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Tit 1:1-4 The salutation.

Tit 1:5 For what end Titus was left in Crete.

Tit 1:6-9 How they should be qualified who are ordained

to the ministry.

Tit 1:10,11 The mouths of evil teachers must be stopped.

Tit 1:12-16 The bad character of the Cretians.

Paul, a servant of God; that is, in the work of the ministry.

And an apostle of Jesus Christ; who glory in this as my greatest honour and dignity, that I was one immediately sent by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel.

According to the faith of God's elect; kata pistin according to what the elect, or chosen of God from the beginning of the world, have believed; so as it is no new doctrine which I bring: or else kata here should be translated for, denoting the final cause, as some judge it signifieth, 2Ti 1:1, and in Tit 1:9 of this chapter; then the sense is, that he was sent to be an instrument to beget faith in such as God had chosen unto life. Act 26:18, for those only ordained to eternal life believe, Act 13:48, and Paul was sent to be a helper of their faith. Some think the apostle by this phrase only distinguisheth himself from the ministers of the law.

And the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; to which faith men are brought by the knowledge of the truth, and it worketh by the owning, profession, and acknowledgment of the truth; not all propositions of truth, but that which is productive of a godly life, lying in the true worship of God, and a universal obedience to the Divine will.

In hope of eternal life; which faith also, producing the acknowledgment, profession, and obedience to the truth, according to godliness, produceth in the soul a hope, or certain expectation, of eternal salvation or happiness.

Which God, that cannot lie, promised; nor doth this hope grow up as a rush without mire, or a flag without water, but is bottomed in God’s declaration of his will to that purpose; and it is impossible that the God of truth should lie, or speak what he never intended to effect. ’ Ephggeilato might as well here have been translated purposed, and must be so interpreted, if we interpret the next words, before the beginning of time, unless we say it was promised to the Head of the elect, Christ, on their behalf.

Before the world began; before the beginning of time, or rather, many ages since, as Romans 16:25. Thus eternal life was promised, though more obscurely, Genesis 15:1 17:7 22:18.

But hath in due times; in proper time, (saith the Greek), in such time as God had eternally purposed, and as seemed good to the Divine wisdom.

Manifested his word through preaching; he hath by setting up the ordinance of preaching, or publishing the gospel, by men sent by him, manifested this promise of eternal life, which lay much obscured under the veil of temporal promises under the Old Testament.

Which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; which office of preaching, or which word, was committed to me, by the will of God, or immediate command of God: as to which, see Acts 26:17,18.

Mine own son after the common faith; from hence we learn that Titus was converted to Christianity by Paul. Timothy was so called, 1 Timothy 1:2. The salutation is the same with that to Timothy, 1 Timothy 1:2 2 Timothy 1:2, and in most of the Epistles, with small variation: See Poole on "1 Timothy 1:2", See Poole on "2 Timothy 1:2", and in the beginning of most of the Epistles.

In Crete; in Candia, as it is now called: see the Argument to this Epistle.

Set in order the things that are wanting; set to rights things which I left undone, being hastened away to other places.

And ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: in this island we are told there were a hundred cities, in how many of them the gospel had taken place we are not told. Paul left Titus in this place for this end, to regulate the churches, and constitute officers for the holy ministry, to execute the office of an evangelist; doing what the apostle should have done there could he have stayed.

If any be blameless: the apostle now directs what kind of persons should be made elders or officers in the church. It is an elliptic speech, where must be something understood to perfect the sense. Do not make every one an elder, but if any be anegklhtov, see the notes on 1 Timothy 3:10, such a one, as though possibly he may be clamoured on by ill men, yet cannot be justly charged with or accused of any notorious crime.

The husband of one wife; one that doth not take the sinful liberty, taken by the Jews and heathens, (but contrary to the rule of Christ), to have at the same time more than one wife: see the notes on 1 Timothy 3:2.

Having faithful children; having also a religious family, children that are believers, or at least honest in a moral sense (so then ministers in those days might marry).

Not accused of riot; the Greek is, under an accusation of aswtiav, we translate it by a general word, riot, and undoubtedly our English words, sots and sottishness, comes from this word. The word signifieth any kind of luxury, drunkenness, whoredom, prodigality.

Unruly; sons of Belial, ungoverned, disorderly persons, like soldiers that will not keep their ranks, or rather, like cattle untamed, that will not endure any yoke.

Objection. But why must none be put into the ministry that have such children? The fathers may be good men, though the children be bad.

Solution.

1. Because the honour and repute of the church is more to be regarded than the interest of any private person.

2. Because it is an ill sign that the parents of such children have not ruled their own houses well, keeping their children in all subjection and gravity under authority, and are therefore very unfit to rule the greater society of a church.

For a bishop must be blameless; one that hath an oversight of the church of God, ought to be one whom none can truly tax with any scandalous sin.

As the steward of God; as a chief servant in God’s house, intrusted to dispense his mysteries, 1 Corinthians 4:1, one that should set an example to the under-servants in the house of God.

Not self-willed; not auyadh, one that pleaseth himself, proud, stubborn, pertinacious, confident, &c., having a high opinion of his own person, parts, judgment, or humour; for all this the word signifies.

Not soon angry; orgilon, not too quick and subject to passion; how then shall he in meekness instruct those that are without?

Not given to wine: see the notes on 1 Timothy 3:3, where the same word is used.

No striker, not given to filthy lucre: See Poole on "1 Timothy 3:3", where both these qualifications are mentioned, and opened.

But a lover of hospitality; a lover of strangers: See Poole on "1 Timothy 3:2".

A lover of good men; one that hath a kindness for good men, or who loves all good things.

Sober: See Poole on "1 Timothy 3:2".

Just; just in his dealings between man and man, giving to all their due.

Holy; one that reverenceth and worshippeth God, and is heavenly and spiritual in his conversation.

Temperate; one that restraineth all his evil inclinations and propensions, that hath brought his sensitive appetite under the dominion and government of his reason.