Chapter One

Heading and greeting (1–4). Titus’s care in appointing to sacred offices worthy persons, especially in view of the appearance of false teachers in Crete (5–9). How Titus should relate to the Cretans (10–16).

Titus 1:1. Paul, a slave of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the elect of God and knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness, The greeting to Titus has a broader scope than the greetings found in the other letters of the apostle Paul (except the letter to the Romans). “According to the faith of the elect of God.” This expression depends on the word apostle and indicates the purpose of apostolic service. The apostle was called with the purpose of bringing the elect to faith (the preposition according to – κατά approaches the preposition to – εις and can be replaced by the words “so that”. Compare Rom 1:5). “Knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness.” This expression also depends on the word apostle. The purpose of the apostle Paul was to awaken in the elect of God, that is, in those people who gladly receive the Gospel, not only faith, but also to give them knowledge of saving truth, because only with such knowledge does a person set foot on the path of true godliness. “The reason why the content of Gospel teaching is called truth is, first, that the Gospel truly contains the highest truth, and then partly also because the apostle had in mind heretics, who instead of true Gospel teaching preached Jewish fables and genealogies” (Troitsky p. 120 and 121).

Titus 1:2. in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time, “In hope of eternal life.” These words form an apposition to the expression apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul acts as apostle of Christ because he has hope of eternal life, that is, hope of eternal future blessedness (compare 1 Cor 15:14 and following). “Before the ages of time.” Here is meant the Proto-Gospel about the Savior, as the descendant of woman (see Gen 3:15).

Titus 1:3. and in his own time revealed his word in preaching, which was entrusted to me by the command of our Savior, God, – “In his own time” – that is, in the time appointed by God (compare 1 Tim 2:6). “Revealed his word.” Of course, through Christ, who in his person and activity fully clarified the word of God or the decision of God regarding the salvation of people from sin, curse, and death. “In preaching.” This expression relates to the words apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul became an apostle of Jesus Christ especially through his preaching, which was entrusted to him (compare 1 Cor 9:17; Gal 2:7). “By command” – this expression also relates to the word apostle (compare 1 Tim 1:11). “Of our Savior God.” It is remarkable that God the Father is called Savior by the apostle Paul only in the pastoral letters. Perhaps in this designation there is revealed in the apostle grateful remembrance of diverse cases of salvation from dangers to which he was subjected especially in the last years of his life: God always showed him his saving help.

Titus 1:4. To Titus, my true son according to the common faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. “My true son according to the common faith.” Precisely in his faith, which remained firm despite all trials, Titus showed that he was a true spiritual son of the apostle Paul, who also was distinguished by firmness of faith (2 Tim 4:7).

Titus 1:5. For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you might complete what remained unfinished and appoint elders in every city, as I commanded you: “In Crete.” The island of Crete, in the Mediterranean Sea, is 36 miles in length and 197 miles in circumference. The island was densely populated. In 69 BC it was made a Roman province. Among the inhabitants of the island were Jews (Acts 2:11). Probably Christianity was planted here by pilgrims from the first Christian festival of Pentecost. The apostle Paul, in his preaching of the Gospel, came to the island of Crete after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, but did not stay here long and instead left Titus to put in order the church affairs. “Elders.” See Acts 11:30; 1 Tim 3:2 and following.

Titus 1:6. if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of revelry or disobedience. See 1 Timothy 3 and following.

Titus 1:7. For a bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward, not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for gain, Titus 1:8. but hospitable, a lover of good, sensible, just, holy, self-controlled, “For a bishop.” That same person who in the fifth verse is called an elder is here called a bishop. From this it is clear that here the expression bishop does not denote a higher hierarchical degree of sacred service, but simply the activity of every elder, who was supposed to oversee (έπισκοπεϊν) the church community entrusted to him, just as bishops – for example, Timothy or Titus – oversaw entire churches consisting of many church communities. The rest see in the commentary on 1 Tim 3:3 and following.

Titus 1:9. holding fast the trustworthy word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine and to confute those who contradict it. “In accordance with the teaching.” Here one can see an indication of the existence of a firmly established creed (compare 2 Tim 3:14).

Titus 1:10. For there are many unruly people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, “There are many.” Here are meant, of course, the Cretan Christians, in particular those who had been converted to Christianity from Judaism.

Titus 1:11. whom you must silence; they are overturning whole households, teaching what they ought not for the sake of base gain. “Silence them,” that is, rebuke them so strictly that they become silent (Blessed Theophylact). “Overturning whole households,” that is, ruining whole families with their teaching. “For the sake of base gain” (compare 1 Tim 6:10).

Titus 1:12. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. Here the apostle is speaking of the Cretans in general. “A poet” – in Greek a prophet (προφήτης). The Greeks often called poets prophets, attributing to them, it seems, a kind of divine inspiration. Here is meant the Cretan poet Epimenides, who lived in the 6th century BC, from whom the cited passage is found in a work now lost titled “On Oracles.”

Titus 1:13. This testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them severely, so that they may be sound in the faith, Titus 1:14. not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and to commandments of men who reject the truth. “So that they may be sound in the faith.” Here are meant, of course, the Cretan Christians.

Titus 1:15. To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. Titus 1:16. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds, being abominable and disobedient and unfit for any good work. Here the same thought is expressed that the Lord Jesus Christ expressed (Matt 15:11-20) and the apostle Paul himself (Rom 14:20). For people pure in heart and conscience all things appear pure, and nothing defiles such people (body and its functions). For people unclean both in thought and in life everything appears, every object seems to be something which must necessarily awaken in them unclean thoughts and desires. By the word mind is meant “all the inner content of a person: disposition, convictions, understanding, thoughts, intentions and actions; and by the word conscience – moral consciousness of the form of thoughts and actions in the face of law” (Troitsky p. 194).