A Word to Live By: Paul’s Greeting to Titus

As we walk through the first four verses of this letter, in one sense we are simply reading the opening phrases of a traditional ancient correspondence. We see the letter’s author, the letter’s recipient, and the letter’s formal greeting. But packed into those standard structures are some powerful shaping realities about the purpose and identity and foundation of God’s people, including us today. This is a far cry from “To Whom It May Concern.” In addition, these four brief verses also provide the bones and themes of Paul’s full message, like a topical index of the content to follow.