t know how Titus was converted, only that he was a
Gentile convert.
Some suggest he was one of the early Gentile converts in
the church at Antioch. Or he could have become a believer during Paul and
Barnabas’ first missionary journey.
This grand church council (see Acts 15) was about the requirements of
salvation for the Gentiles. Would they be required to be circumcised like the
Law of Moses?
The church decided salvation came from faith, not
circumcision.
You are not saved because you cleaned
up your life. You are saved because you
received God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross.
And so Titus the Gentile, who
seemed to be a “test-case” was not required to be circumcised.
We skip ahead (play
Hyperjump clip)
…about six years to Paul’s third missionary journey, where Paul had spent
three years in Ephesus establishing the church there.
While in Ephesus, we already saw in our study of Timothy that Paul had sent
Timothy on a quick mission to Macedonia and Corinth to check on the churches
(Acts 19:22)
(Acts 19:22 NKJV) So he sent
into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he
himself stayed in Asia for a time.
Luke doesn’t record it in Acts, but Paul mentions in his letters that
Timothy had gone to Corinth as well.
It was during Timothy’s trip that Paul writes his first letter of
correction to the Corinthians (near Acts 19:22)
(1 Corinthians
4:15–17 NKJV) —15 For though you might have ten
thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers;
for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the
gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 17 For this
reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the
Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every
church.
Paul knew about the troubles in Corinth,
and knew that he could trust Timothy to represent him (and Jesus) well.
What we aren’t told is that somewhere along the way, Titus was also sent to
Corinth about the same time. He may have
gone with Timothy, but he could have gone after Timothy.
Titus would not come back to Ephesus with Timothy but had planned to head
back to Paul later.
(Show Aegean Sea Map)
Meanwhile, things were getting bad in Ephesus.
A lot of people had become Christians. The idol-makers-union got angry that
they were going out of business. They stirred up the entire city to meet in the
giant “theater” in Ephesus and the city was on the
verge of a riot.
And Paul the apostle was “responsible for all of it”.
Paul had to flee Ephesus.
(Acts 20:1 NKJV) After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself,
embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.
When you head to Macedonia from Ephesus, it’s likely you will
to pass through Troas (ancient Troy), and Paul had been expecting to see
Titus there.
(2 Corinthians
2:12–13 NKJV) —12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to
preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my
brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
Why was he expecting Titus in Troas?
Titus had been in Corinth, representing Paul.
Paul was expecting Titus to head back to Ephesus, most
likely by way of Troas.
So when Paul doesn’t find Titus
in Troas, he keeps heading towards Macedonia (or, Philippi), hoping their paths
would cross, and he’d get a report on the church in Corinth.
Paul will write 2Corinthians from Philippi in Macedonia (AD 56, after Acts
20:1). He co-wrote the letter with Timothy (2Cor. 1:1). We’ll see in a minute that Titus was there as
well.
(2
Corinthians 1:1 NKJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by
the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God
which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
Paul was not only concerned about what had happened in Ephesus, but he had also
been concerned about the Corinthians.
A year earlier he had already sent Timothy and Titus to help them.
Timothy had delivered a letter with some difficult words, like the immorality issues:
(1
Corinthians 5:1–3 NKJV) —1 It is actually
reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such
sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his
father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not
rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I
indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though
I were present) him who has so done this deed.
Those are pretty tough words.
It seems that the reason Paul will now write this second letter to Corinth is
because he’s finally caught up with Titus in Macedonia, and Titus has news
about Corinth and how they responded to Paul’s first letter.
Let’s spend some time in 2Corinthians 7
2Corinthians 7
:5 For indeed, when we
came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside
were fears.
:5 our bodies had no rest
Keep in mind, Paul has just had a rough season in life where he’s escaped
with his life from the riot in Ephesus.
:6 Nevertheless God, who
comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
:7 and not only by his
coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he
told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I
rejoiced even more.
