Titus 1

Titus 1:1-4

The Salutation – Titus 1:1-4 is called the salutation of Paul’s letter to Titus and is found in all thirteen of Paul’s New Testament epistles and is used as an introduction to his letters. Paul wrote his salutations as a signature of authenticity (2 Thessalonians 3:17) just like we place our signature today at the end of a document. He may have written entire epistles as indicated in Philemon 1:19. However, there are indications in six of his epistles that Paul used an amanuensis to write most of his letters (see Romans 16:22, 1 Corinthians 16:21, Galatians 6:11, Colossians 4:18, 2 Thessalonians 3:17, Philemon 1:19). 2 Thessalonians 3:17, “The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.” Titus 1:14 is the opening salutation of Paul with a clear emphasis upon the office and ministry of God the Father. The Salutation Reflects the Theme of Titus – The opening verses of most books of the Scriptures introduces its theme. Thus, we are able to find references to the theme of the epistle of Titus in its opening salutation (Titus 1:1-4). In this letter Paul charges Titus with the commission of setting in order the churches planted in Crete. Paul tells Titus that his apostleship is related to establishing faith in God’s elect people (Titus 1:1) to establish them in their hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2). In this opening salutation Paul humbly declares himself as a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ “in accordance to” God the Father’s redemptive plan (Titus 1:1 a). This plan of the Father is to (1) establish faith in the heart of God’s elect (Titus 1:1 b), (2) which establishes the love walk, or sanctification, through the teaching of God’s Word, which is according to a godly lifestyle (Titus 1:1 c), (3) all for the purpose of establishing a believer’s hope in eternal life (Titus 1:2). Paul fulfills God the Father’s redemptive plan by preaching His Word (Titus 1:3). He will delegate this same duty to Titus, who is to teach God’s Word to the churches planted in Crete. Therefore, Paul tells Titus to elect godly leaders (Titus 1:5-16), hand over to them sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-15) which establishes godly conduct among the believers (Titus 3:1-7), and all for the purpose of bringing these believers into their blessed hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus. This opening salutation has a clear emphasis upon the office and ministry of God the Father. While Titus emphasizes the Father’s role in using His servants to teach His elect the Word, 1 and 2 Timothy emphasize the evangelistic role of His servants in bringing men to a saving knowledge of Jesus, and Philemon illustrates the pastor’s role in leading a local congregation in the love walk by his example of receiving a former slave back into his church. Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; Titus 1:1 — “a servant of God” - Word Study on “servant” – BDAG says the Greek word “servant” (δοῦλος) (1401) means “a slave.” The opposite of δοῦλος (slave) is ἐλεύθερος (free). Paul uses δοῦλος to describe himself on four occasions in his epistles (Romans 1:1, Galatians 1:10, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1). Romans 1:1, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” Galatians 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Philippians 1:1, “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:” Titus 1:1, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;” Comments - Leviticus 25:39-40 makes a distinction between a hired servant and a bondservant (slave). Leviticus 25:39-40, “And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee:” Comments - One reason why Paul uses the phrase “servant of Jesus Christ” often in his epistles is because many Old Testament people used this word in their relationship to God: Abraham: Genesis 26:24, “And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.” Job: Job 42:7-8, “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.” Moses: Joshua 1:1, “Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,” Samuel: 1 Samuel 3:9, “Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.” David: 2 Samuel 3:18, “Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.” 2 Kings 19:34, “For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.” Solomon: 1 Kings 3:9, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” Elijah: 2 Kings 9:36, “Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:” Hezekiah: 2 Chronicles 32:16, “And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.” Israel and Jacob: Isaiah 44:21, “Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.” Daniel: Daniel 6:20, “And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Zerubbabel: Haggai 2:23, “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.” Jesus: Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.” Isaiah 53:11, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Paul became a servant at his conversion in Damascus (Acts 9:1-22), although Ananias prophesied of his future divine calling unto the nations. He spent about fourteen years evangelizing Damascus and the regions of Syria and Cilicia prior to being sent out with Barnabas as an apostle. Notice that Paul calls himself a servant before declaring himself an apostle. The Greek language often lacks our familiar word order of Subject-Verb-Object. Instead, the Greek places words in the order of their emphasis, or the order of importance to the thought being presented. Because Greek is so highly inflected, there is little or no confusion when distinguishing between the subject and the object to its respective verb.Therefore, in Romans 1:1 we see Paul placing his servitude to Jesus Christ before his office of apostleship.

