The Gospel Ministry

The church on the Mediterranean island of Crete, to put it positively, was a work in progress under the care of her young pastor Titus.

I hope we see ourselves in the same way: a work in progress. By including in Scripture this letter God indicates that we too can benefit from the wisdom Paul passed on to his young protégé.

To say that the church at Crete was a work in progress is to say that they were not yet properly ordered (5). Neither are we. We live in the age of sanctification; we are not yet glorified either as individuals or collectively as the bride of Christ. And so we welcome as God's children any help we can get to become better ordered. That's what Paul's letter to Titus is all about.

In the letter's introduction Paul gives a bold summary of the gospel ministry.