:6 comforted us by the coming of Titus
In verses 6&7, I’d circle the words “comforts”, “comforted” and
“consolation” in your Bibles. (4 words)
(2 Corinthians
7:6-7 NKJV) —6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted
us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also
by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he
told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I
rejoiced even more.
Quiz Alert
Lesson
1. Be a comfort conduit
I want to connect this verse with a passage you should be pretty familiar with, one also in 2Corinthians.
(2 Corinthians
1:3–5 NKJV) —3 Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able
to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with
which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the
sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds
through Christ.
I’d circle all those “comfort” and “consolation” words as well. There’s six
of them.
The words in 2Cor. 7:6-7 and 2Cor. 1:3-5 are all forms of the
same word. Comfort, comfort, comfort…
comfort – parakaleo – to ask to
come and be present where the speaker is, call to one’s side; to encourage,
implore, to instill someone with courage or cheer, comfort.
The one “called alongside to help”.
This is also the title and job description of the Holy
Spirit in our lives. He is the
“comforter” (same Greek root). He’s probably the one working behind the scenes
to bring all this “comfort”.
Paul had been through a rough patch in Ephesus. He had been through “tribulation” (1:4) and
been “troubled on every side” (7:5).
But God gave Paul “comfort” in his tribulation.
Paul’s “comfort” would come through Titus.
Titus got his comfort from the Corinthians.
When we find comfort, we need to pass it on to others,
like Titus did.
Illustration
I was reading in Leviticus 13-14 recently about the laws
concerning lepers (yeah, I know… Leviticus).
The leper had what was then an incurable disease. They had to cover their mouth and shout
“unclean” to warn everyone to stay away from them.
But God gave a special ritual for when a leper was healed
or “cleansed”.
It involved a death and resurrection (like Jesus) - two
birds, one killed, one set free.
It involved putting sacrificial blood on the leper’s ear,
thumb, and big toe.
It involved putting the anointing oil on the ear, thumb,
and big toe.
What’s interesting is that the blood and oil rituals are a
mirror of what God wanted when it came to ordaining a priest.
It’s almost as if a leper is healed, and they are now sort
of qualified for ministry.
Have you found God’s comfort? Perhaps God wants to use you
to help others.
Yes, I know that God can comfort us directly when we are in trouble.
But don’t ignore the fact that for this instance, God used
Titus to bring Paul comfort.
Titus was the “conduit” for Paul’s comfort.
Even the great apostle Paul needed encouragement.
He went through a “dark” time after the events in Ephesus.
It’s speculation on my part, but when you are kicked out
of a place you had called home for several years, you may be asking yourself,
“Why?”
We may not take time to think about it, but some of our
spiritual leaders may also struggle from time to time. They too are just human.
I know I do. I imagine even Pastor Bob and all the leaders
at church experience times when they struggle.
You can be like Titus to give God’s encouragement to those around you.
Sometimes it just comes from bringing “good things”.
(Galatians 6:6 NKJV) Let him who is taught the word share
in all good things with him who teaches.
Have you been encouraged by someone’s hard work in the
ministry? Let them know.
Do you know of someone who was encouraged by a message?
Share that with the teacher.
Sometimes it comes from bringing “good news”
(Proverbs 25:25 NKJV) As cold water to a weary soul, So is
good news from a far country.
Perhaps the best “good news” is the gospel, that Jesus
loved you enough to die in your place so you could be with Him forever.
What was it that Titus said that brought “comfort” to Paul? Back to 2Corinthians 7
:8 For even if I made you
sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did
regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for
a while.
:9 Now I rejoice, not
that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were
made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
:10 For godly sorrow
produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the
sorrow of the world produces death.
:8 sorry with my letter
Paul is talking here about his previous letter when he sharply rebuked the
Corinthians for getting so far off track.
He wasn’t particularly excited about writing difficult things to them,
but he knew it was necessary.
:11 For observe this very
thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what
clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what
vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things
you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
:11 you sorrowed in a godly manner
This is a great verse to give you a “template” for repentance. Repentance isn’t simply saying you’re sorry,
it’s making a clear change.