Paul’s anointing to walk as an apostle is in direct proportion to his servitude to his Master. In the natural world, no business manager is worthy of his hire who is not first willing to carry out the will of the business owner. This is because the authority to rule over man is always based upon one’s willingness to yield to a higher authority. Paul knew that the secret to walking in the anointing as a apostle was to daily crucify his own will and serve his Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Illustration - If anyone has ever had a servant that lived and worked in their home, they know that a servant is a person who abandons his own pursuits, and daily takes care of the pursuits and needs of the master. A servant does not have great plans for his own life. He literally gives his life so that the master’s goals and plans may be achieved. This is the heart of a servant. Illustration – I was trying to comfort my precious wife one morning while we were serving the Lord in the mission field. After fifteen years working overseas, having left wonderful opportunities and a comfortable life in the United States, she said that she felt like a prisoner. She could not do what she wanted to do. She had her own dreams that she did not pursue. I then reminded her of Paul’s description of himself in his epistles as a slave and even a prisoner of Jesus Christ. We talked about our feelings and concluded that life is very short, and all that we have gained in this world is left behind when we die.

Thus, we reconciled ourselves to our fate of serving the Lord at the cost of sacrificing our own will and desires. Paul must have felt the same on occasions, looking at his family and loved ones who were able to enjoy a normal lifestyle, and stable home, and the many comforts that a home and family brings to one’s life. While in the mission field planting churches in the Greco-Roman cities teaming with slavery, Paul identified himself with the life of a slave. While in prison, he called himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ. He gave himself daily to the will of God, often laying aside his own desires. (4 October 2012) Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2 — “that cannot lie” – Comments - Paul had sent Titus to Crete, which people had embraced the polytheistic teachings of Greco-Roman mythology. Paul contrasts the teachings of God’s Word, which will be Titus’ charge and duty in this epistle, to the lies of heathen mythology. Titus 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; Titus 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. Titus 1:4 — “To Titus” – Comments - Titus was a Gentile convert, a Greek, from Antioch, whose name appears in only three other Pauline epistles (2 Corinthians, Galatians, and 2 Timothy). He is not mentioned at all in the book of Acts. (1) First Appearance - His outstanding character is demonstrated during his first appearance with Paul at the first Jerusalem Council (Galatians 2:1-3, Acts 15), where Paul used him to demonstrate that salvation was indeed for the Gentiles with no need for them to adhere to Jewish traditions. Paul won his argument that the Gentile churches should not be under Mosaic Law largely due to the fact that Titus was not forced to be circumcised, though he as accepted as a Christian by the church at Jerusalem. Paul’s description of him as his “mine own son after the common faith” most likely indicates that Titus was his convert. (2) Second Appearance - Titus remained loyal to Paul and joined him at Ephesus. We can conclude this because he is next seen in Paul’s second epistle to Corinthians, where he was sent to Corinth a number of times during Paul’s third missionary journey. We know that he is enlisted to prepare the believers there for the collection of the saints (1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 9:2; 2 Corinthians 12:18). Titus was again sent to help Paul straighten out the problems there some time after the writing of 1 Corinthians. We know that Paul was to depart from Ephesus and meet Titus at Troas upon his return from Corinth (2 Corinthians 2:12-13). Not finding Titus as Troas, Paul made his way into Macedonia where they finally met up (2 Corinthians 7:5-7).

