Titus 1 commentary

All are the servants of God who are not slaves of sin and Satan. All gospel truth is according to godliness, teaching the fear of God. The intent of the gospel is to raise up hope as well as faith; to take off the mind and heart from the world, and to raise them to heaven and the things above. How excellent then is the gospel, which was the matter of Divine promise so early, and what thanks are due for our privileges! Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and whoso is appointed and called, must preach the word. Grace is the free favour of God, and acceptance with him. Mercy, the fruits of the favour, in the pardon of sin, and freedom from all miseries both here and hereafter. And peace is the effect and fruit of mercy. Peace with God through Christ who is our Peace, and with the creatures and ourselves. Grace is the fountain of all blessings. Mercy, and peace, and all good, spring out of this.

The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders and bishops, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such bishops and overseers of the flock, to be examples to them, and God's stewards to take care of the affairs of his household, there is great reason that they should be blameless. What they are not to be, is plainly shown, as well as what they are to be, as servants of Christ, and able ministers of the letter and practice of the gospel. And here are described the spirit and practice becoming such as should be examples of good works.

False teachers are described. Faithful ministers must oppose such in good time, that their folly being made manifest, they may go no further They had a base end in what they did; serving a worldly interest under pretence of religion: for the love of money is the root of all evil. Such should be resisted, and put to shame, by sound doctrine from the Scriptures. Shameful actions, the reproach of heathens, should be far from Christians; falsehood and lying, envious craft and cruelty, brutal and sensual practices, and idleness and sloth, are sins condemned even by the light of nature. But Christian meekness is as far from cowardly passing over sin and error, as from anger and impatience. And though there may be national differences of character, yet the heart of man in every age and place is deceitful and desperately wicked. But the sharpest reproofs must aim at the good of the reproved; and soundness in the faith is most desirable and necessary. To those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; they abuse, and turn things lawful and good into sin. Many profess to know God, yet in their lives deny and reject him. See the miserable state of hypocrites, such as have a form of godliness, but are without the power; yet let us not be so ready to fix this charge on others, as careful that it does not apply to ourselves.

CHAPTER 1

Titus 1:1-4

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;

1. Paulus servus Dei apostolus autem Iesu Christi secundum fidem electorum Dei et agnitionem veritatis quae secundum pietatem est

2. In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

2. in spem vitae aeternae quam promisit qui non mentitur Deus ante tempora saecularia

3. But hath in due time manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

3. manifestavit autem temporibus suis verbum suum in praedicatione quae credita est mihi secundum praeceptum salvatoris nostri Dei

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.

4. Tito dilecto filio secundum communem fidem gratia et pax a Deo Patre et Christo Iesu salvatore nostro

1. A servant of God This extended and laborious commendation of his apostleship shows that Paul had in view the whole Church, and not Titus alone; for his apostleship was not disputed by Titus, and Paul is in the habit of proclaiming the titles of his calling, in order to maintain his authority. Accordingly, just as he perceives those to whom he writes to be disposed, he deals largely or sparingly in those ornaments. Here his design was, to bring into subjection those who had haughtily rebelled; and for this reason he extols his apostleship in lofty terms. He therefore writes this Epistle, not that it may be read in solitude by Titus in his closet, but that it may be openly published.

An Apostle of Jesus Christ First, he calls himself “a servant of God,” and next adds the particular kind of his ministry, namely, that he is “an Apostle of Christ;” for there are various ranks among the servants of God. Thus he descends from the general description to the particular class. We ought also to keep in remembrance what I have said elsewhere, that the word servant means something else than ordinary subjection, (on account of which all believers are called “servants of God,”) and denotes a minister who has received a particular office. In this sense the prophets were formerly distinguished by this title, and Christ himself is the chief of the prophets:

“Behold my servant, I have chosen him.” (Isaiah 42:1.)

Thus David, with a view to his royal dignity calls himself “a servant of God.” Perhaps, also, it is on account of the Jews that he designates himself “a servant of God;” for they were wont to lower his authority by alleging the law against him. He therefore wishes to be accounted an Apostle of Christ in such a manner that he may likewise glory in being a servant of the eternal God. Thus he shows not only that those two titles are quite consistent with each other, but that they are joined by a bond which cannot be dissolved.

According to the faith of the elect of God “If faith be the fruit of election, the prescience of faith does not influence the electing act of God. It is called ‘the faith of God’s elect,’ Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, (Titus 1:1,) that is, settled in this office to bring the elect of God to faith. If men be chosen by God upon the foresight of faith, or not chosen till they have faith, they are not so much God’s elect as God is their elect: they choose God by faith, before God chooseth them by love. It had not been the faith of God’s elect, that is, of those already chosen, but the faith of those that were to be chosen by God afterwards. Election is the cause of faith, and not faith the cause of election. Fire is the cause of heat, and not heat of fire; the sun is the cause of day, and not the day the cause of the rising of the sun. Men are not chosen because they believe, but they believe because they are chosen. The Apostle did ill else to appropriate that to the elect, which they had no more interest in by virtue of their election than the veriest reprobate in the world. If the foresight of what works might be done by his creatures was the motive of his choosing them why did he not choose the devils to redemption, who could have done him better service, by the strength of their nature, than the whole mass of Adam’s posterity? Well, then, there is no possible way to lay the original foundation of this act of election and preterition in anything but the absolute sovereignty of God.” — Charnock. If any one doubt about his apostleship, he procures credit for it by a very strong reason, connecting it with the salvation “of the elect of God.” As if he had said, “There is a mutual agreement between my apostleship and the faith of the elect of God; and, therefore, it will not be rejected by any man who is not a reprobate and opposed to the true faith.”

By “the elect” he means not only those who were at that time alive, but all that had been from the beginning of the world; for he declares that he teaches no doctrine which does not agree with the faith of Abraham and of all the fathers. So, then, if any person in the present day wishes to be accounted a successor of Paul, he must prove that he is the minister of the same doctrine. But these words contain also an implied contrast, that the gospel may suffer no damage from the unbelief and obstinacy of many; for at that time, as well as in the present day, weak minds were greatly disturbed by this scandal, that the greater part of those who boasted of the title of the Church rejected the pure doctrine of Christ. For this reason Paul shows that, though all indiscriminately boast of the name of God, there are many of that multitude who are reprobates; as he elsewhere (Romans 9:7) affirms, that not all who are descended from Abraham according to the flesh, are the lawful children of Abraham.

And the knowledge of that truth I consider the copulative and to be here equivalent to that is; so that the passage might run thus: “according to the faith of the elect of God, that is, the knowledge of that truth which is according to godliness.” This clause explains what is the nature of that “faith” which he has mentioned, though it is not a full definition of it, but a description framed so as to apply to the present context. For the purpose of maintaining that his apostleship is free from all imposture and error, he solemnly declares that it contains nothing but known and ascertained truth, by which men are instructed in the pure worship of God. But as every word has its own weight, it is highly proper to enter into a detailed explanation.

First, when “faith” is called “knowledge,” it is distinguished not only from opinion, but from that shapeless faith which the Papists have contrived; for they have forged an implicit faith destitute of all light of the understanding. But when Paul describes it to be a quality which essentially belongs to faith — to know the truth, he plainly shews that there is no faith without knowledge.

The word truth expresses still more clearly the certainty which is demanded by the nature of faith; for faith is not satisfied with probable arguments, but holds what is true. Besides, he does not speak of every kind of truth, but of the heavenly doctrine, which is contrasted with the vanity of the human understanding. As God has revealed himself to us by means of that truth, so it is alone worthy of the honor of being called “the truth” — a name which is bestowed on it in many parts of Scripture.

“And the Spirit will lead you into all truth.” (John 16:13.)

“Thy word is the truth.” (John 17:17.)

“Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?” (Galatians 3:l.)

“Having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of the Son of God.” (Colossians 1:5.)

“He wisheth all to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4.)

“The Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3 15.)

In a word, that truth is the right and sincere knowledge of God, which frees us from all error and falsehood. So much the more ought it to be valued by us, since nothing is more wretched than to wander like cattle during our whole life.

Which is according to godliness. This clause especially limits “the truth” of which he had spoken, but at the same time commends the doctrine of Paul from the fruit and end of it, because it has no other object than that God should be worshipped in a right manner, and that pure religion should flourish among men. In this manner he defends his doctrine from every suspicion of vain curiosity, as he did before Felix, (Acts 24:10,) and afterwards before Agrippa, (Acts 26:1;) for, since all questions which do not tend to edification ought justly to be suspected and even hated by good men, the only lawful commendation of doctrine is this, that it instructs us to fear God and to bow before him with reverence. And hence we are also informed, that the greater progress any one has made in godliness, he is so much the better disciple of Christ; and that he ought to be reckoned a true theologian who edifies consciences in the fear of God.

INTRODUCTION

Genuineness.--Clement of Rome quotes it [Epistle to the Corinthians, 2]; Irenæus [Against Heresies, 3.3.4] refers to it as Paul's; Theophilus of Antioch [To Autolychus, 3.14], quotes it as Scripture. Compare Clement of Alexandria [Miscellanies, 1, p. 299]; Tertullian [The Prescription against Heretics, 6].

Time and Place of Writing.--This Epistle seems to have been written from Corinth [Birks], subsequently to his first imprisonment, when Paul was on his way to Nicopolis (Tit 3:12) in Epirus, where he purposed passing the winter, shortly before his martyrdom, A.D. 67. Birks thinks, from the similarity of the Epistle to Titus and First Timothy, that both were written from the same place, Corinth, and at dates not widely apart; First Timothy shortly after coming to Corinth, before he had planned a journey to Epirus, the Epistle to Titus afterwards. The journey to Crete and Ephesus for the bearers of his letters would be easy from Corinth, and he could himself thence easily pass into Epirus. He had shortly before visited Crete, wherein a Church existed (though without due organization), the first foundation of which he may have partly laid at his former visit (Ac 27:7, &c.), when on his way to his first imprisonment at Rome. That he returned to the East after his first imprisonment appears most probable from Php 2:24; Phm 22. However, there may have been seeds of Christianity sown in Crete, even before his first visit, by the Cretans who heard Peter's preaching on Pentecost (Ac 2:11).

Occasion of Writing.--Corrupt elements soon showed themselves in the Cretan Church, similar to those noticed in the Epistles to Timothy, as existing in the Ephesian Church, Judaism, false pretensions to science, and practical ungodliness. Paul, on his late visit, had left Titus in Crete to establish Church government, and ordain presbyters (deacons are not mentioned). Titus had been several times employed by Paul on a mission to the Corinthian Churches, and had probably thence visited Crete, which was within easy reach of Corinth. Hence the suitableness of his selection by the apostle for the superintendence of the Cretan Church. Paul now follows up with instructions by letter those he had already given to Titus in person on the qualifications of elders, and the graces becoming the old, the young, and females, and warns him against the unprofitable speculations so rife in Crete. The national character of the Cretans was low in the extreme, as Epimenides, quoted in Tit 1:12, paints it. Livy [History, 44.45], stigmatizes their avarice; Polybius [Histories, 6.46.9], their ferocity and fraud; and [Histories, 6.47.5], their mendacity, so much so, that "to Cretanize" is another name for to lie: they were included in the proverbial three infamous initials "K" or "C," "Cappadocia, Crete, Cilicia."

Notices of Titus.--It is strange that he is never mentioned by this name in Acts, and there seems none of those mentioned in that book who exactly answers to him. He was a Greek, and therefore a Gentile (Ga 2:1, 3), and converted by Paul (Tit 1:4). He accompanied the apostle on the deputation sent from the Church of Antioch to Jerusalem, to consult the apostles respecting the circumcision of Gentile converts (Ac 15:2); and, agreeably to the decree of the council there, was not circumcised. He was in company with Paul at Ephesus, whence he was sent to Corinth to commence the collection for the Jerusalem saints, and to ascertain the effect of the First Epistle on the Corinthians (2Co 7:6-9; 8:6; 12:18), and there showed an unmercenary spirit. He next proceeded to Macedon, where he joined Paul, who had been already eagerly expecting him at Troas (2Co 2:12, 13, "Titus my brother," 2Co 7:6). He was then employed by the apostle in preparing the collection for the poor saints in Judea, and became the bearer of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2Co 8:16, 17, 23). Paul in it calls him "my partner and fellow helper concerning you." His being located in Crete (Tit 1:5) was subsequent to Paul's first imprisonment, and shortly before the second, about A.D. 67, ten years subsequent to the last notice of him in Second Corinthians (2Co 12:18), A.D. 57. He probably met Paul, as the apostle desired, at Nicopolis; for his subsequent journey into Dalmatia, thence (or else from Rome, whither he may have accompanied Paul) would be more likely, than from the distant Crete (2Ti 4:10, written subsequently to the Epistle to Titus). In the unsettled state of things then, Titus' episcopal commission in Crete was to be but temporary, Paul requiring the presence of Titus with himself, whenever Artemas or Tychicus should arrive in Crete and set him free from his duties there.

Tradition represents him to have died peaceably in Crete, as archbishop of Gortyna, at an advanced age.

CHAPTER 1

Tit 1:1-16. Address: For What End Titus Was Left in Crete. Qualifications for Elders: Gainsayers in Crete Needing Reproof.

1. servant of God--not found elsewhere in the same connection. In Ro 1:1 it is "servant of Jesus Christ" (Ga 1:10; Php 1:1; compare Ac 16:17; Re 1:1; 15:3). In Ro 1:1, there follows, "called to be an apostle," which corresponds to the general designation of the office first, "servant of God," here, followed by the special description, "apostle of Jesus Christ." The full expression of his apostolic office answers, in both Epistles, to the design, and is a comprehensive index to the contents. The peculiar form here would never have proceeded from a forger.

according to the faith--rather, "for," "with a view to subserve the faith"; this is the object of my apostleship (compare Tit 1:4, 9; Ro 1:5).

the elect--for whose sake we ought to endure all things (2Ti 2:10). This election has its ground, not in anything belonging to those thus distinguished, but in the purpose and will of God from everlasting (2Ti 1:9; Ro 8:30-33; compare Lu 18:7; Ep 1:4; Col 3:12). Ac 13:48 shows that all faith on the part of the elect, rests on the divine foreordination: they do not become elect by their faith, but receive faith, and so become believers, because they are elect.

and the acknowledging of the truth--"and (for promoting) the full knowledge of the truth," that is, the Christian truth (Ep 1:13).

after godliness--that is, which belongs to piety: opposed to the knowledge which has not for its object the truth, but error, doctrinal and practical (Tit 1:11, 16; 1Ti 6:3); or even which has for its object mere earthly truth, not growth in the divine life. "Godliness," or "piety," is a term peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles: a fact explained by the apostle having in them to combat doctrine tending to "ungodliness" (2Ti 2:16; compare Tit 2:11, 12).

2. In hope of eternal life--connected with the whole preceding sentence. That whereon rests my aim as an apostle to promote the elect's faith and full knowledge of the truth, is, "the hope of eternal life" (Tit 2:13; 3:7; Ac 23:6; 24:15; 28:20).

that cannot lie--(Ro 3:4; 11:29; He 6:18).

promised before the world began--a contracted expression for "purposed before the world began (literally, 'before the ages of time'), and promised actually in time," the promise springing from the eternal purpose; as in 2Ti 1:9, the gift of grace was the result of the eternal purpose "before the world began."

3. in due times--Greek, "in its own seasons," the seasons appropriate to it, and fixed by God for it (Ac 1:7).

manifested--implying that the "promise," Tit 1:2, had lain hidden in His eternal purpose heretofore (compare Col 1:26; 2Ti 1:9, 10).

his word--equivalent to "eternal life" (Tit 1:2; Joh 5:24; 6:63; 17:3, 17).

through preaching--Greek, "in preaching," of rather as Alford (see on 2Ti 4:17), "in the (Gospel) proclamation (the thing preached, the Gospel) with which I was entrusted."

according to--in pursuance of (compare 1Ti 1:1).

of God our Saviour--rather as Greek, "of our Saviour God." God is predicated of our Saviour (compare Jude 25; Lu 1:47). Also Psa 24:5; Is 12:2; 45:15, 21, Septuagint. Applied to Jesus, Tit 1:4; Tit 2:13; 3:6; 2Ti 1:10.