:12 Therefore, although I
wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done
the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for
you in the sight of God might appear to you.
:12 I did not do it for the sake of him
Paul didn’t say hard things just to make the backslidden
fellow change. He wanted the church to
know how much he cared about them.
:13 Therefore we have
been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of
Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
:14 For if in anything I
have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to
you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true.
:15 And his affections
are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and
trembling you received him.
:16 Therefore I rejoice
that I have confidence in you in everything.
:13 comforted in your comfort
This was how Titus brought comfort to Paul.
Sometimes when you have to give a word of
discipline to someone, they don’t take it well – they just get offended and get
mad.
The Corinthians didn’t get mad. They
repented.
They had truly changed, and this brought relief and comfort to Titus and
Paul.
Solomon wrote,
(Proverbs
29:17 NLT) Discipline your children, and they will give you
peace of mind and will make your heart glad.
If you did the homework, you also read 2Corinthians 8, where Paul talks
about sending Titus to encourage the wealthy Corinthians to contribute to the
offering the churches were taking up for the poor in Jerusalem.
I’ve decided not to spend time on this.
2Corinthians was written around AD 56 from Philippi.
Paul would move on to Corinth itself, where he would write his letter to
the Romans, also around AD 56.
Paul would then make his way to Jerusalem, be arrested, and wind up in
Rome.
The history recorded in the book of Acts ends around AD 60, with Paul still
being confined to an apartment, under house arrest, in Rome. Church tradition
has it that Paul was soon afterwards released from arrest and allowed to
travel.
We can piece together some of what happened to Paul from the last letters
that he wrote.
After having been released from imprisonment in Rome, Paul visited Ephesus
(1Tim. 1:3), and left Timothy there to run the work.
(1 Timothy 1:3
NKJV) As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus …
Paul then went on to Macedonia (northern Greece), and
writes his first letter to Timothy (AD 63).
Then Paul went on to the island of Crete, and left Titus
in charge there. (Titus 1:5)
(Titus 1:5 NKJV) For this
reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are
lacking…
Paul’s next stop was Nicopolis in Achaia (southern Greece) and wrote to
Titus (AD 63-64) (Tit. 3:12) and asked Titus to visit him in Nicopolis.
(Titus 3:12 NKJV) …be diligent
to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
We’re not sure about whether Titus met with Paul in Nicopolis, but we do
know that Titus would go on to Dalmatia (modern Serbia)
(2 Timothy 4:10
NKJV) …Titus for Dalmatia.
There he would raise 101 dogs (just kidding) before
eventually heading back to Crete.
Paul then went to Troas (2Tim. 4:13), where he was rearrested, sent to
Rome, write 2Timothy, and eventually beheaded (AD 66-67).
I’d like to pull a few lessons from Paul’s letter to Titus.
Titus 1
:5 For this reason I left
you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and
appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
:5 I left you in Crete
The only other time in the Bible that Crete is mentioned is in Acts 27,
when Paul sails by it on his way to Rome.
Even though Paul mentions in 2Timothy 4:10 that Titus would go to Dalmatia
(modern Serbia), the early church historian Eusebius (320 AD) records that
Titus’ main calling was to be the bishop over all the churches in Crete.
Video: Crete
Map
The island of Crete is long and narrow.
It’s 160 miles east to west, and its widest point is 35 miles across
(north to south). It’s
highest mountain peek is
Mount Ida, over 8,000 feet high.
There’s an ancient palace at Knossos.
Today, Crete is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece with
over 2 million visitors a year. It has a population of 624,000.
Crete was a place with lots of history.
The Minoans were there and are thought to be one of the oldest European
cultures.
There was a royal palace in Knossos there built
before the time of the Exodus.
The Minoans disappear from history around 1400 BC and were replaced by one
civilization after another.
One suggestion is that the Minoans are related to the place called
“Caphtor” in the Old Testament.
Some have suggested that the Philistines were descendants
of these Minoan people, and arrived in
the area of Gaza around the time the Minoans disappeared.
