3 chapters · 6 video commentaries · covered in 5 courses
Titus is a New Testament epistle presented as a letter from Paul to his associate Titus, whom he has left in Crete. It provides instructions for church organization, leadership qualifications, and proper conduct within the Christian community.
AuthorModern scholars widely consider Titus to be pseudepigraphical, meaning it was written under Paul's name by a different author decades after Paul's death.
WrittenLate 1st or early 2nd century CE.
GenrePastoral letter
AudienceAddressed to Titus, a Christian leader in Crete, and intended for the broader Christian communities he oversaw.
PurposeTo establish church order, appoint elders, and counter false teachings prevalent in the community.
Covered inAncient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Banned Books: The Apocrypha Edition · Earliest Christian Heresies · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube
What our scholars get into
Our commentary on Titus delves into why historical scholars, almost universally, consider it a non-Pauline letter, as Bart D. Ehrman explains, based on significant differences in writing style and theology compared to Paul's undisputed epistles. We explore how the letter depicts a developed church structure with explicit organizational hierarchy, outlining qualifications for bishops, deacons, and elders, which suggests a later date than Paul's lifetime (Earliest Christian Heresies). You'll also find discussions on the letter's prioritization of support for widows and virgins, establishing specific rules for their enrollment within the Christian community (Ancient Christianities), and how it addresses concerns about 'Jewish myths' and 'quarrels over the law' (The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible).
Introduction drafted from the lecture transcripts by AI, pending the team's edit.
The phenomenon of pseudepigrapha, or falsely attributed writings, is not exclusive to apocryphal texts but also appears within the canonical Bible. For instance, parts of the book of Daniel are believed to have been written later than the prophet Daniel's time, and several New Testament epistles, such as 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Peter, are widely considered by scholars to be written under the names of their purported authors rather than by them directly.
Summarized by AI · Banned Books: The Apocrypha Edition · Banned Books: The Apocrypha Edition · watch the clip
The Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus) are almost universally considered non-Pauline by historical scholars. Ephesians is also widely doubted. Colossians and 2 Thessalonians are more debated, with arguments for their non-Pauline authorship being more nuanced, though many scholars still conclude they are forgeries.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Faking It: Is the Bible Full of Forgeries? · watch the clip
Non-Pauline Letters in the New Testament
Of the 13 letters in the New Testament attributed to Paul, critical scholars generally believe six were not written by him. These include Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians, which are considered probably non-Pauline, and 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, which are considered even more probably non-Pauline. It is thought that these six letters were written by four different authors: one for Ephesians, one for Colossians (likely imitating the author of Ephesians), one for 2 Thessalonians, and a single author for 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How Apologists Use (and Misuse) Manuscripts · watch the clip
Courses that cover Titus
Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years
