Titus 1

David Lipscomb Commentary On Titus 1Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God,—[The full representation which Paul gives of his apostolic office is designed at once to mark the authority by which he gives the instructions that follow, and to serve as an index to the contents of the whole Epistle. He describes himself as “ a servant of God.” The title seems to mark the relation of (1) one who had once been a servant of sin, but having become free through Christ Jesus was still, so far as obligation, service, and life were concerned, a servant of God; (2) his devotion to God after the type of the Old Testament services, Moses and the prophets being pre­eminently called the servants of God; (3) his ministry in the service of a royal Master (Matthew 18:23-35), who makes him a member of his household, a pillar in the temple, a sharer of his throne (Revelation 3:21).]and an apostle of Jesus Christ,—[This is a more exact defini­tion of his office: (1) He had his commission from him. (2) He had all the signs and proofs of an apostle in him for he had received power to work miracles as well as to declare divine truth. (3) It is therefore, vain and deceptive for anyone to assume the name who cannot show the signs of an apostle.]according to the faith of God’ s elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,—The faith of those chosen in Christ Jesus. It is a little difficult to see clearly how he was sent “ according to the faith of God’ s elect.” All critics think it means that he was sent in order to produce faith in those who would accept the gospel, and in order that others might acknowledge the truth that leads to godliness. This seems a little strained, but as nothing; better is suggested all accept it as the true meaning.Titus 1:2in hope of eternal life,—The last dispensation of God was to be eternal. So before the introduction of the final dispen­sation— that through the Lord Jesus Christ— the promise of eternal life was included in the eternal purpose of God, though it was not revealed till after the creation of man in time and in the various dispensations granted to him. That which the apostle had in view in prosecuting the work of his apostleship is the hope for himself and for all believers of eternal life.

This is the glorious goal set before him and which in leading men to the full knowledge of the truth he set before them eternal life through Jesus Christ. Knowledge and faith as he preached it, rested on a background of promise and hope, which, in a manner, reached from eternity to eternity, having God’ s primeval promise for its origin, and a participation in his everlasting life for an end.which God, who cannot lie,—The words are here used to show the certainty of the fulfillment of the promise made be­fore the ages. (Hebrews 6:18.)promised before times eternal;—The promise of eternal life was the result of a divine purpose fixed from eternity.Titus 1:3but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted—In the fitting seasons fixed by God for the manifestation of the gospel in preaching the message, Paul does not shrink from calling his preaching the vehicle in which the word of the gospel was to be publicly manifested because he was conscious of the fact that he was divinely instructed in the secrets of the eternal counsels.according to the commandment of God—[The command­ment came direct from God: on the road to Damascus when the Lord appeared to him (Acts 9:5-6); spoke encouragement to him at Corinth (Acts 18:9-10): and at Jerusalem (Acts 23:11).]our Saviour;— [In this place and in 1 Timothy 1:1, we must understand that this refers to God the Father because through the death of his Son he redeemed us from death and made us heirs of eternal life.

The Lord Jesus Christ is likewise a possessor of the title because he shed his blood as the price of our redemption and made us heirs of eternal life.]Titus 1:4to Titus, my true child after a common faith:—Paul had been instrumental in leading him to Christ and having thus been made a sharer of his faith. He was a faithful servant of God, and he calls him his true child after the faith common to all Christians. [Titus was a Gentile; and in “ common faith” there is likely an allusion to the higher bond of unity by which this “ common faith in Christ bound them, though one was a Jew and the other a Gentile.” (Galatians 5:6; Colossians 3:11.)]Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.—Grace the favor and approbation of God, and peace, the consequence of this manifested favor of God, producing internal happiness, quietness, and assurance.Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete,—Paul, clearly from this, had been at some time in the Island of Crete, south of Greece, and had preached the gospel there. Titus was with him, and he had left him to remain in the island for a time.that thou shouldest set in order the things that were want­ing, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;—While there were persons from Crete in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11), it is likely that up to the time of Paul’ s visit but little effort had been made to spread the gospel. None among the Gentiles, who chiey inhabited the island, had heard the gospel till Paul and Titus preached and planted churches there. Just when or how long Paul remained there we do not know, yet it is certain that he labored there for a time and planted churches. After preaching he hastened else­where before the Christians had time to develop themselves in the work of the Lord.

So he left Titus, no doubt a gifted teacher, to supply the needed teaching, and as the members proved their capacity put them in the lead that were fitted to teach and lead in the work of the Lord.Titus 1:6if any man is blameless,—Guilty of no wrong to his fellow men; he must be of such a character that no one can bring a reasonable accusation against him. Blameless must be his life, spotless his name.the husband of one wife,—Having one wife only and faithful to her— a faithful husband.having children that believe,—He must so bring up his chil­dren in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord that they are believing children.who are not accused of riot or unruly.—The family is the nursery of the church and these two act and react upon each other so that a bad or weak father can never be an efficient elder.

If he cannot “ rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God” ? (1 Timothy 3:5.) His children ought to be believers that they “ may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” (Titus 2:10.) There must be evidence that they have been brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Titus 1:7 For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward;—Guilty of no wrong to his fellows. It is important that those entrusted as stewards with the truth of God should be honest and faithful in teaching all that God has revealed for the sal­vation of the world. He who refuses to teach the whole will of God is dishonest toward God and unfaithful to man.not self-willed,—This does not mean that he is not to be firm and steadfast in his purpose, but that he must not be of such a stubborn spirit that he clings to his own will and re­fuses to listen to reason or facts. One in such position must have the sincere desire to fully investigate all sides, to know the full truth, and then be guided by it, and not by the self-will of his own.not soon angry,—One who can restrain and govern himself. [He should not be one ever ready with an angry, hasty word, remembering always his Master, “ who, when he was reviled, reviled not again.” (1 Peter 2:23.)]no brawler,—Not given to the use of wine. It was recog­nized as an evil, and one occupying the position of bishop must not be given to its use.no striker,—No man of God should ever, even under sore provocation, so far forget himself as to raise his hand against his fellow man.not greedy of filthy lucre;—Not anxious for gaining riches. He is to avoid gain by wrong means.