4. Titus, mine own son--Greek, "my genuine child" (1Ti 1:2), that is, converted by my instrumentality (1Co 4:17; Phm 10).

after the common faith--a genuine son in respect to (in virtue of) the faith common to all the people of God, comprising in a common brotherhood Gentiles as well as Jews, therefore embracing Titus a Gentile (2Pe 1:1; Jude 3).

Grace, mercy, and peace--"mercy" is omitted in some of the oldest manuscripts. But one of the best and oldest manuscripts supports it (compare Notes, see on 1Ti 1:2; 2Ti 1:2). There are many similarities of phrase in the Pastoral Epistles.

the Lord Jesus Christ--The oldest manuscripts read only "Christ Jesus."

our Saviour--found thus added to "Christ" only in Paul's Pastoral Epistles, and in 2Pe 1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:18.

5. I left thee--"I left thee behind" [Alford] when I left the island: not implying permanence of commission (compare 1Ti 1:3).

in Crete--now Candia.

set in order--rather as Greek, "that thou mightest follow up (the work begun by me), setting right the things that are wanting," which I was unable to complete by reason of the shortness of my stay in Crete. Christianity, doubtless, had long existed in Crete: there were some Cretans among those who heard Peter's preaching on Pentecost (Ac 2:11). The number of Jews in Crete was large (Tit 1:10), and it is likely that those scattered in the persecution of Stephen (Ac 11:19) preached to them, as they did to the Jews of Cyprus, &c. Paul also was there on his voyage to Rome (Ac 27:7-12). By all these instrumentalities the Gospel was sure to reach Crete. But until Paul's later visit, after his first imprisonment at Rome, the Cretan Christians were without Church organization. This Paul began, and had commissioned (before leaving Crete) Titus to go on with, and now reminds him of that commission.

ordain--rather, "appoint," "constitute."

in every city--"from city to city."

as I ... appointed thee--that is, as I directed thee; prescribing as well the act of constituting elders, as also the manner of doing so, which latter includes the qualifications required in a presbyter presently stated. Those called "elders" here are called "bishops" in Tit 1:7. Elder is the term of dignity in relation to the college of presbyters; bishop points to the duties of his office in relation to the flock. From the unsound state of the Cretan Christians described here, we see the danger of the want of Church government. The appointment of presbyters was designed to check idle talk and speculation, by setting forth the "faithful word."

6. (Compare Notes, see on 1Ti 3:2-4.) The thing dwelt on here as the requisite in a bishop, is a good reputation among those over whom he is to be set. The immorality of the Cretan professors rendered this a necessary requisite in one who was to be a reprover: and their unsoundness in doctrine also made needful great steadfastness in the faith (Tit 1:9, 13).

having faithful children--that is, believing children. He who could not bring his children to faith, how shall he bring others? [Bengel]. Alford explains, "established in the faith."

not accused--not merely not riotous, but "not (even) accused of riot" ("profligacy" [Alford]; "dissolute life" [Wahl]).

unruly--insubordinate; opposed to "in subjection" (1Ti 3:4).

7. For ... must--The emphasis is on "must." The reason why I said "blameless," is the very idea of a "bishop" (an overseer of the flock; he here substitutes for "presbyter" the term which expresses his duties) involves the necessity for such blamelessness, if he is to have influence over the flock.

steward of God--The greater the master is, the greater the virtues required in His servant [Bengel], (1Ti 3:15); the Church is God's house, over which the minister is set as a steward (He 3:2-6; 1Pe 4:10, 17). Note: ministers are not merely Church officers, but God's stewards; Church government is of divine appointment.

not self-willed--literally, "self-pleasing"; unaccommodating to others; harsh, the opposite of "a lover of hospitality" (Tit 1:6); so Nabal (1Sa 25:1-44); self-loving and imperious; such a spirit would incapacitate him for leading a willing flock, instead of driving.

not given to wine--(See on 1Ti 3:3; 1Ti 3:8).

not given to filthy lucre--not making the Gospel a means of gain (1Ti 3:3, 8). In opposition to those "teaching for filthy lucre's sake" (Tit 1:11; 1Ti 6:5; 1Pe 5:2).

8. lover of hospitality--needed especially in those days (Ro 12:13; 1Ti 3:2; He 13:2; 1Pe 4:9; 3Jo 5). Christians travelling from one place to another were received and forwarded on their journey by their brethren.

lover of good men--Greek, "a lover of (all that is) good," men or things (Php 4:8, 9).

sober--towards one's self; "discreet"; "self-restrained" [Alford], (see on 1Ti 2:9).

just--towards "men."

holy--towards God (see on 1Th 2:10).

temperate--"One having his passions, tongue, hand and eyes, at command" [Chrysostom]; "continent."

9. Holding fast--Holding firmly to (compare Mt 6:24; Lu 16:13).

the faithful--true and trustworthy (1Ti 1:15).

word as he has been taught--literally, "the word (which is) according to the teaching" which he has received (compare 1Ti 4:6, end; 2Ti 3:14).

by--Translate as Greek, "to exhort in doctrine (instruction) which is sound"; sound doctrine or instruction is the element IN which his exhorting is to have place ... On "sound" (peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles), see 1Ti 1:10; 6:3.

convince--rather, "reprove" [Alford], (Tit 1:13).

10. unruly--"insubordinate."

and--omitted in the oldest manuscripts. "There are many unruly persons, vain talkers, and deceivers"; "unruly" being predicated of both vain talkers and deceivers.

vain talkers--opposed to "holding fast the faithful word" (Tit 1:9). "Vain jangling" (1Ti 1:6); "foolish questions, unprofitable and vain" (Tit 3:9). The source of the evil was corrupted Judaism (Tit 1:14). Many Jews were then living in Crete, according to Josephus; so the Jewish leaven remained in some of them after conversion.

deceivers--literally, "deceivers of the minds of others" (Greek, Ga 6:3).

11. mouths ... stopped--literally, "muzzled," "bridled" as an unruly beast (compare Psa 32:9).

who--Greek, "(seeing that they are) such men as"; or "inasmuch as they" [Ellicott].

subvert ... houses--"overthrowing" their "faith" (2Ti 2:18). "They are the devil's levers by which he subverts the houses of God" [Theophylact].

for filthy lucre--(1Ti 3:3, 8; 6:5).

12. One--Epimenides of Phæstus, or Gnossus, in Crete, about 600. He was sent for to purify Athens from its pollution occasioned by Cylon. He was regarded as a diviner and prophet. The words here are taken probably from his treatise "concerning oracles." Paul also quotes from two other heathen writers, Aratus (Ac 17:28) and Menander (1Co 15:33), but he does not honor them so far as even to mention their names.

of themselves ... their own--which enhances his authority as a witness. "To Cretanize" was proverbial for to lie: as "to Corinthianize" was for to be dissolute.

alway liars--not merely at times, as every natural man is. Contrast Tit 1:2, "God that cannot lie." They love "fables" (Tit 1:14); even the heathen poets laughed at their lying assertion that they had in their country the sepulchre of Jupiter.

evil beasts--rude, savage, cunning, greedy. Crete was a country without wild beasts. Epimenides' sarcasm was that its human inhabitants supplied the place of wild beasts.

slow bellies--indolent through pampering their bellies. They themselves are called "bellies," for that is the member for which they live (Ro 16:18; Php 3:19).

13. This witness--"This testimony (though coming from a Cretan) is true."

sharply--Gentleness would not reclaim so perverse offenders.

that they--that those seduced by the false teachers may be brought back to soundness in the faith. Their malady is strifes about words and questions (Tit 3:9; 1Ti 6:4).

14. Jewish fables--(See on 1Ti 1:4; 1Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:4). These formed the transition stage to subsequent Gnosticism; as yet the error was but profitless, and not tending to godliness, rather than openly opposed to the faith.

commandments of men--as to ascetic abstinence (Tit 1:15; Mr 7:7-9; Col 2:16, 20-23; 1Ti 4:3).

that turn from the truth--whose characteristic is that they turn away from the truth (2Ti 4:4).

15. all things--external, "are pure" in themselves; the distinction of pure and impure is not in the things, but in the disposition of him who uses them; in opposition to "the commandments of men" (Tit 1:14), which forbade certain things as if impure intrinsically. "To the pure" inwardly, that is, those purified in heart by faith (Ac 15:9; Ro 14:20; 1Ti 4:3), all outward things are pure; all are open to, their use. Sin alone touches and defiles the soul (Mt 23:26; Lu 11:41).

nothing pure--either within or without (Ro 14:23).

mind--their mental sense and intelligence.

conscience--their moral consciousness of the conformity or discrepancy between their motives and acts on the one hand, and God's law on the other. A conscience and a mind defiled are represented as the source of the errors opposed in the Pastoral Epistles (1Ti 1:19; 3:9; 6:5).

16. They profess--that is, make a profession acknowledging God. He does not deny their theoretical knowledge of God, but that they practically know Him.

deny him--the opposite of the previous "profess" or "confess" Him (1Ti 5:8; 2Ti 2:12; 3:5).

abominable--themselves, though laying so much stress on the contracting of abomination from outward things (compare Le 11:10-13; Ro 2:22).

disobedient--to God (Tit 3:3; Ep 2:2; 5:6).

reprobate--rejected as worthless when tested (see on Ro 1:28; 1Co 9:27; 2Ti 3:8).

Paul, a servant of God - In several places of his other epistles St. Paul styles himself the servant of Jesus Christ, but this is the only place where he calls himself the servant of God. Some think that he did this to vindicate himself against the Jews, who supposed he had renounced God when he admitted the Gentiles into his Church. But if thus to vindicate himself was at all necessary, why was it not done in his Epistle to the Romans, the grand object of which was to prove that the Gentiles came legally into the Church on believing in Christ, with out submitting to circumcision, or being laid under obligation to observe the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law? This reason seems too fanciful. It is very likely that in the use of the phrase the apostle had no particular design; for, according to him, he who is the servant of Christ is the servant of God, and he who is God's servant is also the servant of Christ.

The faith of God's elect - The Christians, who were now chosen in the place of the Jews, who, for their obstinate rejection of the Messiah, were reprobated; i.e. cast out of the Divine favor.

The acknowledging of the truth - For the propagation of that truth, or system of doctrines, which is calculated to promote godliness, or a holy and useful life.

In hope of eternal life - In expectation of a state of being and well being which should last through eternity, when time should be no more. This includes, not only the salvation of the soul and its eternal beatification, but also the resurrection of the body. This was a point but ill understood, and not very clearly revealed, under the Mosaic law; but it was fully revealed under the Gospel, and the doctrine illustrated by the resurrection and ascension of Christ.

Which God, that cannot lie, promised - We have often seen that the phrase, the foundation of the world, means the Jewish economy, and, before the foundation of the world, the times antecedent to the giving of the law. This is evidently the meaning here. See 2Tim 1:9-11.

Supposing the word αιωνιων in this verse to signify eternal, says Dr. Macknight, the literal translation of προ χρονων αιωνιων would be, before eternal times; but that being a contradiction in terms, our translators, contrary to the propriety of the Greek language, have rendered it before the world began, as Mr. Locke observes on Rom 16:25. The true literal translation is before the secular times, referring us to the Jewish jubilees, by which times were computed among the Hebrews, as among the Gentiles they were computed by generations of men. Hence, Col 1:26, The mystery which was kept hid απο των αιωνων και απο των γενεων, from the ages and from the generations, signifies the mystery which was kept hid from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

But hath in due times - Καιροις ιδιοις· In its own times. See 1Tim 2:6; Gal 4:4; Eph 1:10; Eph 2:7. God caused the Gospel to be published in that time in which it could be published with the greatest effect. It is impossible that God should prematurely hasten, or causelessly delay, the accomplishment of any of his works. Jesus was manifested precisely at the time in which that manifestation could best promote the glory of God and the salvation of man.

Manifested his word - Τον λογον αὑτου· His doctrine - the doctrine of eternal life, by the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Which is committed unto me - That is, to preach it among the Gentiles.

According to the commandment of God our Savior - This evidently refers to the commission which he had received from Christ. See Act 9:15 : "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles." For, "I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee; to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light," etc,; Act 26:16, etc. This is the commandment; and according to it he became the apostle of the Gentiles.

God our Savior. - As the commission was given by Jesus Christ alone, the person whom he terms here God our Savior must be Jesus Christ only; and this is another proof that St. Paul believed Jesus Christ to be God. This eternal life God had promised in a comparatively obscure way before the foundation of the world, the Jewish dispensation; but now under the Gospel, he had made it manifest - produced it with all its brightness, illustrations, and proofs.

To Titus, mine own son - Him whom I have been the instrument of converting to the Christian faith; and in whom, in this respect, I have the same right as any man can have in his own begotten son. See the preface; and see on 1Tim 1:2 (note).

For this cause left I thee in Crete - That St. Paul had been in Crete, though nowhere else intimated, is clear from this passage. That he could not have made such an important visit, and evangelized an island of the first consequence, without its being mentioned by his historian, Luke, had it happened during the period embraced in the Acts of the Apostles, must be evident. That the journey, therefore, must have been performed after the time in which St. Luke ends his history, that is, after St. Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, seems almost certain.

Set in order the things that are wanting - It appears from this that the apostle did not spend much time in Crete, and that he was obliged to leave it before he had got the Church properly organized. The supplying of this defect, he tells Titus, he had confided to him as one whose spiritual views coincided entirely with his own.

Ordain elders in every city - That thou mightest appoint, καταστησῃς, elders - persons well instructed in Divine things, who should be able to instruct others, and observe and enforce the discipline of the Church. It appears that those who are called elders in this place are the same as those termed bishops in Tit 1:7. We have many proofs that bishops and elders were of the same order in the apostolic Church, though afterwards they became distinct. Lord Peter King, in his view of the primitive Church, has written well on this subject.

In every city. - Κατα πολιν. This seems to intimate that the apostle had gone over the whole of the hecatompolis or hundred cities for which this island was celebrated. Indeed it is not likely that he would leave one in which he had not preached Christ crucified.

If any be blameless - See the notes on 1Tim 3:2, etc.

Having faithful children - Whose family is converted to God. It would have been absurd to employ a man to govern the Church whose children were not in subjection to himself; for it is an apostolic maxim, that he who cannot rule his own house, cannot rule the Church of God; 1Tim 3:5.

Not self-willed - Μη αυθαδη· Not one who is determined to have his own way in every thing; setting up his own judgment to that of all others; expecting all to pay homage to his understanding. Such a governor in the Church of God can do little good, and may do much mischief.

Not soon angry - Μη οργιλον· Not a choleric man; one who is irritable; who is apt to be inflamed on every opposition; one who has not proper command over his own temper.

A lover of hospitality - Φιλοξενον· A lover of strangers. See the note on 1Tim 3:2. Instead of φιλοξενον, one MS. has φιλοπτωχον, a lover of the poor. That minister who neglects the poor, but is frequent in his visits to the rich, knows little of his Master's work, and has little of his Master's spirit.

A lover of good men - Φιλαγαθον· A lover of goodness or of good things in general.

Sober - Prudent in all his conduct. Just in all his dealings. Holy in his heart.

Temperate - self-denying and abstemious, in his food and raiment; not too nice on points of honor, nor magisterially rigid in the exercise of his ecclesiastical functions. Qualifications rarely found in spiritual governors.

Holding fast the faithful word - Conscientiously retaining, and zealously maintaining, the true Christian doctrine, κατα την διδαχην, according to the instructions, or according to the institutions, form of sound doctrine, or confession of faith, which I have delivered to thee.

That he may be able by sound doctrine - If the doctrine be not sound, vain is the profession of it, and vain its influence. It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing; but zeal for what is not of God will do no good to the souls of men, how sincere soever that zeal may be.

To exhort - Them to hold the faith, that they may persevere.

And to convince - Refute the objections, confound the sophistry, and convert the gainsayers; and thus defend the truth.

There are many unruly - Persons who will not receive the sound doctrine, nor come under wholesome discipline.

Vain talkers - Empty boasters of knowledge, rights, and particular privileges; all noise, empty parade, and no work.

Deceivers - Of the souls of men by their specious pretensions.

They of the circumcision - The Judaizing teachers, who maintained the necessity of circumcision, and of observing the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic law, in order to the perfecting of the Gospel.

Whose mouths must be stopped - Unmask them at once; exhibit them to the people; make manifest their ignorance and hypocrisy; and let them be confounded before the people whom they are endeavoring to seduce.

