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"Paul a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ..."

Text: Titus 1:1

A FORMAL INTRODUCTION

The apostle Paul began his epistle to Titus with a very formal introduction. This is not unusual. Paul tends to pack a lot of knowledge into all he said and did.

“Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment
of the truth which accords with godliness.”
Titus 1:1

1. How Paul saw himself

a) As “a bondservant of God”

i) The word “bondservant” means “a slave”.

ii) Paul saw himself as one permanently committed to serving God.

iii) He did not mind taking the lowest place- that of “a slave”.

b) “And an apostle of Jesus Christ”

i) The word “apostle” means someone who has been sent out with a commission.

ii) He saw himself as on par with all the other apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. “According to the faith of God’s elect”

a) All believers are called “elect of God”.

b) They share a common faith.

i) In God

ii) In the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour

iii) In the Gospel

3. “And the acknowledgment of the truth”

a) Another common thread is “the truth”.

b) There was a body of knowledge called “the gospel”.

c) Paul initially did not subscribe to the truth of the gospel till he came to a personal faith in Jesus.

d) He then became a servant of God and an apostle in the promotion and defence of the truth.

4. “Which accords with godliness”

a) The truth that Paul proclaimed was deeply associated with godliness.

b) Truth was never just academic.

c) Truth is best expressed in godly living.