A man who is anxious for riches is not fit for a bishop of a congregation of Christians.Titus 1:8but given to hospitality,—Ready to entertain strangers, and care for the homeless and needy. [The significance of the words have deeper meaning added to them in the following beautiful words: “ Let love of the brethren continue. For­get not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:1-2.)]a lover of good,—A lover of good or benevolence generally. [The appellation points here to that large heart which finds room for sympathy with all that is good and noble and gen­erous.]sober-minded,—Not light and frivolous, but serious and sober in deportment. [In this expressive word mastery of self is especially implied— that self-command which wisely regu­lates pleasures and passions.]just,—The one who is just is one who tries strictly to per­form his duties toward men— the duties which integrity and justice seem imperatively to ask of him in his relation with his neighbor.holy,—Devoted to God.

The three words— sober, just, holy— present the three sides of human duty— duty to oneself, duty to men, and duty to God. In all these the man of God is to show himself a true man.self-controlled;—Holding all his desires and appetites in restraint so moderate in their gratification. The bishop not only must be able to control his tongue, his eyes, and his hands, but must show a just and wise moderation.Titus 1:9holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching,—God’ s truth is better expressed in the words which the Holy Spirit chooses than in those of man’ s choosing. While we, in our languages, have not the words used by the Holy Spirit, still we have those in our languages into which they have been translated to give the truth, and we should be careful to hold fast to the faithful words God has given us, that by these words of God we may be able to encourage to the belief and practice of the same sound doctrine.that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.—With the sound, healthful teaching he was to exhort the adversaries; and with the same true words he was to confute their arguments.Titus 1:10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and de­ceivers,—There were many who did not reverence the word of God. [They were nominally in the congregations of the Chris­tians, but in reality refusing all obedience, acting for them­selves, factious, and insubordinate, and unfortunately their tribe is with us today. They have broken the peace of many a home and disrupted the peace and prosperity of many con­gregations.]specially they of the circumcision,—The Judaizing Chris­tians. These unhappy men evidently did not belong to the stern and rigid Jewish party who bitterly hated all the fol­lowers of the Lord Jesus but were of the number of those vicious opponents of Paul.Titus 1:11whose mouths must be stopped;—They must either be convinced themselves so as to cease talking or they must be so met and confuted that others will not listen to them. [Vain talkers are the pests of churches and families, sowing the seeds of distrust and turning men’ s minds against the gospel.]men who overthrow whole houses,—They not only destroy themselves, but they lead astray whole houses. [The mis­chief they were doing to the cause of Christ was incalculable.

It was no longer individuals that their poisonous teaching affected, but they were undermining the faith of whole fam­ilies.]teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’ s sake.—They subverted the truth for gain. [It is a significant fact that elders and teachers are to take heed to themselves and then to the church (Acts 20:28), and to be ensamples to the flock (1+Pe 5:3), show that they are “ doers of the word, and not hearers only,” and that they have already reduced to prac­tice the good lessons they are to teach others (1 Timothy 4:12). It is a shame and a reproach upon the cause of Christ that some preachers and teachers at the present day seem to have but little sense of common honesty, honorable dealing, in­tegrity, and uprightness; they do not attach sufficient im­portance to keeping their word and paying their debts.]Titus 1:12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said,—The words quoted were written by the famous Epimenides of Grossus in Crete, about six hundred years B.C., who is called “ a prophet of their own,” for he is described by classic writers as a philosophic seer and priest, venerated for his predictions, around whose memory popular legends gathered, and to whom almost sacred honors came to be paid.Cretans are always liars,—This terrible estimate of the Cretan character is amply borne out by the testimony of many profane writers.

The word to “ Cretanize,” or to play the part of a Cretan, was invented as a word synonymous with “ to deceive” or “ to utter a lie.”evil beasts,—Not only liars, but gross and sensual, living in animalism and for it. All men may be called “ beasts” who attend to their animal appetites as a means of gratification rather than for relief. He who seeks happiness from his senses rather than from his spiritual nature is no better than a beast. [The happiness of a true man cannot stream from without; it must well up from his own spiritual nature enlightened by the word of God.]idle gluttons.—Their gluttony made them dull, heavy, and indolent. These sins were true of the Cretans generally in their unregenerate state; but sins prevalent among a people before they become Christians will possibly be their besetting sins after they become such. The sins of lying and gluttony seem to indicate a ferocious and vindictive spirit, and that they were lazy and given to gluttony.Titus 1:13 This testimony is true.—This was still true; they re­tained their evil characters; the Christians were still tempted into the sins which these qualities would lead; they were gross sins and demoralizing in their character.For which cause reprove them sharply,—Because of this he admonishes Titus to rebuke them sharply— reprove all aberra­tions from the truth. [As the surgeon cuts out the diseased flesh in order, by the painful operation, to restore the patient to health, so must the words of Titus be severe when necessary. Titus had to deal with those who were rough and uncultivated, and therefore should be dealt with accordingly.

There must be in reproving a distinguishing between sins; some are more gross and heinous in their nature or in the manner of their commission with openness and boldness to the greater dis­honor of God and danger and hurt to men and between sin­ners; some are of a more tender and tractable temper, more apt to be wrought upon by gentleness and to be greatly dis­couraged by too much roughness and severity; others are more hardy and stubborn and need more sharp language to beget in them remorse and shame. Wisdom therefore is requisite to temper and manage reproofs aright as may be most likely to bring about the desired result.