Being greatly encouraged at that time by the testimony of Titus about the church at Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:6-7; 2 Corinthians 7:13-15) Paul then wrote his second epistle to the Corinthians and sent it by the hands of this co-worker (2 Corinthians 8:6-7; 2 Corinthians 8:16-22). Paul sent two men with him and gave them his strong recommendation as someone who could be fully trusted (2 Corinthians 8:23-24; 2 Corinthians 12:17-18). When Paul arrived at Corinth (Acts 20:1-3) he found the collection complete and the problems addressed; for Titus had done his job well. Thus, Titus is seen now as a loyal and trusted co-worker of Paul. (3) Third Appearance - Titus does not reappear again until Paul writes his Pastoral Epistles, a period of eight or ten years later. Apparently, upon release from his first Roman imprisonment Paul rushed through a fourth and final missionary journey, leaving Titus in Crete to set the churches in order (Titus 1:4-5). Titus must have been working some time in Crete in order to be given this assignment. But Paul’s instructions were for them to now meet in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), where it seems a further assignment would be delegated to him. (4) Four Appearance - The last words we read of Titus is found in 2 Timothy, where we are informed that Titus had departed for Dalmatia (2 Timothy 4:10). Thus, we can only guess that Titus may have been with Paul in Rome during his second imprisonment, and was sent on his final assignment by Paul. Extra-biblical References to Titus - We find some additional biographical information about Titus in the writings of the early Church fathers. According to Ignatius (A.D. 35-107), bishop of Antioch, Titus is said to have never married.[2] Eusebius (A.D. 260-340), the early Church historian, testifies of his office as bishop in Crete.[3] The Apostolic Constitutions (late 4th c.), a collection of ecclesiastical law that is believed to have been compiled during the latter half of the fourth century, gives us a list of the earliest bishops, stating that there was a man by the name of “Titus” who became the bishop of the church in Crete.[4] John Chrysostom (A.D. 347-407) believes Titus may have been a Corinthian,[5] and notes that Paul entrusted the entire island of Crete to him.[6] Paulinus of Nola (A.D. 353-431) places him in Crete.[7] Theodoret (393-466) calls Titus an apostle of Crete.[8] We find a eulogy to him in the writings of Andrew of Crete (c. A.D. 660 to 740).[9] Theophylact (11th c.) calls Titus the great bishop of Crete.[10] [2] Ignatius writes, “May I have pleasure in your purity, as that of Elijah, or as of Joshua the son of Nun, as of Melchizedek, or as of Elisha, as of Jeremiah, or as of John the Baptist, as of the beloved disciple, as of Timothy, as of Titus, as of Evodius, as of Clement, who departed this life in [perfect] chastity,” (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians 4). [3] Eusebius writes, “Timothy, so it is recorded, was the first to receive the episcopate of the parish in Ephesus, ? Titus of the churches in Crete.” (Ecclesiastical History 3.4.6). [4] The Apostolic Constitutions ways, “Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime, we let you know that they are these…of Crete, Titus.” (Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 7.4.46). [5] See Homilies on the Epistle of St. Paul to Titus: Homily I. [6] John Chrysostom writes, “If it should be asked why he addresses Epistles to Titus and Timothy alone, though Silas was approved, as also was Luke, for he writes, “Only Luke is with me,” and Clement was one of his associates, of whom he says, “with Clement and other my fellow-laborers,” for what reason then does he write only to Titus and Timothy? It is because he had already committed the care of churches to these, and certain marked ? places had been assigned to them, but the others were in attendance upon him.” (Homilies on the First Epistle of Paul to Timothy: Argument) He also says, “For Titus was one of the most admirable men, so that to him he intrusted the affairs of the island, no small island, I mean, but that great one of Crete.” (Homilies on the Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy: Homily 10) [7] Paulinus of Nola writes, “Parthia receives Matthew, India Thomas, Thaddaeus Libya, Phrygia Philip, Titus took Crete, doctor Luke Boetia, Mark Alexandria.” (Poema 19.80-84) See PL 61 col. 514A. [8] See Theodoret’s commentary on 1 Timothy 3 in PG 82 columns 803-812. [9] See Andrew of Crete’s eulogy to Titus in PG 97, columns 1141-1168. [10] See Theophylact’s Proem. Ad Titum in PG 125 columns 141-142.Church tradition says that Titus died peaceably in Crete, as archbishop of Gortyna, at the age of ninety-four.[11] Scholars cite de Vita et Actis Titi, which calls Titus the bishop of Gortyna, an ancient city of Crete.[12] Alfred Plummer tells us that during the Middle Ages the Cretans honored Titus “as their patron saint.”