Titus Chapter 1
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie, promised before time began;
3 but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4 to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you,
6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behaviour.
7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God's steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;
8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled,
9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
10 For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11 whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain's sake.
12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons."
13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
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Titus Chapter 1 Guide
Titus is not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. From the letter we learn that he was a convert of the apostle. Moreover, we know that he was a Greek.
This letter reached him while he was in Crete, amid peculiar circumstances; his mission was to set the church in order. Therefore the apostle enjoined him to appoint elders. He defined the function of the elder as that of the steward of God, and showed that the function would be fulfilled by loyalty to "the faithful word which is according to the teaching." Only men of character were to be appointed to such office. The elder must be blameless as a family man, in personal character, and in his relation to truth.
There were Judaizing teachers in Crete, and the apostle laid down an important principle for dealing with them: "To the pure all things are pure, but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure." This cut clean across the teaching of those referred to, which consisted in insistence on certain ritualistic commandments. Titus was charged to "reprove them sharply." There are forms of evil which demand the surgeon's knife. The reason for the severity is that the highest purposes of love may be realized.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Titus Chapter 1 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The apostle salutes Titus. -- (1-4)
- The qualifications of a faithful pastor. -- (5-9)
- The evil temper and practices of false teachers. -- (10-16)
Verses 1-4
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.
Verses 5-9
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.
Verses 10-16
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.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.