Canonical Reading Plan for Dec 17, Tit 1-3 & Phm

Today's readings are Tit 1-3 & Phm.

Titus is the second of the three Pastoral Epistles (letters). It is written to Titus, whom Paul left on Crete to oversee the growth of the church on that Island.

In Tit 1 we see the instructions to appoint elders, affirming that a plurality of leadership is the preferred structure for the church. The guidelines for choosing elders are similar to the ones seen in 1 Timothy. Paul makes it clear to Titus, however, that the leaders are to be blameless and their doctrinal beliefs should be biblical (Tit 1:6-9). This is necessary for them to be able to refute the false teachers that have entered the Cretan churches and are causing problems.

Paul addresses the various groups in the church in Tit 2. They are to learn how to recognize false teaching by the building up of their spiritual lives. To accomplish this, Titus is to preach sound doctrine which will lead to discernment and godly behavior. All of this is undergirded by God's grace, freely given to them, enabling them to become godly people. From this, we learn that God has graciously helped us to embrace biblical teaching, but our teachers must be carefully vetted and determined to hold to scriptural teaching. To do that, all believers have to be familiar with what the Bible says. While we currently live in a culture that sometimes eschews doctrinal teaching, Paul tells Titus it is foundational to the church. The church cannot live godly lives without the clear and concise teaching of the word of God.

What does godly living look like? We hear the answer in Tit 3:1-2, which tells us we should respect and pray for our civil leaders and those in authority, leading quiet lives that are testimonies to the gospel. Even if those leaders are ungodly, Paul reminds us that we were once like them. We are now the beneficiaries of God's grace and mercy. The practical way to put that on display is to be purveyors of mercy and grace, not sowers of dissension.

This lesson should permeate all our relationships, not just those we have with authorities. We should strive to become living, breathing examples of the gospel and the grace of God.

Philemon is a beautiful statement on slavery which was commonly practiced at this point in history. The Bible never condones nor condemns slavery. However, it does acknowledge that slavery exists in some cultures. In those cases where slavery is mentioned, the Bible admonishes slaves to be obedient and respectful while at the same time charging masters to be merciful and compassionate. The point is that even in cultures that tolerate slavery, the love of God and the compassion of the church should be expressed for the sake of the gospel. Notice, Paul does not encourage believers to judge the culture nor to rebel against it. Instead, he wants them to live the gospel while living in the culture, making examples of themselves within the context of their society. In Onesimus's case, Paul encourages him to receive Philemon, a former slave, as a brother and an equal.

Paul’s encouragement to Onesimus and Philemon and how they should relate to each other is a shining example of how followers of Christ would interact with each other. None are superior to the others, none are worthier, none are more significant. In Christ, we are all one and equal.