Introduction to Titus - Titus 1:1-5 - Pastor Matt Korniotes

Devotional

Day 1: Identity Anchored in Bondservanthood, Not Achievement

Paul’s introduction as a “bondservant of God” redefines worth not by titles or success but by surrendered allegiance. True dignity flows from humility—the choice to serve Christ above cultural accolades. When identity roots itself in eternal belonging rather than temporary roles, criticism loses its sting. Eternal life begins when we embrace our God-given purpose: to represent Him, not ourselves. [13:30]

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.”
(Titus 1:1, ESV)

Reflection: What temporary identity have you clung to that God might be asking you to release? How would viewing yourself as Christ’s bondservant shift your response to today’s challenges?

Day 2: Crossing Cultural Divides with Gospel Courage

Titus—a full-blooded Greek—shattered Jewish expectations, proving God’s family transcends ethnicity. The early church’s struggle over circumcision reveals how easily humans add barriers Christ died to remove. True unity demands laying down preferences to uphold grace. When culture clashes with Scripture, courage chooses the narrow road of love. [01:09]

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
(Galatians 3:28, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you unconsciously expected others to conform to your cultural norms? How can you actively honor someone’s God-given dignity across differences this week?

Day 3: Doctrine That Breathes Godliness into Daily Life

Correct theology isn’t academic—it’s a lifeline. Paul insists sound doctrine must “accord with godliness,” merging belief and behavior. Crete’s toxic culture required truth to disinfect hearts before transforming actions. Churches fail when they prioritize behavior modification over heart-level renewal through Christ’s Word. [33:47]

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
(Titus 1:9, ESV)

Reflection: Which area of your life feels disconnected from what you claim to believe? What specific truth from Scripture could realign your actions today?

Day 4: Leading with a Towel, Not a Title

Godly leadership mirrors Jesus washing Judas’ feet—serving even betrayers. Titus’ mission to appoint elders wasn’t about recruiting experts but identifying servants. Authority in God’s kingdom thrives on reliability, not résumés. The mark of true leadership isn’t how many follow you, but how fully you follow Christ. [53:09]

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”
(John 13:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your sphere needs practical service more than your opinions? What “towel” is Christ placing in your hands today?

Day 5: Eternal Life as Present Reality, Not Distant Promise

Paul’s “hope of eternal life” isn’t escapism—it’s current empowerment. This “age-abiding” life infuses earthly struggles with divine perspective. Like a seasoned hiker navigating rocky terrain, believers walk Crete-like challenges with steadiness, knowing eternity’s weight anchors today’s chaos. God’s unshakable character makes endurance possible. [40:36]

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
(John 17:3, ESV)

Reflection: What temporary struggle would shift if you saw it through the lens of eternity? How can you actively “know God” more deeply in this season?

Sermon Summary

Paul’s letter to Titus opens with a lot packed into just a few words. Paul identifies himself with humility and dignity, not first as the great apostle, the Hebrew of Hebrews, the church planter, or the defender of the faith, but as a bondservant of God. That word matters because Paul’s identity is tied to the bond he has with the Lord. If God is really God, then the highest place any person can have is servant of the King of kings.

Titus himself stands as a strong man for a rough place. His name means strong, honor, defender, and Paul leaves him in Crete because Crete was known for difficult, lying, cheating people. Paul’s relationship with Titus also puts the gospel on display in a wild first-century way. Paul, a Jew, calls Titus, a full Greek, a true son in the faith. Christianity blows right past cultural walls and says God’s love, God’s call, and God’s nearness matter more than what society says should divide people.

Paul’s phrase, “according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth,” brings together election and human responsibility. God has chosen, God has loved the world, and God is not willing that any should perish. At the same time, every person must acknowledge the truth and receive Jesus. The Lamb’s book of life holds the weight of that tension: God does not send anybody to hell, people reject the life God freely gives.

Paul also says that truth must accord with godliness. Right doctrine does not sit disconnected from life. Belief and behavior belong together, not because church is behavioral therapy or religious rule-keeping, but because true belief bears fruit. If doctrine does not lead toward godliness, something is broken.

