St. Titus: An Under-Shepherd and Baptized Child of God

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

On this day, the church celebrates and remembers another of St. Paul’s companions: St. Titus. As a matter of fact, had I been home we would have had 3 consecutive days of special services. The first would have been the commemoration of St. Timothy. But since I was away we will get to his day another time. But today we remember St. Titus.

Unlike some of the other saints associated with Paul, Titus is relatively unknown. His name does not appear in the pages of the book of Acts, but Paul must have met him along on his first missionary journeys before the council that we have recorded for us in Acts 15. For if you recall, that council had to answer the question: What do we do with Gentile believers? Must they become Jews via circumcision before they can become Christians? Titus was a test case. Titus came from a Gentile family, and was not circumcised. Paul would not circumcise him and the council of Acts 15 agreed that believers Jews and Greeks were not saved via works of the ceremonial law (circumcision) but were in fact saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And it is very likely that Titus journeyed with Paul from that time forth, or he was sent to one of the various seminaries being formed to educate the next generation of church leaders. We don’t know for sure as his name is not spoken of again until Paul’s crisis with the church at Corinth that occurred during Paul’s third missionary journey. The Corinthian church were bucking at Paul’s apostolic authority. After failed reconciliation attempts, Paul sent Titus there in person. Some time later, when Paul was in Macedonia Titus caught up to him and gave him the news that the Corinthian Church had changed their course, Paul sent Titus back with the letter we know as 2^nd Corinthians. He was also sent to complete the collection project for the poor Christians in Jerusalem.

After that we lose track of Titus. But under the assumption that Paul was released from prison after his first Roman imprisonment which we have recorded for us in the final chapters of Acts, it seems that Titus met up again with Paul to do a trip to Crete, which is what we hear about in Paul’s letter to Titus, leaving him there to serve as the overseer or Bishop of the Churches there and appointing elders/pastors of those Christians congregations, putting things into order.

This is where Acts 20 comes in because those words from St. Paul were not just for the men to serve the churches in Ephesus, but for all pastors and churches. Crete had wolves in their midst, and Gospel that had been preached by Paul and others had begun to be twisted in one way or another. Paul is not the only apostle to warn of such things happening. St. John and Peter in their own epistles also warn of such things. And Titus was now the man appointed to bring the churches of Crete into proper and good order, by teaching the doctrine of truth which is Christ. And it was Titus’ duty to teach and instruct now the new pastors that would lead these congregations. What had been entrusted to St. Paul, he was now entrusting to his other spiritual son Titus. And Titus entrusting to the men he was preparing. Handing down the goods of Christ. So, it is now in our day.

The Church has been entrusted with the Words of Christ, as preached, taught, and written down by the apostles. And it is the Church that now calls Pastors into the office of overseer, and gives them the call to publicly proclaim the Word of Truth. And it can be a daunting task as wolves are still around. There are many voices who call themselves teachers of the Word but are not properly called, nor do they speak the Word of God but rather twist it for their own shameful gain. Titus had the Judaizers to contend with and other factions attempting to subvert the sweetness of Christ’s Gospel. Today’s Church, well let’s just say there is nothing new under the sun. All the old heresies still show up from time to time.

Titus also was called to the Cretan people, who by their own prophet some time before called them liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. Paul exhorted him to rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. They were a people who professed to know God, but they denied him by their works. We still have those kinds of people around now. Sometimes even I can be called lazy. We all must confess that we have failed to live according to the life we have been given by Christ.

The pastor is to serve as Christ’s under shepherd. Pastors are called to serve in the stead of Christ to you the little lambs. And true under shepherds speak the Good Shepherd’s word and you, His lambs, hear his voice. The pastor is to speak in mercy, like Jesus did. Paul gives Titus and now us this advice in the 3^rd chapter. For he recognizes that he and Titus were both at one time on the outside. They received mercy from Christ, so it is only right that the pastor shows mercy of Christ to his flock. “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly though Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.” In other words, we were all in the darkness of our own sin. But by grace, God called us to faith in His Son. Even Pastors are sheep in need of being fed this blessed Gospel. It is the Gospel and not the law that motivates us to do good works and remain faithful to our callings. We are all called to follow the One Good Shepherd, who laid His life for His Sheep. And we all have a similar identity in Christ. We have been baptized into Christ. That is where we go back to. We remember our baptism and rejoice in that. Pastors and the faithful hearers rejoice in their baptisms and the forgiveness of sins Christ freely offers to them in the Divine Service.

The pastor is to emulate the Good Shepherd. He is to speak The Good Shepherd’s Word to the Sheep. It was to this Office that Titus was placed into, so also the pastors of the Church now. He was called to serve under the Good Shepherd, and Feed the Lord’s Sheep. And by that we are called to teach and preach the Word in season and out of season. We called to encourage, exhort, rebuke. We are to call to repentance, and forgive sins for the sake of Christ Jesus who died and rose again. We are to be stewards of the mysteries of God, the ones keeping watch over souls, and we pastors will give an account at the last. Pastors like, Titus, are called to teach what accords with sound doctrine. In other words, we are called to teach Christ’s Word. And in the midst of all this we are called to continually rejoice in the identity given to us by Christ in Holy Baptism. We are Christ’s and so are you!

And it is by Baptism and Christ’s Word that pastors are kept faithful not only in their vocation and office but in their own faith and life as Christians; they should be above reproach, hospitable, lovers of what is good and right and true. And it’s by this same Word that you also are kept in the one, true faith. Gladly hear and learn it do not despise it. By His Word and Sacraments, our Lord Jesus gives you everything that is His—His Father, Spirit, Resurrection, Name, Sonship, and Kingdom, together with St. Titus and all the saints. Amen.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO