The next couple of post will be from a sermons presented by Niall Balmer (Elder,Stranraer Baptist Church) over a 2 week period. I have not got the audio for the first part but Niall kindly forwarded his sermon notes. I think you will benefit from these.  I particularly like the  ‘qualities of Titus’, well have a good read and enjoy.

The Truth and the Church

Powerpoint - This is a picture of the remains of an ancient Christian basilica outside the village of Almyridia in Crete. I don’t know how ancient it is, there was nothing at the site to tell us. I would love to think that Titus, the man who is the recipient of the letter we are going to look at over the next 2 Sundays, possibly came to this church and preached and taught the Christians who gathered there.

Paul the apostle, it is thought, went on a 4^th missionary journey after being released from prison in Rome, where he is still to be found at the end of the book of Acts. This journey is assumed from Paul’s intensions expressed in various of his pastoral letters, to visit again, or anew, places he had previously / never visited before. It is also mentioned in other ancient, non-biblical, writings.

It would seem from v5 in Titus chapter 1 that, accompanied by Titus, Crete was one of the places that he visited for the first time. There was a fledgling group of churches there and such was Paul’s concern for them that he was prepared to leave behind, for a time, a trusted friend and loved travelling companion, to help these churches. So we read “I left you (Titus) in Crete.”

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