Titus 1:1
1 Paul [Paulos], a servant [doulos] of God [theos], and [de] an apostle [apostolos] of
Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos], according to [kata] the
faith [pistis] of God's [theos] elect [eklektos], and [kai] the acknowledging [epignosis] of the truth [aletheia] which [ho] is after [kata] godliness [eusebeia]; KJV-Interlinear
1 Paul, a bond-servant of God,
and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the
knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, NASB
Paul identifies himself
as the writer of this letter.Paul was
once known by his Hebrew name, Saul.
Paul is his gentile (Roman) name.
He is commonly referred
to as the messenger, the missionary of the gospel and scripture, to the gentiles.
The timeline of Pauls life is not specifically known, but most agree that
his conversion to Christianity came in the mid 30 s A.D., perhaps around 35
A.D., when Jesus Himself confronted him while he was traveling along the road.
Prior to his Christian life,
Paul was known as Saul, as he pursued the persecution of Christians in the name
of good in behalf of the Levitical Priesthood.
Once he came face to
face to Christ, Saul s life changed in a very dramatic way. And he subsequently became the most prominent
writer of the New Testament scriptures, and the one to whom even the other
apostles looked to for answers for understanding of the more complex Biblical
principles.
Paul identifies himself
as a slave, a voluntary slave as it were, of Christ. Having placed himself, and his entire life,
at Christ s disposal.
Pauls faith did not come in the flash of light he
witnessed along the road, but by the same means as faith comes to every new
believer.He listened and studied, and
learned doctrine all over again.Placing
his former views and understandings aside, and during the three years following
his conversion to Christianity, Paul studied intensely in a crash course of
doctrinal study.
Far too often people
have a tendency to retain their former beliefs and try to incorporate them into
their current studies.This only promotes
conflict, and difficulty in learning truth.
Faith comes through
believing, and knowledge comes through study, and godliness comes through
growth in ones spiritual life.It was
the same for Adam, for Paul, and is the same for you. They did not have any advantages with God,
any more so than you have now.
Every person who has
the breath of life in them, has the opportunity to
advance in their spiritual life just as far as they want to advance.
There is only one person
who can prevent ones advance, and that is ones self.
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