Before dealing with the Epistle it may be well to say something about Paul’s movements after his release from imprisonment, so far as they can be gathered from his letters. He intended to visit Macedonia, for he told the Philippians that he purposed to see them on his journey,1. He also intended to go to Asia Minor, where he hoped to stay with Philemon of Colossae2 That journey would take him through Ephesus, where, as has been seen, he left Timothy. After that the only thing certain is that he visited Crete, where he left Titus, to whom the epistle under consideration was sent. After that he purposed to spend a winter in Nicopolis.
Titus has been described as “the most enigmatic figure in early Christian history.”3 He is not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, although he was concerned in one of the incidents there described. The first mention of him in the New Testament is in the letter to the Galatians, where Paul says, “After the space of fourteen years I went to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me.” The occasion was an important one; for the future of the Christian Church was at stake; yet Titus is not so much as named in the record of the event. He must have been well known, for his appearance in Jerusalem caused trouble. Referring to the occasion, Paul wrote, “But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.” Some evidently contended that he should be circumcised, but of them Paul continued, “To whom we gave place in the way of subjection? No, not for an hour.” It is certainly strange that one around whom a bitter controversy raged should not have been mentioned in the historical portion of the Scriptures.
Who was the “enigmatical” Titus? So far as any definite information goes, we do not know, and no answer can be given. One suggestion is that he was a brother of Luke. It is only a suggestion, but it is supported by the argument that if he did occupy’ such a relationship to the author of Acts, the fact would account for Luke suppressing his name, just as he did his own; for’ though he took part in a number of incidents recorded, his presence is only revealed by the use of the first person plural, “we.” John does the same in his Gospel, where he is indicated by such expressions as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and the disciple “reclining on Jesus’ bosom.”
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Author: W. H. Boulton
Keywords: Titus
Bible reference(s): Titus 1
Source: “Backgrounds of the Epistles,” The Testimony, Vol. 21, No. 243, March 1951, pp. 78-80.
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