CHAPTER 1
Preface.
Titus 1:1-4 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 leads to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the beginning of time, 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, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior .
Paul places no distinction here; elsewhere indeed a servant of Christ, but an apostle of God, now truly in a different manner.
according to the faith . Because of faith, that is, because the chosen vessels of God have entrusted themselves to me, I have been made an apostle to teach them. Or in this way: I am an apostle to bring the elect to faith through me, and to know the truth of godliness, Christ. Or thus: To become an apostle and for the elect to be believed was not simply given to me, but because I came to know the truth of godliness. But what is this truth? Christ. Well then, the truth concerning godliness, just as with any other truth, is not about godliness as if it were a skill to be learned.
in hope of eternal life . Indeed, to know the truth itself for its own sake is a great reward beyond thousands, but now the generous God also gives, besides this very reward, eternal life . For it is said to be for the knowledge of the truth , of the life that is based on hope, eternal. And the term "eternal," making a comparison to the Jews: for they had the promise of present life.
which God, who never lies . If God is without deceit, He will certainly fulfill what He has promised.
promised before the beginning of time . Not by a later decree or repentance, Paul says, did God determine this, but from the beginning. The greatest honor is that we were loved from the beginning.
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. Therefore, when Paul said that God had promised life, he immediately added, " revealed in his times his message through his preaching ": but through his preaching, as if the Word itself, that is, Christ, is the author and giver of that life. Through preaching indeed, that is, openly and plainly.
which was entrusted to me . From what Paul says: It has been entrusted to me, and, according to the command, he signified that it must necessarily be done and, without making any excuse, whether willing or unwilling, to preach. This also you, he said, do, O Titus.
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.
Another way. Titus, the child of Paul, as he was taught faith by him, and according to common faith , that is, from baptism, is a brother of Paul. For there is one Father, Christ, and one mother, the baptismal font.
Grace, mercy . It is fitting that grace and mercy be prayed for Titus, who is a teacher. For if you do not govern the people, that is, with grace, mercy, and peace , Paul says, the ship of the Church will be overturned.
On the training of teachers for ministry and the rebuke of the disobedient.
Titus 1:5-6 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might put in order what was left unfinished, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you. If anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who are not accused of overindulgence or insubordination .
You see them as distributing the inhabited world like one house, and each doing something; but look at the athlete of Christ. Where there was danger, Paul himself was present; but when some honor was about to come, he sent the disciples. For Paul had left Titus to appoint bishops in each city, since he had first made him a bishop. And see, he is not ashamed to write to the disciple, saying, " put in order what was left unfinished ." For Paul was looking to this one thing alone, namely the salvation of all.
elders in every city . For Paul did not wish the entire island of Crete, which was large, to be governed by one bishop, but each city to have its own shepherd. And he calls the bishops elders.
If anyone is blameless . Let his life be pure, it is said, and let no one have occasion to find fault with his life.
the husband of one wife . Paul says that she alone should know the lawful one. He silences heretics who detest marriage, as if they could also take care of anything after marriage. But he forbids the second marriage, as being under condemnation.
having faithful children . For he who has not disciplined his own children, how can he manage others?
Titus 1:7-8 For the bishop must be blameless as God's steward, not stubborn, not quick-tempered, not drunken, not violent, not greedy for gain; but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined, 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.
To be accused is a general concept. For to be accused encompasses all things that are to be named: that is, one against whom no crime can be charged.
as God's steward . Since, Paul says, the office is great, it also requires great watchfulness.
not quick-tempered . For he who cannot master himself, how will he be able to beneficially lead others?
not drunken. Drunkard, overbearing.
not violent . Not one who harms the consciences of brothers.
not greedy for gain . As one who is poor is usually like: as if any profit, even if it seems just, is disgraceful for a bishop.
holy . Pure from passions.
disciplined . Not only regarding food alone, but also all passions.
holding firmly to the trustworthy message . Or of the true, or of that which is granted through faith, and not from reasoning.
Therefore Paul said, as it has been taught , meaning that one can teach even without external wisdom. For, he says, there is no need for natural or philosophical evidence, but rather for doctrine and usefulness.
be able both to encourage with sound doctrine . This will be from both understanding and knowledge of the Scriptures. Teaching that is healthy is that which teaches true doctrines and a righteous life.
and to refute those who contradict it . For the one who does not know how to fight against enemies, and to capture every thought into the obedience of Christ, will do none of the necessary things.
