“and at the proper time manifested in His Word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior” (v3).
The term “breaking news” has gotten a bad rap in recent years. Before cable news started slapping it on everything that happens in Hollywood, breaking news was some incredibly critical new info that needed to hit the air immediately. TV newsrooms would scramble to be the first on the air with this urgent bulletin. Here in the opening lines of his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul writes that Jesus handed him the breaking news about God’s salvation and eternal life. Let’s call it Breaking Good News.
Everything he says in this verse is dependent upon what we read in verse two. God has been planning the glorious truth of eternal life with His people through Jesus before He even created time (Titus 1:2). This was classified information. Top secret. For God’s eyes only! At some point, the Trinity would release all the details of everlasting life through Christ. God leaked important details over thousands of years. In the garden (Gen 3:15). To Abraham (Gen 12:2-3). To David (2Sam 7:11-16). Through a series of handpicked prophets. Then God Himself made a personal appearance in Jesus and blew the doors off the joint. After His resurrection, Christ selected Paul to break the news that EVERYONE is invited into God’s salvation, not just the Jews (Acts 9:15). Everyone can experience a deep and eternal friendship with Jesus. Now THAT’S Breaking Good News!
Paul and his crew can’t get the news out fast enough. No TV. No radio. No interweb. They had to take their act on the road in order to get the word out. In this case, Titus is on the island Crete. It’s the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean and just south of Greece. At some point, the apostle and Titus spent time there telling folks about Jesus. Paul has moved on, possibly just across the water to Corinth. Titus has now taken the seat behind the anchor desk to continue this breaking news coverage.
We find out that God had a very specific timetable on releasing this amazing info. While the decision about eternal life for believers goes back before creation, He planned all along to reveal it “at the proper time” (v3). Just about every Bible translation uses the word “proper.” This is the Greek adjective idios, which means one’s own, personal, private, or belonging to someone. Think of it this way, God would break this news in His own time. This was on His timetable. Nobody would rush Him. Nobody could force Him. He would do it in His sweet time.
Is there anyone better to know the best time to break this news than God? He’s ALWAYS on time. Never late. Never early. Always. Right. On. Time. Yahweh has been working right on schedule for eternity. And why wouldn’t He? After all, He created time in the first place. Over and over and over, God’s Word tells us to wait on God’s timing. “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Is 40:31). We can be sure that God breaks His Good News at the proper time. “For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1Tim 2:6 emphasis added). You and I can ALWAYS trust God’s timing. He’s got a much better handle on the clock and calendar that we do.
Paul then lets us know a couple critical facts about the dissemination of the details. He’s breaking this Good News “through the preaching” (v3) of God’s Word. The man from Tarsus certainly is a prolific biblical author. God uses him to write at least 13 documents in the New Testament (I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that our man Paul had something to do with the book of Hebrews as well). But his primary assignment is as a preacher. Preaching the Good News of Jesus is the focus of all three missionary tours. He spent three years in Ephesus preaching and teaching about Jesus (Acts 20:31). Preaching is the primary means which God uses to communicate His truth. Jesus did a boatload of miracles but He spent most of His time before and after His resurrection preaching and teaching. Bible study is great. Worship music is important. But preaching is a priority.
The apostle tells Titus that his preaching assignment isn’t just something he dreamed up on his own. This is “by the command of God our Savior” (v3). In a note to the folks in Galatian church network, Paul made it VERY clear that the Good News he teaches “is not man’s gospel” (Gal 1:11). The resurrected Jesus broke the news to him personally (Gal 1:12). Christ didn’t suggest this assignment. He didn’t give Paul a list of choices. He gave the apostle an order. What has Jesus told you to do? What burden has He placed on your heart?
Paul says he’s under orders from “God our Savior” (v3). Savior is one of those words that’s just lost its oomph over the years. If you’ve spent anytime in Sunday School growing up, it just goes in one ear and out the other. It’s the Greek noun soteros. It means rescuer or deliverer. I think the best way to think of it is hero. God is the Hero who comes to rescue us when we have no way to rescue ourselves. Over and over in the letter, the apostle talks about our supernatural Superhero. “God our Savior” (v3; 2:10; 3:4). “Christ Jesus our Savior” (1:4). “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2:13). “Jesus Christ our Savior” (3:6). Paul wants us to be absolutely sure that we see Jesus as both our Hero but our God as well. Do you see Jesus as your Hero? Do you see Him as God?
Let’s call it Breaking Good News.
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