Titus1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets Titus, his "own son" in the faith, explaining that he left him in Crete to establish order and ordain elders in every city. Paul then details the essential qualifications for these leaders, emphasizing blamelessness, moral uprightness, and adherence to sound doctrine. He warns Titus about unruly deceivers, particularly those of the circumcision, and instructs him to sharply rebuke them to ensure the purity of the faith among the Cretans.

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Paul's Apostolic Authority and Greeting

¶ Paul, 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;

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

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

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

The Purpose of Titus's Ministry

¶ For 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:

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

For 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;

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

Holding 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.

Dealing with False Teachers

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

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

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

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

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

Unto 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.

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

Study Notes for Titus 1

Verse 1

Paul establishes his authority, linking his apostleship directly to the faith of God's chosen people and the truth that leads to genuine piety (godliness).

Verse 2

Emphasizes the certainty of the gospel based on God's nature (“cannot lie”) and the eternal nature of the promise, highlighting divine initiative outside of time.

Verse 3

Refers to the divine commissioning of Paul’s ministry (preaching/kerygma), asserting that the gospel message was revealed at the proper time (due times/kairos).

Verse 4

A standard Pauline greeting, emphasizing the spiritual father-son relationship between Paul and Titus (“mine own son after the common faith”).

Verse 5

Explains the immediate practical reason for the letter: Titus must organize the churches (“set in order”) and appoint qualified leaders (“elders in every city”).

Verse 6

Begins the list of qualifications, focusing first on the elder’s family life—a prerequisite for managing the greater 'household' of God (cf. 1 Tim. 3:4-5).

Verse 7

Paul uses 'bishop' (episkopos, overseer) interchangeably with 'elder' (v. 5), emphasizing the role as a blameless 'steward of God,' responsible for managing God’s affairs.

Verse 9

Focuses on the elder’s teaching responsibility: he must adhere strictly to orthodox teaching (“faithful word”) to effectively encourage believers and refute opponents (“gainsayers”).

Verse 10

Transition verse. Identifies the primary threat: unruly, empty talkers, specifically noting those from Jewish backgrounds (“they of the circumcision”).

Verse 11

Stresses the urgency of confronting these false teachers (“mouths must be stopped”) because they are financially motivated (“filthy lucre’s sake”) and destroy entire families/households.

Verse 12

Paul quotes Epimenides, a 6th-century BC Cretan poet, using secular evidence to support his pastoral assessment of the local culture’s moral challenges. 'Slow bellies' refers to laziness and gluttony.

Verse 13

Paul affirms the truth of the cultural critique and demands harsh correction (“rebuke them sharply”) so that the Cretan Christians might achieve spiritual health (“sound in the faith”).

Verse 14

Defines the subject matter of the false teaching: Jewish myths (fables) and human rules that distract from the core truth of the gospel, often focusing on ritual purity or legalistic observances.

Verse 15

A profound theological statement: for those purified by Christ, external rules about food or ritual purity are irrelevant; purity is a matter of the heart and conscience, not external observance (cf. Rom. 14:20).

Verse 16

Describes the hypocrisy of the opponents: they claim knowledge of God but their immoral behavior and refusal to do good works prove their denial, rendering them 'reprobate' or unfit for service.

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Titus1

Paul's Apostolic Authority and Greeting

The Purpose of Titus's Ministry

Dealing with False Teachers

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