A Text centred rhetorical analysis of Paul's Letter to Titus

“By whose authority are you implementing these procedures?” or “Who gave
you command over us?” These kinds of questions are answered by the details
provided in verse 5. The concluding clause provides the authorisation for Titus
to fulfil his mandate. In this regard, the use of the first person personal
pronoun (ejgwv) together with the verb in the first person singular, dietaxavmhn,
is deliberately emphatic. Paul stresses that he is the one who has directed
Titus. Interestingly, the tense of the verb, namely aorist middle, points to a
time prior to that when Titus would have received this letter. These are
therefore not new directives. Although the verb diatavssw (1:5) is weaker in
import than the noun ejpitaghv in 1:3, it functions in the same way as the noun.
This is an instance of the use of synonyms for emphasis and to fascilitate
intra-sectional cohesion. Paul’s authority derives directly from God while that
of Titus comes indirectly from the apostolic directive. In other words, there is a
hierarchy of command where authority flows from the divine through the
apostle to Titus and ultimately to the local leaders. However, Paul’s choice of
language indicates that he does not consider his authority, in this instance, to
be equal with that of God. Hence, he directs (diatavssw) Titus, but God
commanded (katÆ ejpitaghvn) him, i.e. Paul. It remains to be asked, why Paul
would write in such a round-about manner. The apostle is perhaps adopting
an anticipatory stance in view of some opposition against the presence of
Titus. Already, we find in Crete teachers who were “upsetting whole
households” (1:11). Titus’ presence would not be amicably received within
such a context. The teachers, no doubt, held at least some degree of sway
among the congregations. The difference between them and Titus is a
significant one, as the salutation and verse 5 indicate: Titus represents
legitimate leadership, while those in Crete are illegitimate. At a different level,
the apostle is educating the Cretan believers about legitimate church
leadership. He is about to develop his lesson, by providing objective criteria to
ensure that the believers would be able to distinguish legitimate teachers from
those who presume to be teachers. By so doing, he is laying a foundation for
the appointment of leaders in the future, i.e. in the absence of apostles and
apostolic delegates.
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