Titus The Trouble Shooter Series

Somebody has to do the dirty work in life, and so all leaders need

men who are trouble shooters. George Washington needed one

when Benedict Arnold betrayed the colonies and escaped to the

British forces. Washington was angry and was determined to get

him back. He choose Sargent Major John Champe for the secret

and sensitive mission of deserting to the British and kidnaping

Arnold. Only Washington and Colonel Lighthouse Harry knew of

the plot. On Oct. 19, 1780 Champe deserted his company and fled.

It was very risky in that he could have been shot by his own men.

The British accepted him and put him in the Loyalist Legion

made up of other Americans who chose to be loyal to England in the

war. Benedict Arnold was its leader. Everything seemed to be going

smooth until the Loyalist Legion was ordered into battle in Virginia.

Champe was from Virginia and he refused to fight his own people,

and so he deserted again. Now he was a hunted man by both sides.

He eventually got back to Washington's headquarters and explained

the whole mess. Washington had no choice but to send him, his wife,

and his four children to a hideout in the wilderness. When the war

ended it was still not safe for him to return, for he was considered a

traitor by both sides, and could easily have been murdered. He was

moved to Kentucky, and it was not until long after his death that

congress in 1847 voted Champe a promotion for, "One of the most

courageous acts of the American Revolution."

As Champe was a champion who got little credit, so Titus was a

Titan, that is a giant of the faith, in the revolutionary march of

Christianity in the first century. Titus was a trouble shooter in the

war to prevent traitors from dividing the forces of the church, and

weakening their ability to win the world out of darkness into light.

Like Champe, he does not get much recognition because his

courageous acts of service are somewhat suppressed in the New

Testament record. In spite of the fact that he was one of Paul's

greatest friends and travelling companions, and in spite of the fact

that he is the most successful trouble shooter in the New Testament,

he is not even once referred to in the book of Acts. Some are

convinced that Titus was Luke's brother, and family modesty kept

Luke from recording the acts of his own brother. This, of course, is

merely a theory.

Had he not played a major role in solving the problems of the

church of Corinth we would hardly know who he was at all. The

church at Corinth was in great distress. There was strong division

and harsh criticism against Paul. The situation called for a trouble

shooter with gifts of wisdom and tact. It was a delicate mission and

Paul chose his friend Titus to tackle the job. He had earlier sent

Timothy, but he was young and lacked experience, so he next chose

Titus. He sent him with his first letter to the Corinthians, and he

was able to calm the troubled waters and bring back to Paul a good

report. Paul wrote II Cor. and sent Titus back with it. In that letter

we learn most everything we know about Titus. Paul refers to him 8

times in that letter. Here is an example from II Cor. 2:12-13.

"When I came to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ a door was

opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did

not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went

on to Macedonia."

No where do we find the Apostle Paul so troubled and restless

that he cannot stand still and preach the Gospel. He had to hear

from Titus, and until he did he could not concentrate on his

ministry. This is the only record we have of Paul failing to go

through an open door. When he got to Macedonia he received one

of the greatest blessings he ever recorded, for Titus was there, and

he had good news that was desperately needed. We read in II Cor.

4:5-6, "For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no

rest but we were afflicted at every turn-fighting without and fear

within. But God, who comforts the downcast comforted us by the

coming of Titus."

His coming was a great comfort because he had succeeded in

getting the Corinthians to repent and change their attitudes, and

become friendly with Paul again. Titus had been a successful trouble

shooter, for that was his gift to be a peacemaker. The Speaker's

Bible says of him, "He was much more a man of affairs than