Titus 1

The apostle’s statement of his character, his hope, and his function, 1-3. His address to Titus, and the end for which he left him in Crete, 4,5. The qualifications requisite in those who should be appointed elders in the Lord’s church, 6-9. False teachers, 10,11. The character of the Cretans, and how they were to be dealt with, 12-14. Of the pure, the impure, and false professors of religion, 15,16.

Titus 1:1

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, —Paul begins this epistle by not only referencing his apostolic authority, but also stating his servitude to his Lord and Master. Though he was not one of the original twelve apostles, Galatians 2:7-9 shows that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.

according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;— God’s elect are God’s faithful children. They are those who have accepted the call of the gospel. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven (Mark 13:27). Paul’s ministry was one of stimulating faith in those who would accept the truth of God’s word. Godliness means giving God His due. God’s due is to worship and to obey Him.

Titus 1:2

In hope of eternal life, — Paul preached of the faithful Christian’s reward of eternal life in Heaven with God. This is not an empty hope but a hope with expectation. Having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15) .

which God, that cannot lie, —God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good (Numbers 23:19)? That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us (Hebrews 6:18): It is contrary to the very nature of God that He be untruthful.

promised before the world began; — Literally, before eternal times. God’s purpose was divinely fixed from eternity.

Titus 1:3

But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, —When God deemed that all things were ready, He delivered His word to the world through the preaching of the Gospel.

which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God—The Lord spoke directly to Paul on several occasions, (Acts 9:5,6; Acts 18:9,10; Acts 23:11). It is easy to see that Paul could have received his commandment to preach directly from God.

our Saviour—God is our Saviour by virtue of the gift of His Son on the cross of Calvary. Jesus the Christ is likewise our Saviour due to the perfect life that He lived while on Earth and thus becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Titus 1:4

To Titus,—Paul wrote this epistle to Titus but it is valid for Christians of every generation.

[mine] own son after the common faith: — It is likely that Paul converted Titus on his first missionary journey. Paul exhibits his great love for Titus both with this familial greeting and with the blessings that he sends which follow.

Grace,—Grace is that which God gives that has not been earned. Paul both begins and ends this letter by asking for grace upon Titus. Likewise, Paul greets Timothy and Philemon in the epistles written to each of these men.

mercy, — Mercy is the favor that God distributes when it is punishment that is deserved. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us (Ephesians 2:4).

[and] peace— Peace is the serenity of spirit that one has when he is in a right relationship with God. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1):

from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.—Paul is asking this threefold blessing of grace, mercy and truth to be bestowed upon Titus and his work everything that is good comes from God.

Titus 1:5

For this cause left I thee in Crete,— Paul had been working with Titus in Crete but left him behind with two tasks.

(1) that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, —Titus was to straighten out the things that were out of order, such as false teachers and misconceptions of the church.

(2) and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: —Titus was to assist in the task of establishing elders in the local congregations of the Lord’s church in Crete by teaching the church the proper attributes of godly leaders so that their growth could continue.

Titus 1:6

The following characteristics, other than those regarding marital or parental status, are characteristics that any faithful Christian should strive to possess.

If any be blameless,— This means that the elder is to be above reproach. He is not expected to be perfect but to live his life in such a way as to bring no condemnation upon himself, the church, or the office of the elders.

the husband of one wife,—This limits the office of the Bishop to men only. He is to be married to and devoted to one woman.

having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. — He is to have children who are Christians. His children will be a reflection upon his abilities to shepherd over the flock. This passage does not say how many children he is to have, nor does it answer the questions that some put forward concerning children who do not develop mentally. Genesis 21:7 says that Sarah gave children suck even though Isaac was her only child. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) .

Titus 1:7

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;— He must manage the affairs of the congregation righteously. A steward is one who has been given the charge of caring for that which belongs to another. The bishop will have to give an account before God, one day, regarding his leadership, guidance, and care of the church.

not selfwilled,— While he must stand firm in the faith, the elder must always be certain that it is not his own will but God’s which is his driving force.

not soon angry, — He must be in control of his temper. A man who is soon to anger is led by his emotions instead of his intellect.

not given to wine, — He is not to be a user of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is recognized as an evil and a bishop must not be given to its use. ASV says no brawler; the elder is to be a man who is in control of his emotions at all times unlike the person whose emotions are directed by his use of alcoholic beverages.

no striker, — He is not to be violent in nature. He is to be known as an even tempered person. Many a man attempts to lead by intimidation. The elder is not to be one who uses his fists to settle disputes.

not given to filthy lucre; —The bishop is not to be driven by a love of money, especially in the sense of dishonest gain. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows .

Titus 1:8

But a lover of hospitality, — He is to recognize the needs of others and have the desire to care for those needs. A hospitable person is one that loves the company of others and desires to spend time fellowshipping his brethren.

a lover of good men, —The ASV renders this passage –a lover of good. Therefore he is to be one that seeks out all that is good. He is virtuous and honest in his dealings with others. It is said that a man is known by the company that he keeps. This is particularly true of the elder.

sober, — He is of a sound mind. Not fickle in his views as is the manner of some. He will be able to apply logic and reason to situations as they arise. While this does not forbid humor, the elder will not be one who views life as one big joke.

just, —So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just (Matthew 13:49). The bishop will be fair and impartial in his dealings with others.

holy, — He will be devoted to God. Be ye holy; for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). He will take the lead in maintaining the sanctity of the Lord’s church.

temperate; —And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things(1Colossians 9:25) . He is prudent and far sighted. He exercises good judgment and control his desires and passions.

Titus 1:9

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, —He is not only to be well educated in God’s word, but he is to cling to that word. It is not enough that he is able to quote scriptures but he is to cling to those words. His life should reflect the teachings of our Lord.

that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. —He is to encourage and uplift the believers and also help the doubters to see the truth. This he is to do by teaching from God’s word and also by the example of the life that he leads. The Gainsayer is one who is in it for his own personal gain, whether it be financial societal or religious gain.

Titus 1:10

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, —In his life and work there will be many who challenge the truths of God’s word. The elder is to be equipped and ready to answer those challenges. The vain talkers words are empty.

specially they of the circumcision: —There was evidently a known problem with Judaizing teachers in Crete. Paul was warning Titus to be wary of these problems and to watch for them.

Titus 1:11

Whose mouths must be stopped, —-literally, “muzzled,” or “bridled” as an unruly beast. It was necessary for Titus to stop the false teachers. Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee (Proverbs 4:24) .

who subvert whole houses, — Families were being led away from Christ in their entirety by these false teachers. Paul’s exhortation was for Titus to get a grasp on this situation before too much damage could be done.

teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. —These false teachers were more interested in what they could get out of people than what they could give them.

Titus 1:12

One of themselves, [even] a prophet of their own, said, —This is a reference to the Cretan poet, Epimenides who lived about 600 B.C. It is a hexameter line and Callimachus quoted the first part of it in a Hymn to Zeus. It is said that Epimenides suggested to the Athenians the erection of statues to “unknown gods”.

The Cretians [are] alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. — Epimenides describes the Cretans as habitual liars, lazy, gluttonous, and vile. The Cretans had a bad reputation for lying, partly due to their claim to having the tomb of Zeus. Slow bellies or idle gluttons as the ASV reads give the picture of the sensual gormandizer.

Titus 1:13

This witness is true. — Paul confirms this particular testimony of the Cretan Epimenides. What Epimenides said of them nearly 600 years before continued still to be true. Their original character had undergone no moral change.

Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; —Paul demonstrates his love for the Cretans and instructs Titus to straighten them out. A sharp rebuke is sometimes necessary to get the attention of those who are oblivious to the danger ahead of them. It should always be remembered that even the vilest citizens of this world have a need for the gospel to be brought to them. The best way to eliminate an enemy is to make him an ally in Christ.

Titus 1:14

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. —Jewish fables had been taught for many years and had displaced the commandments of God. Titus was to bring these false teachers to the truth so that they would turn away from these fables. They must turn to the truth for only the truth can make one free (John 8:32)

Titus 1:15

Unto the pure all things [are] pure:—Jesus said, Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). In the “Jewish fables” just referred to were rigid regulations concerning foods and purifications. Hence Paul adds, “It is not food that makes one impure. To the pure all things are pure. When one is unbelieving and defiled, no food can make him pure”.

but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. —When a man has an impure heart he has impure thoughts. When his thoughts are impure, his mind and conscience is defiled. When his mind and conscience is defiled his actions will be impure and nothing about him will be pure. The conscience has been likened to the umpire in a baseball game. It calls the play “safe” or “out” based on the rules that it has been taught. Therefore the conscience must be properly taught so that it can be a guide for the Christian to follow.

Titus 1:16

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. —There are many who profess to be servants of God but fail to obey His commands. Their actions and lives expose them for the unprofitable servants that they are. Abominable means offensive and repulsive. They are abominable because they are disobedient. Their disobedience renders them unfit for every good work.