Subvert whole houses - Turn whole Christian families from the faith, attributing to the broad way what belongs only to the strait gate; ministering to disorderly passions, and promising salvation to their proselytes, though not saved from their sins.

One of themselves, even a prophet of their own - This was Epimenides, who was born at Gnossus, in Crete, and was reckoned by many the seventh wise man of Greece, instead of Periander, to whom that honor was by them denied. Many fabulous things are related of this poet, which are not proper to be noticed here. He died about 538 years before the Christian era. When St. Paul calls him a prophet of their own, he only intimates that he was, by the Cretans, reputed a prophet. And, according to Plutarch, (in Solone), the Cretans paid him divine honors after his death. Diogenes Laertius mentions some of his prophecies: beholding the fort of Munichia, which guarded the port of Athens, he cried out: "O ignorant men! if they but knew what slaughters this fort shall occasion, they would pull it down with their teeth!" This prophecy was fulfilled several years after, when the king, Antipater, put a garrison in this very fort, to keep the Athenians in subjection. See Diog. Laert., lib. i. p. 73.

Plato, De Legibus, lib. ii., says that, on the Athenians expressing great fear of the Persians, Epimenides encouraged them by saying "that they should not come before ten years, and that they should return after having suffered great disasters." This prediction was supposed to have been fulfilled in the defeat of the Persians in the battles of Salamis and Marathon.

He predicted to the Lacedemonians and Cretans the captivity to which they should one day be reduced by the Arcadians. This took place under Euricrates, king of Crete, and Archidamus, king of Lacedemon; vide Diog. Laert., lib. i. p. 74, edit. Meibom.

It was in consequence of these prophecies, whether true or false, that his countrymen esteemed him a prophet; that he was termed ανηρ αθειος, a divine man, by Plato; and that Cicero, De Divin., lib. i., says he was futura praesciens, et vaticinans per furorem: "He knew future events, and prophesied under a divine influence." These things are sufficient to justify the epithet of prophet, given him here by St. Paul. It may also be remarked that vates and poeta, prophet and poet, were synonymous terms among the Romans.

The Cretians are always liars - The words quoted here by the apostle are, according to St. Jerome, Socrates, Nicephorus, and others, taken from a work of Epimenides, now no longer extant, entitled Περι χρησμων· Concerning Oracles. The words form a hexameter verse: - Κρητες αει ψευσται, κακα θηρια, γαστερες αργαι.

The Cretans are always liars; destructive wild beasts; sluggish gluttons.

That the Cretans were reputed to be egregious liars, several of the ancients declare; insomuch that Κρητιζειν, to act like a Cretan, signifies to lie; and χρησθαι Κρητισμῳ, to deceive. The other Greeks reputed them liars, because they said that among them was the sepulchre of Jupiter, who was the highest object of the Greek and Roman worship. By telling this truth, which all others would have to pass for a lie, the Cretans showed that the object of their highest admiration was only a dead man.

Evil beasts - Ferocious and destructive in their manners.

Slow bellies - Addicted to voluptuousness, idleness, and gluttony; sluggish or hoggish men.

This witness is true - What Epimenides said of them nearly 600 years before continued still to be true. Their original character had undergone no moral change.

Rebuke them sharply - Αποτομως· Cuttingly, severely; show no indulgence to persons guilty of such crimes.

That they may be sound in the faith - That they may receive the incorrupt doctrine, and illustrate it by a holy and useful life.

Not giving heed to Jewish fables - See on 1Tim 1:4 (note); 1Tim 4:7 (note).

Commandments of men - The injunctions of the scribes and Pharisees, which they added to the law of God.

That turn from the truth - For such persons made the word of God of none effect by their traditions. Sometimes the verb αποστρεφομαι signifies to be averse from, slight, or despise. So, here, the persons in question despised the truth, and taught others to do the same.

Unto the pure all things are pure - This appears to have been spoken in reference to the Jewish distinctions of clean and unclean meats. To the genuine Christian every kind of meat proper for human nourishment is pure, is lawful, and may be used without scruple. This our Lord had long before decided. See on Luk 11:39-41 (note).

But unto them that are defiled - In their consciences, and unbelieving, απιστοις, unfaithful both to offered and received grace, nothing is pure - they have no part in Christ, and the wrath of God abides upon them. Their mind is contaminated with impure and unholy images and ideas, and their conscience is defiled with the guilt of sins already committed against God.

They profess that they know God - He still speaks concerning the unbelieving Jews, the seducing teachers, and those who had been seduced by their bad doctrine. None were so full of pretensions to the knowledge of the true God as the Jews. They would not admit that any other people could have this knowledge; nor did they believe that God ever did or ever would reveal himself to any other people; they supposed that to give the law and the prophets to the Gentiles would be a profanation of the words of God. Hence they became both proud, uncharitable, and intolerant; and in this disposition they continue till the present day.

But in works they deny him - Their profession and practice were at continual variance. Full of a pretended faith, while utterly destitute of those works by which a genuine faith is accredited and proved. Dio Cassius represents Caesar as saying of his mutinous soldiers: Ονομα Ῥωμαιων εχοντας, εργα δε Κελτων δρωντας. "Having the name of Romans, while they had the manners of the Gauls." How near are those words to the saying of the apostle!

Being abominable - Βδελυκτοι. This word sometimes refers to unnatural lusts.

And disobedient - Απειθεις· Unpersuadable, unbelieving, and consequently disobedient. Characters remarkably applicable to the Jews through all their generations.

Unto every good work reprobate - Αδοκιμοι· Adulterate; like bad coin, deficient both in the weight and goodness of the metal, and without the proper sterling stamp; and consequently not current. If they did a good work, they did not do it in the spirit in which it should be performed. They had the name of God's people; but they were counterfeit. The prophet said; Reprobate silver shall men call them.

1. Though the principal part of this chapter, and indeed of the whole epistle, may be found in nearly the same words in the First Epistle to Timothy, yet there are several circumstances here that are not so particularly noted in the other; and every minister of Christ will do well to make himself master of both; they should be carefully registered in his memory, and engraven on his heart.

2. The truth, which is according to godliness, in reference to eternal life, should be carefully regarded. The substantial knowledge of the truth must have faith for its foundation, godliness for its rule, and eternal life for its object and end. He who does not begin well, is never likely to finish fair. He who does not refer every thing to eternity, is never likely to live either well or happily in time.

3. There is one subject in this chapter not sufficiently attended to by those who have the authority to appoint men to ecclesiastical offices; none should be thus appointed who is not able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convince the gainsayers. The powers necessary for this are partly natural, partly gracious, and partly acquired.

1. If a man have not good natural abilities, nothing but a miracle from heaven can make him a proper preacher of the Gospel; and to make a man a Christian minister, who is unqualified for any function of civil life, is sacrilege before God.

2. If the grace of God do not communicate ministerial qualifications, no natural gifts, however splendid, can be of any avail. To be a successful Christian minister, a man must feel the worth of immortal souls in such a way as God only can show it, in order to spend and be spent in the work. He who has never passed through the travail of the soul in the work of regeneration in his own heart, can never make plain the way of salvation to others.

3. He who is employed in the Christian ministry should cultivate his mind in the most diligent manner; he can neither learn nor know too much. If called of God to be a preacher, (and without such a call he had better be a galley slave), he will be able to bring all his knowledge to the assistance and success of his ministry. If he have human learning, so much the better; if he be accredited, and appointed by those who have authority in the Church, it will be to his advantage; but no human learning, no ecclesiastical appointment, no mode of ordination, whether Popish, Episcopal, Protestant, or Presbyterian, can ever supply the Divine unction, without which he never can convert and build up the souls of men. The piety of the flock must be faint and languishing when it is not animated by the heavenly zeal of the pastor; they must be blind if he be not enlightened; and their faith must be wavering when he can neither encourage nor defend it.

4. In consequence of the appointment of improper persons to the Christian ministry, there has been, not only a decay of piety, but also a corruption of religion. No man is a true Christian minister who has not grace, gifts, and fruit; if he have the grace of God, it will appear in his holy life and godly conversation. If to this he add genuine abilities, he will give full proof of his ministry; and if he give full proof of his ministry, he will have fruit; the souls of sinners will be converted to God through his preaching, and believers will be built up on their most holy faith. How contemptible must that man appear in the eyes of common sense, who boasts of his clerical education, his sacerdotal order, his legitimate authority to preach, administer the Christian sacraments, etc., while no soul is benefited by his ministry! Such a person may have legal authority to take tithes, but as to an appointment from God, he has none; else his word would be with power, and his preaching the means of salvation to his perishing hearers.

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ - Titles suitable to the person of Paul, and the office he was assigning to Titus. According to the faith - The propagating of which is the proper business of an apostle. A servant of God - According to the faith of the elect. An apostle of Jesus Christ - According to the knowledge of the truth. We serve God according to the measure of our faith: we fulfil our public office according to the measure of our knowledge. The truth that is after godliness - Which in every point runs parallel with and supports the vital, spiritual worship of God; and, indeed, has no other end or scope. These two verses contain the sum of Christianity, which Titus was always to have in his eye. Of the elect of God - Of all real Christians

In hope of eternal life - The grand motive and encouragement of every apostle and every servant of God. Which God promised before the world began - To Christ, our Head.

And he hath in his own times - At sundry times; and his own times are fittest for his own work. What creature dares ask, "Why no sooner?" Manifested his word - Containing that promise, and the whole "truth which is after godliness." Through the preaching wherewith I am intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour - And who dares exercise this office on any less authority?

My own son - Begot in the same image of God, and repaying a paternal with a filial affection. The common faith - Common to me and all my spiritual children.

The things which are wanting - Which I had not time to settle myself. Ordain elders - Appoint the most faithful, zealous men to watch over the rest. Their character follows, Tit 1:6 - 9. These were the elders, or bishops, that Paul approved of; - men that had living faith, a pure conscience, a blameless life.

The husband of one wife - Surely the Holy Ghost, by repeating this so often, designed to leave the Romanists without excuse.

As the steward of God - To whom he intrusts immortal souls. Not selfwilled - Literally, pleasing himself; but all men "for their good to edification." Not passionate - But mild, yielding, tender.

As he hath been taught - Perhaps it might be more literally rendered, according to the teaching, or doctrine, of the apostles; alluding to Acts 2:42.

They of the circumcision - The Jewish converts.

Stopped - The word properly means, to put a bit into the mouth of an unruly horse.

A prophet - So all poets were anciently called; but, besides, Diogenes Laertius says that Epimenides, the Cretan poet, foretold many things. Evil wild beasts - Fierce and savage.

Commandments of men - The Jewish or other teachers, whoever they were that turned from the truth.

To the pure - Those whose hearts are purified by faith this we allow. All things are pure - All kinds of meat; the Mosaic distinction between clean and unclean meats being now taken away. But to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure - The apostle joins defiled and unbelieving, to intimate that nothing can be clean without a true faith: for both the understanding and conscience, those leading powers of the soul, are polluted; consequently, so is the man and all he does.

1 PAul a servant of God , and an apostle of Jesus Christ , according to the faith of Gods elect , and the acknowledgment of the truth, which is after godliness .

That is in the work of the Ministry.

Who glory in this as my greatest honour and dignity, that I was one immediately sent by Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel.

[non-Latin text not transcribed] according to what the Elect, or chosen of God from the beginning of the World, have believed, so as it is no new doctrine which I bring, or else [non-Latin text not transcribed] here should be Translated for denoting the final cause, as some judge it signifieth, 2 Tim. 1.1. and in verse 9. of this chapter, then the sense is, that he was sent to be an instrument to beget Faith in such as God had chosen unto life, Acts 26.18. for these onely ordained to eternal life believe, Acts 13.48. and Paul was sent to be an helper of their Faith. Some think the Apostle by this phrase only distinguisheth himself from the Ministers of the Law.

To which Faith men are brought by the knowledge of the truth, and it worketh by the owning Profession, and acknowledgment of the truth ▪ not all propositions of truth, but that which is productive of a Godly Life, lying in the true worship of God, and an universal Obedience to the Divine Will.

Marginal references: 1 Tim. 3.16. and 6.3.

2 In hope of eternal life , which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began .

Which Faith also producing the acknowledgment, profession and obedience to the truth, according to Godliness, produceth in the soul an hope, or certain expectation of Eternal Salvation or Happiness.

Nor doth this hope grow up as a rush without mire, or a flag without water, but is bottomed in Gods declaration of his will to that purpose, and it is impossible that the God of truth should lye, or speak what he never intended to effect. [non-Latin text not transcribed] might as well here have been Translated purposed, and must be so interpreted, if we interpret the next words before the beginning of time, unless we say it was promised to the head of the Elect, Christ on their behalf,

before the beginning of time, or rather many ages since, as Rom. 16.25. Thus Eternal Life was promised, though more obscurely, Gen. 15.1. and 17.7. and 22.18.

Marginal references: Or, for.; Numb. 23.19; 2 Tim. 1.9. 1 Pet. 1.20.

3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching , which is committed unto me , according to the commandment of God our Saviour l.

In proper time, (saith the Gr.) in such time as God had eternally purposed, and as seemed good to the Divine Wisdom.

He hath by setting up the Ordinance of Preaching or Publishing the Gospel by men, sent by him, manifested this promise of Eternal Life, which lay much obscured under the vail of temporal promises under the Old Testament.

Which office of preaching, or which word was committed to me, by the will of God, or immediate command of God, as to which, see Acts 26.18.

Marginal references: 1 Thess. 2.[illegible: 1 letter] ▪

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 .

From hence we learn that Titus was converted to Christianity by Paul. Timothy was so called, 1 Tim. 1.2.

The Salutation is the same with that to Timothy, 1 Tim. 1.2. 2 Tim. 1.2. and in most of the Epistles with small variation. See the Notes there, and in the beginning of most of the Epistles.

Marginal references: 2 Cor▪ 2.1[illegible: 1 letter] ▪13. and 7.14 [illegible: 1 word] 8.6, 1[illegible: 1 letter]. Gal. 2.3.

5 For this cause left I thee in Crete , that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting , and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee .

In Candia, (as it is now called) see the Argument to this Epistle.

Set to rights things which I left undone, being hastened away to other places.

In this Island we are told, there were an Hundred Cities, in how many of them the Gospel had taken place, we are not told. Paul left Titus in this place, for this end, to regulate the Churches, and constitute Officers for the Holy Ministry, to execute the office of an Evangelist; doing what the Apostle should have done there, could he have stayed.

Marginal references: Or, le[illegible: 1 letter]t undone.; Acts. 14.23.

6 If any be blameless , the husband of one wife , having faithful children , not accused of riot , or unruly .

The Apostle now directs what kind of persons should be made Elders or Officers in the Church. It is an Elliptick speech, where must be something understood to perfect the sense. Do not make every one an Elder, but if any be [non-Latin text not transcribed], see the notes on 1 Tim. 3.10. such a one, as though possibly he may be clamoured on by ill men, yet cannot be justly charged with, or accused of any notorious crime.

One that doth not take the sinful liberty, taken by the Jews and Heathens, (but contrary to the rule of Christ) to have at the same time more then one Wife. See the notes on 1 Tim. 3.2.

Having also a Religious Family, Children that are Believers, or at least honest in a Moral sense, (so then Ministers in those dayes might marry.)

The Gr. is under an accusationof, [non-Latin text not transcribed]: We translate it by a general word Riot, and undoubtedly, our English words, sots and sottishness, comes from this word. The word signifieth any kind of Luxury, Drunkenness, Whoredom, Prodigality.

Unruly; Sons of Belial, ungoverned, disorderly persons, like Souldiers that will not keep their ranks, or rather, like Cattle untamed, that will not indure any yoke. Obj. But why must none be put into the Ministry that have such Children? The Fathers may be good men, though the children be bad. Sol. 1. Because the honour and repute of the Church is more to be regarded then the interest of any private person. 2. Because it is an ill sign that the Parents of such children, have not ruled their own houses well, keeping their children in all subjection and gravity under Authority, and are therefore very unfit to rule the greater Society of a Church.

7 For a bishop must be blameless , as the steward of God , not self-willed , not soon angry , not given to wine , no striker , not given to filthy lucre .

One that hath an oversight of the Church of God, ought to be one whom none can truly tax with any scandalous sin.