[13] Smith says that the ruins of an ancient church at this site still bear his name. [11] The traditional views of the life of Titus can be found in several books. See William Cave, “The Life of S. Titus Bishop of Crete,” in Apostolici: or The History of the Lives, Acts, Death, and Martyrdoms of those Who were Contemporary with, or Immediately Succeeded by the Apostles (London: Richard Chiswel, 1682), 55-63; S. Baring-Gould, “S. Titus,” in Lives of the Saints, vol. 1 (London: John C. Nimmo, 1897), 53-56. However, I find no citations from the Church fathers or modern commentators to support the popular statement that Titus dies at the age of ninety-four. [12] A translation of the fragment de Vita et Actis Titi or Acts of Titus, said to be written by the lawyer Zenas (cited by Smith in Fabrie. Cod. Apocry. N. T. ii. 831-832) can be found in Richard Adelbert Lipsius, Die Apokryphen Apostelgeschichen und Apostellegenden, vol. 3 (Braunschweig: C. A. Schwetschke und Sohn, 1884), 401-406. An English translation is available by Richard Pervo, trans., “The ‘Acts of Titus’: A Preliminary Translation With an Introduction, Notes, and Appendices,” Society of Biblical Literature: Seminar Papers, Number 35 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996): 455-482. [13] Alfred Plummer, The Pastoral Epistles: The Epistle to Titus, in The Expositor’s Bible, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1891), 209.Titus 1:4 — “mine own son after the common faith” – Comments - Paul’s description of Titus as his own son in the faith puts Titus in the role of a son subject to his father. This obligates him to obey the instructions given to him in this epistle written by his spiritual father. Titus 1:4 — “Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” – Comments (The Pauline Greeting) - J. Vernon McGee says the word “grace” in Paul’s greetings was a formal greeting used in Greek letters of his day, while the word “peace” was the customary Jewish greeting.[14] More specifically, John Grassmick says the Greek word χαίρειν was a common greeting in classical Greek epistles, so that χάρις was a “word play” that Paul began to use in conjunction with the Hebrew greeting “peace.”[15] Thus, Paul would be addressing both Greeks and Jews. However, Paul uses these same two words in his epistles to Timothy, Titus and Philemon, which weakens the idea that Paul intended to make such a distinction between two ethnic groups when using “grace” and “peace.” Perhaps this greeting became customary for Paul and lost its distinctive elements. A different view is proposed by James Denny, who explains the relationship of these two words as a cause and effect. He says that grace is God’s unmerited favor upon mankind, and the peace is the result of receiving His grace and forgiveness of sins.[16] In a similar statement, Charles Simeon says the phrase “‘grace and peace’ comprehended all the blessings of the Gospel.”[17] [14] J. Vernon McGee, The Epistle to the Romans, in Thru the Bible With J. Vernon McGee (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Pub., 1998), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 2.1c [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2000-2004), comments on Romans 1:1. [15] John D. Grassmick, “Epistolary Genre,” in Interpreting the New Testament Text, eds. Darrell L. Bock and Buist M. Fanning (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2006), 232. [16] James Denney, The Epistles to the Thessalonians, in The Expositor’s Bible, eds. William R. Nicoll and Oscar L. Joseph (New York: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d.), 15-16. [17] Charles Simeon, 2 Peter, in Horae Homileticae, vol. 20: James to Jude (London: Holdsworth and Ball, 1833), 285.Comments (The Pauline Blessing) - In a similar way that the early apostles were instructed by Jesus to let their peace come upon the home of their host (Matthew 10:13), so did Paul the apostle open every one of his thirteen New Testament epistles with a blessing of God’s peace and grace upon his readers. Matthew 10:13 shows that you can bless a house by speaking God’s peace upon it. Matthew 10:13, “And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.” This practice of speaking blessings upon God’s children may have its roots in the Priestly blessing of Num 6:22-27, where God instructed Moses to have the priests speak a blessing upon the children of Israel. We see in Rth 2:4 that this blessing became a part of the Jewish culture when greeting people. Boaz blessed his workers in the field and his reapers replied with a blessing. Rth 2:4, “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.” We also see this practiced by the king in 2 Samuel 15:20 where David says, “mercy and truth be with thee”. 2 Samuel 15:20, “Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.” So, this word of blessing was a part of the Hebrew and Jewish culture. This provides us the background as to why Paul was speaking a blessing upon Timothy, especially that God would grant him more of His grace and abiding peace that he would have otherwise not known. In faith, we too, can receive this same blessing into our lives. Paul actually pronounces and invokes a blessing of divine grace and peace upon his readers with these words, “Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” I do not believe this blessing is unconditional, but rather conditional. In other words, it is based upon the response of his hearers. The more they obey these divine truths laid forth in this epistle, the more God’s grace and peace is multiplied in their lives.