To that end the inspired directions are: “ On some have mercy, who are in doubt; and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23.)]that they may be sound in the faith,—That they may remain faithful and true to the faith in God as revealed through Jesus Christ.Titus 1:14not giving heed to Jewish fables,—Jewish fables were the traditions and practices that had through a long period of time crept into their teachings and displaced the commandments God had given them. (Matthew 15:1-10.) Christ gives a sample of how they turned from and annulled the commandments of God by their traditions and myths. Jesus then warns them: “ But in vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matthew 15:9.)and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.—Every reasoning or influence that turns man from the word of God is hurtful and ruinous. All the commandments of men turn from the truth and are to be avoided. Any man who puts the theories and devices of men upon an equality with the commandments of God or who displaces the appointments of God with the devices of man turns from the truth of God.Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure:—The reference here is to the use of meats as in Romans 14:13-23; 1 Corinthians 10:14-33. All things indeed are pure; but “ it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.” (Romans 14:20.) In the passage before us he says: “ To the pure all things are pure.” It is the heart, not the meats that must be clean to make the offering to the service acceptable to God,but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure;—But unto those whose hearts are defiled and whose lives are sinful, no offering they can bring to the Lord will he accept as pure.but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.—[The mind is the willing as well as the thinking part of man. Defilement of this mind means that the thoughts, wishes, purposes, and activities are all stained and debased.

The conscience is the moral conscience within, that which is ever bringing up the memory of the past with its omissions and commissions, its errors, its cruel, heartless unkindness, its selfish disregard of others. When this is defiled, then this last safeguard of the soul is broken down.

The man and woman of the defiled conscience is self-satisfied, hard, and impenitent to the last.] Because when the mind and conscience are de­filed and corrupt, nothing the man can do is acceptable to God.Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him,—This is all spoken of those claiming to be servants of God. One denies God in his works whenever he turns from God’ s laws, God’ s teachings, and God’ s ways to other ways. To own God in our actions is to obey him in all things, to prefer his ways above the ways of all other beings in the universe. To deny him in our works is to prefer other ways to his own ways.being abominable,—This signifies that the actions of these persons, who professed to be his servants, had made them hateful in the sight of God.and disobedient,—Rebellious and opposed to all law and order.and unto every good work reprobate.—Given over to every evil work. Only the things God commands are good works. They are God’ s works, and he who prefers any other ways than God’ s cannot do God’ s works. Verse 1 PAUL’S LETTER TO TITUS Titus Chapter OneAfter the 65-word salutation (in the Greek), longer than that of any of the Pauline letters except Galatians and Romans[8] (Titus 1:1-4), Paul outlined the qualifications of elders whom Titus was commissioned to appoint in Crete (Titus 1:5-9), referred to the character of the false teachers operating there, and warned Titus concerning the unsavory reputation of the Cretan population (Titus 1:10-16). ENDNOTE: [8] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary, Titus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1957), p. 339. Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, (Titus 1:1) Paul a servant of God … Again and again Paul referred to himself as the “servant of Christ” (Romans 1:1, etc.), but Paul did not consider himself as having two masters, but one only, Paul’s conviction being that of the perfect unity of the Father and the Son. The word here rendered “servant” actually means slave, and it has a significant bearing on Christian doctrine. The Greeks had two words for slave, one [@andrapodon] persons captured in war and sold as slaves, and another [@doulos] for persons who were born into slavery.[9] In the new birth, Paul had been born again as a [@doulos] of God and of Christ. And an apostle of Jesus Christ … “This shows that this is not a private letter, but a public and official document,"[10] binding upon the church of all ages as the word of the Lord. According to the faith of God’s elect … conveys the meaning of being in harmony with the Christian religion and the holy teachings upon which the church is founded. The truth which is according to godliness … The final clause is a modifier of “the truth”; but is not all truth according to godliness? In a sense, of course, it is; but there are truths in the science of mathematics and other fields of knowledge which have no immediate relevance to godliness; whereas, the truth with which the body of the New Testament is concerned relates to that high standard of ethics, morality and godliness which are the objective of that truth. As Ward put it, “God’s elect knew the truth which was the inspiration of their walk with God."[11][9] Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973), p. 181. [10] A. C. Hervey, Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 21, Titus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 1. [11] Ronald A. Ward, Commentary on 1,2Timothy and Titus (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1974), p. 234. Verse 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;In hopes of eternal life … This is the oldest promise ever recorded, having been given, “before the foundation of the world,” “before times eternal,” “before the world was,” and “before times everlasting,” as Paul variously described it. This promise was not made to men, though it pertains to them, but to Jesus Christ our Lord. The consequences of it reach far beyond all of the revolutions of time; it is glorious in its object, that being the eternal goodness and righteousness of its recipients; it is inviolable for God promised it; and it is conditional as this context shows. As Lenski noted, “The Greek has no word for eternal”;[12] and as many have pointed out, the meaning is “before the ages began to roll along in their never-ending course."[13][12] R. C.

