Naravist

The Letters · New Testament

Titus 1

Titus 1: elders for every city in Crete and the talkers to be silenced

General context

The letter opens with a long self-description: Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, writing according to the faith of God's elect, in hope of eternal life which God promised before the world began and has now manifested through preaching committed to him. Only then does the addressee appear, Titus, mine own son after the common faith. The reason for the letter is stated at once: Titus was left in Crete to set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. The requirements follow. Such a man is to be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children not accused of riot or unruly, since a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God, not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, but a lover of hospitality, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word so that he can both exhort and convince the gainsayers. The need is then explained: many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, subvert whole houses and teach things which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake. The writer quotes a saying, attributing it to one of themselves, even a prophet of their own, that the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies, calls the witness true, and tells Titus to rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith, giving no heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men. The chapter ends with a contrast between the pure and the defiled, and with people who profess that they know God but in works deny him.

Cited passages: Titus 1:1, Titus 1:2, Titus 1:3, Titus 1:4, Titus 1:5, Titus 1:6, Titus 1:7, Titus 1:8, Titus 1:9, Titus 1:10, Titus 1:11, Titus 1:12, Titus 1:13, Titus 1:14, Titus 1:15, Titus 1:16

Titus 1 (KJV)

1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

4To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

10For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

12One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

13This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

14Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

15Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The letter states its own occasion in one sentence: Titus was left in Crete with two tasks, to set things in order and to ordain elders in every city. No city is named, no elder is named, and nothing is said about how the writer came to Crete or when. The opponents are described as many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, and one group among them is identified, specially they of the circumcision, with the accusation that they teach for filthy lucre's sake. The quoted line about the Cretians is attributed inside the text to a prophet of their own who is not named, and the writer endorses it, This witness is true, so the letter states a sweeping judgment about a people and gives no evidence beyond the quotation. The chapter gives no date, no ruler and no account of Titus himself beyond the phrase mine own son after the common faith.

Cited passages: Titus 1:4, Titus 1:5, Titus 1:10, Titus 1:11, Titus 1:12, Titus 1:13

Literary context

The opening runs three verses before it reaches the person addressed, so the letter states its own authority before it states its business. What follows is built as task, then qualifications, then reason. The qualification list is made largely of negatives, not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, before it turns positive at But a lover of hospitality, and it ends with the one duty that connects to the rest of the chapter, to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Evidence is then borrowed rather than argued: a quotation is produced and immediately endorsed, This witness is true. The closing lines set profession against practice, They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, which is the same test the chapter applied to the talkers.

Cited passages: Titus 1:1, Titus 1:4, Titus 1:5, Titus 1:7, Titus 1:8, Titus 1:9, Titus 1:12, Titus 1:13, Titus 1:16

Key moments

  1. Left in Crete (Titus 1:5). Titus is told why he was left and what to do.
  2. Blameless and one wife (Titus 1:6). The first requirements for elders are stated.
  3. Steward of God (Titus 1:7). The bishop's character is described by a list of negatives.
  4. Able to convince (Titus 1:9). Holding the faithful word is tied to answering opponents.
  5. Mouths to be stopped (Titus 1:11). Teachers who subvert whole houses are described.
  6. A quoted saying (Titus 1:12). A line about the Cretians is quoted from one of their own.
  7. Profession and works (Titus 1:16). The chapter closes on people whose works deny their claim.

For reflection

The writer repeats a harsh saying about a whole people and calls it true, then tells Titus to rebuke them so they may be sound in the faith. How do those two purposes sit together?

People in this chapter