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Paul - The Books of Titus, Philemon & Hebrews The Book Of Titus Written: Macedonia(?) Completed: c. 61-64 C.E. "Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ....to Titus, a genuine according to a faith shared in common." (Titus 1:1, 4) So begins Paul's letter to his coworker and long time associate, Titus, whom he had left on the island of Crete to organize the congregations better. Titus had a big task on his hands. This island, which was said to have been the ancient abode of "the father of gods and men," was the source of the saying, "to Crete a Cretan," meaning "to outwit a knave." (McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia, 1981 reprint, Vol II, pg. 564; The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 1958, pg. 306) The truthfulness of its people was proverbial, so that Paul even quoted their own prophet as saying: "Cretans are always liars, injurious wild beasts, unemployed gluttons." (Titus 1:12) The Cretans of Paul's day have also been described as follows: "The character of the people was unsteady, insincere and quarrelsome; they were given to greediness, licentiousness, falsehood and drunkenness, in no ordinary degree; and the Jews who had settled amoung them appear to have gone beyond the natives in immorality." (McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia, 1981 reprint, Vol. X, pg. 442) It was in just such an environment that the congregations of Crete had sprung up; and hence it was especially needful for the believers "to repudiate ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and Godly devotion." as Paul exhorted. The book of Titus itself gives very little information about the association of Paul and Titus. From the references to Titus in Paul's other letters, however, much information can be gleaned. Titus, who was a Greek, often accompanied Paul and on at least one occasion went up to Jerusalem with him. (Gal. 2:1-5) Paul refers to him as "a sharer with me and a fellow worker." It was Titus whom Paul had sent to Corinth after writing his first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus. While in Corinth, Titus was connected with the collection that was being made for the brothers in Jerusalem, and subsequently he went back at Paul's direction to complete the collection. It was on the return journey to Corinth from his meeting with Paul in Macedonia that Titus was used to carry the second letter from Paul to the Corinthians. (2 Cor. 8: 16-24; 2:13; 7:5-7) After his release from his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul was again associated with Timothy and Titus during the final years of his ministry. This appears to have included service in Crete, Greece and Macedonia. Finally, Paul is spoken of as going to Nicopolis, in northwest Greece, where he was apparently arrested and taken to Rome for his final imprisonment and execution. It was during the visit to Crete that Paul had left Titus there to "correct the things that were defective and ...make appointments of older men in city after city," in harmony with the instructions he had given him. Paul's letter appears to have been written shortly after he left Titus in Crete, most likely from Macedonia. (Titus 1:5; 3:12; 1Tim. 1:3; 2Tim. 4:13, 20) It seems to have served a purpose similar to that of First Timothy, namely, to encourage Paul's colabourer and to give him authoritative backing in his duties. Paul must have written the letter sometime between his first and second imprisonment at Rome, or about 61 to 64C.E. The weight of evidence for the authenticity of the letter to Titus is the same as for the contemporary letters to Timothy, the three Bible books often being termed Paul's "pastoral letters." The style of writing is similar. Irenaeus and Origen both quote from Titus, and many other ancient authorities also testify to the book's canonicity. It is found in the Sinaitic and Alexandrine Manuscripts. In the John Rylands Library there is a papyrus fragment, P32, which is a codex leaf of about the third century C.E. containing Titus 1:11-15 and 2:3-8 (The Text of the New Testament, by Kurt and Barbara Aland, translated by E.F. Rhodes, 1987, pg. 98) There is no question that the book is an authentic part of the inspired Scriptures. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Book Of Philemon Written: Rome Completed: c. 60 - 61 C.E. This very tactful and loving letter of Paul is of great interest to Christians today. Not only is it the shortest epistle preserved from the hand of the "apostle to the nations" but in the whole Bible only 2 and 3 John contain less material. Also, it is the only "private" letter of Paul, in that it was not addressed officially to a congregation or a responsible overseer but was addressed to a private person and dealt solely with the special problem Paul wanted to discuss with this Christan brother, the apparently well-to-do Philemon, who lived in the Phrygian city of Colossae, in the very heart of Asia Minor. (Rom. 11:13) The purpose of the letter is clearly revealed: During his first imprisonment in Rome (59-61C.E), Paul had great freedom to preach the Kingdom of God. Amoung those who listened to his preaching was Onesimus, a runaway slave from the household of Philemon, Paul's friend. As a result Onesimus became a Christian, and Paul decided, with Onesimus' consent, to send hm back Philemon. It was at this time, also, that Paul wrote letters to the congregations in Ephesus and Colossae. In both of these letters, he gave good counsel to Christian slaves and slave owners on how to conduct themselves properly in this relationship. (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22-4:1) However, over and above this, Paul composed a letter to Philemon in which he personally pleaded in behalf of Onesimus. It was a letter written with his own hand - an unusual thing for Paul. (Phil. 19) This personal touch added greatly to the weight of his plea. The letter was most likely penned about 60-61C.E., as Paul had apparently preached in Rome long enough to make converts. Also, because he expresses hope, in verse 22, of being released, we can conclude that the letter was written after some time of his imprisonment had elapsed. It appears that the three letters, one for Philemon and those for the congregations in Ephesus and Colossae, were dispatched with Tychicus and Onesimus. (Eph. 6:21, 22; Col. 4: 7-9) That Paul was the writer of Philemon is evident from the first verse, where his is mentioned by name. He was acknowledged as such by Origen and Tertullian. (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, edited by G.W. Bromily, Vol. 3, 1986, pg. 831) The authenticity of the book is also supported by its being listed, with others of Paul's epistles, in the Muratorian Fragment of the second century C.E. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Book of Hebrews Written: Rome Completed: c. 61 C.E. Paul is best known as the apostle "to the nations," but was his ministry confined to the non-Jews? Not at all! Just before Paul was baptized and commissioned for his work, the Lord Jesus said to Ananias: "This man (Paul) is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel." (Acts 9:15; Gal. 2:8+9) The writing of the book of Hebrews was truly in line with Paul's commission to bear the name of Jesus to the sons of Israel. However, some critics doubt Paul's writership of Hebrews. One objection is that Paul's name does not appear in the letter but this is really no obstacle, as many other canonical books fail to name the writer, who is often identified by internal evidence. Moreover, some feel that Paul may have deliberately omitted his name in writing to the Hebrew Christians in Judea, since his name had been an object of hatred by the Jews there. (Acts 21:28) Neither is the change of style from his other epistles any real objection to Paul's writership. Whether addressing pagans, Jews or Christians, Paul always showed his ability to "become all things to people of all sorts." Here his reasoning is presented to Jews as from a Jew, arguments that they could fully understand and appreciate. (1 Cor. 9:22) The internal evidence of the book is all in support of Paul's writership. The writer was in Italy and was associated with Timothy. These facts fit Paul. (Heb. 13:23+24) Furthermore, The doctrine is typical of Paul, though the arguments are presented from a Jewish viewpoint, designed to appeal to the strictly Hebrew congregation to which the letter was addressed. On this point Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 6, pg. 681, says concerning Hebrews: "That it was written to Jews, naturally such, the whole structure of the epistle proves. Had it been written to the Gentiles, not one in ten thousand of them could have comprehended the argument, because unacquainted with the Jewish system; the knowledge of which the writer of this epistle everywhere supposes." This helps to account for the difference of style when compared with Paul's other letters. The discovery in about 1930 of the Chester Beatty Papyrus No. 2(P46) has provided further evidence of Paul's writership. Commenting on this papyrus codex, which was written only about a century and a half after Paul's death, the eminent British textual critic Sir Frederic Kenyon said: "It is noticeable that Hebrews is placed immediately after Romans (an almost unprecedented position), which shows that at the early date when this manuscript was written no doubt was felt as to its Pauline authorship." (The Story Of The Bible, 1964, pg. 91) On this same question, McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia states pointedly: "There is no