In Greek mythology, the city of Knossos was home to a famous Labyrinth and
its Minotaur.
Zeus was also supposedly born on Crete.
People of Crete had a reputation in the ancient Greek world as “liars”.
The Greeks even coined a word, to “cretanize”,
referring to liars.
We’re not sure when the churches in Crete were actually
established.
There’s no record in Acts of missionaries going to Crete.
Some have suggested that Jews from Crete were there on the day of
Pentecost, and they went home filled with the Holy Spirit, and started
churches.
They may have been established on the trip where Paul left Titus in Crete.
:5 that you should set in order the things that are lacking
set in order – epidiorthoo – to
set right; set in order
This is a medical word used to describe the setting of a broken bone. Titus had Paul’s commission to straighten
things out in Crete.
There were some problems in Crete.
Paul wanted Titus to fix what was broken.
It kind of sounds like what Titus had been doing in Corinth.
We might say that Titus was sort of a “fixer” or “troubleshooter” for Paul.
Paul’s entire letter to Titus is a sort of “to do” list of the things that
need fixing in Crete.
Quiz Alert
Lesson
2. Redeem your background
We talked last week about how God used a good Law-of-Moses-abiding-but-believing
Jew named Ananias to reach out to the super-Jew Saul.
Who better to send to the pagan “birthplace of Zeus” than “Titus the
Gentile”?
Who are you? What are the things that make you unique?
God can use who you are to reach others that need that a helping hand.
Illustration
A lawyer and two friends, a Rabbi and a Hindu holy man, had car trouble in
the countryside and asked to spend the night with a farmer. The farmer said,
“There might be a problem; you see, I only have room for two to sleep, so one
of you must sleep in the barn.” “No problem,” chimed the Rabbi, “My people
wandered in the desert for forty years, I am humble enough to sleep in the barn
for an evening.” With that he departed to the barn and the others bedded down
for the night. Moments later a knock was heard at the door; the farmer opened
the door. There stood the Rabbi from the barn. “What’s wrong?” asked the
farmer. He replied, “I am grateful to you, but I can’t sleep in the barn. There is a pig in the barn
and my faith believes that is an unclean animal.” His Hindu friend agrees to
swap places with him. But a few minutes later the same scene reoccurs. There is
a knock on the door. “What’s wrong, now?” the farmer asks. The Hindu holy man
replies, “I too am grateful for your helping us out but there is a cow in the
barn and in my country cows are considered sacred. I
can’t sleep on holy ground!” Well, that leaves only the lawyer to make the
change. He grumbled and complained but went out to the barn. Moments later
there was another knock on the farmer’s door. Frustrated and tired, the farmer
opens the door, and there stood .... The
pig and the cow.
Instead of using your “background” as a reason why you can’t do something
(like sleep in a barn), why not redeem it and use it as a reason to help
others?
What if God wants to use your background like He’s using Titus?
“Titus the Gentile” is going to use his Gentile background
to help the folks in Crete.
Let’s take a peek at some of the challenge ahead for Titus.
What was Paul sending him into? Let’s skip to…
:10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers,
especially those of the circumcision,
:11 whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not,
for the sake of dishonest gain.
:12 One of them, a
prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy
gluttons.”
:12 a prophet of their own
Paul is talking about a man known as Epimenides.
This man was a poet born in Crete at Knossos (around 700 bc).
There was a wild story about him that he was sent out by his father to
watch the sheep in a field, but he stopped at a cave at noon and took a nap
that lasted 57 years (I hope you’re not falling asleep too).
When he woke up, he was a prophet.
He was called a “fortune teller” and was skilled in “divination”.
We don’t have any of Epimenides’ original
writings, but there are fragments
of his writings quoted in other places.
I mentioned earlier that the Cretans claimed that Zeus was born on Crete. They also claimed that he also died on Crete and
his tomb was on Crete.
Epimenides apparently wrote a treatise about
Minos, the first king of Crete who was supposedly a son of the god Zeus and a
human wife named Europa.