H. Lenski, Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles … Titus (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1964), p. 892. [13] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 341. Verse 3 but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;Here the great truth shines that the promise of eternal life is “manifested,” that is, made known, or made available to men “in the message,” that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ as brought by the Lord himself and delivered unto mankind by his apostles. Thus eternal life is conditional, only those who are willing to hear and obey the message being eligible to receive it. Thus Hendriksen’s deduction is correct, that, “Strictly speaking, it was not life everlasting that was revealed, but the word of God with respect to it."[14] However, Christ was manifested; and the life eternal is in him, Jesus himself being in fact “the life” (John 14:6), enabling the apostle John to refer to Jesus as “the Word of life.., which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled” (1 John 1:1). Therefore, in the sense of this passage, eternal life was indeed manifested. But for the myriads of men who have lived since the apostles, it is still “the word of God with respect to eternal life” that has been manifested to them. In his own seasons … There is a heavenly chronology according to which all of the plans of God are being effectively achieved (Acts 17:31). God our Saviour … It is appropriate to refer to God as the Saviour of men because all of the initial plan was his. Note also that Paul referred to Jesus as “our Saviour” in Titus 1:4, thus giving another testimony to the status of deity which Paul attributed to Jesus. ENDNOTE: [14] Ibid., p. 342. Verse 4 to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.My true child … This is usually understood as meaning that Paul had converted Titus, although, of course, no detail of this is given in the New Testament. Lipscomb also understood this as indicating Paul’s conversion of Titus.[15]After a common faith … Hendriksen would make the “faith” here to be “used in the subjective sense”;[16]but we believe that De Welt is correct in understanding it “as the objective quality of faith,"[17] that is, the Christian religion shared by the Christians of all ages. [15] David Lipscomb, New Testament Commentaries, Titus (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1976), p. 263. [16] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 343. [17] Don DeWelt, Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus (Joplin: College Press, 1961), p. 141. Verse 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;I left thee in Crete … Here is all that is known of Paul and Titus’ efforts together in Crete; but it must be inferred that, after the first imprisonment, Paul was released and that he and his aides carried on extensive missionary work, perhaps even making that long projected journey to Spain that Paul mentioned in Romans. Certainly, he carried on work in Crete. Crete is the large island lying about equidistant from three continents and in the midst of the Mediterranean Sea. Paul had touched there briefly on the shipwreck journey, but at that time he was a prisoner en route to Rome. Crete was the cradle of the ancient Minoan civilization, and there was said to have been a hundred cities on the island. The population was of mixed races, noted for their trickery, drunkenness and licentiousness. A temple of Bacchus was there, and the island was famed for its wines. Paul himself, in following verses, would discuss the evil character of many of the people. It was not an enviable assignment which Titus here received from the apostle. Still, there were many congregations of believers there, some, perhaps, dating from those citizens of Crete who on Pentecost had heard the good news in Jerusalem (Acts 2:11). Elders in every city … This actually means a plurality of elders in every church in each city of Crete, indicating the extensive spread of the gospel there at the time of Paul’s letter. It is a misunderstanding of this injunction to make Paul’s meaning to be that “at least one elder” should be appointed in every church. Verse 6 if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.This list of the qualifications of elders is substantially the same as that given to Timothy (1 Timothy 3:1 ff); and that list with the comments should be noted in connection with what is written here. Blameless … means “above reproach,” and is an inclusive term that appears to blanket the whole list of checkpoints enumerated. Husband of one wife … There can be no doubt that heads of families were alone considered suitable material from among whom the appointment of elders was to be made, as indicated by the entire context. The historical church sinned in the development of a government by celibate priests. This qualification does not allow an elder to be polygamous, nor to be divorced and remarried except upon Scriptural grounds. Having children that believe … Despite the fact that this is usually interpreted to mean “children that are baptized believers,” that is not what the passage says. Of course, it could mean that, because Paul frequently used “believing” as a synecdoche embracing all of the primary steps of obedience to the gospel; but there is no certainty that he did so here. The opinion of Zerr is worthy of consideration: My conclusion is that “faithful children” in Titus 1:6 is equivalent to controlled children in 1 Timothy 3:4 1 Timothy 3:12, where the same point is under consideration, and hence that they are to believe in and be faithful to their father, regardless of whether they are members of the church or not, or even that they are old enough to be members.[18]Who are not accused of riot or unruly … This states the qualifications negatively, riotous, unruly and disobedient children in any man’s family being enough to disqualify him. ENDNOTE: [18] E. M. Zerr, Bible Commentary (Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation, 1954), p. 201. Verse 7 For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;The bishop … Paul’s use of the singular noun here has given rise to all kinds of speculations; but Paul never intended to imply by this that only one bishop was needed for the oversight of a church or churches. The meaning here is “any bishop.” As Hendriksen said, “The hierarchical idea of several priests' and their parishes’ being outranked and governed by the bishop and his diocese' is foreign to the Pastorals."[19] A comparison will show that exactly the same qualifications are given for a bishop as are given for an elder, Paul, in fact, using the terms interchangeably. The seven words in the New Testament which are applied to this office are: bishop, overseer, presbyter, elder, pastor, shepherd and steward, the latter being found only in this verse. As God's steward ... The term "steward" in English derives from an old Anglo-Saxon word, stig-ward or keeper of the pigs, or sty.’ Of course, this was a key position of very great authority and importance in the feudal culture. Survival of the lord and his serfs depended upon honest and faithful management of the principal meat supply. Just so, a faithful administration of the Lord’s congregations is required. Not self-willed … This has to be one of the most important qualifications enumerated, despite the fact of so little attention being paid to it; once a self-willed, opinionated elder is appointed, then his prejudices, his opinions, his judgments and his vision become the automatic boundaries of the church’s progress. Not soon angry, no brawler, no striker … All of these are negative qualifications related to the essential self-control and sober judgment of men capable of serving as elders. The word striker' at the time of the publication of the King James Bible, whence it made its way into our version, referred to a person who went around thumping other people on the head with a quarterstaff. It has no reference to labor disputes. Not greedy of filthy lucre ... This means dirty money,’ that is, money acquired through questionable or dishonest means; but more than that is meant. Any man whose chief end in life is the acquisition of wealth, or whose affections are primarily set upon the things of this life, or who has any inordinate love of material possessions - any such person should not be named as an elder of the Lord’s church. ENDNOTE: [19] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 346. Verse 8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;“The absence here of any unusual or exceptional qualities shows again the realistic approach of the apostle."[20] Upright, honest, clean family men are those to be sought out and appointed. However, the words “just and holy” indicate that they must also be God-fearing, righteous, and deeply devoted to holy religion. Any “nice fellow” is not necessarily elder material. Given to hospitality … For special comment on the subject of hospitality, see my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 342-344. Hospitality in the New Testament sense does not mean merely entertaining one’s friends, but far more. ENDNOTE: [20] R. V. G. Tasker, The Pastoral Epistles (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957), p. 186. Verse 9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.As DeWelt noted, “This has been taken by many to be a commentary on 1 Timothy 3:2, in which Paul states that the elder must be apt to teach'";[21] and that view would appear to be correct. The primary duty of elders, namely, that of watching over and protecting the flock of God, requires that they be students of the holy Scriptures, having a broad knowledge of what is and what is not sound doctrine. That he may be able to convict the gainsayers ... This shows why an elder must be apt to teach and must possess an accurate and extensive knowledge of the holy truth revealed in the Scriptures. A moment later, Paul will give further information regarding the particular gainsayers he had in view here; but, apart from that, there are evil and seductive teachers in all generations who exercise their subversive talents for private gain, doing much damage to the faith of many. Such men must be prevented from achieving their evil purpose; and an eldership not having sufficient ability in the Scriptures is unequal to such a task. ENDNOTE: [21] Don DeWelt, op. cit., p. 147. Verse 10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,The persons in view here are not the hierarchical Jews of the secular state of Israel who also were vigorous opponents of Christianity, but the company of Jews who had indeed accepted Christ as the Messiah, having been baptized into the faith, and who, through inadequate understanding of Christianity, were attempting to bind the forms and ceremonies of Judaism upon Christians. This seems to have been especially true of that large group of Pharisees who had accepted Christ (<a href="/bible/parallel/ACT/15/5" class="green-link">Acts 15:5</a>). Their teaching was totally wrong, and their motives were far from holy; because they evidently hoped to enlist Christians as keepers of Jewish rites out of regard to the fees that would be collected. They were unruly, insubordinate, vain, empty-headed deceivers, there being no grounds whatever upon which the true church could accommodate their behavior. Verse 11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.Whose mouths must be stopped ... Here is ample authority for the elders of the church to exercise decisive control over the teaching from their pulpits, or even privately. The widespread notion that congregations should democratically hear any kind of teaching that comes along is incorrect. Purity of a church demands that the fountain from which it drinks must be pure. Elders have both the right and the duty to silence unsound, subversive and inaccurate teaching. Hervey tells us that one of the meanings of the Greek term from which "stopped" is rendered "means to silence, and is applied to wind instruments."[22] It is as if Paul had told the elders to "shut off the hot air." The urgent necessity of stopping such teachers appears in the extent of the damage they were doing. ENDNOTE: [22] A. C. Hervey, op. cit., p. 4. Verse 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.Paul here quoted a Cretan poet, Epimenides, who lived approximately 600 B.C.; and it is rather astonishing that Paul referred to him as "a prophet." It should be noted, however, that Paul did not say he was a prophet "of the Lord," but "a prophet of their own," that, of course, being strictly accurate. Dummelow thought Paul called him a prophet because "his witness was still true in Paul's day."[23] Lenski also agreed with this, stating that "Their still being liars in Paul's time made the old Cretan's line as sound as a prophecy."[24] It cannot be denied that the ancients accepted him as a prophet, as attested by Cicero, Apuleius and Plato. "They reckoned him a prophet, a predictor of the future."[25] "It was the same Epimenides, according to Laertius, who advised the Athenians to sacrifice to the appropriate god,’ and which led to that altar to an unknown god,' (<a href="/bible/parallel/ACT/17/23" class="green-link">Acts 17:23</a>)."[26]Cretans are always liars ... History reveals that this was not an untrue judgment. In antiquity, "the noun Cretism was a synonym for lie’; and the verb to Cretize meant to tell lies."[27]Perhaps the most famous of the Cretan lies was that the tomb of Zeus was located on their island![28]Evil beasts, idle gluttons … By these terms Paul described men who were given over completely to sensuality, idleness and gluttony, being depraved and having no thought of spirituality, morality or righteousness. [23] J. R..Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1007. [24] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 903. [25] Newport J. D. White, Expositor’s Greek New Testament, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 189. [26] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 353. [27] Ibid. [28] Ibid. Verse 13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,It was not implied by the apostle that there were no exceptions, because the very existence of congregations of Christians on the island demonstrated that a remnant of the population were striving for better things; and yet they were in danger of being seduced and won back to the old ways, hence the need to reprove and rebuke behavior unbecoming to the name of Christ. Sound in the faith … means, objectively, soundness in the Christian religion, this being an important witness that the faith which saves is not merely a subjective trust/faith; for it is founded in a behavior and life-style compatible with the teachings of the Master. No person is “sound in the faith” who is not doing, or who is making no effort to do, the will of Christ. Before leaving Paul’s testimony regarding Epimenides, it is interesting to note that “This affords Scriptural authority for believing that in some small degree the ancient Gentile nations had their own prophets."[29]ENDNOTE: [29] A. M. Stibbs, The New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1184. Verse 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.Again, the Jewish connection of the false teachers should be noted. The problem did not derive from a late first century gnosticism, but from militant Judaism, a militancy that totally disappeared following the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, this making the date of this letter prior to that event. Extensive reference to the teaching and devices of these evil men may be found in the Galatian letter and in practically all of the Pauline writings, their purpose being to subvert Christianity by amalgamating it with Judaism, and not a true Judaism at all, but having an inordinate stress upon the Pharisaical doodlings which were condemned by Jesus. Paul here used some of the very words of Christ who said to the Pharisees, “In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). See fuller comment on this under that verse in my Commentary on Matthew. See also in Colossians 2:21-22.

