After challenging Titus to deal with false teachers, promoting sound doctrine, the responsibilities of the elders, young men, older women, and slaves, he closes his letter with how Titus is to remind and teach.  Chapter 3 is a recap in a way as well as new challenges for Titus. Paul does not stop challenging everyone around him until the very end of his letters and his life! “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”  Obviously, Paul had never run for…

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness – a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.” I was in Silicon Valley this week meeting with geneticists, venture capitalists, and people who are thinking about, among other things, the ethics of how technology and science are creating futures that are both wonderful…

We don’t hear much about doctrine today. I’m not sure I heard much about doctrine when I was growing up. We knew we were Baptists and thought we knew what that meant but didn’t. We learned our doctrine from our hymns. We knew about propitiation from “Washed in the Blood” and “Nothing but the Blood”. We knew about the sacrificial death of Jesus from “The Old Rugged Cross”. We knew about forgiveness from “Just As I Am” and about grace from “Amazing Grace”. In their defense the influence of those songs has lasted for a lifetime. I’ve heard thousands of sermons and Sunday School lessons but it’s “It Is Well…