Hilary of Poitiers

Finally, Paul instructed Titus, whom he addresses directly about attaining perfection in the practice of the true religion, in this admonition: “Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.” This teacher of the Gentiles and the chosen leader of the church, conscious of Christ who spoke and dwelt within him, knew that the plague of a deadly eloquence would rise up against him.… For this reason, he wished the bishop to possess learning, the consciousness of the faith and the knowledge of argument that would withstand godless lying and insane objections.

This episode in the Old Testament is a series of important types [sacramenta] of future spiritual events. The harlot takes into her house the two spies sent by Jesus [Joshua] to survey the land. The church, which was a sinner, receives the law and the prophets, sent to spy out the faith of men, and acknowledges that “God is in heaven above and on the earth beneath.” She receives from these same spies the scarlet sign of salvation, a color which is manifestly the color of royalty when considered as a dignity, and, when looked at, the color of blood. Both these features were found in the passion—the Lord was clothed in scarlet, and blood flowed from his side. Manasseh also received scarlet as a sign. The dwellings in Egypt marked with blood were spared, and with blood the book of the covenant was sprinkled and the people sanctified. Every member of the family found outside the house was guilty—a lesson that those apart from those called are responsible for their own death.

Since the Christian is conscious of having been made a partaker of the divine nature, as blessed Peter says in his second epistle, he must measure the nature of God not by the laws of our own nature, but evaluate the divine truths in accordance with the magnificence of God’s testimony concerning himself.