Titus 1

After the superscription of the epistle in which Paul describes the dignity of his apostleship 5 he declares for what end he had left Titus in the island Crete 6 And describes the qualifications and gifts which are required in a good teacher or overseer 10 exhorts him to withstand the vain speakers or seducers and to stop their mouths 12 for as much as the creations were bad people according to the testimony of one of their own poets that he should reprove them sharply 14 and exhorts them to avoid Jewish sables and humane institutions 15 especially of difference of meats 16 and describes the hypocrisy of these seducers that they may better avoid them.

1. Paul a servant of God [see Romans 1:1 Philippians 1:1 James 1:1 2Peter 1.1 Judea verse 1Revelations 1.1]and an apostle Jesus Christ according to the faiths of God elect [that is preaching the same doctrine which Gods elect have believed all times or preaching the gospel whereby the elect of God are brought to saving faith as Romans 1:5 2Timothy 1.1 see also Acts 13:48 Romans 8:30] and the knowledge of the truth [so faith is called because without knowledge of the truth of the gospel there can be no saving faith see Isaiah 53:11 John 17:3 Colossians 1:9 ,10 1Timothy 2.4 Hebrews 10:26 iJohn4.16]which is according to godliness [that is which is such that it must not only be known but also by exercising of true godliness he puts in practice and which prescribes and requires true godliness stirs up and brings and men thereunto 1Timothy 6.3]

2. In the hope of eternal life [or unto the hope on the hope which is wrought and confirmed in the heart of the faithful by this doctrine Romans 5:4,5] which [namely truth] God that cannot lie promised before the times of ages [Gr before secular times that is from the beginning of the world before man began to number ages see Genesis 3:15 Romans 16:25,26] but hath revealed [namely clearly with the covering and shadows and types and among all nations others join these words to following verse and in it thus but hath in due time revealed in his word by c] in its own time [that is in the fullness of the time Galatians 4:4 namely which God had appointed to send his son into the world.]

3. [Namely] his word[namely of the gospel the preaching whereof is entrusted unto me] by the preaching [Gr in the preaching] which is entrusted unto me according to the command of God our savior [see 1Timothy 1.1] to Titus my true son [see hereof also 1Timothy 1.2] after the common faith [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 annotate on 1Timothy 1.2]

4. Grace peace mercy be unto thee from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ our savior.

5. For this cause left I thee in Crete [this is an island in the midland sea now called Candia see of this island Acts 2:11 and 27.7 ,12 it is a great island having in former times had an hundred cities]that thou mightest further testify[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 church]that which was waiting [Gr that which is yet left namely undone]and that thou mightest set the elders [namely who labor in the word that is teachers 1Timothy 5.17who are also called bishops or overseers verse 7 from whence appears that by elders and overseers here one kind of ministry is signified see Acts 20 verse 17,28 Philippians 1:1 1timothy 5.17 1Peter 5. 1,2] from city to city even as [that is not by thine own authority and good pleasure only but according to the order which I have prescribed thee and observed myself see of this order Acts 14:23 1Timothy 4.14] I command thee [Gr ordained]

6. If any man be unblameable [Gr unaccusable, unreprovable see 1 Timothy 3:10] the husband of one wife [se hereof the annotate on 1Timothy 3.2] having faithful children who are not to be accused of excess or not to be disobedient

7. For an overseer [Gr episcopos of which word see Acts 20:28 Philippians 1:1 1Timothy3.1] must be unblameable as steward of God not self willed[or not self conceited 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] not inclined to anger not inclined to wine ,no striker, no seeker of filthy lucre.

8. But ready to give entertainment ,loving the good [or that which is good] temperate [or prudent]just holy chaste.

9. Holding fast to the faithful word[or the word that is worthy to be believed and is received by faith] that is according to the doctrine [that is according to the pure doctrine of the holy gospel see John 7.17Romans 16.17] that he may both to exhort by sound doctrine and to confute the gainsayers [that is with solid reasons out of the holy scripture to convince them of their errors.]

10. For there are also many unruly [that is who be subject to no order see 1 Timothy1.9 Titus 1:6]vain-speakers [see of this word 1Timothy 1.6]and seducers of minds especially they that are of circumcision [that is who are Jews Acts 11:2 Romans 3:30 Galatians 2:12 Colossians 4:11 who most eagerly pressed the observation of the law and mingled the same with the gospel that they were many Jews in Crete appears from Acts 2:11]

11. Whose mouths must be stopped [namely by confuting of their false doctrine and slanders see verse 9 and Matthew 22:34] who pervert [or overturn that is turn them away from the true faith and bring them to destruction]whole houses [that is household as Luke 10:5 Acts 16:15 and 18.8 1Corinthiaans 1.16 1Timothy 3.4and 5.2 2Timothy 1.16] teaching things unfitting for filthy lucre sake

12. One of them [that is one of Cretians who was born in Crete namely Epimenides recited in Callimachus] being their own prophet [that is prophet for the heathen held their poets almost in the same esteem as Jews did their prophets and believed although perversely that they had some divine inspiration wherefore they also called Vates that is prophets elsewhere he also calls such poets Acts 17:28] hath saith the Cretians are always liars evil beasts lazy bellies [that is gluttonous and lazy person.]

13. This testimony is true [namely of the greatest company of the Cretians who are such] therefore [Gr for which cause sake reprove them sharply [or severely Gr cuttingly as Romans 11:22 2 Corinthians 13:10 a similitude taken from Physician who cut off the dead flesh]that they may be sound in the flesh ]that they may be sound in faith.

14. And not give themselves to Jewish Fables [se hereof the annotate on I Timothy 1.4 and 4.7] and commandment of men who turn away from the truth [or who turn away the truth.]

15. All things [that is all kinds of meats for the Jews maintained that men under the new testament were bound still to observe the difference of meats commanded in the old testament Leviticus 11] are indeed pure[that is lawful to be eaten see 1 Timothy 4:3,4,5] to the pure [that is to believers whose hearts are purified by faith as the following word unbelieving further declares]and unbelieving nothing is pure [that is they use no meat purely as they ought no man or no abstaining from any meat can make them pure]but both their understanding and conscience are polluted [that is impurity consists not in outward abstaining from any meat but is inward in the soul of man and in the faculties of the same which is unbelievers are all impure and defiled with sin how much so ever so they may with hold themselves from any meat see Matthew 15 verse 11,18.]

16. They [that these seducers and maintainers of the difference of meats] profess [namely with the mouth and outward show]that they know God [that is they exercise the true religion and worship of God]but they deny him with their works [namely which re evil and contrary to the true religion as is declared in that which follows]they being abominable [that is committing not only small faults but also souls and abominable sins see Job 15:16 Psalms 13:3] and disobedient [that is who will not give place to the truth or who will not believe and embrace the same] and unto every good work unprofitable [Gr reject able or disapproved that is who because they bring forth no good works are justly disapproved that they are no true believers but to be rejected.]