Titus 1-3: Epistle of Obedience

1.  Paul converted Titus (vs. 1:4).  Paul then sent Titus to Corinth with a letter (2 Cor. 7:6-7, 13, 15).  Titus then returned to Paul in Macedonia and was again sent to Corinth..  At the conclusion of Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, Titus joined him in Ephesus, and they went together to Crete.  Titus remained in Crete where he received a letter with Paul's instructions to set things in order and ordain elders.   Later Titus was sent on a mission to Dalmatia (2 Tim 4:10)

2.  The attributes of a Bishop as listed in Titus 1:6-9 & 1 Timothy 3:1-7

   blameless                                           lover of hospitality
   steward of God                                  sober
   not selfwilled                                     just                      
   not soon to anger                               holy
   not given to wine                                temperate
   no striker                                          hold fast the faithful word
   not given to filthy lucre                       good report
   husband of one wife                           apt to teach
   not covetous                                      ruleth well in his own house
   not lifted up with pride

3.  List of problems Paul found with the Cretans

   liars                                                 evil beasts
   slow bellies (idle bellies)                     false teachers
   greed                                               avariciousness (greedy or covetousness)

   The name Creatan became synomymous with dishonesty
   Their reputation for lying became so commonly known that the name became both a verb and a noun.  (kretidzein, meaning "to speak like a Cretan or to lie")  (kretismos, literally "Cretan behavior" which equaled lying)
    Slow bellies or idle bellies, carries the idea of lazy gluttony that leads to extreme obesity.


4. Titus 2-3
     2:1   Paul encourages Titus to speak of all men.

     Paul said that sound doctrine would affect aged men to be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience (vs 2).  Aged women, that their behavior becometh holiness, not false accuser, not given to wine, teachers of good things (vs 3)

     This applies to the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands (vs. 4-5)  Young men likewise.  (vs 6).  pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech. (vs 8)
   
     The counsel that Paul give can help us be patient with new members of the church.  We need to give them time to learn and grow.  These versus say when we are aged.  We need life experience and time to learn the gospel.

The Lord's grace is essential to our salvation.  We can not be perfect.  We take one day at a time.  We improve our lives each day and make progress.  We need the Atonement, Repentance and the Grace of God.

5.  In Titus 3:9 is says to "avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions and striving about the law". I think avoiding foolish questions means getting hung up on questions that are not essential to our salvation.  I think the genealogy part of this scripture means that it doesn't matter what your bloodline is.  "Don't think you are awesome just because your Grandpa was."

Foolish questions and genealogy refers to the people struggling with the fulfillment of the law of Moses and more specifically with men outside of the house of Levi receiving the priesthood.  The Priesthood is no longer granted based on lineage but on personal worthiness.