As a chief Servant in Gods house, intrusted to dispense his mysteries, 1 Cor. 4.2. one that should set an example to the under servants in the house of God.

Not [non-Latin text not transcribed], one that pleaseth himself, proud, stubborn, pertinacious, confident, &c. having an high opinion of his own person, parts, judgment or humour; (for all this the word signifies.)

[non-Latin text not transcribed], not too quick, and subject to passion, how then shall he in meekness instruct those that are without?

See the notes on 1 Tim. 3.3. where the same word is used.

See the notes on 1 Tim. 3.3. where both these qualifications are mentioned, and opened.

See the notes on 1 Tim. 3.3. where both these qualifications are mentioned, and opened.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 10.9.; 1 Pet. [illegible: 1 letter].2.

8 But a lover of hospitality , a lover of good men , sober , just , holy , temperate .

A lover of strangers. See the notes on 1 Tim. 3.2.

One that hath a kindness for good men, or who loves all good things.

See the notes on 1 Tim. 3.[illegible: 1 letter].

Just in his dealings betwixt man and man, giving to all their due.

One that reverenceth and worshippeth God, and is Heavenly and Spiritual in his Conversation.

One that restraineth all his evil inclinations and propensions, that hath brought his sensitive appetite under the dominion and government of his reason.

Marginal references: Or, good [illegible: 1 word].

9 Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught , that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort , and to convince the gainsayers .

No airy incertain man that is of that opinion which his company is of, or his age favours, but holding steady the word of Faith, as he hath learned it from me, and the rest of the Apostles.

His work is to perswade others to the Faith, and

by sound arguments to convince those that speak contrary to it; and if he himself be ignorant of, or incertain, as to that, how can he ever discharge this employment.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter] Tim. 1.19. [illegible: 1 word] 6.3. [illegible: 1 letter] Tim. 1.13. and 4.3. chap. 2.1.; Or, i[illegible: 1 letter] teach [illegible: 3 letters].

10 For there are many unruly, and vain talkers , and deceivers , especially they of the circumcision .

We have had both of these words before, the first signifieth, stubborn, unruly men, the second, idle, foolish, vain talkers: The Apostle saith, that in that age there were many of these,

and such who were deceivers of other mens souls or had their own souls deceived:

Especially (he saith) the Jews, who mixt the Law with the Gospel; pressed the necessary observance of their Ceremonies, and taught that all the Jews should be saved: Of these there were many in Creet, they at this time being scattered abroad over the face of the whole Earth.

Marginal references: 1 Tim. 1.6.

11 Whose mouths must be stopped , who subvert whole houses , teaching things which they ought not , for filthy lucre sake .

The word is active, such Ministers ought to be placed in Cities, as shall be able and fit to stop such persons mouthes, by sound Doctrine and Arguments fit to convince them, or thou oughtest to stop their mouths by silencing them, (though I do not see how this was practicable (in a Pagan Country) otherwise than by perswading Christians not to hear them.

Who as to the foundation of Faith and its building, overturn whole Families of Christians.

Infusing false Doctrine into them,

and all for filthy gain, and all gain is so, that is got by deceiving and ruining of peoples Souls, as to their Faith, and Salvation.

Marginal references: 2 Tim. 3.6.; 1 Tim. 6.[illegible: 1 letter].

12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own , said, The Cretians are alwayes lyars , evil beasts , slow-bellies .

Epimenides a Greek Poet thus spake of the people of this Country, whom he calls a Prophet, because he was a Poet, and wrote something about such Divine Oracles as they had.

The Cretians were famous for lying and falsehood, so as it became a proverb.

He called them evil Beasts, either for their cruelty or Treachery.

A lasie, idle people, that had much more inclination to eat and drink, than they had to work in any honest labour. From all this the Apostle would infer, that Titus had the more need be watchful in his place, and faithful in the discharge of his Office, being amongst such a people.

13 This witness is true : Wherefore rebuke them sharply b, that they may be sound in the faith .

This testimony of Epimenides is true, what I have found by experience, and those of them that in profession have embraced the Christian Faith, may have some tincture of their Nations vices, if thou meetest with any such, reprove, or convince them [non-Latin text not transcribed] cuttingly, that is, sharply, severely, the metaphor possibly is fetched from Chirurgeons who cut out dead flesh to the quick,

that they may be sound in the Doctrine of the Gospel, or in their minds, not infected with any vice.

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables , and commandments of men that turn from the truth .

By his calling them Iewish fables, (not old wives fables, as in the Epistle to Timothy) he lets us know that he reflects upon those Jews that seemed to be proselyted, but yet had a tincture of their Jewish Education, and spent their Discourse about such fabulous Traditions as the Jews had,

and the Traditions and constitutions of the Scribes and Pharisees,

abhorring the Gospel, and the Doctrine of Truth in it.

Marginal references: 1 Tim. 1.4.; Col. 2.22.

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 .

By the pure here (as appeareth by the terms opposed to it) are meant all those whose hearts are purified by Faith, working by love in an holy life. To these he saith all things, that is, all the Creatures of God, all Meats, and drinks are pure. What God hath cleansed, none ought to call common or impure, Acts 10.14. so as notwithstanding any Law of God to the contrary, any believers under the Gospel may eat of any meats.

But if men be unbelievers, and so defiled, having not their hearts purified by faith, Acts 15.9. nothing is pure to them.

Their mind, their notion and understanding is defiled;

and their Conscience, which is the practical judgment they make up about things, is defiled: If they forbear to eat, they are defiled through Superstition; if they do eat, they sin by acting against the dictate of their conscience, which is the proximate rule of mens actions.

Marginal references: Lu. 11.39, 40, Rom. 14.20. 1 Cor. 6.12. and 10.23, 25. 1 Tim. 4.3, 4.; Rom. 14.23.

16 They profess that they know God , but in works they deny him , being abominable, disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate .

He is speaking of the Iews who (all of them) professed to know, and to believe one living and true God.

But they lived like Atheists, as if there were no God in the World, Rom. 2.17. to ver. 24.

They are persons justly to be abominated of all good men, [non-Latin text not transcribed], unbelieving in the Gospel; disobedient to the rule of the Law, awkward to, and averse from any good work.

Marginal references: 2 Tim. 3.5.; Or, void of judgment.

Titus

Completed by Jeremiah Smith .

This Epistle of Paul to Titus is much of the same nature with those to Timothy; both were converts of Paul, and his companions in labours and sufferings; both were in the office of evangelists, whose work was to water the churches planted by the apostles, and to set in order the things that were wanting in them: they were vice-apostles, as it were, working the work of the Lord, as they did, and mostly under their direction, though not despotic and arbitrary, but with the concurring exercise of their own prudence and judgment, 1 Cor. xvi. 10, 12. We read much of this Titus, his titles, character, and active usefulness, in many places—he was a Greek, Gal. ii. 3. Paul called him his son (Tit. i. 4), his brother (2 Cor. ii. 13), his partner and fellow-helper (2 Cor. viii. 23), one that walked in the same spirit and in the same steps with himself. He went up with the apostles to the church at Jerusalem (Gal. ii. 1), was much conversant at Corinth, for which church he had an earnest care, 2 Cor. viii. 16. Paul's second epistle to them, and probably his first also, was sent by his hand, 2 Cor. viii. 16-18, 23; ix. 2-4; xii. 18. He was with the apostle at Rome, and thence went into Dalmatia (2 Tim. iv. 10), after which no more occurs of him in the scriptures. So that by them he appears not to have been a fixed bishop; if such he were, and in those times, the church of Corinth, where he most laboured, had the best title to him. In Crete (now called Candia, formerly Hecatompolis, from the hundred cities that were in it), a large island at the mouth of the Ægean Sea, the gospel had got some footing; and here were Paul and Titus in one of their travels, cultivating this plantation; but the apostle of the Gentiles, having on him the care of all the churches, could not himself tarry long at this place. He therefore left Titus some time there, to carry on the work which had been begun, wherein, probably, meeting with more difficulty than ordinary, Paul wrote this epistle to him; and yet perhaps not so much for his own sake as for the people's, that the endeavours of Titus, strengthened with apostolic advice and authority, might be more significant and effectual among them. He was to see all the cities furnished with good pastors, to reject and keep out the unmeet and unworthy, to teach sound doctrine, and instruct all sorts in their duties, to set forth the free grace of God in man's salvation by Christ, and withal to show the necessity of maintaining good works by those who have believed in God and hope for eternal life from him.

In this chapter we have, I. The preface or introduction to the epistle, showing from and to whom it was written, with the apostle's salutation and prayer for Titus, wishing all blessings to him, ver. 1-4. II. Entrance into the matter, by signifying the end of Titus's being left at Crete, ver. 5. III. And how the same should be pursued in reference both to good and bad ministers, ver. 6, to the end.

Introduction; The Apostle's Charge to Titus. (a. d. 66.)

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; 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; 3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; 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.

Here is the preface to the epistle, showing,

I. The writer. Paul, a Gentile name taken by the apostle of the Gentiles, Acts xiii. 9, 46, 47. Ministers will accommodate even smaller matters, so that they may be any furthering of acceptance in their work. When the Jews rejected the gospel, and the Gentiles received it, we read no more of this apostle by his Jewish name Saul, but by his Roman one, Paul. A servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Here he is described by his relation and office: A servant of God, not in the general sense only, as a man and a Christian, but especially as a minister, serving God in the gospel of his Son, Rom. i. 9. This is a high honour; it is the glory of angels that they are ministering spirits, and sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14. Paul is described more especially as a chief minister, an apostle of Jesus Christ; one who had seen the Lord, and was immediately called and commissioned by him, and had his doctrine from him. Observe, The highest officers in the church are but servants. (Much divinity and devotion are comprehended in the inscriptions of the epistles.) The apostles of Jesus Christ, who were employed to spread and propagate his religion, were therein also the servants of God; they did not set up any thing inconsistent with the truths and duties of natural religion. Christianity, which they preached, was in order to clear and enforce those natural principles, as well as to advance them, and to superadd what was fit and necessary in man's degenerate and revolted state: therefore the apostles of Jesus Christ were the servants of God, according to the faith of God's elect. Their doctrine agreed with the faith of all the elect from the beginning of the world, and was for propagating and promoting the same. Observe, There are elect of God (1 Pet. i. 2), and in these the Holy Spirit works precious divine faith, proper to those who are chosen to eternal life (2 Thess. ii. 13, 14): God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel. Faith is the first principle of sanctification. And the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. The gospel is truth; the great, sure, and saving truth (Col. i. 5), the word of the truth of the gospel. Divine faith rests not on fallible reasonings and probable opinions, but on the infallible word, the truth itself, which is after godliness, of a godly nature and tendency, pure, and purifying the heart of the believer. By this mark judge of doctrines and of spirits—whether they be of God or not; what is impure, and prejudicial to true piety and practical religion, cannot be of divine original. All gospel truth is after godliness, teaching and nourishing reverence and fear of God, and obedience to him; it is truth not only to be known, but acknowledged; it must be held forth in word and practice, Phil. ii. 15, 16. With the heart man believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, Rom. x. 10. Such as retain the truth in unrighteousness neither know nor believe as they ought. To bring to this knowledge and faith, and to the acknowledging and professing of the truth which is after godliness, is the great end of the gospel ministry, even of the highest degree and order in it; their teachings should have this chief aim, to beget faith and confirm in it. In (orfor) hope of eternal life, v. 2. This is the further intent of the gospel, to beget hope as well as faith; to take off the mind and heart from the world, and to raise them to heaven and the things above. The faith and godliness of Christians lead to eternal life, and give hope and well-grounded expectation of it; for God, that cannot lie, hath promised it. It is the honour of God that he cannot lie or deceive: and this is the comfort of believers, whose treasure is laid up in his faithful promises. But how is he said to promise before the world began? Answer, By promise some understand his decree: he purposed it in his eternal counsels, which were as it were his promise in embryo: or rather, say some, pro chronon aionion is before ancient times, or many years ago, referring to the promise darkly delivered, Gen. iii. 15. Here is the stability and antiquity of the promise of eternal life to the saints. God, who cannot lie, hath promised before the world began, that is, many ages since. How excellent then is the gospel, which was the matter of divine promise so early! how much to be esteemed by us, and what thanks due for our privilege beyond those before us! Blessed are your eyes, for they see, &c. No wonder if the contempt of it be punished severely, since he has not only promised it of old, but (v. 3) has in due times manifested his word through preaching; that is, made that his promise, so darkly delivered of old, in due time (the proper season before appointed) more plain by preaching; that which some called foolishness of preaching has been thus honoured. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, by the word preached. Which is committed unto me. The ministry is a trust; none taketh this honour, but he who is thereunto appointed; and whoso is appointed and called must preach the word. 1 Cor. ix. 16, Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. Nonpreaching ministers are none of the apostle's successors. According to the commandment of God our Saviour. Preaching is a work appointed by a God as a Saviour. See a proof here of Christ's deity, for by him was the gospel committed to Paul when he was converted (Acts ix. 15, 17, and ch. xxii. 10, 14, 15), and again when Christ appeared to him, v. 17-21. He therefore is this Saviour; not but that the whole Timothy concur therein: the Father saves by the Son through the Spirit, and all concur in sending ministers. Let none rest therefore in men's calling, without God's; he furnishes, inclines, authorizes, and gives opportunity for the work.

II. The person written to, who is described, 1. By his name, Titus, a Gentile Greek, yet called both to the faith and ministry. Observe, the grace of God is free and powerful. What worthiness or preparation was there in one of heathen stock and education? 2. By his spiritual relation to the apostle: My own (or my genuine) son, not by natural generation, but by supernatural regeneration. I have begotten you through the gospel, said he to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Ministers are spiritual fathers to those whom they are the means of converting, and will tenderly affect and care for them, and must be answerably regarded by them. "My own son after the common faith, that faith which is common to all the regenerate, and which thou hast in truth, and expressest to the life." This might be said to distinguish Titus from hypocrites and false teachers, and to recommend him to the regard of the Cretans, as being among them a lively image of the apostle himself, in faith, and life, and heavenly doctrine. To this Titus, deservedly so dear to the apostle, is,

III. The salutation and prayer, wishing all blessings to him: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. Here are, 1. The blessings wished: Grace, mercy, and peace. Grace, the free favour of God, and acceptance with him. Mercy, the fruits of that favour, in pardon of sins, and freedom from all miseries by it, both here and hereafter. And peace, the positive effect and fruit of mercy. Peace with God through Christ who is our peace, and with the creatures and ourselves; outward and inward peace, comprehending all good whatsoever, that makes for our happiness in time and to eternity. Observe, Grace is the fountain of all blessings. Mercy, and peace, and all good, spring out of this. Get into God's favour, and all must be well; for, 2. These are the persons from whom blessings are wished: From God the Father, the fountain of all good. Every blessing, every comfort, comes to us from God as a Father; he is the Father of all by creation, but of the good by adoption and regeneration. And the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, as the way and means of procurement and conveyance. All is from the Father by the Son, who is Lord by nature, heir of all things, and our Lord, Redeemer, and head, ordering and ruling his members. All are put under him; we hold of him, as in capite, and owe subjection and obedience to him, who is also Jesus and Christ, the anointed Saviour, and especially our Saviour, who believe in him, delivering us from sin and hell, and bringing us to heaven and happiness.

Thus far is the preface to the epistle; then follows the entrance into the matter, by signifying the end of Titus's being left in Crete.

Ordination of Elders. (a. d. 66.)

