Titus An Apostle Part 2

Titus 1:1 – An Apostle
Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. You might be wondering what the significance of this is, so, let’s dive in! Literally, the Greek word Apostolos means ‘to send off’. The Bible uses the word to refer to someone sent on a mission, but also in reference to specific people. An apostle of Jesus Christ is someone taught by Christ that witnessed to His life, teaching and resurrection. Jesus chose twelve men to be apostles, to spread the gospel and to establish the early Christian church. They were called and commissioned by Christ to teach, train, and lead the churches, establishing the doctrine of salvation. In Ephesians 2 Paul tells us that we are all one in Christ, “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:20). In Ephesians 4 we learn that the apostles were sent “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). In Matthew 10:7-8 Jesus told them to “proclaim as you go”, instructing them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons. Paul states that he is an apostle to prove that he has the authority to tell the Cretes about our Christian obligations and how to choose and set elders in place. Christ gave him that authority so they, and us, should listen carefully.
While we no longer have the apostles with us, we have their witness in the Bible. In a sense, we are all called to be “sent out” to teach the gospel. While we are not apostles, we are still called to go out and share the knowledge of truth so that others will come to faith. We can be a witness not only in what we say but also how we live. Paul will go on in the letter to teach us more about witnessing with our actions. It is good to emulate the apostles missionary work and follow the teachings of Christ, for it is by way of the apostles and their testimony that we reach Christ. So, read their witnesses to Christ’s life and teaching, fill your heart and mind with it and share it with others!


1. Why does Paul list apostle as one of his ‘qualifications’?

2. What does it mean to be an apostle?

3. Why do we no longer have apostles?

4. How can we emulate the apostles?

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