substantial evidence, external or internal, in favour of any claimants to the authorship of this epistle except Paul." (1981 reprint, Vol VI, pg. 147) Apart from the book's acceptance by the early Christians, the contents of Hebrews prove that it is "inspired of God." It continually points the reader toward the Hebrew Scripture prophecies, making numerous references to the early writings, and show how these were fulfilled in Christ Jesus. In the first chapter alone, no less than seven quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures are used as the point is developed that the is now superior to the angels. It constantly magnifies Jehovah's Word and His name, pointing to Jesus as the Chief Agent of life and to God's Kingdom by Christ as mankind's only hope. As to the time of writing, it has already been shown that Paul wrote the letter while in Italy. In concluding the letter, he says: "Take note that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes quite soon, I shall see you." (Heb 13:23) This seems to indicate that Paul was expecting an early release from prison and hoped to accompany Timothy, who had also been imprisoned but who had already been released. Thus, the final year of Paul's first imprisonment in Rome is suggested as the date of writing, namely, 61C.E. During the time of the end of the Jewish system of things, a period of crucial testing came upon the Hebrew Christians in Judea and especially on those in Jerusalem. With the growth and spread of the Good News, the Jews were becoming bitter and fanatic in the extreme in their opposition to the Christians. Only a few years earlier, the mere appearance of Paul in Jerusalem had stirred up a riot, with the religious Jews screaming at the top of their voices: "Take such a man away from the earth, for he was not fit to live!" More than 40 Jews had bound themselves with a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they had done away with him and it required a strong of heavily armed troops to bring him down by night to Caesarea. (Acts 22:22; 23:12-15; 23+24) In this atmosphere of religious fanaticism and hatred of Christians, the congregation had to live, preach and keep themselves firm in the faith. They had to have sound knowledge and understanding of how Christ fulfilled the Law that they might keep from falling back to Judaism and its observing of the Mosaic Law with the offering of animal sacrifices, all of it now nothing more than empty ritual. No one was better able to understand the pressure and persecution to which the Jewish Christians were exposed than the apostle Paul. No one was better equipped to supply them with powerful arguments and refutations of Jewish tradition than Paul, the former Pharisee. Drawing on his vast knowledge of the Mosaic Law, learned at the feet of Gamaliel, he presented incontestable proof that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, its ordinances, and its sacrifices. He showed how these had now been replaced by far more glorious realities, bringing inestimably greater benefits under a new and better covenant. His keen mind lined up proof after proof in clear and convincing array. The end of the Law covenant and the coming in of the new covenant, the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Aaronic priesthood, the real value of Christ's sacrifice compared with the offerings of bulls and goats, the entry of Christ into the very presence of Jehovah in the heavens rather than into a mere earthly tent - all these strikingly new teachings, hateful in the extreme to the unbelieving Jews, were here presented to the Hebrew Christians with such abundant evidence from the Hebrew Scriptures that no reasonable Jew could fail to be convinced. Armed with this letter, the Hebrew Christians had a new and powerful weapon to stop the mouths of the persecuting Jews, as well as a persuasive argument with which to convince and convert honest Jews seeking God's truth. The letter shows Paul's deep love for the Hebrew Christians and his burning desire to help them in a practical way in their time of great need. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Understanding that Hebrews is written specifically to the Jews helps us to understand the so called conflict between the books of Hebrews and James. The one saying that no work of the Law can save a man and the other telling us that faith is nothing without works. One can then easily understand that Hebrews is talking of the defunct Mosaic covenant and James is talking of the proof of faith being through actions and not words. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As always, I hope that you love these explanations of the situations in which the Bible books were written and that it helps you gain insight in your studies. Yours, Katidid. |
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