5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Here is the end expressed,

I. More generally: For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting. This was the business of evangelists (in which office Titus was), to water where the apostles had planted (1 Cor. iii. 6), furthering and finishing what they had begun; so much epidiorthoun imports, to order after another. Titus was to go on in settling what the apostle himself had not time for, in his short stay there. Observe, 1. The apostle's great diligence in the gospel; when he had set things on foot in one place, he hastened away to another. He was debtor to the Greeks and to the barbarians, and laboured to spread the gospel as far as he could among them all. And, 2. His faithfulness and prudence. He neglected not the places that he went from; but left some to cultivate the young plantation, and carry on what was begun. 3. His humility; he disdained not to be helped in his work, and that by such as were not of so high a rank in the ministry, nor of so great gifts and furniture, as himself; so that the gospel might be furthered and the good of souls promoted, he willingly used the hands of others in it: a fit example for exciting zeal and industry, and engaging to faithfulness and care of the flock, and present or absent, living and dying, for ministers, as much as in them lies, to provide for the spiritual edification and comfort of their people. We may here also observe, 4. That Titus, though inferior to an apostle, was yet above the ordinary fixed pastors or bishops, who were to tend particular churches as their peculiar stated charge; but Titus was in a higher sphere, to ordain such ordinary pastors where wanting, and settle things in their first state and form, and then to pass to other places for like service as there might be need. Titus was not only a minister of the catholic church (as all others also are), but a catholic minister. Others had power habitual, and in actu primo, to minister any where, upon call and opportunity; but evangelists, such as Titus was, had power in actu secundo et exercito, and could exercise their ministry wherever they came, and claim maintenance of the churches. They were every where actually in their diocese or province, and had a right to direct and preside among the ordinary pastors and ministers. Where an apostle could act as an apostle an evangelist could act as an evangelist; for they worked the work of the Lord as they did (1 Cor. xvi. 10), in a like unfixed and itinerant manner. Here at Crete Titus was but occasionally, and for a short time; Paul willed him to despatch the business he was left for, and come to him at Nicopolis, where he purposed to winter; after this he was sent to Corinth, was with the apostle at Rome, and was sent thence into Dalmatia, which is the last we read of him in scripture, so that from scripture no fixed episcopacy in him does appear; he left Crete, and we find not that he returned thither any more. But what power had either Paul or Titus here? Was not what they did an encroachment on the rights of civil rulers? In no sort; they came not to meddle with the civil rights of any. Luke xii. 14, Who made me a judge or a divider over you? Their work was spiritual, to be carried on by conviction and persuasion, no way interfering with, or prejudicing, or weakening, the power of magistrates, but rather securing and strengthening it; the things wanting were not such as civil magistrates are the fountains or authors of, but divine and spiritual ordinances, and appointments for spiritual ends, derived from Christ the king and head of the church: for settling these was Titus left. And observe, No easy thing is it to raise churches, and bring them to perfection. Paul had himself been here labouring, and yet were there things wanting; materials are out of square, need much hewing and fitting, to bring them into right form, and, when they are set therein, to hold and keep them so. The best are apt to decay and to go out of order. Ministers are to help against this, to get what is amiss rectified, and what is wanting supplied. This in general was Titus's work in Crete: and,

II. In special: To ordain elders in every city, that is, ministers, who were mostly out of the elder and most understanding and experienced Christians; or, if younger in years, yet such as were grave and solid in their deportment and manners. These were to be set where there was any fit number of Christians, as in larger towns and cities was usually the case; though villages, too, might have them where there were Christians enough for it. These presbyters or elders were to have the ordinary and stated care and charge of the churches; to feed and govern them, and perform all pastoral work and duty in and towards them. The word is used sometimes more largely for any who bear ecclesiastical function in the church, and so the apostles were presbyters or elders (1 Pet. v. 1); but here it is meant of ordinary fixed pastors, who laboured in the word and doctrine, and were over the churches in the Lord; such as are described here throughout the chapter. This word presbyter some use in the same sense as sacerdos, and translate it priest, a term not given to gospel ministers, unless in a figurative or allusive way, as all God's people are said to be made kings and priests unto God (hiereis, not presbyterous), to offer up spiritual sacrifices of prayers, praises, and alms. But properly we have no priest under the gospel, except Christ alone, the high priest of our profession (Heb. iii. 1), who offered up himself a sacrifice to God for us, and ever lives, in virtue thereof, to make intercession in our behalf. Presbyters here therefore are not proper priests, to offer sacrifices, either typical or real; but only gospel ministers, to dispense Christ's ordinances, and to feed the church of God, over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers. Observe, 1. A church without a fixed and standing ministry in it is imperfect and wanting. 2. Where a fit number of believers is, presbyters or elders must be set; their continuance in churches is as necessary as their first appointment, for perfecting the saints, and edifying the body of Christ, till all come to a perfect man in Christ, till the whole number of God's chosen be called and united to Christ in one body, and brought to their full stature and strength, and that measure of grace that is proper and designed for them, Eph. iv. 12, 13. This is work that must and will be doing to the world's end, to which therefore the necessary and appointed means for it must last. What praise is due to God for such an institution! What thankfulness from those that enjoy the benefits of it! What pity and prayer for such as want it! Pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Faith comes by hearing, and is preserved, maintained, and made fruitful, through it also. Ignorance and corruption, decays of good and increase of all evil, come by want of a teaching and quickening ministry. On such accounts therefore was Titus left in Crete, to set in order the things that were wanting, and to ordain elders in every city; but this he was to do, not ad libitum, or according to his own will or fancy, but according to apostolic direction.

III. The rule of his proceeding: As I had appointed thee, probably when he was going from him, and in the presence and hearing of others, to which he may now refer, not so much for Titus's own sake as for the people's, that they might the more readily yield obedience to Titus, knowing and observing that in what he did he was warranted and supported by apostolic injunction and authority. As under the law all things were to be made according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount; so under the gospel all must be ordered and managed according to the direction of Christ, and of his chief ministers, who were infallibly guided by him. Human traditions and inventions may not be brought into the church of God. Prudent disposals for carrying on the ends of Christ's appointments, according to the general rules of the word, there may, yea, must be; but none may alter any thing in the substance of the faith or worship, or order and discipline, of the churches. If an evangelist might not do any thing but by appointment, much less may others. The church is the house of God, and to him it belongs to appoint the officers and orders of it, as he pleases: the as here refers to the qualifications and character of the elders that he was to ordain: "Ordain elders in every city, as I appointed thee, such as I then described and shall now again more particularly point out to thee," which he does from the sixth verse to the ninth inclusive.

The Qualifications of a Bishop; The Necessity of Sharp Reproof. (a. d. 66.)

6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. 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. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

The apostle here gives Titus directions about ordination, showing whom he should ordain, and whom not.

I. Of those whom he should ordain. He points out their qualifications and virtues; such as respect their life and manners, and such as relate to their doctrine: the former in the sixth, seventh, and eighth verses, and the latter in the ninth.

1. Their qualifications respecting their life and manners are,

(1.) More general: If any be blameless; not absolutely without fault, so none are, for there is none that liveth and sinneth not; nor altogether unblamed, this is rare and difficult. Christ himself and his apostles were blamed, though not worthy of it. In Christ thee was certainly nothing blamable; and his apostles were not such as their enemies charged them to be. But the meaning is, He must be one who lies not under an ill character; but rather must have good report, even from those that are without; not grossly or scandalously guilty, so as would bring reproach upon the holy function; he must not be such a one.

(2.) More particularly.

[1.] There is his relative character. In his own person, he must be of conjugal chastity: The husband of one wife. The church of Rome says the husband of no wife, but from the beginning it was not so; marriage is an ordinance from which no profession nor calling is a bar. 1 Cor. ix. 5, Have I not power, says Paul, to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles? Forbidding to marry is one of the erroneous doctrines of the antichristian church, 1 Tim. iv. 3. Not that ministers must be married; this is not meant; but the husband of one wife may be either not having divorced his wife and married another (as was too common among those of the circumcision, even for slight causes), or the husband of one wife, that is, at one and the same time, no bigamist; not that he might not be married to more than one wife successively, but, being married, he must have but one wife at once, not two or more, according to the too common sinful practice of those times, by a perverse imitation of the patriarchs, from which evil custom our Lord taught a reformation. Polygamy is scandalous in any, as also having a harlot or concubine with his lawful wife; such sin, or any wanton libidinous demeanour, must be very remote from such as would enter into so sacred a function. And, as to his children, having faithful children, obedient and good, brought up in the true Christian faith, and living according to it, at least as far as the endeavours of the parents can avail. It is for the honour of ministers that their children be faithful and pious, and such as become their religion. Not accused of riot, nor unruly, not justly so accused, as having given ground and occasion for it, for otherwise the most innocent may be falsely so charged; they must look to it therefore that there be no colour for such censure. Children so faithful, and obedient, and temperate, will be a good sign of faithfulness and diligence in the parent who has so educated and instructed them; and, from his faithfulness in the less, there may be encouragement to commit to him the greater, the rule and government of the church of God. The ground of this qualification is shown from the nature of his office (v. 7): For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God. Those before termed presbyters, or elders, are in this verse styled bishops; and such they were, having no ordinary fixed and standing officers above them. Titus's business here, it is plain, was but occasional, and his stay short, as was before noted. Having ordained elders, and settled in their due form, he went and left all (for aught that appears in scripture) in the hands of those elders whom the apostle here calls bishops and stewards of God. We read not in the sacred writings of any successor he had in Crete; but to those elders or bishops was committed the full charge of feeding, ruling, and watching over their flock; they wanted not any powers necessary for carrying on religion and the ministry of it among them, and committing it down to succeeding ages. Now, being such bishops and overseers of the flock, who were to be examples to them, and God's stewards to take care of the affairs of his house, to provide for and dispense to them things needful, there is great reason that their character should be clear and good, that they should be blameless. How else could it be but that religion must suffer, their work be hindered, and souls prejudiced and endangered, whom they were set to save? These are the relative qualifications with the ground of them.

[2.] The more absolute ones are expressed, First, Negatively, showing what an elder or bishop must not be: Not self-willed. The prohibition is of large extent, excluding self-opinion, or overweening conceit of parts and abilities, and abounding in one's own sense,—self-love, and self-seeking, making self the centre of all,—also self-confidence and trust, and self-pleasing, little regarding or setting by others,—being proud, stubborn, froward, inflexible, set on one's own will and way, or churlish as Nabal: such is the sense expositors have affixed to the term. A great honour it is to a minister not to be thus affected, to be ready to ask and to take advice, to be ready to defer as much as reasonably may be to the mind and will of others, becoming all things to all men, that they may gain some. Not soon angry, me orgilon, not one of a hasty angry temper, soon and easily provoked and inflamed. How unfit are those to govern a church who cannot govern themselves, or their own turbulent and unruly passions! The minister must be meek and gentle, and patient towards all men. Not given to wine; thee is no greater reproach on a minister than to be a wine-bibber, one who loves it, and gives himself undue liberty this way who continues at the wine or strong drink till it inflames him. Seasonable and moderate use of this, as of the other good creatures of God, is not unlawful. Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities, said Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. v. 23. But excess therein is shameful in all, especially in a minister. Wine takes away the heart, turns the man into a brute: here most proper is that exhortation of the apostle (Eph. v. 18), Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Here is no exceeding, but in the former too easily there may: take heed therefore of going too near the brink. No striker, in any quarrelsome or contentious manner, not injuriously nor out of revenge, with cruelty or unnecessary roughness. Not given to filthy lucre; not greedy of it (as 1 Tim. iii. 3), whereby is not meant refusing a just return for their labours, in order to their necessary support and comfort; but not making gain their first or chief end, not entering into the ministry nor managing it with base worldly views. Nothing is more unbecoming a minister, who is to direct his own and others' eyes to another world, than to be too intent upon this. It is called filthy lucre, from its defiling the soul that inordinately affects or greedily looks after it, as if it were any otherwise desirable than for the good and lawful uses of it. Thus of the negative part of the bishop's character. But, Secondly, Positively: he must be (v. 8) a lover of hospitality, as an evidence that he is not given to filthy lucre, but is willing to use what he has to the best purposes, not laying up for himself, so as to hinder charitable laying out for the good of others; receiving and entertaining strangers (as the word imports), a great and necessary office of love, especially in those times of affliction and distress, when Christians were made to fly and wander for safety from persecution and enemies, or in travelling to and fro where there were not such public houses for reception as in our days, nor, it may be, had many poor saints sufficiency of their own for such uses—then to receive and entertain them was good and pleasing to God. And such a spirit and practice, according to ability and occasion, are very becoming such as should be examples of good works. A lover of good men, or of good things; ministers should be exemplary in both; this will evince their open piety, and likeness to God and their Master Jesus Christ: Do good to all, but especially to those of the household of faith, those who are the excellent of the earth, in whom should be all our delight. Sober, or prudent, as the word signifies; a needful grace in a minister both for his ministerial and personal carriage and management. He should be a wise steward, and one who is not rash, or foolish, or heady; but who can govern well his passions and affections. Just in things belonging to civil life, and moral righteousness, and equity in dealings, giving to all their due. Holy, in what concerns religion; one who reverences and worships God, and is of a spiritual and heavenly conversation. Temperate; it comes from a word that signifies strength, and denotes one who has power over his appetite and affections, or, in things lawful, can, for good ends, restrain and hold them in. Nothing is more becoming a minister than such things as these, sobriety, temperance, justice, and holiness—sober in respect of himself, just and righteous towards all men, and holy towards God. And thus of the qualifications respecting the minister's life and manners, relative and absolute, negative and positive, what he must not, and what he must, be and do.

2. As to doctrine,

(1.) Here is his duty: Holding fast the faithful word, as he has been taught, keeping close to the doctrine of Christ, the word of his grace, adhering thereto according to the instructions he has received—holding it fast in his own belief and profession, and in teaching others. Observe, [1.] The word of God, revealed in the scripture, is a true and infallible word; the word of him that is the amen, the true and faithful witness, and whose Spirit guided the penmen of it. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. [2.] Ministers must hold fast, and hold forth, the faithful word in their teaching and life. I have kept the faith, was Paul's comfort (2 Tim. iv. 7), and not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God; there was his faithfulness, Acts xx. 27.

(2.) Here is the end: That he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort, and to convince the gainsayers, to persuade and draw others to the true faith, and to convince the contrary-minded. How should he do this if he himself were uncertain or unsteady, not holding fast that faithful word and sound doctrine which should be the matter of this teaching, and the means and ground of convincing those that oppose the truth? We see here summarily the great work of the ministry—to exhort those who are willing to know and do their duty, and to convince those that contradict, both which are to be done by sound doctrine, that is, in a rational instructive way, by scripture-arguments and testimonies, which are the infallible words of truth, what all may and should rest and be satisfied in and determined by. And thus of the qualifications of the elders whom Titus was to ordain.

II. The apostle's directory shows whom he should reject or avoid—men of another character, the mention of whom is brought in as a reason of the care he had recommended about the qualifications of ministers, why they should be such, and only such, as he had described. The reasons he takes both from bad teachers and hearers among them, v. 10, to the end.

1. From bad teachers. (1.) Those false teachers are described. They were unruly, headstrong and ambitious of power, refractory and untractable (as some render it), and such as would not bear nor submit themselves to the discipline and necessary order in the church, impatient of good government and of sound doctrine. And vain talkers and deceivers, conceiting themselves to be wise, but really foolish, and thence great talkers, falling into errors and mistakes, and fond of them, and studious and industrious to draw others into the same. Many such there were, especially those of the circumcision, converts as they pretended, at least, from the Jews, who yet were for mingling Judaism and Christianity together, and so making a corrupt medley. These were the false teachers. (2.) Here is the apostle's direction how to deal with them (v. 11): Their mouths must be stopped; not by outward force (Titus had no such power, nor was this the gospel method), but by confutation and conviction, showing them their error, not giving place to them even for an hour. In case of obstinacy indeed, breaking the peace of the church, and corrupting other churches, censures are to have place, the last means for recovering the faulty and preventing the hurt of many. Observe, Faithful ministers must oppose seducers in good time, that, their folly being made manifest, they may proceed no further. (3.) The reasons are given for this. [1.] From the pernicious effects of their errors: They subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not (namely, the necessity of circumcision, and of keeping the law of Moses, &c.), so subverting the gospel and the souls of men; not some few only, but whole families. It was unjustly charged on the apostles that they turned the world upside down; but justly on these false teachers that they drew many from the true faith to their ruin: the mouths of such should be stopped, especially considering, [2.] Their base end in what they do: For filthy lucre's sake, serving a worldly interest under pretence of religion. Love of money is the root of all evil. Most fit it is that such should be resisted, confuted, and put to shame, by sound doctrine, and reasons from the scriptures. Thus of the grounds respecting the bad teachers.

II. In reference to their people or hearers, who are described from ancient testimony given of them.

1. Here is the witness (v. 12): One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, that is, one of the Cretans, not of the Jews, Epimenides a Greek poet, likely to know and unlikely to slander them. A prophet of their own; so their poets were accounted, writers of divine oracles; these often witnessed against the vices of the people: Aratus, Epimenides, and others among the Greeks; Horace, Juvenal, and Persius, among the Latins: much smartness did they use against divers vices.

