1The salutation. 5For what purpose Titus was left in Crete. 6How they should be qualified who are ordained to the ministry. 10The mouths of evil teachers must be stopped. 12The bad character of the Cretians.
1PAUL, 1a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, 2according to the faith of God's elect, and 3the acknowledging of the truth 4which is after godliness;
1 See Rom. 1:1; Philip. 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude verse 1; Rev. 1:1.
2 That is, preaching the same doctrine which God’s elect have believed at all times. Or, preaching the Gospel, whereby only the elect of God are brought to saving faith; as Rom. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:1. See also Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:30.
3 Faith is called as such, because without knowledge of the truth of the Gospel there can be no saving faith. See Isa. 53:11; John 17:3; Col. 1:9, 10; 1 Tim. 2:4; Heb. 10:26; 1 John 4:16.
4 That is, which is such, that it must not only be known, but also by exercising of true godliness be put in practice, and which prescribes and requires true godliness, and stirs up and brings men thereunto. See 1 Tim. 6:3.
25In hope of eternal life, 6which God, thata cannot lie, promised 7beforeb the world began;
5 Or, unto the hope, on the hope; which is wrought and confirmed in the hearts of the faithful by this doctrine. Rom. 5:4, 5.
6 Namely, truth.
a Num. 23:19; 2 Tim. 2:13.
7 Gr. before the times of centuries, that is, from the beginning of the world, before men began to number centuries. See Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:25, 26.
b Rom. 16:25; Eph. 1:9; 3:9; Col. 1:26; 1 Peter 1:20.
3But hath 8in due times 9manifested 10his word 11through preaching, whichc is committed unto me 12according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
8 That is, in the fullness of time, Gal. 4:4, namely, which God had appointed to send His Son into the world.
9 Namely, clearly, without the covering of shadows and types, and among all nations. Others join these words to the third verse, and translate it thus: God, that cannot lie, promised before the times of ages, but hath revealed in its own time.
10 Namely, of the Gospel, of which the preaching is entrusted unto me.
11 Gr. in the preaching.
c Acts 20:24; Gal. 1:1.
12 See 1 Tim. 1:1.
4To Titus,d13mine own son after 14the common faith: Grace,e mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
d 2 Cor. 2:12; 7:14; 8:6, 16; Gal. 2:3.
13 See hereof also 1 Tim. 1:2.
14 That is, which is common to us both and to all the elect; whereby he signifies that he is not his natural but spiritual son. See the annotations at 1 Tim. 1 on verse 2.
e Eph. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2.
5For this cause left I thee in 15Crete, that thou shouldest 16set in order 17the things that are wanting, andf ordain 18elders in every city, 19as I had 20appointed thee:
15 This is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, now called Candia. See of this island Acts 2:11; 27:7, 12. It is a large island, having in former times had an hundred cities.
16 Not amend that which was done amiss, as some interpret, but further supply that which yet remained needful to be taken care of for the edification of the congregation.
17 Gr. that which is yet left; namely, undone.
f 2 Tim. 2:2.
18 Namely, who labor in the Word, that is, teachers, 1 Tim. 5:17, who are also called in verse 7, bishops, or overseers; from which appears that by elders and overseers here is signified one kind of ministry. See Acts 20:17, 28; Philip. 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1, 2.
19 That is, not by your own authority and approval only, but according to the order which I have prescribed you and have observed myself. See of this order, Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 4:14.
20 Gr. ordained.
6Ifg any be 21blameless, the 22husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of rioth or unruly.
g 1 Tim. 3:2.
21 Gr. irreproachable, unimpeachable. See 1 Tim. 3:10.
22 See hereof the annotation on 1 Tim. 3:2.
h reckless, self-indulgent behavior*
7For 23a bishop must be blameless, asi the steward of God; 24not selfwilled, not soon angry, notj given to wine, no striker, notk given to filthy lucre;
23 Gr. episcopos; of which word see Acts 20:28; Philip. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1.
i Mat. 24:45; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Tim. 3:15.
24 Or, not conceited of self, pleasing himself; that is, who will follow his own head only, and proudly rejects the opinion of others, and who will yield to no man.
j Lev. 10:9; Eph. 5:18.
k 1 Tim. 3:3; 1 Peter 5:2.