For all who would worship God correctly, there must be a sharp distinction between what God has commanded and authorized in the sacred scriptures, and the ceremonies, innovations and traditions that are purely human in their origin. The population of Crete had a predominantly Jewish element; and by Paul’s appeal to Epimenides, it is clear that these wicked teachers had combined the unrighteous characteristics of the Cretans with their own Pharisaical legalisms. Verse 15 To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.To the pure all things are pure … As Stibbs well said, “Things here does not refer to things which are morally wrong,"[30] but to objects. Unwashed pots (not ceremonially washed), non-kosher food, graves, and other things considered cermonially unclean are the type of things in view here. Gould stressed the misuse of such a passage as this: Someone utters a vile, indecent, vulgar or profane story or remark; and another more sensitive soul expresses disapproval; whereupon still another justifies it by saying, “To the pure all things are pure."[31]Of course, Paul was not speaking of speech, behavior or conduct, but of things. Lenski also found in this a reference to 1 Timothy 4:4-5, where Paul stated that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, etc."[32]Their mind and their conscience are defiled … Chrysostom said with reference to this that, “When the soul is unclean, it thinks all things are unclean."[33] Such defiled persons are quick to see in the innocent actions of others cause for censure or blame. [30] Ibid. [31] J. Glenn Gould, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. IX (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1969), p. 673. [32] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 906. [33] Chrysostom as quoted by White, op. cit., p. 190. Verse 16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.Profess that they know God … “This is an allusion to the Jewish pride of religious privilege … alone sufficient to prove that the heretics here are not the Gnostics of the second century."[34]“This is all spoken of men claiming to be servants of God."[35] They were therefore apostate Christians, the word “reprobate” here means “being put to the test for the purpose of being approved, but failing to meet the requirements, being disapproved."[36] De Welt also pointed out that the word was used of “the testing of coins for genuineness."[37]Those who allege that Paul taught any kind of justification by “faith only” should ponder this passage. No wonder men like McGiffert affirm that this is contrary to “Pauline doctrine” (see introduction to Titus). To be sure this is contrary to that which so many in our times allege to be Pauline doctrine, but this is the true Pauline teaching. It is in full consonance with the teachings of the Master who said, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). [34] Newport J. D. White, op. cit., p. 190. [35] David Lipscomb, op. cit., p. 270. [36] Kenneth S. Wuest, op. cit., p. 189. [37] Don DeWelt, op. cit., p. 152.