2. Here is the matter of his testimony: Kretes aei pseustai, kaka theria, gasteres argai—The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. Even to a proverb, they were infamous for falsehood and lying; kretizein, to play the Cretan, or to lie, is the same; and they were compared to evil beasts for their sly hurtfulness and savage nature, and called slow bellies for their laziness and sensuality, more inclined to eat than to work and live by some honest employment. Observe, Such scandalous vices as were the reproach of heathens should be far from Christians: falsehood and lying, invidious craft and cruelty, all beastly and sensual practices, with idleness and sloth, are sins condemned by the light of nature. For these were the Cretans taxed by their own poets.

3. Here is the verification of this by the apostle himself: v. 13. This witness is true, The apostle saw too much ground for that character. The temper of some nations is more inclined to some vices than others. The Cretans were too generally such as here described, slothful and ill-natured, false and perfidious, as the apostle himself vouches. And thence,

4. He instructs Titus how to deal with them: Wherefore rebuke them sharply. When Paul wrote to Timothy he bade him instruct with meekness; but now, when he writes to Titus, he bids him rebuke them sharply. The reason of the difference may be taken from the different temper of Timothy and Titus; the former might have more keenness in his disposition, and be apt to be warm in reproving, whom therefore he bids to rebuke with meekness; and the latter might be one of more mildness, therefore he quickens him, and bids him rebuke sharply. Or rather it was from the difference of the case and people: Timothy had a more polite people to deal with, and therefore he must rebuke them with meekness; and Titus had to do with those who were more rough and uncultivated, and therefore he must rebuke them sharply; their corruptions were many and gross, and committed without shame or modesty, and therefore should be dealt with accordingly. There must in reproving be a distinguishing between sins and sins; some are more gross and heinous in their nature, or in the manner of their commission, with openness and boldness, to the greater dishonour of God and danger and hurt to men: and between sinners and sinners; some are of a more tender and tractable temper, apter to be wrought on by gentleness, and to be sunk and discouraged by too much roughness and severity; others are more hardy and stubborn, and need more cutting language to beget in them remorse and shame. Wisdom therefore is requisite to temper and manage reproofs aright, as may be most likely to do good. Jude 22, 23, Of some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. The Cretans' sins and corruptions were many, great, and habitual; therefore they must be rebuked sharply. But that such direction might not be misconstrued,

5. Here is the end of it noted: That they may be sound in the faith (v. 14), not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth; that is, that they may be and show themselves truly and effectually changed from such evil tempers and manners as those Cretans in their natural state lived in, and may not adhere to nor regard (as some who were converted might be too ready to do) the Jewish traditions and the superstitions of the Pharisees, which would be apt to make them disrelish the gospel, and the sound and wholesome truths of it. Observe, (1.) The sharpest reproofs must aim at the good of the reproved: they must not be of malice, nor hatred, nor ill-will, but of love; not to gratify pride, passion, nor any evil affection in the reprover, but to reclaim and reform the erroneous and the guilty. (2.) Soundness in the faith is most desirable and necessary. This is the soul's health and vigour, pleasing to God, comfortable to the Christian, and what makes ready to be cheerful and constant in duty. (3.) A special means to soundness in the faith is to turn away the ear from fables and the fancies of men (1 Tim. i. 4): Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith. So ch. iv. 7, Refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather to godliness. Fancies and devices of men in the worship of God are contrary to truth and piety. Jewish ceremonies and rites, that were at first divine appointments, the substance having come and their season and use being over, are now but unwarranted commands of men, which not only stand not with, but turn from, the truth, the pure gospel truth and spiritual worship, set up by Christ instead of that bodily service under the law. (4.) A fearful judgment it is to be turned away from the truth, to leave Christ for Moses, the spiritual worship of the gospel for the carnal ordinances of the law, or the true divine institutions and precepts for human inventions and appointments. Who hath bewitched you (said Paul to the Galatians, ch. iii. 1, 3) that you should not obey the truth? Having begun in the Spirit, are you made perfect by the flesh? Thus having shown the end of sharply reproving the corrupt and vicious Cretans, that they might be sound in the faith, and not heed Jewish fables and commands of men,

6. He gives the reasons of this, from the liberty we have by the gospel from legal observances, and the evil and mischief of a Jewish spirit under the Christian dispensation in the last two verses. To good Christians that are sound in the faith and thereby purified all things are pure. Meats and drinks, and such things as were forbidden under the law (the observances of which some still maintain), in these there is now no such distinction, all are pure (lawful and free in their use), but to those that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; things lawful and good they abuse and turn to sin; they suck poison out of that from which others draw sweetness; their mind and conscience, those leading faculties, being defiled, a taint is communicated to all they do. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. xv. 8. And ch. xxi. 4, The ploughing of the wicked is sin, not in itself, but as done by him; the carnality of the mind and heart mars all the labour of the hand.

Objection. But are not these judaizers (as you call them) men who profess religion, and speak well of God, and Christ, and righteousness of life, and should they be so severely taxed? Answer, They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate, v. 16. There are many who in word and tongue profess to know God, and yet in their lives and conversations deny and reject him; their practice is a contradiction to their profession. They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. Being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. The apostle, instructing Titus to rebuke sharply, does himself rebuke sharply; he gives them very hard words, yet doubtless no harder than their case warranted and their need required. Being abominable—bdelyktoi, deserving that God and good men should turn away their eyes from them as nauseous and offensive. And disobedient—apeitheis, unpersuadable and unbelieving. They might do divers things; but it was not the obedience of faith, nor what was commanded, or short of the command. To every good work reprobate, without skill or judgment to do any thing aright. See the miserable condition of hypocrites, such as have a form of godliness, but without the power; yet let us not be so ready to fix this charge on others as careful that it agree not to ourselves, that there be not in us an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God; but that we be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God, Phil. i. 10, 11.

CHAP. I. Verſe 1. The faith of Gods elect]

NOt the election of Gods faithfull ones, as the Arminians make it.

And the acknowledging of the truth] It is uſuall with S Paul in the beginning of his Epiſtles, to utter much in few, and to ſet down the ſumme of the whole Goſpel, as here he doth Juſtification, Sanctification, and the hope of ſalvation, and all by the acknowledging of the truth.

Verſe 2. God that cannot lie] The word of promiſe bindes God: therefore it ſeems (ſaith one) that it is ſtronger then God: for he can aſſoon deny himſelf as his promiſe.

Verſe 3. Manifested his word] As when he laid plainly, He that believeth is the Son hath eternall life.

Verſe 4. Common ſaith] Common to the communion of Saints, verſ. 1. and to them proper and peculiar; for all men have not faith, 2 Theſſ. 3.2.

Verſe 5. Set in order] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Co[illegible: 1 letter]ſicias. Gr. Set ſtraight, or make up the things that I left unfiniſhed.

Verſe 6. The huſband of one wiſe] Here the Apoſtle canonizeth (ſaith an Interpreter)Stult[illegible: 1 letter]t. the marriage of Min[illegible: 1 letter]ſters.

Verſe 7. A Biſhop must be blamel[illegible: 1 letter]ſſe] As was Moſes, Samuel, Paul, Bradford, Bucer, &c. who led convincing lives: ſo that their foes could not many thing ſtain them, nor their friends ſufficiently commend them.

Not ſoon angry] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Bil[illegible: 1 letter]oſus & bellicoſus, teſty and techy, eaſily blown up in[illegible: 1 letter]o [illegible: 1 letter]age, that will not be laid down without revenge.

Verſe 8. Temperate] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. No ſlave to his fleſhly appetite: but one that can maſter him[illegible: 1 letter]elf, and give laws to his luſts. See my Common place of Abstinence.

Verſe 9. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Holding fast, &c.] As with tooth end nail, againſt thoſe gain-ſaiers that would ſnatch it from us.

Verſe 10. For there are many unruly] Lawleſſe, yokeleſſe, maſterleſſe men, untractable, untameable, that refuſe to be reformed, hate to be healed. God will hamper theſe Belialiſts, 2 Sam. 23.6.

Verſe 11. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Whoſe mouths muſt be ſtopped] Gr. Muzzled, as bandogs are. C[illegible: 1 letter]c. de divinat La[illegible: 1 letter]rli[illegible: 2 letters]. Fides puni[illegible: 1 letter]a Virgil. Cres ſemper mendax, [illegible: 1 letter]ala bellua, & bell[illegible: 1 letter]o deſe[illegible: 1 letter]. Camde[illegible: 1 letter]s Eliz. fol [illegible: 1 letter]04 Cre[illegible: 1 letter]iz[illegible: 1 letter]c [illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 1 letter] Cret[illegible: 4 letters]h[illegible: 3 letters]de Fr[illegible: 1 letter]en. A [illegible: 1 word]. [non-Latin text not transcribed] [illegible: 1 span] Caſaub. Frogs they [illegible: 2 letters]y will leave croaking, if but a light be hanged over the lake wherein they are. Let but the truth come clearly in place, and heretikes will be ſoon fil[illegible: 1 letter]nced. But if they will not, another courſe muſt be taken with them.

Verſe 12. Even a Prophet of th[illegible: 1 letter]ir own] Epimenides the Poet, who by his countrey-men the Cretians was counted a Prophet, and had divine honours done to him after his death.

The Cretians are alwaies liers] So were the Carthaginians, Tyrij que bilingues. The French had ſo often deceived the Engliſh, that ſuch as they mean to deceive, they call by a common byword, Ias A[illegible: 2 letters]l[illegible: 2 letters], The Engliſh. The Cretians were loud liars, even to a Proverb. Of Delon Homer ſaith, That he had an art in lying. But Eu[illegible: 1 letter]aem[illegible: 1 letter]a Joannes (that Cretian Dae noni[illegible: 1 letter]ck) wins the whet[illegible: 1 letter]on[illegible: 1 letter] one from all his countrey-men, whiles he bluſheth not to tell the world in print, that theſe are the doctrines and practices of the Proteſtants, to worſhip no God, to frame our religion to the times, to pretend the publike cauſe to our private luſts, to break our words, as we ſee good for our purpoſe, to cover deadly hatred under fair flatteries, to confirm tyranny by ſhedding the bloud of innocents, &c.

Verſe 13 Rebuke them ſharply] Gr. Preciſely, rigidly, [non-Latin text not transcribed], [illegible: 1 letter] uttingly. ſeverely, and to the quick. A Metaphor from Chyrurgeons, who muſt not be melch-hearted, faith Celſus: but pare away the dead fl[illegible: 1 letter]ſh, Ne pars ſincera trabatur. Howbeit,Chirurges miſericordes eſſe non opartes. that is a good rule given by a godly Divine, that although there muſt be ſome warmth in a reproof, yet it muſt not be ſcalding hot.M Wbatcy in his Atchetyp. Words of reviling and diſgrace, they ſcald, as it were. But words that tend to ſtir up the conſcience to a du[illegible: 1 letter] conſideration of the errour, or evil reproved, they be duly warm, and tend to make the phyſick work more kindely. Evangelizatum non maledictum miſſus es, ſaid O[illegible: 1 letter]col [illegible: 1 letter]mpadius to Farellus: laudo zelum, modò non d[illegible: 1 letter]ſideretur mauſu[illegible: 1 letter]tudo. Vinu[illegible: 1 letter] & oleum in tempore ſuo inſund [illegible: 1 letter]dum. Evangelistam non tyrannicum leg ſ[illegible: 1 letter]atorem praeſtes. Thou art ſent to preach, not to rail. Thy zeal [illegible: 1 letter] commend ſo it be mingled with me[illegible: 1 letter]kneſſe. Wine muſt be poured into mens wounds one while,Oecolamp epad Gul. Fa[illegible: 1 letter]d. and oil another. Thou muſt ſhew thy ſelf a peaceable preacher, not a tyrannicall Law-giver, &c.

Verſe 14. Not giving heed to Jeniſh fables] Wherewith their Talmud is full far[illegible: 2 letters]: which whiles they hug overhard, as Cleopatra did the [illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 2 letters]es that ſucked her bloud, they periſh.

Verſe 15. Ʋnto the pure all things, &c.] This Piſcator holds a ſufficient warrant for us to uſe, Ne for[illegible: 2 letters], and other Heathen-expreſſions; like as the Apoſtles uſed, [non-Latin text not transcribed], &c. Piſe[illegible: 1 letter]t in Mare[illegible: 1 letter]a 14 3. Paſ praeſat ad Lexic. abuſed by the Greeks to ſignifie then wicked and deviliſh oracles. But Paſ[illegible: 1 letter]r is utterly againſt it.

Is nothing pure] Their own table is a In[illegible: 1 letter]re to them, yea Gods table. The Saints are kept at hard commons, but have their keeping of free-coſt: the wicked have larger cates, but pay ſweetly.

Conſcience is d[illegible: 1 letter]ſiled] To wit, with ſins, and ſo can no more judge of it, then a man can diſcern of colours in a foul and ſoiled g[illegible: 2 letters]ſle.

Verſe 16. They proſeſſe that they know] Aliud in titulo, aliud in pyxi[illegible: 1 letter]e. Out-fide Chriſtians, who perform as Ephraim, dow-b[illegible: 1 letter]ked duties, are almoſt perſwaded, as Agrippa, come near Gods kingdome with that young Phariſee; faint chapmen that go without the bargain, as he did that came kneeling to our Saviour, and ſaying, What ſhall I[illegible: 1 letter]d, to inherit eternall life? Theſe do vir[illegible: 1 letter]ut is ſtrag[illegible: 1 letter]lam pudeſacere, put honeſty to an open ſhame, as Diogenes ſaid to Antipater, who being vicious wore a white cloak, the enſ go of innocency.

Being abominable] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Gr. Such as ſtink above ground, and are of an offenſive ſavour.

To every good work reprobate] Or injudicious: ſuch as cannot make a right judgement of any good works, ſo as to approve and reliſh them, to ſee a beauty in them, as good, &c.

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Rom 1:1. Comp. 1Cor 9:1, seq.

According to the faith of God's elect. Comp. Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4; 2Ti 2:10. The meaning of the word rendered here, "according to" κατα--is, probably, with reference to; that is, he was appointed to be an apostle with respect to the faith of those whom God had chosen, or, in order that they might be led to believe the gospel. God had chosen them to salvation but he intended that it should be in connection with their believing; and, in order to that, he had appointed Paul to be an apostle that he might go and make known to them the gospel. It is the purpose of God to save his people, but he does not mean to save them as infidels, or unbelievers. He intends that they shall be believers first--and hence he sends his ministers that they may become such.

And the acknowledging of the truth. In order to secure the acknowledgment or recognition of the truth. The object of the apostleship, as it is of the ministry in general, is to secure the proper acknowledgment of the truth among men.

Which is after godliness. Which tends to promote piety towards God. On the word rendered godliness, 1Timm 2:2; 1Timm 3:16.--The truth, the acknowledgment of which Paul was appointed to secure, was not scientific, historical, or political truth: it was that of religion--that which was adapted to lead men to a holy life, and to prepare them for a holy heaven.

(a) "acknowledging" 2Ti 2:25 (b) "which is" 1Timm 6:3

In hope of eternal life. Marg., for. Gr., επελπιδι. This does not mean that Paul cherished the hope of eternal life, but that the" faith of the elect," which he aimed to secure, was in order that men might have the hope of eternal life. The whole system which he was appointed to preach was designed to secure to man a Well-founded hope of salvation. Comp. 2Ti 1:10.

Which God, that cannot lie. On the phrase, "cannot lie," see Heb 6:18. The fact that God cannot lie; that it is his nature always to speak the truth; and that no circumstances can ever occur in which he will depart from it, is the foundation of all our hopes of salvation.

Promised. The only hope of salvation is in the promise of God. It is only as we can have evidence that he has assured us that we may be saved, that we are authorized to cherish any hope of salvation. That promise is not made to us as individuals, or by name, but it becomes ours,

(1.) because he has made a general promise that they who repent and believe shall be saved; and

(2.) because we may have evidence that we have repented, and do believe the gospel. If this be so, we fairly come under the promise of salvation, and may apply it to ourselves.

Before the world began. That is, the purpose was then formed, and the promise may be considered as in fact then made;-- for a purpose in the mind of God, though it is not as yet made known, is equivalent to a promise. Comp. Mt 25:34; 2Ti 1:9.

