Please remember our new website address: rdtw.org. The Cornerstone Bible Class website will disappear soon. We began our class this morning discussing a very simple method of Bible study utilizing the four keys below. It will help you navigate through any scripture by focusing on these four simple thoughts.
Four Simple Keys to right division when studying your Bible:
- Who is speaking / writing?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is there a distinction between Jew and Gentile? If it is Jewish, it is focusing on the prophetic program. If it is Gentile, it is focusing on the mystery program.
- We need the whole Bible; it is all for us, but it is not all to us.
Titus is part of the three pastoral epistles, It is sandwiched between the two letters to Timothy, chronologically, but, in your Bible it is placed after Paul’s two letters to Timothy. We do not know when Titus began to follow Paul, or his salvation experience. What we do know is he was with Paul for at least a decade, sitting under his teaching, being discipled by Paul.
We saw in 2 Corinthians, that Titus is mentioned nine times with the bulk being found in chapters 7 & 8. In 8:23, Paul refers to Titus as his partner and fellow-helper. In Paul’s introduction in Titus 1:4, he refers to Titus as “mine own son” after the common faith. He was certainly an intricate member of Paul’s mission team.
We looked at v.2 in detail this morning, concerning our hope of eternal life. The list of companion verses are as follows: Titus 2:13-14, 3:5-7, Romans 5:1-8, 8:24-25, Colossians 1:3-6, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10
Titus 1:2: In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
1 Peter 1:18-21: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1 John 3:1-3: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
All of the above verses reveal a recurring theme – our hope is a heavenly hope, not an earthly hope in something we can do to merit eternal life. First of all, the promise of eternal life was established before Adam drew a breath. Second, our faith and hope is based on the finished work of Christ. Third, we are the sons of God, a title bestowed upon us through faith in the finished work of Christ. Our justification is based upon the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We are declared righteous because of Him. Since we are positionally pure, it should be our lifelong ambition to live in practical purity, as John has so beautifully stated. We have this hope of eternal life in us, so let us live lives of personal purity that matches who we are on the inside.