“THE EPISTLE TO TITUS”

Chapter One

IN THIS CHAPTER

1. To review the qualifications for elders in the church

2. To examine the work of elders related to the Word of God

SUMMARY Paul begins by identifying himself as a servant and an apostle whose service is according to the faith of God’s chosen people and the truth which is according to godliness. It is also in hope of the eternal life promised by God before time began, and whose word is now being manifested through preaching. He then greets Titus as his “true son in the common faith”, bestowing upon him grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus our Savior (Titus 1:1-4).

Paul quickly addresses the reason he left Titus in Crete, to set in order what things were lacking and to appoint elders in every city. To assist him in that task, Paul reviews the qualifications necessary for those who would be appointed as elders (Titus 1:5-9).

The last qualification for elders (being able to convict those who contradict) leads right into the final section of this chapter, in which Titus is told to sharply rebuke those of the circumcision who through insubordination and deceit had been subverting entire households, acting just like the characterization made by one of the ancient Cretan prophets. Motivated by dishonest gain, giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, they became defiled even in their mind and conscience. These false teachers may have professed to know God, but by their works they denied Him and proved themselves unfit for every good work (Titus 1:10-16). OUTLINE I. (Titus 1:1-4) A. FROM PAUL (Titus 1:1-3)1. A servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ (Titus 1:1 a)2. According to… (Titus 1:1 b) a. The faith of God’s elect b. The acknowledgment of the truth which is according to godliness 3. In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie… (Titus 1:2-3) a. Promised before time began b. In due time has manifested His Word

1. Through preaching
2. Which was committed to him according to the commandment of God

B. TO TITUS (Titus 1:4)1. His true son in their common faith (Titus 1:4 a) 2. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4 b)

II. ELDERS (Titus 1:5-9)

A. THE REASON TITUS WAS LEFT IN CRETE (Titus 1:5)1. To set in order the things that are lacking (Titus 1:5 a) 2. To appoint elders in every city as Paul commanded him (Titus 1:5 b)

B. OF ELDERS (Titus 1:6-9)1. Positive qualifications a. Blameless b. The husband of one wife c. Having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination d. Blameless as a steward of God e. Hospitable f. A lover of what is good g. Sober-minded h. Just i. Holy j. Self-controlled k. Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught l. Able by sound doctrine to exhort and convict those who contradict 2. Negative qualifications a. Not self-willed b. Not quick-tempered c. Not given to wine d. Not violent e. Not greedy for money

III. FALSE (Titus 1:10-16)

A. THEIR (Titus 1:10-13 a)

1. Insubordinate (Titus 1:10 a)
2. Idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision (Titus 1:10-11) a. Whose mouths must be stopped b. For they subvert whole households c. For they teach things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain
3. They live up to the estimation of one of Crete’s own prophets: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:12 - 13a) B. THEIR (Titus 1:13-16)1. They are to be rebuked sharply (Titus 1:13-14) a. That they may be sound in the faith b. That they not give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men
4. To the pure all things are pure… (Titus 1:15) a. But to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure b. But even their mind and conscience are defiled
5. They profess to know God… (Titus 1:16) a. But in works they deny Him b. Being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work

REVIEW FOR THE CHAPTER

1. What are the main points of this chapter?

• Introduction (Titus 1:1-4)
• Concerning elders (Titus 1:5-9)
• Concerning false teachers (Titus 1:10-16)

2. In keeping with what two things was Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ? (Titus 1:1)

• The faith of God’s elect
• The acknowledgment of the truth which is according to godliness

3. What is said about eternal life and God’s Word? (Titus 1:2-3)

• Eternal life was promised before time began
• His Word was manifested in due time through preaching

4. How does Paul describe Titus? (Titus 1:4)

• My true son in our common faith

5. What were the two reasons Titus had been left in Crete? (Titus 1:5)

• To set in order the things that are lacking
• To appoint elders in every city

6. What are the positive qualifications for elders? (Titus 1:6-9)

• Blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination, blameless as a steward of God, hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, able by sound doctrine to exhort and convict those who contradict

7. What are the negative qualifications for elders? (Titus 1:6-9)

• Not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money

8. Who especially in Crete were insubordinate, idle talkers, and deceivers? (Titus 1:10)

• Those of the circumcision

9. Why must their mouths be stopped? (Titus 1:11)

• They were subverting whole households, teaching things they ought not, for dishonest gain

10. What had one of the Cretan prophets said? (Titus 1:12)

• “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

11. What was Titus to do with these false teachers? (Titus 1:13)

• Rebuke them sharply

12. What two reasons are given for extending such rebuke? (Titus 1:13-14)

• That they may be sound in the faith
• That they not give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men