But hath in due times. At the proper time; the time which he had intended; the best time. 1Timm 2:6. Comp. Mt 2:2.

Manifested his word through preaching. 2Ti 1:10. The meaning here is, that he has made known his eternal purpose through the preaching of the gospel. Comp. Rom 10:14,15.

Which is committed unto me. Not exclusively, but in common with others. 2Ti 1:11.

According to the commandment of God our Saviour. Paul always claimed to be divinely commissioned, and affirmed that he was engaged in the work of preaching by the authority of God. See Gal 1:1-11,12, 1Cor 1:1 Rom 1:1-4.

To Titus. See the Intro. & 1.

Mine own son. 1Timm 1:2.

After the common faith. The faith of all Christians; --equivalent to saying "my son in the gospel." That is, Paul had been the means of converting him by preaching that gospel which was received by all who were Christians.

Grace, mercy, and peace, etc. Rom 1:7.

For this cause left I thee in Crete. Comp. 1Timm 1:3. On the situation of Crete, see the Intro.  2.

That thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting. Marg., left undone. The Greek is, "the things that are left;" that is, those which were left unfinished; referring, doubtless, to arrangements which had been commenced, but which for some cause had been left incomplete. Whether this had occurred because he had been driven away by persecution, or called away by important duties demanding his attention elsewhere, cannot now be determined. The word rendered, "set in order"-- επιδιορθωση-- occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, to make straight upon, and then to put further to rights, to arrange further. Robinson, Lex.--- There were things left unfinished which he was to complete. One of these things, and perhaps the principle, was, to appoint elders in the various cities where the gospel had been preached.

And ordain. The word ordain has now acquired a technical signification which it cannot be shown that it has in the New Testament. It means, in common usage, to "invest with a ministerial function or sacerdotal power; to introduce, and establish, and settle in the pastoral office with the customary forms and solemnities," (Webster;) and it may be added, with the idea always connected with it, of the imposition of hands, But the word used here does not necessarily convey this meaning, or imply that Titus was to go through what would now be called an ordination service. It means to set, place, or constitute; then, to set over any thing, as a steward or other officer (see Mt 24:45, Lk 12:42, Acts 6:3,) though without reference to any particular mode of investment with an office. See the word, ordain, explained in the Acts 1:22, 14:23. Titus was to appoint or set them over the churches, though with what ceremony is now unknown. There is no reason to suppose that he did this except as the result of the choice of the people. Comp. Acts 6:3.

Elders. Gr., Presbyters. See the word explained Acts 14:23. These elders, or presbyters, were also called bishops (comp. 1Timm 3:1), for Paul immediately, in describing their qualifications, calls them bishops-- "ordain elders in every city--if any be blameless --FOR a bishop must be blameless," etc. If the elders and bishops in the times of the apostles were of different ranks, this direction would be wholly unmeaning. It would be the same as if the following directions were given to one who was authorized to appoint officers over an army: "Appoint captains over each company, who shall be of good character, and acquainted with military tactics, for a brigadier-General must be of good character, and acquainted with the rules of war." --That the same rank is denoted also by the terms presbyter and bishop here, is further apparent because the qualifications which Paul states as requisite for the "bishop" are not those which pertain to a prelate or a diocesan bishop, but to one who was a pastor of a church, or an evangelist. It is clear, from Tit 1:7, that those whom Titus was to appoint were "bishops;" and yet it is absurd to suppose that the apostle meant prelatical bishops, for no one can believe that such bishops were to be appointed in "every city" of the island. According to all modern notions of Episcopacy, one such bishop would have been enough for such an island as Crete, and indeed it has been not unfrequently maintained that Titus himself was in fact the bishop of that diocese. But if these were not prelates who were to be ordained by Titus, then it is clear that the term "bishop" in the New Testament is given to the Presbyters or elders; that is, to all ministers of the gospel. That usage should never have been departed from.

In every city. Crete was anciently celebrated for the number of its cities. In one passage, Homer ascribes to the island an hundred cities, (Il ii. 649 ;) in another, ninety (Od. xix. 174.) It may be presumed that many of these cities were towns of no very considerable size, and yet it would seem probable that each one was large enough to have a church, and to maintain the gospel. Paul, doubtless, expected that Titus would travel over the whole island, and endeavour to introduce the gospel in every important place.

As I had appointed thee. As I commanded thee or gave thee direction διεταξαμην. This is a different word from the one used in the former part of the verse, and rendered ordain καθιστημι. It does not mean that Titus was to ordain elders in the same manner as Paul had ordained him, but that he was to set them over the cities as he had directed him to do. He had, doubtless, given him oral instructions, when he left him, as to the way in which it was to be done.

(a) "set in order" 1Cor 11:34 (1) "wanting" "left undone" (b) "ordain elders" Acts 14:23, 2Ti 2:2

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife. 1Timm 3:2.

Having faithful children. 1Timm 3:4,6. That is, having a family well-governed, and well-trained in religion. The word here -πιστα-- applied to the children, and rendered faithful, does not necessarily mean that they should be truly pious, but it is descriptive of those who had been well-trained, and were in due subordination. If a man's family were not of his character--if his children were insubordinate, and opposed to religion--if they were decided infidels or scoffers, it would show that there was such a deficiency in the head of the family that he could not be safely entrusted with the government of the church. 1Timm 3:5. It is probably true also, that the preachers at that time would be selected, as far as practicable, from those whose families were all Christians. There might be great impropriety in placing a man over a church, a part of whose family were Jews or Heathens.

Not accused of riot. That is, whose children were not accused of riot. This explains what is meant by faithful. The word rendered riot ασωτια is translated excess in Eph 5:18, and riot in Tit 1:6, 1Pet 4:4. It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, though the word riotous is found in Lk 15:13. See it explained Eph 5:18. The meaning here is, that they should not be justly accused of this; this should not be their character. It would, doubtless, be a good reason now why a man should not be ordained to the ministry that he had a dissipated and disorderly family.

Or unruly. Insubordinate; ungoverned. 1Timm 1:9; and 1Timm 3:4.

For a bishop must be blameless. 1Timm 3:2.

As the steward of God. 1Cor 4:1; 1Cor 4:2. A man, in order to perform the duties of such an office, should be one against whom no accusation could lie.

Not self-willed. Comp. 2Pet 2:10. The word-- αυθαδης not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means, properly, self-complacent; and then, assuming, arrogant, imperious, Rob. Lex. The gist of the offence--the very "head and front"--is that of being self-complacent; a trait of character which of necessity, makes a man imperious, dogmatical, impatient of contradiction, and unyielding. Such a man, evidently, is not fit for the office of a minister of the gospel.

Not soon angry. 1Timm 3:2, and the margin there.

Not given to wine. 1Timm 3:3.

No striker. 1Timm 3:3.

Not given to filthy lucre. In 1Timm 3:3, "Not greedy of filthy lucre." The same Greek word is used.

(c) "bishop" 1Timm 3:2

But a lover of hospitality. 1Timm 3:2.

A lover of good men. Marg., "or things." The Greek (φιλαγαθος) means, a lover of good, and may apply to anything that is good. It may refer to good men, as included under the general term good; and there is no more essential qualification of a bishop than this. A man who sustains the office of a minister of the gospel, should love every good object, and be ever ready to promote it; and he should love every good man, no matter in what denomination or country he may be found--no matter what his complexion, and no matter what his rank in life. Comp. Php 4:8.

Sober. 1Timm 3:2.

Just. Upright in his dealings with all. A minister can do little good who is not. Comp. Php 4.8.

Holy. Pious, or devout. Faithful in all his duties to God. 1Timm 2:8.

Temperate. εγκρατη. Having power or control over all his passions. We apply the term, now, with reference to abstinence from intoxicating liquors. In the Scriptures, it incudes not only that, but also much more. It implies control over all our passions and appetites. See it explained Acts 24:25. Comp. 1Cor 7:9 1Cor 9:25; Gal 5:23.

(2) "good men" "good things"

Holding fast the faithful word. That is, the true doctrines of the gospel. This means, that he is to hold this fast, in opposition to one who would wrest it away, and in opposition to all false teachers, and to all systems of false philosophy. He must be a man who is firm in his belief of the doctrines of the Christian faith, and a man who can be relied on to maintain and defend those doctrines in all circumstances. Comp. 2Thes 2:15.

As he hath been taught. Marg., in teaching. Gr., "according to the teaching." The sense is, according to that doctrine as taught by the inspired teachers of religion. It does not mean as he had individually been taught; but he was to hold the faith as it was delivered by those whom the Saviour had appointed to make it known to mankind. The phrase, "the doctrine," or "the teaching," had a sort of technical meaning, denoting the gospel as that which had been communicated to mankind, not by human reason, but by teaching.

That he may be able by sound doctrine. By sound teaching, or instruction. 1Timm 1:10; 1Timm 4:16. He was not to dictate, or to denounce; but to seek to convince by the statement of the truth. 2Ti 2:25.

Both to exhort and to convince. To persuade them, or to bring them over to your views by kind exhortation, and by the instruction which shall convince. The former method is to be used where men know the truth, but need encouragement to follow it; the latter, where they are ignorant, or are opposed to it. Both exhortation and argument are to be used by the ministers of religion.

The gainsayers. Opposers. Literally, those who speak against; that is, against the truth. Rom 10:21.

(f) "Holding fast" 2Thes 2:15 (3) "as he hath been taught" "in teaching"

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers. There are many persons who are indisposed to submit to authority, (see the word unruly in Tit 1:6;) many who are vain talkers --who are more given to talk, than to the duties of practical religion, (see the character of "Talkative," in the Pilgrim's Progress;) and many who live to deceive others under the mask of religion. They make great pretensions to piety; they are fluent in argument, and they urge their views in a plausible manner.

Specially they of the circumcision. Jews, spoken of here as "of the circumcision" particularly, because they urged the necessity of circumcision in order that men might be saved. Acts 15:1. This proves that there were not a few Jews in the island of Crete.

(a) "talkers" Jas 1:26

Whose mouths must be stopped. The word here rendered stopped επιστομιζειν--occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, to check, or curb, as with a bridle; to restrain, or bridle in; and then, to put to silence. It is, of course, implied here, that this was to be done in a proper way, and in accordance with the spirit of the gospel. The apostle gives Timothy no civil power to do it, nor does he direct him to call in the aid of the civil arm. All the agency which he specifies as proper for this, is that of argument and exhortation. These are the proper means of silencing the advocates of error; and the history of the church shows that the ministers of religion can be safely intrusted with no other. Comp. Ps 32:8,9.

Who subvert whole houses. Whole families. Comp. Mt 23:14 2Ti 3:6. That is, they turn them aside from the faith.

Teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. For gain. That is, they inculcate such doctrines as will make themselves popular, and as will give them access to the confidence of the people. They make it their first object to acquire influence as ministers of religion, and then abuse that in order to obtain money from the people. This they would doubtless do under many pretences; such as, that it was needful for the support of the gospel, or for the relief of the poor, or, perhaps, for the assistance of distant Christians in persecution. Religion is the most powerful principle that ever governs the mind; and if a man has the control of that, it is no difficult thing to induce men to give up their worldly possessions. In all ages, there have been impostors who have taken advantage of the powerful principle of religion, to obtain money from their deluded followers. No people can be too vigilant in regard to pretended religious teachers; and while it is undoubtedly their duty to contribute liberally for the support of the gospel, and the promotion of every good cause, it is no less their duty to examine with care every proposed object of benevolence, and to watch with an eagle eye those who have the disbursement of the charities of the church. It is very rare that ministers ought to have much to do with disposing of the funds given for benevolent purposes; and when they do, they should in all cases be associated with their lay brethren. See Paley's Horae Paulinae, ch. iv., No. 1, 3, note. Comp. 1Cor 16:3. On the phrase "filthy lucre," 1Timm 3:3.

(b) "subvert" Mt 23:14

One of themselves. That is, one of the Cretans. The quotation here shows, that Paul had his eye not only on the Jewish teachers there, but on the native Cretans. The meaning is, that, alike in reference to Jewish teachers and native-born Cretans, there was need of the utmost vigilance in the selection of persons for the ministry. They all had well-known traits of character, which made it proper that no one should be introduced into the ministry without extreme caution. It would seem, also, from the reasoning of Paul here, that the trait of character here referred to pertained not only to the native Cretans, but also to the character of the Jews residing there; for he evidently means that the caution should extend to all who dwelt on the island.

Even a prophet of their own. Or, a poet; for the word prophet προφητης-- like the Latin word vates, was often applied to poets, because they were supposed to be inspired of the muses, or to write under the influence of inspiration. So Virgil, Ecl. 9, 32: Et me fecere poetam Pierides ..... me quoque dicunt vatera pastores. Varro, Ling. Lat. 6, 3: Vates poetse dicti sunt. The term prophet was also given by the Greeks to one who was regarded as the interpreter of the gods, or who explained the obscure responses of the oracles. As such an interpreter--as one who thus saw future events, he was called a prophet; and as the poets claimed much of this kind of knowledge, the name was given to them. It was also given to one who was regarded as eminently endowed with wisdom, or who had that kind of sagacity by which the results of present conduct might be foreseen, as if he was under the influence of a kind of inspiration. The word might have been applied to the person here referred to --Epimenides--in this latter sense, because he was eminently endowed with wisdom. He was one of the seven wise men of Greece. He was a contemporary of Solon, and was born at Phaestus, in the island of Crete, B. C. 659, and is said to have reached the age of 157 years. Many marvellous tales are told of him, (see Anthon, Class. Dic.,) which are commonly supposed to be fabulous, and which are to be traced to the invention of the Cretans. The event in his life which is best known is, that he visited Athens, at the request of the inhabitants, to prepare the way by sacrifices for the introduction of the laws of Solon. He was supposed to have intercourse with the gods, and it was presumed that a peculiar sacredness would attend the religious services in which he officiated. On this account, also, as well as because he was a poet, the name prophet may have been given him. Feuds and animosities prevailed at Athens, which it was supposed such a man might allay, and thus prepare them for the reception of the laws of Solon. The Athenians wished to reward him with wealth and public honours; but he refused to accept of any remuneration, and only demanded a branch of the sacred olive tree, and a decree of perpetual friendship between Athens and his native city. After his death, divine honours were paid to him by the Cretans. He wrote a poem on the Argonantic expedition, and other poems, which are now entirely lost. The quotation here is supposed to be made from a treatise on oracles and responses, which is also lost.

The Cretans are always liars. This character of the Cretans is abundantly sustained by the examples adduced by Wetstein. To be a Cretan, became synonymous with being a liar, in the same way as to be a Corinthian, became synonymous with living a licentious life. Compare Introduction to 1Cor 1:1. Thus the scholiast says, παροιμιαεστιτοκρητιζεινεπιτουψευδεσθαι to act the Cretan, is a proverb for to lie. The particular reason why they had this character abroad, rather than other people, is unknown. Bishop Warburton supposes that they acquired it by claiming to have among them the tomb of Jupiter, and by maintaining that all the gods, like Jupiter, were only mortals who had been raised to divine honours.

Thus the Greeks maintained that they always proclaimed a false-hood by asserting this opinion. But their reputation for falsehood seems to have arisen from some deeper cause than this, and to have pertained to their general moral character. They were only more eminent in what was common among the ancient heathen, and what is almost universal among the heathen now. Comp. Eph 4:25.

Evil beasts. In their character, beasts or brutes of a ferocious or malignant kind. This would imply, that there was a great want of civilization, and that their want of refinement was accompanied with what commonly exists in that condition--the unrestrained indulgence of wild and ferocious passions. See examples of the same manner of speaking of barbarous and malicious men in Wetstein.

Slow bellies. Mere gormandizers. Two vices seem here to be attributed to them, which indeed commonly go together--gluttony and sloth. An industrious man will not be likely to be a gormandizer, and a gormandizer will not often be an industrious man. The mind of the poet, in this, seems to have conceived of them first as an indolent, worthless people; and then immediately to have recurred to the cause--that they were a race of gluttons: a people whose only concern was the stomach. Comp. Php 3:19. On the connexion between gluttony and sloth, see the examples in Wetstein. Seldom have more undesirable, and, in some respects, incongruous qualities, been grouped together in describing any people. They were false to a proverb, which was, indeed, consistent enough with their being ferocious--though ferocious and wild nations are sometimes faithful to their word; but they were, at the same time, ferocious and lazy, fierce and gluttonous--qualities which are not often found together. In some respects, therefore, they surpassed the common depravity of human nature, and blended in themselves ignoble properties which, among the worst people, are usually found existing alone. To mingle apparently contradictory qualities of wickedness in the same individual or people, is the height of depravity; as to blend in the same mind apparently inconsistent traits of virtuous character, or those which exist commonly, in their highest perfection, only alone, is the highest virtue.

