Titus 1 · The Lantern

Paul’s Greeting to Titus

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 that is according to godliness,

By means of these organs, indeed, we are to enjoy flowers; but if he declares that those who make idols will be like them, they already are so who use anything after the style of idol adornings. "To the pure all things are pure: so, likewise, all things to the impure are impure; " but nothing is more impure than idols.

The opening of every one of his letters is distinguished by the divine apostle with this address. At one time it is "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle." At another "Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ." At another "Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ." And suiting his benediction to his salutation he deduces it from the same source…

This letter is divided into a greeting and a message, at for this cause I left you in Crete (Titus 1:5). In the greeting, first, the person who sends the greeting is mentioned, and he is identified by certain marks: first, by his name; hence he says, Paul, which signifies humility: I am the least of the apostles (1 Cor 15:9); second, by his state when he says, a servant of God:…

in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before eternal times,

Having then this hope [in the resurrection], let our souls be bound to him who is faithful in his promises and just in his judgments. He who has commanded us not to lie shall much more himself not lie; for nothing is impossible with God, except to lie.

"According to the faith of the elect of God and the knowledge of the truth, which is in accordance with piety towards eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before eternal times and has manifested in due time His word in preaching, believed in accordance with the command of our Savior God by me, Titus, his dear son according to the common faith: Grace and peace fro…

He then describes apostleship from its objective: first, the objective is mentioned; second, its dignity, at which God, who does not lie. But the objective is hope of life everlasting, because even though Moses can be called an apostle, inasmuch as he was sent by the Lord, yet not in the hope of life everlasting, but of the land of the Hevite and Amorrhite.

and in his own seasons revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted, according to the commandment of God our Savior:

Ver. 3. "But hath in due times manifested His word through preaching, which is committed unto me." That is, the preaching is committed unto me. For this included everything, the Gospel, and things present, and things future, life, and godliness, and faith, and all things at once.

but has now been revealed in his times his message through his preaching, which was entrusted to me, according to the command of our Savior God. but has now been revealed. What did God reveal in his own times and appropriate seasons? The life which he had promised from eternity. For his Word, that is, Christ, is life and the giver of life.

This hope is confirmed by the manifestation of the promise; hence he says, but has in due times manifested his word. And he describes this manifestation in three ways. First, from the time; hence he manifested when his Word became incarnate. Therefore, he says, in due times, i.e., when man became convinced of his pride, through which he sinned.

To Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

"To Titus mine own son," that is, my true son. For it is possible for men not to be true sons, as he of whom he says, "If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, with such an one no not to eat." (1 Cor. v. 11.) Here is a son, but not a true son.

to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. to Titus, my true child. For one is a child because they have been baptized by them, but not legitimately, because they are sinful. The reason for you being my child, Paul says, is shared faith. He praises Titus as having nothing more than faith in him.

The person greeted is mentioned when he says, to Titus, whom he describes from three marks: first, from his name; second, from his love; third, from his sonship. He is a son or child through love and the faith, which should be common, so that all say the same thing. Hence he says, according to the common faith, which is also called Catholic, i.e., universal.

Appointing Elders on Crete

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order the things lacking and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you —

Appoint, therefore, for yourselves, bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, and truthful and proved; for they also render to you the service of prophets and teachers. Despise them not therefore, for they are your honoured ones, together with the prophets and teachers.

"For this reason, I left you in Crete, so that you would correct what was lacking." It is the dignity of the apostolic Church to lay the foundation, which no one can lay except the architect. And the foundation is none other than Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). Those who are lesser artisans can build houses upon the foundation.

He comes now to the message and, as has been said, he aims at defending the Church against heretics: first, he admonishes Titus to instruct others to resist heretics; second, he teaches how they are to be resisted, at but speak the things (Titus 2:1).

if anyone is blameless, husband of one wife, having believing children not under accusation of debauchery or insubordinate.

Come, now, you who think that an exceptional law of monogamy is made with reference to bishops, abandon withal your remaining disciplinary titles, which, together with monogamy, are ascribed to bishops.

Paul does not measure the virtue of fathers by the depravity of their children, nor did the misbehavior of his sons make Samuel unworthy of the priesthood; Paul wishes only to show the likely intentions of the father from what has been created in the sons.

Then, when he says, if anyone is without crime, he describes them in three ways: first, in regard to themselves; second, in regard to their wives; third, in regard to their children. In regard to themselves he says, without crime. But is there such a person? For it is said: if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

For the overseer must be blameless as God’s steward: not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy of shameful gain,

but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined,

Ver. 8. "But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate." Ver. 9. "Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught." You see what intensity of virtue he required. "Not given to filthy lucre," that is, showing great contempt for money.

Not only not to receive profit, but also to give everything away to strangers. The apostle thus calls the gentle, moderate, and unenvious person. That is, pure. Impartial in regard to people. That is, reverent toward everything divine, neglecting nothing in relation to God.

Then he mentions the good they should have: first, that which pertains to right living; second, to true doctrine, at embracing that faithful word (Titus 1:9). All of these are obvious and need no comment.

holding fast the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able both to encourage with the sound teaching and to convict those who contradict it.

When Paul describes the character of those who are called bishops and portrays what sort of a man a bishop ought to be, he instructs that he should be a teacher. He must be "able also to refute the adversaries," that by his wisdom he may restrain those who speak vainly and deceive souls.

holding firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he may be able both to encourage with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it. holding firmly to the trustworthy message. Or of the true, or of that which is granted through faith, and not from reasoning.