In his treatise, Epimenides has Minos addressing
Zeus in a poem:
They
fashioned a tomb for you, holy and high one,
Cretans,
always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies.
But you
are not dead; you live and abide forever,
For in you
we live and move and have our being.
You might have realized that the last line also sounds vaguely familiar.
Years before writing to Titus, Paul quoted Epimenides
when he spoke to the Athenians on Mars’ Hill about the “Unknown God”.
(Acts 17:26–28
NKJV) —26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all
the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed
times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord,
in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far
from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of
your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
It’s the phrase “in Him we live and move and have our being” that comes
from Epimenides.
Side Note: There are some Christians who feel that we ought to be so
separate from the world that we don’t read any secular books, watch any secular
TV or movies, all to stay “pure”.
Paul, on the other hand, is quoting secular literature as though he was
familiar with it.
It makes me think about how Greg Laurie will often quote rock stars, movie
stars, cultural icons while he’s preaching at a Harvest Crusade.
Paul is doing this to show that even the Cretans themselves thought they
had problems.
:13 This testimony is
true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be
sound in the faith,
:14 not giving heed to
Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.
:15 To the pure all
things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving
nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
:16 They profess to know
God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and
disqualified for every good work.
:13 Therefore rebuke them sharply
rebuke – elegcho – to convict, refute; generally with a suggestion of shame of the person
convicted; to expose; correct
Paul has already used this word with Titus in talking about the qualifications
of an elder:
(Titus 1:9 NKJV) holding fast
the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound
doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
It’s interesting that now in our paragraph Paul is
focusing on the “rebuke”.
Jesus used this word when He said,
(Matthew 18:15
NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears
you, you have gained your brother.
Paul used it when he wrote,
(Ephesians 5:11
NKJV) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Jesus wrote to the Laodiceans,
(Revelation 3:19
NKJV) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore
be zealous and repent.
Yet in contrast, in chapter two, Titus will be asked to “exhort” (parakaleo), which is also that word translated as
“comforter”. It’s a word with much less sting to it.
(Titus 2:6 NKJV) Likewise,
exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
Sometimes parakaleo can carry the idea of giving
an urgent “push”, but it’s not as strong as a “rebuke”.
In more than one verse, Paul uses both words…
(Titus 2:15 NKJV) Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all
authority. Let no one despise you.
Remember that we just called Titus the “comforter”.
Sometimes he’s called to “rebuke”
Quiz Alert
Lesson
3. Use the right tool
A good handyman will use a variety of tools.
You don’t pound a screw with a hammer.
You don’t cut a piece of wood with a screwdriver
A good doctor knows what instrument he needs to bring healing.
In class I’ll show a video of the Three Stooges pretending to be doctors …
you can guess how that will go. But for copyright sake
on YouTube I won’t put it online. I’ll have the link in my notes.
We all need correcting from time to time.
It’s not hard to become “unhealthy” in our faith.
When that happens, what is it we need?
Wisdom requires that we learn what the best method is when it comes to
confronting or “correcting” each other.
Jude writes,
(Jude 22–23 NKJV)
—22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others
save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment
defiled by the flesh.
I take this to mean that we need to use different means in
different situations.
Some people only need a little hint, a gentle nudge, maybe
even a hug, and they’re back on track.
Others of us need a 2x4 across the head to wake us up.
The goal is to help a person gain a “healthy faith”, a “sound faith”
(vs.13)
Titus, as Paul’s “fixer” would need to know who needs a hug and who needs
the 2x4.
Quiz
From the lecture (10pts):
1. Be a comfort conduit
2. Redeem your background
3. Use the right tool
Homework
Read: Romaine: Finish the book (Senior Pastors, Personal,
From-Because-Through, Others May You Cannot – total 9 pgs)
Polish those memory verses:
(Mark 10:43–45
NKJV) —43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever
of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.”
You can now do your “Final”.
Recite all three verses to someone outside of the class, have them sign the
affidavit.
You can email me your finished final
or just bring it to class next week.
Blessing