We recall how the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, with six tribes standing upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people and six tribes upon Mount Ebal to curse the disobedient (Deuteronomy 27:11-26). Thus, the blessings and curses of Deu 28:1-68 were placed upon the land. All who obeyed the Law received these blessings, and all who disobeyed received this list of curses. In the same way Paul invokes a blessing into the body of Christ for all who will hearken unto the divine truths of this epistle. We see this obligation of the recipients in the translation by Beck of 2 Peter 1:2, “As you know God and our Lord Jesus, may you enjoy more and more of His love and peace.”

Titus 1:5-3

Three Charges - The underlying theme of the epistle of Titus is church order. Paul gives Titus several charges regarding how to set the churches of Crete in biblical order. These charges will emphasize the setting of the church in order by appointing men with a pure heart as church leaders (Titus 1:5-16), teaching sound doctrine to give them with a sound mind (Titus 2:1-15), and establishing godly conduct in their actions (Titus 3:1-7). In Titus 3:8-11 Paul summarizes his three charges to Titus (Titus 3:8) and instructs him on how to deal with those who oppose the things of God. Outline – Here is a proposed outline:

1. First Charge: Appoint Elders: Pure Hearts — Titus 1:5-162. Second Charge: Speak Sound Doctrine Sound Minds — Titus 2:1-153. Third Charge: Establish Godly Conduct — Titus 3:1-74. Summary of Charges — Titus 3:8-11

