The Church at Crete

The following is a section from my new book I'm working on. I delve into the churches that the apostle Paul writes to and why he wrote to them. Please enjoy.

Not much can be said about the church at Crete during the first century. However, Paul’s epistle to Titus seems to give us a little bit of insight to this group of believers. He left Titus there to build up the congregation there.

Crete is a small island in the Mediterranean just south of Greece. This means it was heavily influenced but Grecian culture. It’s not well known whether Paul, or someone else, started the congregation there. All we know about it is this epistle to his young Greek brother in Christ, Titus.

Clearly, Titus was living here at the time as Paul left him there during one of his journeys (1:5). They appear to be a newer church at the time as he seems to be laying a foundation for them after his initial greeting. One of Titus’ missions was to elect elders to the area. According to Paul, these men were to show certain qualities to even be considered for the role. He lays these out in verses 6-9. He then instructs Titus, and these men he ordains, to watch out for false teachers, among whom have a background in Jewish customs. He even quotes one of these false teachers in verse twelve who said “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”, to which he doesn’t deny (v 13). They were to rebuke these people and preach Jesus.

In the second chapter, Paul tells Titus to preach sound doctrine. This will show signs of a sound church. One where the older men are showing Godly qualities and also the older women show these same qualities to the younger generations. Teaching young women to “…love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (vs 4-5). Showing young men, and bondservants at the time, to be a pattern of good works and “…that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” (v. 10). When we show our good works to each other, the church grows.

Paul goes on to say that God’s grace that brings salvation, is for everyone (v. 11). How? By “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (vs 12-14). This is what every church should know.

Lastly, Paul reminds Titus once more the qualities the church there should have. They must “…to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men” (3:1-2). The followers of Jesus should appear different to the outside world. This is how we show them Jesus, when we are imitators of Him.

Paul tells Titus that we too, showed sign of being worldly, but that God showed us a better way. We were justified and made right with Him once again, by His grace “according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (vs 5-6). Once we were baptized, and washed of our sins, we were purified and brought back into a relationship with the Creator of the universe. What a refreshing thought to know we are in God’s hands now!

There isn’t much to know about the church at Crete other than Paul’s instructions through this man Titus. If they adhered to these commands though, they would have been a great congregation to be around. They would have had a loving family environment of older folks sharing their wisdom with the younger brethren. They would be subject to the elders there and displaying their good works to everyone they meet. And they would be sound and rooted in their faith enough to know when false teachers were knocking on their doors. They would be able to “avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless” (3:9). Paul was well informed in the law of Moses and since many here would have been familiar with the law too, they would have known that it was completed and fulfilled in Christ and His death. It is now through the blood of Christ that we are fulfilled in God.