Against those who advocate for bodily purifications, and in favor of spiritual virtue.
Titus 1:10-11 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially those from the circumcision. They must be silenced, who overturn whole households, teaching things they ought not for dishonest gain .
Paul said the root of all things, from which the rest also grow. For the disobedient person does not want to yield themselves, but desires to rule and oversee others. Then it is necessary that he who rules with ecclesiastical authority also teaches, but he who teaches before he has learned, because he does not obey others, is rightly found to be a babbler and a deceiver of minds.
especially those from the circumcision . For even Christ reproached them for seeking power: who, even after receiving faith, did not abandon this disease.
They must be silenced . For if a bishop has the care and leadership entrusted to him of others, and does not know how to silence the mouths of babblers and seducers, and to convict them, he becomes the cause of loss for those who perish. And rightly it is said: must be silenced : that is, by the force of rebukes, they should not even be allowed to speak, so that from this there may also be found listeners.
teaching things they ought not for dishonest gain . There is nothing that this passion does not urge to transgress.
Titus 1:12-14 One of them, a prophet of their own, said: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. For this reason, he rebuked them sharply, so that they might be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish fables and human commandments that turn away from the truth .
It is asked for what reason Paul brought forward the testimony of the Greeks, and commended it, especially since it was not rightly said? But what is the testimony? The Cretans built a tomb for Zeus. And so a certain poet 1 says: The Cretans built a tomb for you, O king; but you are by no means dead, for you always live. Part of this prophecy is: The Cretans are always liars, etc. However, the Apostle attested that this saying is true. But if this testimony is true, then Zeus must be immortal. Yet we say that in this alone he said the testimony was true, because he called them liars themselves.
— [OECUMENIUS] Epimenides the Cretan, the oracle of the prophet. Callimachus has also made use of the verse spoken by him in the hymn to Zeus. [ end of the excerpt by Oecumenius G f. 314r ] —
Where Paul says: “ This testimony ,” namely that he says they themselves are liars. Indeed, someone might say this is so: but why did he bring forth testimony from the Greeks? And we say that this affected them with the greatest shame that it produced testimony of their own wickedness from their own people. For since those among us do not have faith in them, Paul brought their own accusers to them. This God was also doing when, through the star, He indicated Christ to the Magi, so that they would be occupied with astronomy (Matt. 2), as if admonishing them by their own. Again, the prophet from the oxen drawing the ark (2 Sam. 6:3). Moreover, Saul from the woman having the spirit of Python (Acts 16:16), because he believed her. In these ways God was revealing Himself. Nor is it opposed by the fact that Christ and afterwards the apostles forbade demons to speak: for signs were made which could persuade (Mark 9:38). It was necessary that they persuade men by those whom they believed.
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 . To be sound in faith, however, is if one has introduced nothing external to it, neither Jewish nor Gentile.
Jewish fables . The Jewish stories are called fables for two reasons: both because their time has passed, and because even when they were in force, they were a resemblance of truth and not the truth itself.
and human commandments . Paul speaks about the observations concerning food, which is evident from what follows.
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Translator notes for Titus chapter 1.
1. Epimenides is regarded the author of the well-known verse “Cretans are ever liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies.” It appeared for the first time, in Callimachus' Hymn to Zeus, and later, in the Christian era, Paul the Apostle mentioned it in his epistle to Titus. his verse has become controversial because of questions relating to its origin and/or its context, and because of the relation between its supposed author and the bad reputation of the Cretans ... his reputation of the Cretans seems to have been created out of caprice by ancient non-Cretans who sought for various reasons to vilify the inhabitants of Minos' island. An historian of Crete illustrates the case: Callimachus of Cyrene called the Cretans liars because they presented Zeus as mortal. To the Athenians they were liars for claiming the birth of the gods on the island of Crete. The Romans and the Romanizing Greek writers remained hostile towards the Cretans due to the latter's resistance to Roman imperialism. Regarding Paul the Apostle, he was referring only to the Jews of Crete in his epistle to Titus.