The above texts help tell a four-part story of how Paul was a spiritual ‘father’ to Titus—within the bond of their common relationship with their ‘Father God’ through Jesus. In our first glimpse of their relationship, we see how Paul acts as a spiritual father to someone from a minority culture along on a ministry trip. Coming from the multi-ethnic church in Antioch, Paul knows that Titus will face a great deal of social pressure in the Jerusalem ‘mother church’ that is dominated by Jewish values and practices.[i] So Paul goes with a prepared strategy. He meets privately with the top leaders in the church and lays out his theology and practice of inter-cultural ministry (Med.#28). To gain their support for Titus, Paul probably brings him along to this meeting—to give these leaders a chance to get to know him. He and Barnabas are also prepared to take a public stand with Titus (‘we’) and not yield to the social power of any ‘fake brothers’ who will insist on Titus becoming Jewish.

Eleven years later [‘Act 2, Scene 1’], we see Paul sending Titus, his ‘companion and co-worker’, to Corinth. For over two years, Paul has sought to help the believers there resolve the ‘mess’ in their church. After sending two letters (Med.#69), he sends Timothy and two other brothers (Med.#72). He even goes himself but ends up grieving over how they have still failed to confront ‘the many’ that keep on sinning and refuse to repent. By writing another very stern letter to them, and by sending Titus—instead of going again right away to sort them out himself—he demonstrates a second and third aspect of spiritual fatherhood. As a spiritual father to the Corinthian believers (Med.#69), he wants to ‘help’ them grow by ‘not exercising dominion over their faith’. He would rather give them time and space to start acting like strong joyful adult children, instead of like under-age ones dependent on powerful leaders (11:4-6, Med.#32)—even if it means ‘spending himself’ by carrying the burden of his ‘fears’ for them. And as a spiritual father to Titus, he gives him responsibility and authority to do more than just grow stronger as an adult ‘brother’ in Christ to Paul. He gives Titus the opportunity to ‘leave the same footprints’ as Paul—while walking in the Spirit in a very challenging situation—by helping other believers to grow stronger as adult sons and daughters of the Father too. In spite of his confidence in Titus, Paul still gives him support by sending a brother with him. The maturity and diplomacy of Titus are evident; for these believers—having taken Paul's stern letter seriously—now receive him with ‘fear and trembling’.

When Titus returns to report to Paul [‘Act 2, Scene 2’], he is so refreshed by being with the believers in Corinth—and encouraged by their repentance, their growth in faith and their love for Paul—that he volunteers to return. Sending Titus a second time before going himself [‘Act 2, Scene 3’] is also part of Paul's strategy. By empowering Titus and two other brothers to oversee the collection, he wants to minimize the use of his own social power so that the gift for Jerusalem is genuinely a ‘free-will offering’. At the same time he wants these three fellow apostles ‘of the churches’, and his own third visit to demonstrate the biblical injunction that: “Every word shall be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses” [ii].

In ‘Act 3’, we again see Paul ministering together with his ‘son’ on the island of Crete. When he leaves Titus there, though, he does this not only so Titus can appoint elders in each city, but also so Titus can again help all the believers grow to maturity as adult ‘heirs’ of the Father who have been justified by his grace through Jesus Christ ‘our Savior’. Titus is to teach all of them: to respect social rulers and authorities; to be gentle, considerate, and peaceful towards all human beings in words and actions; and to deal firmly with any ‘sectarian’ brothers and sisters. Why? Because all believers are called to imitate the ‘mercy’, ‘kindness’ and ‘fondness for human beings’ [Gr. phil-anthropia] that their Father showed in sending Jesus—in spite of humanity's wickedness. For many of the same negative ‘labels’ that we are prone to apply to others once applied to us too.

Lastly, in ‘Act 4’, we see Titus spending time with his spiritual father, during Paul's final imprisonment in Rome. Yet this bittersweet time illustrates two final, but difficult lessons. Spiritual fathers must not hold on to their ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’. Titus and Crescens, as adult sons of the Father, must follow the Spirit's leading to Dalmatia and Galatia respectively. Yet Paul must also grieve over and let go of Demas—a former ‘co-worker’ (Phlm.24; Col.4:14) who has left him and turned away from Christ. A spiritual father-son/daughter relationship in the Father's family can only be maintained when there is a bond of ‘common faith’ in Jesus (Tit.1:4).

Father God, thank you for the grace, mercy and peace that you give to me, a spiritual father, and also give to my spiritual sons and daughters: that as co-workers we may rejoice in each other's joy and that through them too many brothers and sisters may be fully equipped and of one mind as heirs in our common faith. And may we all demonstrate by our gentleness, peacefulness, and consideration for everyone: your saving kindness and fondness for all humanity which have appeared in Jesus Christ. (Tit.1:1,4; 3:2,4,5,7; 2 Cor.7:13; 8:23; 13:11)

[i] Through links in the detailed version of this meditation, members can check out these dates in several ‘chronologies’ of  the events in Paul’s life and ministry.

[ii] Acts 11:19-30. At this point in his narrative, Luke still identifies Paul by his Hebrew name, Saul. And the dominance of the Hebrew language and Jewish culture in the Jerusalem church is evident throughout the book of Acts (Act.6:1; 11:1-3; 15:1,5; 21:20-21).

[iii] Jesus relates this same text from the Torah (Deut.19:15) to situations that are similar to the one in Corinth (Mat.18:16, Med.#19).