Titus 1 is the first chapter of the Epistle to Titus in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The letter is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, sent from Nicopolis of Macedonia (Roman province), addressed to Titus in Crete. Some scholars argue that it is the work of an anonymous follower, written after Paul's death in the first century AD. This chapter contains the greetings and instructions for Titus on dealing with deceivers.
Text
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 16 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: Papyrus 32 (~AD 200; extant verses 11–15) Codex Sinaiticus (330–360) Codex Alexandrinus (400–440) Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450; extant verses 3–16) Codex Freerianus (~450; extant verses 1–3, 10–11) Codex Claromontanus (~550) Codex Coislinianus (~550; extant verses 1–3, 15–16)
Opening greeting (1:1–4) The opening of the epistle to Titus is the longest and most intricate of the epistles traditionally held to be written by Paul, exceeding the openings of most other Pauline epistles.
Verse 1–3
Included in this opening a summary of the gospel message, expounding the God's plan of salvation punctuated by the assertion that "God never lies". Verse 2 asserts that God is , a single word meaning 'cannot lie', comparable to ('God cannot lie', or 'it is impossible for God to lie') in Hebrews 6:18.
In verses 2–3, the author highlights that Paul's mission is rooted in the certainty of God's promise of eternal life.
Verse 4
"A true son" (NKJV; KJV: mine own son"; Greek: ): Also "my genuine child" (as in 1 Timothy 1:2), that is, "converted by my instrumentality" (1 Corinthians 4:17; Philemon 10). "In our common faith" (NKJV; KJV: "After the common faith"; Greek: ): the author treats Titus as "a genuine son" by virtue of "the faith common to all the people of God", a common brotherhood of Gentiles as well as Jews, thus embracing Titus who is a Gentile (2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:3). "Grace, mercy, and peace" (Greek: ): The word "mercy" is omitted in some of the oldest manuscripts, but one of the best and oldest manuscripts supports it (see 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2). There are many similarities of phrase in all the 'Pastoral Epistles' (the Epistles to Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy).
The appointment of church officers (1:5–9) The instructions for Titus run parallel to those for Timothy in 1 Timothy 3, but with some significant variations based on the distinct situation in Crete.
Verse 5
"Crete": an island in the Mediterranean which was mentioned in Acts 27, when Paul's ship sailed past on his way to Rome.
Instructions on dealing with deceivers (1:10–16)