Here’s how to enjoy Titus and get the most out of it. First, you’ll notice that we’ve provided you with a lot of bonus content to help you contextualize the material. Read those. Study them. The “cobblestone” translation we’ve created takes the most faithful translations and puts them together with you in mind. The “midrash” is an expanded retelling we created to make sure you get the meaning behind Paul’s message. By reading both the midrash and the cobblestone, you will have confidence you understand what Paul intended.
But it’s not sufficient to read the material once and move on. You should study it. If you spent 30 minutes a day with this letter you will have mastered its content in two months. Don’t miss this opportunity. Read Titus in different translations. It takes less than 10 minutes to read the entire letter out loud. Compare and contrast what you read and what you hear, and ask God to change your heart.
After reading the letter – or portions of it – you should pray through it. This is a very simple, and very effective method of connecting with God. When you read a command, pray, “Lord help me to______.” When you read a caution, pray “Lord keep me from ______.” When Paul gives thanks, you should as well. When Paul expresses concern, join him by entrusting your cares to the Lord.
Finally – and most importantly – live this book. Even if you don’t aspire to a position of leadership in the church, you need to understand that the same practices that make good leaders make good Christians. Pursue love and godliness. Don’t wink at your sin, take it seriously and do things God’s way. Serve the Church, and take every opportunity to cooperate with God and heal the world