Summary of Letter to Titus, Chapter 1

Paul, a slave of God, and Apostle of Jesus for the faith, in the hope of eternal life which the truthful God promised ages ago and revealed at the proper time by the word, which was entrusted to Paul, [Paul] wishes grace and peace to Titus, his true son in the common faith.

Paul left Titus in Crete to put in order what Paul had not finished, and to establish presbyters city by city as Paul ordered. Titus should choose for this office men married once, having children who are of the faith, and having a good reputation. For a bishop should be above reproach, a servant of God, not self willed, not given to anger or wine, not quarrelsome or given to base gain. He should love hospitality and goodness, should be prudent, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding firm to the word of faith as it is taught so he may be able to give exhortations in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict the faith.

For there are many who are insubordinate, speaking foolishly, and are deceivers, especially those who are of the circumcision. It is important to silence these, for they overturn entire houses, teaching what is not right, for the sake of shameful gain. In fact, a Cretan prophet said: "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." Paul believes this is true. So Titus must answer them sharply, to bring them to the sound faith instead of Jewish myths and the commands of men who turn aside from the truth. To the pure all things are pure. But to those who are defiled and without faith, nothing is clean, even their mind and conscience are defiled. They claim to know God, but deny Him with their actions, for they are abominable and disobedient and unfit for any good work.

Comments on Chapter 1

Just as Paul put Timothy in charge of Ephesus, so he put Titus in charge of Crete. One work to be done is to establish presbyters in each city. Acts 14:23 says Paul established presbyters in each city already on his first missionary journey. First Thessalonians 5:12 speaks of those who are in authority, even though no name for the office is given. We note too that if we compare verses 5 and 7, the words presbyter and bishop are used indiscriminately. The qualities given for them here are much the same as those called for in First Timothy.

The false teachers in verse 10 and following are clearly Jews. Titus 3:9 confirms this conclusion. They are proposing myths, claiming some foods are unclean by nature, and taking pay for their teaching. Paul speaks strongly. He says in verse 11 that Titus must refute them sharply (apotomos). In 3:10 he will say that if they do not reform after one or two warnings, Titus should avoid them.

It is remarkable to see the sweeping words against Cretans in verse 12. Clement of Alexandria says the "prophet" was a Greek poet Epimenides of the 6th century B.C. The Greek historian Polybius, writing in the second century B.C. (6.46-47). makes the same sweeping charges. He says greed and avarice are "native to the soil" in Crete. He adds that the Cretans are full of treachery.