(c) "One" Acts 17:28

This witness is true. That is, this testimony, long before borne by one of their own number, was true when the apostle wrote to Titus. The fact that this was the general character of the people, was a reason why he should be on his guard in introducing men into the ministry, and in the arrangement of affairs pertaining to the church. That it was true, see proofs in Wetstein.

Wherefore rebuke them. 2Ti 4:2.

Sharply. αποτομως--cuttingly, severely--from αποτεμνω, to cut off. The word is used here in the sense of severity, meaning that the reproof should be such as would be understood, and would show them plainly the wickedness of such traits of character, he was not to be mealy-mouthed, but he was to call things by their right names, and not to spare their faults. When men know that they are doing wrong, we should tell them so in few words; if they do not know it, it is necessary to teach them, in order to convince them of their error.

That they may be sound in the faith. That they may not allow the prevailing vices to corrupt their views of religion.

(*) "witness" "testimony" (a) "rebuke them sharply" 2Ti 4:2

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, etc. 1Timm 1:4.

And commandments of men that turn from the truth. Mt 15:3, Mt 15:4-6.

(b) "fables" 1Timm 1:4

Unto the pure all things are pure. Rom 14:14; Rom 14:20.

There is probably an allusion here to the distinctions made in respect to meats and drinks among the Jews. Some articles of food were regarded as "clean," or allowed to be eaten; and some as "unclean," or forbidden. Paul says, that those distinctions ceased under the Christian dispensation, and that to those who had a conscience not easily troubled by nice and delicate questions about ceremonial observances, all kinds of food might be regarded as lawful and proper. Comp. 1Timm 4:4, 1Timm 4:5. If a man habitually maintains a good conscience in the sight of God, it will be accepted of him whether he do or do not abstain from certain kinds of food. Comp. Col 2:16. This passage, therefore, should not be interpreted as proving that all things are right and lawful for a Christian, or that whatever he may choose to do will be regarded as pure, but as primarily referring to distinctions in food, and meaning that there was no sanctity in eating one kind of food, and no sin in another, but that the mind was equally pure whatever was eaten. The phrase has a proverbial cast, though I know not that it was so used. The principle of the declaration is, that a pure mind--a truly pious mind will not regard the distinctions of food and drink; of festivals, rites, ceremonies, and days, as necessary to be observed in order to promote its purity. The conscience is not to be burdened and enslaved by these things, but is to be controlled only by the moral laws which God has ordained. But there may be a somewhat higher application of the words-- that every ordinance of religion; every command of God; every event that occurs in Divine Providence, tends to promote the holiness of one who is of pure heart. He can see a sanctifying tendency in everything, and can derive from all that is commanded, and all that occurs, the means of making the heart more holy. While a depraved mind will turn every such thing to a pernicious use, and make it the means of augmenting its malignity and corruption, to the pure mind it will be the means of increasing its confidence in God, and of making itself more holy. To such a mind everything may become a means of grace.

But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure. Everything is made the means of increasing their depravity. No matter what ordinances of religion they observe; what distinctions of meats, or drinks, or days they regard, and what events of Providence occur, all are the occasion of augmented depravity. Such distinctions in food they make the means of fostering their pride and producing self-righteousness; the mercies of God they abuse to pamper their own lusts, and the afflictive events of Divine Providence they make the occasion of murmuring and rebellion. Naturally corrupt at heart, no ordinances of religion, and no events of Providence, make them any better, but all tend to deepen their depravity. A sentiment similar to this is found in the classic writers. Thus Seneca, Epis. 98. Malus animus omnia in malum vertit, etiam quse specie optimi venerunt. So again (de Beneficiis v. 12,) Quemadmodum stomachus morbo vitiatus, et colliques bilem, quoscunque acceperit cibos mutat--ita animus ceecus quicquid illi commiseris, id onus suum, et perniciem facit.

But even their mind and conscience is defiled. It is not a mere external defilement--a thing which they so much dread--but a much worse kind of pollution, that which extends to the soul and the conscience. Everything which they do tends to corrupt the inner man more and more, and to make them really more polluted and abominable in the sight of God. The wicked, while they remain impenitent, are constantly becoming worse and worse. They make everything the means of increasing their depravity, and even those things which seem to pertain only to outward observances, are made the occasion of the deeper corruption of the heart.

(c) "Unto the pure" Rom 14:14,20

They profess that they know God. That is, the Jewish teachers particularly, who are referred to in Tit 1:14. All those persons were professors of religion, and claimed that they had a peculiar knowledge of God.

But in works they deny him. Their conduct is such as to show that they have no real acquaintance with him.

Being abominable. In their conduct. The word here used-- βδελυκτοι--occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means that which is detestable, or to be held in abhorrence.

And disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Marg., void of judgment. On the word here used-- αδοκιμος, Rom 1:28; 2Cor 13:5. It means here, that in reference to everything that was good, their conduct was such that it could not be approved, or deserved disapprobation. It was for this reason; from the character of the people of the island of Crete, and of those who claimed to be teachers there enforcing the obligation of the Mosaic law, that it was so important for Titus to exercise special care in introducing men into the ministry, and in completing the arrangements contemplated in the organization of the churches there. Yet, is this character confined to them? Are there none now who profess that they know God, but in works deny him; whose conduct is such that it ought to be abhorred; who are disobedient to the plain commands of God, and whose character in respect to all that pertains to true piety, is to be disapproved by the truly pious, and will be by God at the last day? Alas! taking the church at large, there are many such; and the fact that there are such persons, is the grand hinderance to the triumphs of religion on the earth. "The way to heaven is blocked up by dead professors of religion."

(d) "profess" 2Ti 3:5,7 (1) "reprobate" "void of judgment"

These verses contain the apostle's salutation, and the first part of this chapter;

in which observe, 1. The person saluting, described by his name, Paul; by his general office, a servant of God; by his special office, an apostle of Jesus Christ; by the end of his office, to preach the faith, and thereby to promote the faith of God's elect, and to bring persons to the acknowledgment of the doctrine of the gospel, which is truth according to godliness.

Learn hence, That the great design and end of preaching the gospel, is, to produce faith in the heart, and holiness or godliness in the life, of those that sit under it; not that common, notional, and intellectual faith, which is ofttimes found in unholy persons: but that lively faith, which is elsewhere called the faith of the operation of God, and here, the faith of God's elect; even such a faith as is the parent and principle of obedience.

Observe, 2. The apostle declares a farther end of his office, namely, to raise Christians up to a lively hope and expectation of that eternal life, which that God, who cannot lie, hath promised before the world began.

But how could God then promise, when there was none to promise to?

Ans. The promise was made to Christ, and in him to all his members: for there was a federal transaction betwixt the Father and the Son from all eternity; the Son promised to give his soul an offering for sin, and the Father engaged that he should see his seed, and the travail of his soul.

Observe, 3. How God, who promised us in Christ eternal life before all time, did accompolish and make good that word in the fulness of time.

Verse 3. He hath in due time manifested his word through preaching; that is, What God so long ago purposed in himself, and promised to his Son, he hath in the fittest appointed season made manifest by the preaching of the gospel, which is committed to me by the appointment of God and Christ.

Learn hence, That the doctrine of salvation is much more clearly revealed to us that live under the gospel, than it was to the fathers of the Old Testament. Life and immortality, that is, the clearer knowledge and more full assurance of eternal life, is now brought about by the preaching of the gospel.

Observe, 4. The person saluted, Titus, described by his relation. St. Paul's son in the faith; he begat him by his ministry unto God, was the instrument of his conversion unto Christianity; his son after the common faith.

Where note, That the church has but one faith common to all Christians, it has one common object of faith, Christ crucified; it has one common end of faith, eternal salvation; this is the end of every believer's faith and hope.

Observe lastly, The salutation itself: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour; that is, all spiritual, temporal, and eternal blessings, I most heartily wish unto you, from God the Father, and Jesus Christ our worthy Mediator.

Learn hence, That whatever spiritual grace or temporal blessings we now receive from God, is from him not barely as a Creator, but as a Father, a gracious Father in Christ, in whom he pours forth the immensity of his love upon us, and through whom he conveys all kind of blessings unto us.

Observe here, 1. The erection of a power in the person of Titus: I left thee in Crete to ordain elders; "I, who am an apostle of Christ, and have received a commission from him thus to do, I left thee, thee who wert so dear to me, so useful to me; yet for the church's service did I deny myself, and part with thee.

Behold here, a blessed pattern of our ministerial imitation. St. Paul did, and could most cheerfully, sacrifice all his private advantages, the tenderest and inmost of his affections, to the benefit of the church, and the interest of religion; let us go and do likewise.

Observe, 2. The end of this institution, or the use and exercise of this power: to order, and to ordain, to correct and constitute;

1. To set in order things that are wanting; the ship of the church is never so well rigged, but something is wanting that might be added; whilst the tabernacle of God sojourns here below, some pin or other will be lacking in it.

2. To ordain elders in every city, such as might govern and teach, and administer to God in holy things; wherever a church is planted, there is an absolute necessity of a settled ministry, and a succession of ministers, without which it is impossible that religion should either prosper or long continue: and care must be taken that such ministers be duly qualified, and regularly ordained. I left thee in Crete to ordain elders.

Observe, 3. The limitation of these acts, according to the apostle's prescription, As I had appointed thee. Titus must do nothing but according to commission, and by special direction.

Where note, That the ordering and governing of the church was not left arbitrary, no, not to Titus himself; but whatever he did, was done by apostolical direction: For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest ordain elders in every city, as I appointed thee.

Here St. Paul gave Titus, as he had before done Timothy, the character of such persons as were to be admitted into the sacred function. The character is twofold, positive and negative; he shows them both what they should be, and what they should not be.

The positive characters of a bishop, yea, of every one that administers to God in holy things, are these: he must be

blameless, free from scandal, not blameworthy; a minister's life should be so bright and shining, that all persons who behold it may admire it, and guide their lives by the direction and example of it.

The husband of one wife, that is at once, the apostle's command doth not forbid successive marriages: for this he elsewhere allows: see the note on 1Tim 3:2. Nor does the command oblige him to marry at all, but it establishes the lawfulness of a bishop's marriage, if he sees reason for it, no doubt, by these words, the husband of one wife, St. Paul proposes a greater degree of chastity to church governors than to other persons.

Having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly; Titus must not only look at the person he is to ordain, but to the family and household of the person ordained, that they be well governed; because the honour of religion, and the reputation of the church suffers exceedingly, when any of the bishop's family, his children especially, are riotous and unruly; besides, the world will pronounce them unfit to govern the church of God, that cannot command their own families.

As the steward of God; the steward is an appointed and deputed officer, he acts by commission, and distributes his Lord's allowance according to his Lord's command, and is accountable for all he does; and as he is over the inferior servants, so must he be a pattern and precedent for them; a steward must be both wise and faithful.

A lover of hospitality, sober, temperate. Mark, Of hospitality, not of luxury and sensuality; as he commends hospitality, so he regulates it too, a lover of hospitality, yet sober and temperate; riotous housekeeping is not hospitality in St. Paul's account, but the liberal and free relieving of such as are in necessities and straits.

Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught; he must be a person well instructed, well settled and confirmed in the faith, of ability to defend the faith, and to stop the mouth of gainsayers;--

just, holy, and a lover of good men, a person of strict holiness and piety towards God, of exact righteousness and justice towards men, and a sincere lover of all good men. These are positive characters required in a bishop.

The negatives follow, and they are five:

not self-willed, not so adhering to his own resolutions, that nothing can force him from them; he that is of an inflexible will, had need be of an infallible judgment;

not soon angry, and subject to passion; for he stands in God's place, and ought to resemble God in long-suffering and patience:

not given to wine, that is, too much wine, no inordinate lover of it; no sitter at wine, either in his own house or elsewhere:

no striker, either with the hand or with the tongue:

not given to filthy lucre, seeking to get wealth by sordid ways and means; the sin of covetousness is not so base in any man as in a minister; many are unjustly charged with it, but where it is really found it is a sordid sin.

How unfit is he to administer in holy things to God, who prefers the world before God! By making a god of the world, we make an idol of God.

A reason is here subjoined by our apostle, why Titus should take such special care to fill the church with able guides, namely, because there was a multitude of false teachers dispersed abroad, and scattered up and down everywhere, particularly the judaizing doctors, those of the circumcision, mentioned Acts 15:1 who would make Christianity nothing more that a supplement to the law of Moses. These he tells Titus must have their mouths stopped, not by force, for Titus had no power of the sword, but by confutation; he must take care to ordain such as might silence them, though not satisfy them. For mark the efficacy of error, and the power of seduction, they subvert whole houses, they make proselytes without number.

Learn hence, That such is the strength of error, and the weakness and unsteadiness of many Christians, that whole households may be subverted by the most gross deceivers. If the apostle's converts were thus easily and universally misled, no wonder if ours be so.

The next argument St. Paul makes use of to excite Titus to take great care how he behaved himself at Crete, and what bishops he left there, is drawn from the quality and nature of the people in that island of Crete, where God's providence and the apostle's care had placed him: he tells him, that one of their own prophets, or poets, Epimenides, had given this character of them, that the Cretians were a lazy and a lying people, ready enough to be misled by the false teachers, particularly the judaizing doctors, who imposed circumcision and other ceremonial rites upon them, which were now old fables, but tended to pervert men from the truth; therefore he charges Titus to reprove sharply and cuttingly, that they may be sound in faith. The word is a metaphor taken from surgeons, who cut out dead flesh to the quick, but it is in order to healing; cutting words have done great cures: many a diseased, festered soul has been made sound, both in faith and manners, by severe reprehension.

Learn hence, That although, generally speaking, we ought to temper our reproofs with much gentleness and meekness, yet there is a time when we must reprove sharply, that men may be sound in the faith. We may, we must, speak cutting words, when kind words will not do.

Here our apostle intimates what those Jewish traditions and fables were, which those judaizing doctors and false teachers would intrude and impose upon persons at that time, namely, pretences that men were defiled by eating things unclean, by not observing their days, and keeping other ceremonial rites: but says the apostle, To the pure all things are pure; that is, to believers who are sanctified by the Christian faith,and purified from sin and guilt, all meats, and days, and things of this nature, are clean and lawful, and may without sin be used, every creature being sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Here note, The honourable title which a gracious and merciful God puts upon good men, notwithstanding they have much impurity and sin inhering in them, and many sinful weaknesses and infirmities cleaving to them, yet God calls them pure; Unto the pure, &c. They are now initially so, and shall ere long be perfectly so.

Note, 2. A privilege purchased for them by the blood of Christ, and that is the lawful liberty and use of meats, &c. under the gospel, which were prohibited by, and forbidden under, the ceremonial law: Unto the pure, all things are now pure.

Mark, he doth not say, to the defiled all things are unclean, but, nothing is pure; they pollute all they touch. To an unsanctified man nothing is sanctified; whatever he does is unclean, either in the matter, in the manner, or in the end, of his doing it; and the reason follows, because their mind and conscience are defiled. No wonder the streams are polluted, when the fountains are poisoned. The mind and conscience are defiled, partly by blindness, partly by stupidity and senselessness.

Behold here the dismal character of many hypocritical persons in the Jewish church. They professed the knowledge of God, the true God, but in their works, in their actions, they denied him, and so became abominable both to God and man, disobedient to the law, and averse to every good work.

Here learn, 1. That hypocrites are generally great professors, they profess great knowledge of God, and great zeal for him.

2. That to deny God is a very heinous sin, and an abominable wickedness;

There is a twofold denial of God,

first, in words expressly and openly; secondly, in practice, closely and consequentially.

They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him. There may be at once a professing of God, and a denial of him: many a man's practice speaks aloud, that there is no God, when he makes a fair confession and profession of him with his mouth and tongue.

Learn, 3. That no sorts of persons are so odious to God, and abominable in his sight, as those who make a profession of his holy name and truth, but walk contrary in their lives to their profession.