The last series at Westwinds, covering the book of Titus, was taught entirely in the Pecha Kucha format. Each talk was exactly 6:40 long, and used 20 slides shown for 20 seconds. It took a tremendous amount of work to write and find rhyming images. Here’s the first 60 seconds of the talk I wrote on the first line of the book.
Paul begins his letter to Titus with one of the most peculiar opening lines of all time, describing himself as a “slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ”; which, I think, is short for “worse than God, better than you.”
Paul never pretends to be anything other than what he is. There’s no false modesty; neither is there any bravado—Paul sees himself in terms of his relationship with Jesus Christ.
The term slave is the Greek word doulos and refers to a servant who does their master’s bidding. A doulos could have been a paid servant, an imprisoned servant, or a servant on loan from another family; the point is that they performed tasks their master required and had no will of their own. Paul is saying he will do anything—anything!—God requires of him. Paul holds no personal agenda whatsoever. God may command him even to the point of death.
Alternatively, Paul also calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. That word, apostolos, means messenger or ambassador. It means Christ has sent Paul to share the truth about God, and there’s an implied authority (and threat!).
Paul isn’t interested in being challenged. He wants Titus and all associated churches to understand that God’s mission absolutely must be put into effect. No dickering. No excuses. No exceptions.