God’s promise of eternal life rests on the fact that God cannot lie. God cannot stop loving, cannot tempt anyone to sin, cannot learn, and therefore cannot be surprised. That means God may be grieved, but he is not disappointed like a parent caught off guard. Eternal life is not only forever life, but age-abiding life, a quality and weight that gives courage, poise, and depth through every season.

Paul leaves Titus in Crete to “set in order” what is lacking, like setting a bone, and to appoint elders. Godly leadership looks like Jesus on the cross, Jesus feeding helpless people, and Jesus washing both Peter’s feet and Judas’s feet. Talent, education, and platform are not the issue. Godliness is.

Key Takeaways

1. Identity belongs in the eternal [16:13] God has put eternity in the human heart, so every temporary identity will eventually feel too small. Career, family role, platform, reputation, and success can all be good gifts, but none of them can carry the weight of a soul. Paul’s “bondservant of God” identity shows that humility is not self-erasure, but the only stable dignity a person can actually keep. [16:13]
2. Godliness proves true doctrine [33:47] Paul’s truth “accords with godliness,” which means doctrine is never just information to win arguments. Real biblical truth bends a life toward worship, repentance, courage, and holiness. When belief and behavior are torn apart, the result is either dead religion or cheap license, and neither one looks like Jesus. [33:47]
3. Election and responsibility belong together [24:51] Paul holds together the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth without acting like one cancels the other. God loves the world, desires that none perish, and gives real responsibility to receive Christ. The tension does not need to be solved by throwing verses away, because Scripture is big enough to hold both God’s choosing and human response. [24:51]
4. God cannot be surprised [37:16] God cannot lie, cannot learn, and cannot be caught off guard by human failure. That truth does not make sin small, because sin still grieves the Holy Spirit and wounds the life God desires to give. But God’s love is not fragile, reactive, or shocked, and that kind of mercy pulls a person toward repentance rather than deeper hiding. [37:16]
5. Godly leaders serve like Jesus [52:23] Titus is told to appoint elders who can set things in order, not people who merely look impressive. Godly leadership is seen at the cross, at the feeding of the helpless, and at the table where Jesus washed both Peter and Judas. A leader who serves does not use people as proof of importance, but treats people as important because God loves them. [52:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:09] - Introducing Titus and Paul
[02:51] - A Greek Son in the Faith
[06:12] - Titus Left in Crete
[08:46] - A Pastoral Letter for Church Order
[10:09] - Difficult People in a Difficult Place
[13:07] - Paul the Bondservant
[16:13] - Identity and the God-Sized Hole
[20:14] - Sent by God, Not People
[23:42] - Election and Acknowledging Truth
[33:23] - Doctrine That Leads to Godliness
[36:22] - The God Who Cannot Lie
[41:28] - Titus, a True Son
[46:00] - The Spirit Points to Jesus
[48:26] - Setting the Church in Order

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Titus 1:1-5 (ESV)
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; 4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.

Observation Questions

How does Paul introduce himself in Titus 1:1, and what two roles does he emphasize?
What cultural barrier between Paul (a Jew) and Titus (a Greek) is highlighted in the sermon, and why was their relationship significant? (See [02:51])
According to Titus 1:1, how does Paul connect "truth" with "godliness"?
What specific task does Paul give Titus in Crete, and what metaphor does the sermon use to describe this work? (See [48:26])

Interpretation Questions

Why might Paul prioritize identifying himself as a "bondservant of God" over his other credentials (e.g., apostle, Hebrew of Hebrews)? What does this reveal about biblical humility?
The sermon states, "If doctrine does not lead toward godliness, something is broken." How does Titus 1:1-2 support this idea? What might "broken" doctrine look like practically?
How does the tension between God’s election ("faith of God’s elect") and human responsibility ("acknowledgment of the truth") reflect God’s character and our role? (See [24:51])
The phrase "God cannot lie" (Titus 1:2) is tied to His inability to be "surprised" or "disappointed." How does this truth reshape our understanding of His response to human failure? (See [37:16])

