book of titus chiastic structure

Read Titus 1-3 at Bible Gateway.

It turns out the book of Titus forms its own complete chiastic structure (please see the teaching tools of scripture if you are unfamiliar with chiastic structures):

Titus 1:1-3:15 chiastic structure:

1a) Tit 1:1-4, Paul’s greeting to Titus: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father + Lord Jesus Christ;

1b) Tit 1:5-9, I left you in Crete to set in order what is lacking + appoint qualified elders in every city;

1c) Tit 1:10-16, Rebuke the insubordinate/ do not heed Jewish fables, commandments of men/ the unbelieving mind;

1) Tit 1:10-14, Rebuke the insubordinate/ do not heed Jewish fables + commandments of men;
2) Tit 1:15-16, The unbelieving mind + conscience defiled/ profess God but deny Him in works;

1d) Tit 2:1-7, Speak sound doctrine + proper behavior for old + young, men + women;

1e) Tit 2:8-13, Sound speech + bondservants obedient to masters + grace of God appeared to all men;

1) Tit 2:8, Show yourself of sound speech that an opponent may have nothing evil to say of you;
2) Tit 2:9-10, Exhort bondservants to be obedient to masters, not answering back;
3) Tit 2:11-13, For the grace of God for salvation has appeared to all men/ live righteously/ blessed hope;

central axis) Tit 2:14, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed, and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works;

2e) Tit 2:15-3:7, Speak with authority + subject to rulers + love of God toward man appeared;

1) Tit 2:15, Speak these things with all authority and let no one despise you;
2) Tit 3:1-3, Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey … to speak evil of no one;
3) Tit 3:4-7, Love of God our Savior toward man appeared/ not by righteousness/ hope of eternal life;

2d) Tit 3:8, Affirm constantly + those who have believed in God should maintain good works;

2c) Tit 3:9-11, Reject the divisive/ avoid genealogies + striving re: Torah/ warped + sinning;

1) Tit 3:9-10, Avoid disputes + genealogies + strivings re: the Law/ reject the divisive;
2) Tit 3:11, For such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned;

2b) Tit 3:12-14, Come to me at Nicopolis + instructions to do with the church;

2a) Tit 3:15, Paul’s benediction to Titus: Grace be with you all. Amen.