TITUS, one of the companions of St Paul, was of Greek origin (Gal. ii. 3), and was perhaps a native of Asia Minor. He appears to have been among the apostle’s earliest converts, being first mentioned (Gal. ii. 1) as having accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (cf. Acts xv. 2) “to represent the success of the Pauline gospel outside Judaism.” Here the conservative section demanded that he should be circumcised; but Paul successfully opposed this (see Paul). Subsequently he came into close connexion with the Achaean churches and especially with Corinth, bearing letters from Paul and being charged with promoting the proposed collection for poor Christians in Judaea. In these matters he proved himself a trusty lieutenant, winning the esteem of the Corinthians by his zeal and disinterestedness. The liberality which a generation later was recognized by Clement of Rome as a traditional virtue of the Corinthian Church owed its inception to Titus. In the epistle with which his name is associated he is represented (Titus i. 5) as having been left by Paul in Crete to “ set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city.” He is expected afterwards to join Paul at Nicopolis (iii. 12). In 2 Tim. iv. 10 he is spoken of as having gone (perhaps on a mission) to Dalmatia. Tradition, obviously resting on the Epistle to Titus, has it that he died in Crete as bishop at an advanced age; another line connects him with Venice. Attempts to make him the author of the “We” sections in Acts and to include him in the seventy disciples are futile. There is more to be said for the suggestion that he was the brother of St Luke.
See A. Souter and E. P. Boys-Smith in The Expository Times, xviii. 285, 335, 380.