8But a lover of hospitality,l a lover of 25good men, 26sober, just, holy, temperate;
l 1 Tim. 3:2.
25 Or, that which is good.
26 Or, prudent.
9Holding fast 27the faithful word 28as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and 29to convince the gainsayers.
27 Or, the word that is worthy to be believed, and is received by faith.
28 That is, according to the pure doctrine of the Holy Gospel, see John 7:17; Rom. 16:17.
29 That is, to convince them with solid reasons out of the Holy Scripture of their errors.
10Form there are many 30unruly and 31vain talkers and deceivers, specially 32they of the circumcision:
m Acts 15:1.
30 That is, who will be subject to no order. See 1 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:6.
31 See of this word, 1 Tim. 1:6.
32 That is, who are Jews, Acts 11:2; Rom. 3:30; Gal. 2:12; Col. 4:11, who most eagerly pressed the observation of the law, and mingled the same with the Gospel. That there were many Jews in Crete, appears from Acts 2:11.
1133Whose mouths must be stopped, who 34subvert whole 35houses,n teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
33 Namely, by confuting their false doctrine and slanders. See verse 9 and Mat. 22:34.
34 Or, overturn, that is, turn them away from the true faith and bring them to destruction.
35 That is, households, as Luke 10:5; Acts 16:15; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16; 1 Tim. 3:4; 5:4; 2 Tim. 1:16.
n Mat. 23:14; 2 Tim. 3:6.
1236One of themselves, even a 37prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, 38slow bellies.
36 That is, one of the Cretians, who was born in Crete, namely, Epimenides, recited in Callimachus.
37 That is, poet. For, the pagans held their poets almost in the same esteem as the Jews did their prophets, and believed, although wrongly, that they had some divine inspirations; wherefore they were also called vates, that is, prophets. Elsewhere he calls such also poets, Acts 17:28.
38 That is, gluttonous and lazy persons.
13This witness 39is true. 40Wherefore rebuke them 41sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
39 Namely, most of the Cretians were of that company
40 Gr. for which cause’ sake.
41 Or, severely. Gr. abruptly, as Rom. 11:22; 2 Cor. 13:10. A similitude taken from physicians, who cut off the dead flesh.
14Noto giving heed to 42Jewish fables, and commandments of men, 43that turn from the truth.
o Isa. 29:13; Mat. 15:9; Col. 2:22; 1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 6:20.
42 See hereof the annotations on 1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7.
43 Or, who turn away the truth.
15Unto 44the pure 45all thingspare 46pure: butq unto them 47that are defiled and unbelieving 48is nothing pure; but even 49their mind and conscience is defiled.
44 That is, to believers, whose hearts are purified by faith, Acts 15:9.
45 That is, all kind of meats. For, the Jews maintained that under the New Testament they were still bound to observe the distinction of meats commanded in the Old Testament, Leviticus 11.
p Mat. 15:11; Acts 10:15; Rom. 14:20.
46 That is, lawful to be eaten. See 1 Tim. 4:3.
q Mat. 23:25; Rom. 14:23.
47 That is, whose hearts are not yet purified by faith, as the following word unbelieving further declares.
48 That is, they use no meat in purity, as they ought. Or, no abstaining from any meat can make them pure.
49 That is, impurity consists not in the outward abstaining from any meat, but is inward in the soul of man, and in the faculties of the same; which in unbelievers are all impure and defiled with sin, how much so ever they may withhold themselves from any meat. See Mat. 15:11, 18.
1650They 51profess 52that they know God; but 53in works they deny him, being 54abominable, and 55disobedient, and unto every good work 56reprobate.r
50 That is, these deceivers and maintainers of the distinction of meats.
51 Namely, with the mouth and outward show.
52 That is, that they exercise the true religion and worship of God.
53 Namely, which are evil and contrary to the true religion, as is declared in what follows.
54 That is, committing not only small faults, but also foul and abominable sins. See Job 15:16; Psalm 14:3.
55 That is, who will not give place to the truth, or, who will not be moved to believe and embrace the same.
56 Gr. rejectable, or, disapproved; that is, who, because they bring forth no good works, are justly disapproved, that they are not true believers, but to be rejected.
r refuse, unfit*