Another spiritual son of Paul, Titus, is leading a church in Crete, one of the worst cities of the first century. The question Paul answers in his letter is, ‘How do I live in Crete and remain a Christian?’ Paul instructs Titus on how to run the church and get them to live a life above reproach, helping them to do good so that others around them see it. A transformed life will transform the city, no matter how bad that city is!
After being in this city for a while, they walked the streets together. You never get used to the stark reality of the openly immoral life of these people. This incredible place was surrounded by mountains, as high as you could see covering the length of this island, so it’s cities were few.
Titus was a Gentile believer. He probably came to faith under the ministry of the apostle Paul. He became a trusted cohort of Paul: a regular travelling companion and a ‘safe pair of hands’. He seemed to have Paul’s confidence, as he was left on the island of Crete with no small task: to bring order to a network of churches that had developed there. (Titus 1:5). Paul is writing this letter to Titus to give him instruction concerning this very task.