… my true son in our common faith …
Summary: Paul’s reference to Titus as his ”son” in the faith opens up a door to understanding how God sees us spiritually and how we should see each other spiritually.
Have you ever noticed how some Christians refer to each other as “brother” or “sister?” Paul does something similar here. He calls Titus his “true son.”
Most of the references to “brother” and “sister” in the Gospel accounts refer to a literal sibling. These references are grounded in our human perspective. If someone is related to you by a common parent, they are a brother or a sister.
God, on the other hand, has a different perspective. This is one of the key aspects of the Bible that sets it apart from any other literary work in existence. The voice of God speaks from the perspective of one who sees humanity from a god-like perspective. By god-like perspective, I mean that the words God uses convey not only his meaning but also tell us about who he is.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include the story about Jesus, where his biological family comes asking for him. Jesus, surrounded by people who are not his biological family, has an unusual reaction. Mark describes it this way:
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
(Mark 3:31-35)
Those of us who do God’s will, that is those who love God above all else and their neighbor as themselves (Matthew 22:34-40), are the people Jesus considers family.
When Paul identifies someone who is a believer, he doesn’t see them as just another person. He sees them as Jesus does, as a member of a spiritual family — of God’s family. His model for doing this is Jesus himself.
Titus is someone that Paul has a close relationship with. The fact that he calls Titus “son” tells us a lot about their relationship. Paul is the older of the two. “Old enough to be his father,” as the saying goes. There is also an authority and a responsibility that comes with being someone’s father.
Paul would not have used this greeting if he didn’t know that Titus would accept it. Titus, then, understands that Paul, who is older than he is, is also spiritually responsible for him and to him. This speaks of a very deep bond between the two men. It suggests that Titus willingly accepts Paul not as an equal in the faith, but as someone who speaks for God.
There is one more possibility here. Paul’s reference to Titus as his son might reflect their history together. Paul may have been the one who brought Titus into the “common faith” he mentions. In this case, Paul very reasonably might see himself as the father of Titus when he was “born again.” (John 3:3)
Application: Relationships between believers require spiritual discernment.
Food for Thought: How do you know if someone is a brother or sister in our ”common faith?”
Thank you for the devotion today. If someone professes Christ and desires to follow Christ in fellowship with Him and His church, then I see them as a brother or sister in Christ. I realize that some may not be a true follower, but since I don’t have the capacity to judge that, I assume the best and leave the rest up to the One who knows better than I.
Thank you, Rich!
Well said. You definitely succeed at making people feel that they are welcome and part of the family.
One who has a sincere care for the well being of another is a true brother/sister in Christ. This well being would for both the physical AND spiritual needs. When these needs are not met, the true brother is compelled to comfort and aid their brother,
ROMANS 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.
Rob,
Your compassion for others shouts out your love for God.
How do you know if someone is a brother or sister in our ”common faith?”
Our God is absolutely AWESOME, I love the way He provides each of us with direction for His will in our lives. His ways are not our ways, and we must live in His ways if we are to experience a relationship with the one who has given us life.
Mark 3:35 is pretty clear, “ Whoever does the will of God.” This makes our task very simple. If they don’t do the will of God, their not our brother or sister, period. But then we read Mathew 7:1-5 “ Do not judge or you to will be judged “ Jesus tells us to look to ourselves, clean ourselves up before we decide to work on others. Then up pops 1 Corinthians 5:11 which tells us we are not to even eat with some who claim to be our brothers and sisters because of the way they act.
So now I need to go back to Gods Word.1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Love is patient, kind. Does not envy, nor boast, not proud, does not dishonor others, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs. Does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Only God knows the hearts of each person, and He has plenty of work to do with me. I need to focus on me, and allowing the love of God for all grow in my heart. If someone tells me they are a Christian, I will accept them as a brother or sister. If they invite my wife and I to their home and spend the evening getting drunk, we will stop going there. Christ in me will still love them, and I will speak with them about bible study, but will work on my sins, my obedience and relationship with with God, not theirs. In time they will either change or stop coming to worship services.
Mark 3:35, Matthew 7:1-5, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13:4-8,
Thank you Jeff for this one. I have been busy lately and I am trying to catch up. These comments make me smile because of the things the Holy Spirit has done through me.
Good to see you back, Tim! 🙂