Paul's letters to Titus and to Philemon address the unique challenges facing the New Testament church. First, Paul writes to Titus, giving him instructions for encouraging the spiritual growth of the fledgling churches that the two men had founded in Crete. Second, in a letter that Malcolm Maclean describes as "different from them all," Paul writes to Philemon, master of the runaway slave Onesimus, who had become a Christian through the imprisoned apostle's ministry. While both letters are brief, they deal with important matters for the church of all ages—leadership, dealing with false teachers, the Christian's attitude toward civil authorities, good works, forgiveness, and prayer. Above all, Maclean points readers to the sovereign grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in His church, both in Paul's day and in our own.