In Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected the gospel. Verse 46 says, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (lit.). Verse 48 says, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” The reason these Gentiles could receive the word of the Lord and believe is that they were destined, even predestinated, to believe in Christ. Likewise, we who believe in Christ today are God’s chosen ones.

In Titus 1:1 Paul does not speak of the faith of the believers, but of the faith of God’s chosen ones. By so doing he indicates that the initiative for believing in Christ comes from God, not from us. Because God has chosen us to believe in Christ, we have come to believe in Him. Paul was an apostle according to the faith of God’s chosen ones. He had this faith, and we have it also. Through faith Paul was brought into the organic union with the Triune God, and in this way he could receive the supply of eternal life.

Paul could stand against the Roman Empire not because he was strong or capable in himself, but because he had received eternal life. He was an apostle according to this eternal life, the eternal life which he received through the faith which brought him into an organic union with the Triune God.

We have pointed out that Paul also says that he became an apostle according to the full knowledge of the truth. Again and again we have seen that the truth in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus denotes the reality of the contents of God’s New Testament economy. We should have not only the faith of God’s chosen ones, but also the full knowledge of the truth. We have the faith to bring us into the organic union, and we have the full knowledge of the truth of God’s New Testament economy. This means that we know Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the Body of Christ.

Actually Paul’s apostleship involved four factors: God’s command, eternal life, faith, and the full knowledge of the truth. Because of these four elements, Paul was one who troubled religion. He was even called a pestilent fellow, a troublemaker. Of these four elements, two are on God’s side-the command and the eternal life-and two are on our side-faith and the full knowledge of the truth. When we first believed in the Lord Jesus, we had faith, but we did not have the full knowledge of the truth. Praise the Lord that in His recovery we have the full knowledge of the truth!

Titus 1:2 says that eternal life was “promised before times eternal.” This indicates that the promise was not given directly to the chosen ones. Rather, the promise was made by the Father to the Son in eternity. John 17:2 seems to refer to this: “Even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.” By receiving eternal life the believers, who were given to the Son in eternity, become His brothers. Hebrews 2:11 refers to the brothers of Christ: “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers.” Because the promise of eternal life was made by the Father to the Lord Jesus in eternity, the Bible says that God chose us in Christ. God did not choose us directly; He chose us in Christ. In like manner, the promise of eternal life concerning us was given to Christ. Thus, in the Son we now receive this promise.

According to verse 3, God not only promised eternal life before times eternal, but “in its own times has manifested His word in the proclamation.” The eternal life was promised by the Father to the Son; however, what God the Father has manifested is not eternal life, but His word. By reading verses 2 and 3 carefully, we see that the word manifested is the equivalent of the eternal life promised. Paul does not say that God promised eternal life and then manifested this eternal life. He says that God promised eternal life and then manifested His word. Therefore, God’s word is eternal life. If His word is not the eternal life directly, it is at least the means of conveying eternal life. In our experience we have eternal life through the word.

The expression “its own times” refers to the times related to eternal life mentioned in verse 2. God promised eternal life through the Son concerning us in eternity, but the proclamation was made in different ages and at different times. God manifested His eternal life in His word by preaching, that is, by proclamation. This proclamation was made in Asia Minor at one time and in Europe at a different time.

Paul here does not say that eternal life was manifested by the preaching of the gospel. Instead, he speaks of times, the word, and the proclamation. The eternal life promised was manifested at different times by proclamation, by the preaching of the gospel. This manifestation first took place on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Later the proclamation went to Antioch, Asia Minor, and Europe. Centuries later this proclamation reached China. Therefore, “its own times” denotes the various times God’s word is manifested in the preaching of the gospel. Paul was entrusted with this proclamation according to the command of our Savior God.
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