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Titus 1:4
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2 in hope of eternal life which God, who acannot lie, promised before time began,  
3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
4 To aTitus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and1 the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.  

Qualified Elders

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should aset in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—  
6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, ahaving faithful children not accused of1 dissipation or insubordination.  
7 For a1 bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, anot given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,  
8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

The Elders’ Task

10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle atalkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,  
11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, afor the sake of dishonest gain.  
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Titus 1:3   Titus 1:5 >>

What Does Titus 1:4 Mean?



Titus 1:4

Adherents of the Trinity doctrine assert that the Holy Spirit is a personality alongside the Father and the Son. Yet, when the apostles—especially Paul—referred to the God Family in their epistles, why is mention of the Holy Spirit almost totally absent (James 1:1; II Peter 1:2; I John 1:3; Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:3; II Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:2; I Timothy 1:1-2; II Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:3)?

Where is the Holy Spirit? Is James not a servant of the Holy Spirit (James 1:1)? Is he a servant only of God and of Jesus Christ? What about "knowledge of the Holy Spirit" in II Peter 1:2? Is there no "fellowship with the Holy Spirit" in I John 1:3? Why do the apostles ignore it?

They include a greeting from the Father and the Son in each of these letters, but there is no greeting from the Holy Spirit. This was inspired by God! Is it possible that this is evidence that there is no other personality? Little by little, it keeps adding up. We need to see this with our own eyes—the Holy Spirit is ignored every time the God Family is mentioned. Father and Son—yes. Holy Spirit—no.

With a few variations in words, every apostle ignores the Holy Spirit. Would it not be gross insubordination for them to recognize two in the highest offices in the universe and totally ignore the third? They did this because they did not know the Holy Spirit as a personality within the God Family because Jesus taught them no such thing. The Holy Spirit is the power God uses to direct and carry out His purposes within His creation.

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit




Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Titus 1:4:

Romans 1:7
1 Corinthians 1:3
2 Corinthians 1:2
Galatians 1:3
Ephesians 1:2
Philippians 1:2
Colossians 1:2
1 Thessalonians 1:1
2 Thessalonians 1:2
1 Timothy 1:1-2
Titus 1:4
Philemon 1:3
James 1:1
2 Peter 1:2
1 John 1:3


 
<< Titus 1:3   Titus 1:5 >>

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