“In Hope Of Eternal Life” (1:1-4)
Neal Pollard
As is his custom, Paul delivers an incredibly profound and meaningful greeting at the start of this short letter to the preacher, Titus. Given the challenging nature of his work on the island of Crete, not just the work among the church but the moral problems among the culture, he needed to remember who empowered Him and why He did it. Let us notice his opening words to Titus.
The Foundation Of Hope (1). Paul starts his letter appealing to his apostleship, implying the authority of his words. Yet, the greater focus seems to be on God–his Master and Savior. In this short, four-verse salutation, he mentions a member of the Godhead an astounding seven times! He mentions God, Jesus Christ, “God our Savior,” “God the Father,” and “Christ Jesus our Savior.” He can hardly utter a word without appealing to the source of his revelation. Out of this perfect fountain flows knowledge, godliness, and hope (1-2).
The Assurance Of Hope (2). Staying with his emphasis on the divine, Paul says this hope is so sustaining because God promised the object of hope. The assurance is that the hope is of eternal life. The assurance is that God never lies, and He promises before creation that eternal life is possible. Throughout Scripture, we are reminded that God always keeps His promise (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Ezek. 24:14; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:18; etc.). People may break their promises or fail to deliver what they say, but God’s perfect character is predicated upon His flawless integrity and unwavering ability to fulfill His word.
The Communication Of Hope (3). Incredibly, though God is the grounds of hope, He offers it through the medium of preaching. It is humbling to think that God chose to manifest His word through preaching. For those engaged in it, we understand the powerful truth that “God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). It is a trust or stewardship which must be handled with as much wisdom and effectiveness as the communicator can muster. This requires study, interpretation, and thought to the application and persuasion. We want everyone who hears us share the message to more firmly grip the hope God has made available through “God our Savior” and “Christ Jesus our Savior.” The “grace and peace” (4) Paul extends to Titus is something Paul will urge Titus to share with his hearers (2:11-14).
We live in a world filled with more and more people who feel hopeless and are desperately searching for hope. You and I, as His servants and children, are charged with not keeping our hope to ourselves. Knowing the quality and reality of that hope and the power it has to help us through the worst that can happen to us in this life, we should respond like Paul, who said, ” For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).
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