Application Questions

Paul’s identity as a "bondservant of God" gave him stability amid criticism and hardship. Where do you most often look for identity (e.g., career, roles, reputation)? How could anchoring your identity in being God’s servant change your daily choices?
The sermon warns that "every temporary identity will eventually feel too small." What practical step could you take this week to intentionally focus on eternal priorities over temporary ones? (See [16:13])
"True biblical truth bends a life toward worship, repentance, courage, and holiness." Is there a belief you hold that hasn’t translated into action? How might you align that belief with tangible godliness?
The sermon contrasts "servant leaders" with "leaders who serve." In your relationships, work, or church, how can you lead in a way that reflects Jesus washing both Peter’s and Judas’ feet? (See [52:23])
God’s promise of eternal life is rooted in His unchanging nature. When have you struggled to trust His promises? What habit or reminder could help you lean into His faithfulness this month?
Titus was left in a difficult place (Crete) to appoint godly leaders. Where has God placed you to "set things in order," and what would it look like to prioritize godly character over talent or reputation in that space?

Sermon Clips

55s

“``If if if, and that is a positive if, if God is God, and he is. If God is the king of kings, if he really is the Lord of lords, if he really is the creator of all things, if there if he really is the most high, and he is all those things, then the greatest position I could ever have is to be his servant. That's why there's dignity in being a servant of God. It's not in alignment with our culture, but this earth and everything in it is passing away. And I want you to have all the things. I want you to have the career, the nice house, and the great marriage, and the good cars. I want you to have all those things. But I just don't want your identity there, because there's not a lot of dignity at the end of the day when it's all gone. If God is God, and you're his bondservant, you are the highest form of you that you can be. So there's humility in what Paul is saying, and there is dignity. I love that. And he says that I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ,”

49s

“God really desires to help people that know that they can't help themselves. And and part of godly leadership is looking at people that can't tell their left from their right. What did God say to Jonah? He said, you you hate these people of Nineveh, but none of them can tell their left from their right. Get in there because I love them. Godly leadership, no matter what you can get from somebody, no matter what they're doing for themselves or not doing for themselves, you love them anyway. That's godly leadership. You want to know what godly leadership looks like? You go to the Last Supper. Peter, who was the man, I'll die for you. I'll take bullets for you, bro. And Jesus washed his feet. Judas, I've lied to you for three years and I hate you. I'm gonna sell you out for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus washed his feet too. That's godly leadership. So you look for godly leadership, and you appoint and you ordain.”

47s

“Did you notice here it says that God cannot lie? Isn't that isn't that refreshing? Did you know that there's a bunch of things God cannot do? We sing a song here. If you ever sit near me, I I can't I can't help but be goofy. But we sing a song and wait, there is nothing that our God can't do. And I just turn next to the people and say, God can't lie. There is nothing that he can't do. And I'm like, he can't stop loving you. You know? There's a list of things that God can't do. He can't lie. Very clear right here. So awesome. Everything that God says must be the truth, or he breaks his own character. He can't break his own character. God is who God is. God is perfect. So he can't lie. He can't ever stop loving you, no matter what I do, no matter what I'm gonna go through. And it doesn't matter who it is.”

56s

“But I definitely think differently today than I did ten years ago, twenty years ago, and yet God provided for me, and yet God sustained me. This is the age abiding life in God. Let me tell you this, man. When you go in and out of seasons, whether it's from school to relationships, to friends, to circumstances, to jobs, age abiding, everlasting eternal life of Jesus Christ gives you a poise that you don't get anywhere else. It gives you a courage. It gives you a presence. It gives you a depth of character. It gives you an ability to take and take and take and still be alright. I look at people going through stuff in their lives, and I'm like, how do they go through this without Jesus? And a lot of them don't. A lot of them don't make it. They lose their careers. They lose their ministries. They lose their marriages. They lose their lives. This eternal life that is promised to us in Jesus is a quality, not just quantity, but a quality of life.”

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Introduction to Titus - Titus 1:1-5 - Pastor Matt Korniotes - Sunday 2nd Service