Above, he described what a bishop should be in his conduct; here he shows how he should be equipped in doctrine: first, he shows that he should apply himself diligently to study; second, he describes what he should study; third, its profit. In regard to the first he says, embracing that faithful word.

Correcting False Teachers

For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

I therefore, yet not I, out the love of Jesus Christ, "entreat you that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment." For there are some vain talkers and deceivers, not Christians, but Christ-betrayers, bearing about the name of Christ in deceit, and "corrupting the wo…

For there are many who are not subject, vain talkers, and deceivers of minds: especially those who are of the circumcision, who must be indicated as silent: who overturn whole houses, teaching what they ought not, for the sake of base gain.

So then when he says, for there are also many, he posits the necessity of teaching. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he describes the false teachers; second, the perverse things they study, at one of them.

whom it is necessary to silence, who overturn whole households, teaching what they ought not, for the sake of shameful gain.

Reborn in Christ, they are still not pure Christians; they wish for the law to be partly venerated, for Christ to be partly venerated, all of this as if to profit from the Jews.

They must be rebuked sharply, so that their "mouths" are stopped. But what is the benefit, when they are of those who do not submit to the truth? For them there is none, but it is beneficial for those whom they might corrupt if the bishop remains silent; for their corruption the bishop himself will give an account.

Then when he says, who subvert whole houses, he shows their zeal: first, from the harm they inflict; second, from the false doctrine they teach; third, from the gain they desire. The harm they cause is that they subvert whole houses. For Catholic doctrine is preached openly in the Church, but heretics teach in secret.

One of them, their own prophet, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

You possess the commentaries of Leo, and are displeased with our refutations of them; and having in your hands the opinions of Apion concerning the Egyptian gods, you denounce us as most impious. The tomb of Olympian Zeus is shown among you, though some one says that the Cretans are liars. Your assembly of many gods is nothing.

You ask me at the close of your letter why it is that sometimes in my writings I quote examples from secular literature and thus defile the purity of the church with the foulness of heathenism.… For who is there who does not know that both in Moses and the prophets there are passages cited from Gentile books and that Solomon proposed questions to the philosophers of Tyre and an…

Then, he describes their hearers, for they were Cretans, and to them he refers this work: first, he describes their condition; second, he prescribes a remedy, at wherefore, rebuke them. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he describes their condition from witnesses; second, he confirms it.

This testimony is true. For this cause convict them severely, that they may be sound in the faith,

Ver. 13. "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith." This he says, because their disposition was froward, deceitful, and dissolute. They have these numberless bad qualities; and because they are prone to lying, deceiving, gluttonous, and slothful, severe reproof is necessary.

This testimony is true. For this reason, he rebuked them sharply, so that they might be sound in the faith. For this reason, he rebuked them sharply. Therefore, because some are wicked, he says, rebuke them more harshly, for they could not be led from gentleness to what is right. be sound in the faith.

Then he confirms this testimony when he says, this testimony is true. A Gloss says: this gives us to understand that a teacher of Sacred Scripture takes the testimony of truth wherever he finds it. Hence the Apostle frequently cites the sayings of gentiles, as in 1 Corinthians: bad company ruins good morals (1 Cor 15:33); and in Acts: we are indeed his offspring (Acts 17:28).

not giving heed to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

But let us see what rule of understanding concerning these things Paul the Apostle has handed down to us. Writing to the Corinthians, he says in a certain place thus: "For we know that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.

Paul uses the term "Jewish fables" not to describe the law but the interpretation of the law put forward by the Jews. The Lord accuses them of this very thing when he says, "Why do you transgress the law for the sake of your own traditions?"

The road to this soundness is to avoid the errors of the Jews; hence he says, not giving heed to Jewish fables. For in the law there are two types of articles: those dealing with beliefs, and those dealing with precepts of religion, which were to be observed in divine worship. The first he calls fables, and the second commandments of men and not of God.

To the pure all things are pure; but to those defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience have been defiled.

For, with respect to what you say, that the aspect of an infant in the first days after its birth is not pure, so that any one of us would still shudder at kissing it, we do not think that this ought to be alleged as any impediment to heavenly grace.

The Jews, you see, had accepted that there were certain animals which they could not eat, and others from which they must abstain. The apostle Paul makes it clear that they received this law as a symbolic sign of future realities.

Then when he says, all things are clean to the clean, he specifies the reason behind his statements, namely, how they turn one from the truth and how they repeat fables and commands of men, which are chiefly concerned with distinguishing between foods according to the law, which some false prophets said must be observed.

They profess to know God, but by their works they deny him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work.

So that confession is by all means necessary. For it is in our power. But to make a defence for our faith is not universally necessary. For that does not depend on us. "But he that endureth to the end shall be saved." For who of those who are wise would not choose to reign in God, and even to serve?

They confess to know God, but by their works they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and unfit for every good work. They confess to know God. This is truly impure, for faith without works is dead. (James 2:26)

Then when he says, they profess that they know God, he explains their faith with a sign. For if a person claims that their words are true and that they believe in one God and confess him, this must be rejected as impossible.

Titus1

Paul’s Greeting to Titus

Appointing Elders on Crete

Correcting False Teachers