13. What is said of the pure? Of those who are defiled and unbelieving? (Titus 1:15)

• All things are pure
• Nothing is pure; even their mind and conscience is defiled

14. How did some who professed to know God actually deny Him? Why? (Titus 1:16)

• In their works
• They were abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work

Questions by E.M. Zerr On Titus 11. What was Paul to God as well as an apostle? 2. According to what faith was this? 3. What makes people God’ s elect? 4. What word corresponds to confession? 5. This is after what system? 6. State the object of the hope. 7. What cannot God do ? 8. Since when was this promised? 9. What is the meaning of “ world” here? 10. In what manner was the promise made known? 11. By what kind of creatures was this done? 12. Specify one of such instrumentalities. 13. This was according to what command? 14. In what relation does Paul designate Titus ? 15. Explain “ common” faith. 16. At what place did Paul leave Titus? 17. What kind of place, geographically, is this? 18. Did he leave him to start churches? 19. Did these churches now have Elders? 20. How can there be churches without Elders? 21. What things are meant by “ wanting” ? 22. How many cities could an Elder rule ? 23. Did Titus have any previous instruction? 24. Was he an inspired man? 25. In what sense must the officer he blameless? 26. Compare Elders verse 5 with bishops verse 6. 27. Could he be “ blameless” here if unmarried? 28. Can he be “ blameless” without faithful children? 29. State required reputation of the children. 30. In what relation is a bishop to God? 31. Give the meaning of selfwilled. 32. May he never become angry? 33. What about wine ? 34. Give the meaning of striker. 35. How about filthy lucre? 36. Show how this would render him unfit. 37. Must be a lover of what and whom? 38. Tell the meaning of sober as used here. 39. Cite an occasion how he should be just. 40. Distinguish “ temperate” and “ selfwilled.” 41. Holding fast what? 42. Did he receive this word by inspiration? 43. What is he expected to be able to do? 44. Against what characters will he have to fight ? 45. What needs to be done with them? 46. Give a short description of the Cretans. 47. What must be done to these persons? 48. State evil fruits of human commandments. 49. To whom is nothing pure? 50. How may one deny God besides with the mouth?

Titus 1:1

Titus 1:1. Paul mentions his relation to God as servant before that of apostle, which is a mark of humbleness. Faith of God’s elect. God elects or chooses as His own, all men who fully embrace the faith or New Testament system of religion. This service of Paul was according to that faith which embraced acknowledging of the truth. The truth meant here is that which is after godliness or piety.

Titus 1:2

Titus 1:2. The motive for such service as the preceding verse describes, is the hope of eternal life; nothing pertaining to the world. God cannot lie. These words are from the Greek term , which does not occur in any other place in the New Testament. Thayer and Robinson define it just as it is rendered in the King James version. It is to be understood on the basis that God is able to do that which is right only, but is not able to do wrong.

Promised before the world began. The first recorded promise of eternal life is that made to Abraham (Galatians 3:16). But that was after man began to live upon the earth, hence the world which is from a Greek word that means “age,” must mean the Jewish age or Dispensation. Such an explanation clarifies the apparent difficulty as to when the promise was made. It was after man began living on the earth, but before the period when the organized “age” (the meaning of world) or the Jewish Dispensation began.

Titus 1:3

Titus 1:3. The promise of salvation through Christ (the seed of Abraham) was made to the patriarch in prophetic language, but was revealed in its fulness by preachers.

Titus 1:4

Titus 1:4. Titus was Paul’s son in the same sense as was Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2), and it was after (or according to) the common faith, which means the faith adapted to all people who will accept it. Paul expresses the familiar salutation that has been commented upon sufficiently before this.

Titus 1:5

Titus 1:5. Between the first and second imprisonment of Paul, he traveled among the churches in a few places, and Titus was with him a part of the time. When they came to Crete (a large island off the coast of Greece), they found the churches on the island somewhat out of order and without rulers. Paul went on his journey, but left Titus there as evangelist in charge to bring the work to a scriptural establishment. This consisted in whatever was necessary to bring conditions into line, and then ordain (or appoint) elders. Note that he was to appoint a Plurality of elders and it was to be in every city.

The plan of human practice is to have a plurality of churches under one elder, while the scriptural plan is a plurality of elders over one congregation. It was the duty of Titus under the instruction of Paul, to remain in Crete until he had completed this evangelistic work. For more detailed explanation of the work of an evangelist, see the comments at 2 Timothy 4:5.

Titus 1:6

Titus 1:6. In order that Titus might know whom to appoint as elders (also called bishops here and elsewhere), the apostle devotes several paragraphs to describing their qualifications and work. Blameless, the husband of one wife. This is fully explained at 1 Timothy 3:2. Having faithful children. This phrase has raised a question among students of the Bible, and two different views have been maintained. One is that it means children who are faithful to the Lord, or who are believers in Him to the extent of having become members of the church. The other is that it means children who are faithful or obedient to their fathers.

I shall first give the reader the benefit of information I have in support of the first position, which is as follows. The word faithful is from the Greek word PISTOS and Thayer defines it, “One who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and the author of salvation.” Robinson defines it, “A believer, Christian.” I have consulted four other lexicons, and they define it virtually the same as the two just quoted. I have consulted also five translations that render it “believing.” I shall now give the other view, and state that I am not fully convinced that it is required that an elder’s children be faithful members of the church, and shall give my reasons for saying so. It is true the lexicons and various translations generally render the word as “believing,” but that would still leave unsettled the question whether the child is to be a believer in Christ or in his father; for if he believes in his father, he is likely to be obedient to him. That would show that the father has control over his child, which is really the point that Paul was making. In 1 Timothy 3:4 1 Timothy 3:12, where the same point is under consideration with reference to children of elders and deacons, there is no intimation of their religious relation to the Lord, but that the father is to have control of them.

Therefore, my conclusion is that “faithful children” in Titus 1:6 is equivalent to controlled children in 1 Timothy 3:4 1 Timothy 3:12, and hence that they are to believe in and be faithful to their father, regardless of whether they are members of the church or not, or even that they are old enough to be members. Not accused of riot or unruly.