Titus 1:10-16

Warnings against False Leaders - After Paul tells Titus how to identify those church members who qualify for ordination as bishops, or elders, by listing qualifications to look for in their character (Titus 1:5-9), he then explains to him the characteristics of false teachers and how to deal with them (Titus 1:10-16). For as godly leaders will influence many lives, so will ungodly leaders “subvert whole households” (Titus 1:11). In this passage in Titus 1:10-16 Paul uses three adjectives in a progressive order to describe those who reject the truth and attempt to lead others in their own vain way. These people present themselves as “church leaders”, but are in fact deceivers. Paul calls them “unruly and vain talkers and deceivers.” They “reject” the truth, present themselves as leaders through “idle talk” and thus “deceive” the hearts of many (Titus 1:10). Paul describes an individual who has rejected the pathway of divine authority established by God within the local church, and who has embarked upon his own journey to gather followers (Titus 1:11), as did Absalom who rebelled against his father King David and tried to gain control over the kingdom. Paul quotes one of their own prophets to show Titus of their characteristics (Titus 1:12) and then Paul further explains their behaviour and false pretenses (Titus 1:13-16). Titus 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Titus 1:10 — “For” – Comments - BDAG says the Greek conjunction γὰρ is “used to express cause, inference, continuation, or to explain.” The discussion that follows this conjunction explains why Titus has to be very particular with the enforcement of the qualifications of church leadership listed in Titus 1:6-10. It is because there are many deceivers who would like to have influence within the church. Titus 1:10 — “there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers” – Comments - We can see in these three negative characteristics listed by Paul the corruption of the three-fold make-up of a man. The term “unruly”, or “undisciplined,” would apply to a person’s physical behaviour, while “vain talkers” would refer to the tongue, or the mind of man, and “deceivers” would refer to a corrupt heart. Thus, Paul describes some of the most common behaviours of a depraved person’s body, mind and spirit. Titus 1:10 — “specially they of the circumcision” – Comments - The KJV gives a literal translation of the phrase “especially those of the circumcision.” Within the context of Paul’s charge to find qualified leaders over the churches of Crete, this group of circumcision of which Titus was to caution was within these churches. They were Jewish converts to the faith. For this reason a few modern English translations take the liberty to translate this text using the word “Jewish.” NAB, “For there are also many rebels, idle talkers and deceivers, especially the Jewish Christians.” NET, “For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections.” Paul refers to the Jews in Titus 1:10 as “they of the circumcision” in order to emphasize their vain traditions. Circumcision represented their best known tradition, which Paul had to confront in the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 by bringing Titus with him as an uncircumcised Gentile believer (Galatians 2:1-10). Paul will refer to these Jewish traditions in Titus 1:14 by saying, “Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” Titus 1:10 — Comments - In Titus 1:10 Paul warns Titus of the characteristics of some problem people that he should watch out for in order to protect the doctrine of the Church as well as church members. We would think in the pagan Greco-Roman culture of Paul’s day that the Jews would represent the divine virtues of their society better than the heathens, who were know for their vices of pagan worship and debauchery. Unfortunately, it was “especially they of the circumcision” who were Paul’s greatest opponents to the spread of the Gospel; for they had a veil over their eyes so that they could not recognize their Messiah (2 Corinthians 3:14). Such Judaizers went to great lengths to resist and chase away these follows of Jesus of Nazareth. They saw Christians as an unhealthy sect of Judaism, to which they had little tolerance. We get some hints in Paul’s first epistle to Timothy of problems and oppositions caused by Jews in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:6-7; 1 Timothy 1:20). In contrast, these Gentile pagans willing embraced whatever new religion that met the needs in their desperate lives. Even when these Jews were converted to faith in Christ, there were some who tried to put Paul’s churches under the covering of the church of Jerusalem, as seen in 2 Corinthians. Other local Jewish converts fell into the deception of clinging to their old traditions and myths as a part of their new-found faith in Christ. Titus 1:10 — Scripture References - Note similar verses: Matthew 5:19, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 15:9, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Note other passages on false teachers: 1 Timothy 1:3-10; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Titus 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. Titus 1:11 — “Whose mouths must be stopped” – Comments - The deceiver’s power to subvert others is in the tongue. Titus’ power to stop their deception is in the power of his tongue to rebuke with all authority and longsuffering (2 Timothy 4:2). 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Titus 1:11 — “who subvert whole houses” - Comments - In most nations on earth, when the head of the house chooses a belief, the entire family chooses to follow out of respect for the father. The wife and children whole-heartedly embrace the decisions made by the head of the household, or the head of a clan. We see examples of this in the household conversions of Cornelius (Acts 10) and of the Philippians jailer (Acts 16). In contrast, our modern western culture is very individualistic, where family members often make decisions independent of one another. It is very possible that Paul had witnessed the loss of entire families from church membership as a result of such deception and idle talk, especially from those of the circumcision (Titus 1:10). Titus 1:11 — “for filthy lucre’s sake” – Comments - This same Greek word (αἰσχροκερδής) is used earlier in Titus 1:7 to describe those who are unqualified for leadership in the church. Yet, according to the context of this passage, it was such Jews who were fighting for positions of power and influence in these congregations. Titus 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. Titus 1:12 — Comments - The description of the Cretians as “liars” refers to the tongue, while “evil beasts,” or, “brutish, bestial men,” refers to the heart of man, and “slow bellies,” or, “a lazy, idle person,” refers to the flesh. Thus, this phrase refers to the three-fold makeup of man. Paul is simply telling Titus how evil those of Crete really are (Titus 1:10), and he quotes their own prophets as witness to this fact. John Chrysostom[25] and Clement of Alexandria[26] tell us that Paul’s quote in Titus 1:12 comes from a Cretan prophet named Epimenides (6th c. B.C.), generally believed to be written in his poem Cretica. F. F. Bruce provides the following translation of this poem from the Syriac of Isho’dad, Bishop of Hadatha: [25] John Chrysostom writes, “For when Paul was discoursing to the Athenians, in the course of his harangue he quoted these words, To the Unknown God; and again, For we also are His offspring, as certain also of your own poets have said. It was Epimenides who said this, himself a Cretan, and whence he was moved to say it is necessary to mention. It is this. The Cretans have a tomb of Jupiter, with this inscription. ‘Here lieth Zan, whom they call Jove.’ On account of this inscription, then, the poet ridiculing the Cretans as liars, as he proceeds, introduces, to increase the ridicule, this passage. ‘For even a tomb, O King, of thee They made, who never diedst but aye shalt be.’” (Epistle of St. Paul to Titus: Homily III) See John Chrysostom, The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, Translated, with Notes and Indices (Oxford: John Henry Parker, 1843), 292. [26] Clement of Alexandria writes, “The Greeks say, that after Orpheus and Linus, and the most ancient of the poets that appeared among them, the seven, called wise, were the first that were admired for their wisdom. Of whom four were of Asia-Thales of Miletus, and Bias of Priene, Pittacus of Mitylene, and Cleobulus of Lindos; and two of Europe, Solon the Athenian, and Chilon the Lacedaemonian; and the seventh, some say, was Periander of Corinth; others, Anacharsis the Scythian; others, Epimenides the Cretan, whom Paul knew as a Greek prophet, whom he mentions in the Epistle to Titus, where he speaks thus: ‘One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. And this witness is true.’ You see how even to the prophets of the Greeks he attributes something of the truth, and is not ashamed, when discoursing for the edification of some and the shaming of others, to make use of Greek poems.” (The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.14)They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one— The Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies! But thou art not dead: thou livest and abidest forever, For in thee we live and move and have our being.”[27] [27] F. F. Bruce provides this quote, which he says comes from the Syriac version of the ninth century commenties of Isho’dad, Bishop of Hadatha. This quote can be found in the Syriac in The Commentaries of Isho’dad of Merv Bishop of Hadatha (c. 850 A.D.) in Syriac and English, vol. 5, ed. and trans. Margaret Dunlop Gibson, in Horae Semiticas no XI (Cambridge: The University Press, 1916), 40. See F.

