What does Scripture tell us about Titus? He is often mentioned in Paul's epistles as a protégé and partner in preaching the gospel. Paul addresses an entire epistle (letter) to Titus, calling him "a true son in our common faith" and trusting him to operate independently, such as leaving him behind in Crete (Titus 1:5), commending him to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 7, 8 and 12), and bringing him along to Jerusalem (Galatians 2). In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul confesses to feeling anxious without Titus in Troas. In Titus 3, Paul urges Titus to join him for the winter in Nicopolis. In 2 Timothy 4, his last writing from house arrest in Rome, Paul mentions that Titus traveled to Dalmatia, across the Adriatic in what is now Croatia and Montenegro. However, the way Paul connects this with a complaint about his supporters bailing on him makes it unclear whether Titus went there as an evangelist or to escape martyrdom. If Paul is complaining about Titus, it would be the only hint of discord between them; so let's let his descriptions in 2 Corinthians and in the epistle to Titus stand as a glowing record of service to the gospel and to Paul personally. Readings for Titus, according to LSB, are Acts 20:28-35; Titus 1:1-9; and Luke 10:1-9.
Equip the church, O Savior,
With stewards of Your grace,
Blameless in their behavior,
To serve in every place;
Fit them to oversee us,
Your faithful word hold fast
And by sound teaching free us
From our vain works at last.
Secure their hearts from loving
Wine, money, pow'r and ire,
Kind and high-minded proving,
Drawn but to holy fire.
Incline our hearts to hear them,
To curb hostility,
To succor and to cheer them
And follow faithfully.
Through Tituses among us
Your kingdom, Lord, draws near.
Wherever life has flung us,
Through them Your voice we hear.
Enrich them with Your Spirit
To preach in parlous lands,
And grant that we who hear it
Hold up their weary hands.
ART: An icon of "Holy Apostle Titus of Crete" from 14th century Kosovo.
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