This is significant in view of the foregoing comments. Riot is from ASOTIA. which Thayer defines, “an abandoned, disso-lute, life; profligacy [wastefulness], prodigality [extravagance in expenditure].” Unruly is from , which is defined by Thayer, “that cann-PKZXCV ot be subjected to control, disobedient,” etc. The fact that a son is not a member of the church cannot be blamed upon his father, for a man cannot use his parental authority to bring his children into it. But he does have authority as a father to control his son against the above described conduct.

Titus 1:7

Titus 1:7. Blameless is from the same word as that in the preceding verse, and takes the same general definition. But it is given a special significance here by calling the bishop (or elder) the steward of God. That means one who has charge of the affairs of another, which is true of a bishop, since he has charge of the flock of God. A steward or agent is expected to be faithful in the administration of his employer’s property. The qualifications, both affirmative and negative, are next given.

Those in the rest of this verse are negative; that is, qualities that he must not have. Not selfwilled means he must not be selfish, insisting on having his own way regardless of the rights of others. Soon angry denotes one who becomes angered at the slightest provocation. Not given to wine. This is explained by the comments at 1 Timothy 3:3. No striker.

This also is defined at the passage in Timothy just cited. It can be seen that it means one who does not generally resort to physical assaults whenever he is opposed; that it does not refer to some incidental or isolated act. Given to filthy lucre is defined by Thayer to mean, “eager for base gain.” It means one who not only covets money, but who is willing to gain it in any kind of way, whether it be right or wrong.

Titus 1:8

Titus 1:8. Lover of hospitality. It should be known that the elder’s home is one in which any worthy person is welcome. Lover of good men. The last word is not in the original as a separate term, although it may be included in the phrase. The meaning of the phrase concerns a man who loves that which is good. Sober is defined as one who curbs his desires; he is self-controlled. Just signifies one who is considerate of the rights of all, in his exercise of rulership over the flock. Holy is another word for righteous. If an elder does not live rightly himself, he can have but little influence over others. Temperate has virtually the same meaning as sober, and it is added for the sake of emphasis.

Titus 1:9

Titus 1:9. This verse should be considered as an explanation of the phrase “apt to teach” in 1 Timothy 3:2, in that it shows how apt or able a man is as a teacher. Holding fast means he holds to the faithful (truthful) Word. The elder is not an inspired man, but he hath been taught what is the truth by those who are inspired. Sound doctrine literally means wholesome teaching; and when used of spiritual matters, it denotes the kind that will result in spiritual health. When a disordered condition comes or threatens to come into a human body, a treatment must be used that will counteract the threatened disease.

Likewise, an elder must have the ability to exhort those who are threatening the spiritual health of the body. Then if exhortation does not stop them, he must use a stronger remedy, namely, convince them. That word is from ELEGCHO, which Thayer defines, “To convict, refute, confute.” Elders are required to be able to convict and expose false teachers, called here the gainsayers.

Titus 1:10

Titus 1:10. Unruly and vain talkers are those who will not submit to the apostolic rules, and who deal in use-less conversation for the purpose of misleading unsuspecting disciples. They of the circumcision means the Juda-izers, who were the most prominent trouble makers in Paul’s day.

Titus 1:11

Titus 1:11. Mouths must be stopped. Neither the evangelist nor an elder can use force literally to close the mouth of a false teacher. But he can use the means stated in verse 9 to expose him, and thus counteract the evil effects of his mouth. Subvert whole houses denotes that they sometimes mislead whole families with their false teaching. Filthy lucre’s sake. By their perverted use of the law of Moses, they sought to please their hearers, in the hope that it would bring them some money as a sort of “tip” from the dupes for their good feeling.

Titus 1:12

Titus 1:12. One of themselves means one of the natives of the island of Crete. One of their own writers accused the people of that region of being habitual liars, which would account for their disposition to pervert the truth when they had hopes of gain from it. Evil beasts is a figure of speech to indicate the low type of character the islanders possessed. Slow bellies is rendered “lazy gluttons” by the Englishman’s Greek New Testament. If a man’s chief interest is his animal appetite, and he is too lazy to obtain wherewith to satisfy it honorably, he would naturally take the unprincipled course that has been described in these verses.

Titus 1:13

Titus 1:13. Paul agrees with the Cretan prophet who said the accusing things about his countrymen. Such people do not deserve much compassion, hence the apostle bids Titus rebuke them sharply. That they may be sound in the faith states the motive for the sharp rebuke, not that it is certain to have that result.

Titus 1:14

Titus 1:14. The mention of Jewish fables or myths, confirms the remark at verse 10 about their being Judaizers who were disturbing the brethren in Crete. Commandments of men signifies doctrines that have no divine authority behind them. Such teaching cannot be true, hence it will cause all who accept it to turn from the truth.

Titus 1:15

Titus 1:15. Unto the pure all things are pure. This is said because of the agitation being made by the Judaizers. The law of Moses had certain regulations regarding the eating of the flesh of animals. But those rules were not based on any actual impurity of the meat, for “there is nothing unclean of itself” (Romans 14:14). The uncleanness was ceremonial only and was a part of the law. But that law has been cancelled, so that no reason exists any more for regarding the meats as impure. But these pretenders were impure in life themselves, hence they professed to believe that it was still wrong to eat the meats. If a man is pure in heart, he will see nothing wrong in eating these articles, since the only thing that ever did make it wrong, namely the legislation of the law, has been taken away.

Titus 1:16

Titus 1:16. While these Judaizers were busying themselves in disturbing the churches, they professed it was because of their love of God and their knowledge of His law. But, like many other religious frauds, their personal life was a contradiction of the purety of doctrine which they professed. Abominable pertains directly to the corrupt practices they were performing, and disobedient designates the relation of their practices to the law of God; they were in rebellion against it. Unto every good work reprobate. The last word means “useless,” denoting that the conduct of the Judaizers had nothing good in it.