IV. Literary Characteristics

The tone of the epistle is personal and warm as illustrated by the use of pronouns: “my” (1:4), “us” (2:8), “we” (3:3), “me” (3:12), and “our” (3:14). As observed in other Pauline writings, Paul uses repetition, such as soundness (1:9, 13; 2:1, 2, 8) and good works (2:7, 14; 3:1, 8, 14); triads such as in 1:16; and emphatic summaries such as in 2:1, 15, and 3:8. When discussing deceivers (1:10-16) and divisive people (3:9-11), Paul’s tone is stern and demanding. As in the epistles to Timothy, Titus also has clear, succinct sections of Christian doctrine (2:11-14; 3:3-7), but Titus contains no poetry.