Titus for Crete

One ship dey move comot from one harbour wey get plenty rock. For di shore, one man stay behind, dey watch am as e dey go. Dem don give am one big island, few young churches, and one letter of instructions.

Crete na one long island wey get plenty mountains for di Mediterranean Sea, south of Greece, with towns and villages everywhere. Christians don begin gather for plenty of dem. But di churches dey new and dem never settle. Some people dey cause trouble, dey talk plenty and dey teach things wey no be true. Paul don work there with im helper wey e trust, Titus, one Greek believer wey don travel with am for years. When Paul move on, e leave Titus behind to finish di work. Then e send am one letter.

Paul open di letter as e remind Titus wetin everything dey for. E be servant of God, e talk, for di faith of God chosen people, and for dem to know di truth, for di hope of eternal life, wey God, wey no fit lie, promise before di world begin. Then e go straight to di matter. Na why I leave you for Crete, Paul talk. To arrange wetin remain wey never finish, and to appoint elders for every town, as I direct you. Dem need leaders, for every town, so dat every small church go get person wey go care for am and teach am. But no be any person fit do am.

So Paul describe how good leader dey look. See say e no ask for person wey get sense pass everybody, or wey rich, or wey people like. E ask about character. Elder must dey without blame, faithful for im marriage, with family wey dey for order. E no go dey proud. E no go dey vex quick. E no go be drunkard, e no go dey fight, e no go dey greedy for money. Instead, e must dey welcome visitors, love wetin good, get sense, dey fair, holy and control imself. And e must hold firm di message wey people fit trust, so dat e go fit encourage people with correct teaching, and correct di people wey dey oppose am. For one place where some people dey stir trouble, Titus need leaders wey dem life match dem words.

Then Paul turn to di whole church family. Teach wetin fit correct doctrine, e tell Titus. And e go through di generations, one by one. Older men suppose dey steady, worthy of respect, get sense, strong for faith, for love and for patience. Older women suppose live for di way wey dey honour God, no dey gossip, and dey teach wetin good, so dat dem go fit train younger women to love dem husbands and children. Encourage di younger men make dem control demselves. And then Paul talk to Titus imself. For everything, show dem example by doing wetin good. For your teaching, show integrity and seriousness, and talk for di way wey nobody fit find fault, so dat anybody wey dey oppose you go shame, because e no get any bad thing to talk about us. For one difficult island, di best argument for di gospel na one church of people, young and old, wey dey live good life together.

Crete show for di New Testament more than once. For di day of Pentecost for Jerusalem, people from Crete dey among di crowd wey hear di apostles dey talk for dem own languages. And for Paul journey to Rome as prisoner, im ship hide for one harbour for Crete wey dem dey call Fair Havens, before storm drive am go inside di sea.

Titus for Crete. You go find Paul instructions for Titus chapter one, verse one to nine, and chapter two, verse one to eight. God church dey grow strong through people wey get good character, of every age, wey dey show other people di way. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who be example of good living for you, and who fit dey watch your own example?