F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Gordon D. Fee (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1988), 339.However, some scholars believe this quote comes from the ancient Greek poet Callimachus in his Hymn to Zeus, which says, “O Zeus, say in Arcadia; did these or those, O Father, lie? ‘Cretans are ever liars.’ Yea, a tomb/O Lord, for thee the Cretans builded; but thou didst not die, for thou art for ever.” (Hymn to Zeus 7-9)[28] [28] Callimachus, Lycophron, Aratus, trans. A. D. Godley, in The Loeb Classical Library, eds. T. E. Page, E. Capps, and W. H. D. Rouse (London: William Heinemann, 1921), 36-37.This description of Cretans in Titus 1:12, to which Paul the Apostle agrees to in the following verse, sets the mood of the epistle. Paul deals with the Cretan’s problem of laziness by speaking of good works in many of the verses of this epistle. 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.” Titus 2:7, “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,” Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 3:8, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” Titus 3:14, “And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” Titus 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Titus 1:13 — “Wherefore rebuke them sharply” – Comments - The word “rebuke” (ἐλέγχω) is used earlier in Titus 1:9. Rebuke is a corrective measure and an early step towards judgment. Rebuke intends to restore someone who has strayed from the common faith in God’s Word, those who have been misled by such deceivers described in this passage of Scripture. It is easy to mislead new believers, since they have an instinctive open heart given them by God to quickly receive the Word. Just like children, they believe most everything they are taught. Thus, because of a weak doctrinal foundation they are easily impressed with deception and led astray.

I struggled with this issue as a young Bible student. I had a strong enough foundation not to be led away, yet I listened to a number of false teachers before I turned away. It is not easy to find the truth in the midst of such noisy deception. A person must stay close to the Lord in prayer and in the Word in order to navigate through such teachings. Titus 1:13 — Scripture References - Note similar verses: Matthew 18:16-18, “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Luke 17:1-3, “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” Ephesians 5:11, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Titus 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Titus 1:14 — “Not giving heed to Jewish fables” – Comments - Paul warns Titus to be on the watch out for the encroachment of “Jewish fables” within the church, since it might creep into their doctrine. Note how Paul has just said that most of his opponents were “they of the circumcision” (Titus 1:10). Thus, we see how particular Paul is being as he selects the Jews out of a multitude of ethnic groups as he tells Titus to watch out for them especially. Titus 1:14 — Scripture References - Note similar verses about the dangers of the doctrines of man: Mark 7:8, “For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.” Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:18-19, “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” 1 Timothy 1:4, “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” 2 Timothy 4:4, “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Titus 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus 1:15 — “Unto the pure all things are pure” - Comments - Paul refers to the need of a pure heart in the life of every believer in 1 Timothy 1:5. 1 Timothy 1:5, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” Titus 1:15 — “but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled” - Comments - Our minds can become defiled, even as Christians. For example, gossip can take a pure heart and defile it with false information, so that a listener developed an unhealthy attitude towards someone. He may no longer look at others with a pure heart, but rather, from an attitude of distrust from the words sown into his mind. Titus 1:15 — Illustration - During my second or third year as a seminary student, I was home for the summer and attended a family gathering. There I shared with some relatives how the ladies at Hiland Park Baptist had given me a shower and clothes for seminary. One of my uncles, who was not a professing Christian, jokingly said they were older ladies who go after younger men. The Lord then quickened Titus 1:15 to me as my uncle was joking about this issue. A sinner and a child of God can see the same event and interpret it two different ways. A sinner sees out of a dirty heart. He only sees sin. A child of God sees from a clean heart, and can rightly divide the truth. 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. Titus 1:16 — Comments - Paul’s description of those who resist the truth in Titus 1:16 is similar to his description of man’s depravity in Romans 1:18-32. In fact, Paul uses the same word “reprobate” in both passages to describe a person whom God has turned over to his own unclean passions.