Lesson One

OVERVIEW

Left behind in Crete, Titus had a difficult task. Anyone who has been involved in reform or change knows what Titus was facing. Think what your response might be to a letter from a trusted friend or a pastor while in the midst of such a task.

First impressions

Read the book of Titus through at one sitting, as a letter from a friend, before going any further. Potentially confusing verses will be clearer later if you can see how they fit into Paul's overall message. You might want to read the letter again, perhaps comparing different translations.

1. Describe the mood (tone, feeling) of the letter. (Is Paul formal, intimate, angry, joyful ...?) If you think the mood changes anywhere, note where it changes. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

2. What do you notice about the style of this letter? (Is Paul describing, giving instructions, trying to persuade ...? Is he writing a story, a personal message, a sermon ...?) ________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. Repetition is a clue to the ideas a writer considers most important to his message. What words or ideas occur over and over in this letter? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

Broad outline

4. Reread the letter, preferably in a different translation. This time, think of a short phrase or sentence to describe what you think each main section is about. (Below are the divisions according to the NIV. Feel free to change them or add more.)

1:1-4___________________________________ ________________________________________

1:5-16__________________________________ ________________________________________

2:1-15__________________________________ ________________________________________

3:1-11__________________________________ ________________________________________

3:12-15_________________________________ ________________________________________

Background

5. Read the background on Paul and Titus if you have not already done so.

Study Skill — Cross-References

Other passages of Scripture can often shed light on what you are studying. These are called cross-references.

6. Read 2 Corinthians 2:13, 8:23, and Titus 1:4. Summarize what these verses tell you about Paul's relationship to Titus. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

7. What do you learn about Titus' character from the following passages in 2 Corinthians?

2 Corinthians 7:13-15___________________ ________________________________________

2 Corinthians 8:16-17___________________ ________________________________________

2 Corinthians 12:17-18__________________ ________________________________________

Purposes/themes

8. From Titus 1:5–2:1, briefly describe the situation that evidently prompted Paul to write to Titus. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

9. What do you think are the main themes of this letter? (What was Paul trying to get across to Titus?) Your answer to questions 3 and 4 may point to some themes. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

10. Looking for an author's purpose in his writing can usually help us find his main message. How would you summarize your current impression of Paul's purpose in this letter? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

Your response

11. In your initial reading of Paul's letter to Titus, you may have come across concepts you'd like clarified, or you may have thought of questions you'd like answered as you go more deeply into this study. While your thoughts are still fresh, you may want to jot down your questions here to serve as personal objectives for your study of the letter.

________________________________________ ________________________________________

Study Skill — Application

The last step of Bible study is asking yourself, "What difference should this passage make in my life? How should it make me want to think or act?" Application will require time, thought, prayer, and perhaps even discussion with another person.

There are a variety of ways to approach application. At one time you might list as many implications of a Scripture as you can. You can look back at this list frequently for several days and think about ways to act on the implications. At another time, you might concentrate on one specific application, giving it careful thought and prayer and committing yourself to it. At another time you might just meditate on something the Scripture says about God, giving Him thanks and worship and asking Him to teach you to know Him better.

12. Did anything in your first reading of Titus especially encourage you to change or persevere in some area of your life? If so, write down this insight here, along with any implications you think it should have for your life. In prayer, consider whether there is anything you can do to act on these implications with God's help. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

For the group

The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, for getting comfortable with each other, and for encouraging a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group — out of your study of Titus, and out of any prayer, singing, sharing, service, outreach, or anything else you might do together. You could take about fifteen minutes at the beginning of your meeting to give each person a chance to express his or her vision for the group. If you have someone write down each member's hopes and expectations, then you can look back at these goals later to see if they are being met.

After that, you might approach your overview in the following way:

First impressions of the book (questions 1–3) — 10 minutes

Background on Paul and Titus (questions 5–7) — 5 minutes

Outline (question 4) — 5 minutes

Themes and goals (questions 8–10) — 10 minutes

Group members' questions (question 11) — 5 minutes

Examples of how you might apply something in Titus (for members who are less familiar with doing this) — 10 minutes

Don't feel you must follow this structure or its time allotments rigidly; it is just a model for how to go about structuring a discussion. Also, be aware that some people are better than...