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133 Titus 1 Rungs on the Social Ladder The letter to Titus is a compact text that employs many of the words (e.g., “godliness,” “savior,” “greed,” “self-control,” “truth”) and themes (church leadership, opponents, women, and slaves) of the other two Pastorals. Here again the author urges the audience to remain loyal to Paul’s proclamation of the faith and to live a virtuous life within household, community, and society. He discusses (male) church leadership, proper household relationships, and true and false teaching/teachers. The first chapter of Titus contains topics familiar to the readers of 1 and 2 Timothy in three sections: opening greetings, directions for Titus’ ministry in the churches, and a condemnation of some opponents. In fact, if you have read previous chapters of this commentary, you may be wondering what new ideas and location-specific advice arise in the letter to Titus. You may be asking why the author wrote letters that are so similar in style and contents. At least, these are questions that occur to me in the process of studying and interpreting the Pastorals. I believe that the author intended to add authoritative weight to his opinions by repeating his teachings in more than one text. By writing these letters under the pseudonym “Paul,” he could accomplish three things: a reworking of some of Paul’s more socially controversial teachings, such as Paul’s claim that everyone ought to remain single (1 Cor 7:7); a recasting of the roles of women in the Pauline mission and churches; and a powerful 134 1–2 Timothy, Titus 1. See above, “Translation Matters: ‘Slave,’” p. 70. 2. See above, “Translation Matters: ‘Godliness,’” p. 48. lamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior, 4 To Titus, my loyal child in the faith we share: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began— 3 in due time he revealed his word through the procTitus 1:1-4 TRANSLATION MATTERS: “SERVANT OF GOD” One phrase that deserves special attention is “servant of God.” The label “servant ” is actually the Greek word δοῦλος, which I much prefer to translate as “slave.” I have already discussed this issue,1 but here it is important to note that the NRSV has chosen “servant” instead of “slave.” For English readers, the NRSV’s inconsistency is bothersome because it obscures the author’s intentions. He may be trying to emphasize Paul’s utter submission to God’s power and will. Or he may want to depict Paul as an unquestioned agent of God. The author has employed the legal, economic, and cultural position of a slave as a powerful rhetorical device, and the NRSV has watered down its meaning by using the word “servant.” duplication of his own beliefs about the proper organization for households and house-churches. As a result, when the three Pastorals are read in light of the larger collection of Pauline letters, each Pastoral does not seem so very unusual because the other two provide supportive evidence: this is how Paul instructed his younger subordinates to encourage right thinking and respectable relationships within their communities. As is often noted, the opening verses of Titus give a longer-than-usual depiction of Paul and his beliefs. Yet similar ideas have already been conveyed by the letters to Timothy: faith, the “elect,” knowledge of the truth, godliness,2 revelation of the word, and Paul’s proclamation under God’s commission. One word that is especially important in the letter to Titus is that of “savior” (σωτήρ); the related adjective and verb appear [44.212.39.149] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 03:25 GMT) Titus 1 135 in Titus 2:11 and 3:5. This title, which was frequently bestowed on God in the Old Testament and also on emperors and other great military victors , is used three times for God (Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4) and then three times for Jesus Christ (1:4; 2:13; 3:6) in an alternating pattern. This usage shows that the author participates in a historical development: “By placing [savior] regularly in tandem with both God and Christ, these texts are doing...

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