The New Testament commentary for schools, ed. by C.J. Ellicott

INTRODUCTION.

hints at such scenes as the, Galatian | ing with a generous liberality the
Epistle, chap. ii., relates so graphi- pressing needs of their proud and
cally.) This same spirit, which haughty Jewish brethren who dis-
ever sought to win rather than to dained them? (See the Note on
alienate, induced him, perhaps, to chap. i. 4.)
avoid the mention of the famous
Gentile leader Titus at a period
when the fierce hostility of the
Christians of the Circumcision was
endeavouring to compass the fall of
St. Paul and the disruption of the
school of Gentile Christianity.

After the year A.D. 65-66 the
story of Titus is uncertain. We
know he rejoined the Apostle at
Rome, and left him again for Dal-
matia (2 Tim. iv. 10).

Then traditionary recollections
which lingered in Crete tell us how
he returned from Dalmatia to the
island, where he worked long and
presided over the churches, and died
at an advanced age. The church
of Megalo-Castron, in the north of
the island, was dedicated to him.
In the Middle Ages, his name was
still revered, and his memory hon-
oured. The name of Titus was the
watchword of
the Cretans when
they fought against the Venetians,
who came under the standard of St.
Mark. The Venetians themselves,
when here, seem to have transferred
to him part of that respect which
elsewhere would probably have
been manifested for St. Mark alone.
During the celebration of several
great festivals of the Church the
response of the Latin clergy of
Crete, after the prayer for the Doge
of Venice, was, Sancte Marce tu
nos adjuva; but after that for the
Duke of Candia, Sancte Tite tu nos
adjuva (Pashley's Travels in Crete,
quoted by Conybeare and Howson,
St. Paul).

The Holy Spirit loves to work,
we know, by purely human in-
struments-now by the tender
conciliatory pen of a Luke-now
by the fiery zeal of a Paul, which
refuses to recognise danger, or to ac-
knowledge the possibility of failure.
Later on, the appointment of the
brilliant' and successful Gentile or-
ganiser to the chief superintendence
of the churches of Crete was one
of singular fitness. "There was,
as it has been well said, "a strange
blending of races and religions"
in the island which boasted the pos-
session of the birthplace of Zeus
(Jupiter), and rejoiced in the vile
mysteries practised in the worship
of Dionysus (Bacchus). There
were many Jews, we know, at Crete,
but the Gentile population, of
course, far outnumbered them. The
congregation seem to have been
numerous and full of life, but dis-
organised and troubled with dis-
order, misrule, and even dishonoured
with many an excess utterly at
variance with their Christian pro-
fession. Who so fitted to restore II. Contents of the Epistle.
order and to enforce a sterner rule-After a formal salutation and
in such communities as the friend greeting St. Paul reminds Titus of
of St. Paul, who had worked his special work in Crete, viz., that
already so great a work among the the government of the various
turbulent and licentious Christians churches must be properly organ-
of Corinth, and had persuaded by ised-a body of elders, or presby-
his marvellous skill so many Gen-ters, must be ordained and set over
tile congregations to unite in help- the congregation. The qualifica-

tions of these officers are then de-vation to all-old or young, free or tailed. They are for the most part slaves (chap. ii. 1—15). St. Paul of a moral nature; but these elders now points out to Titus how the must also possess the power neces- Christian community must conduct sary for teaching and influencing themselves towards the heathen such a people as were the Cretans world. There must be no thought (chap. i. 1-16). St. Paul passes of rebellion among the worshippers on to the special kind of in- of the Lord Jesus. Again he enstruction Titus and the elders forces these solemn admonitions by must impart to men and women an appeal to the loftiest Christian of varied ages, sexes, and ranks in truths. He closes his Letter by rethe Cretan churches-to aged men, minding his friend that this practo aged women, to the young of tical teaching, based on gospel both sexes, to slaves-and then pro- truth, must be the standard of inceeds to show the reason why such struction; no time must be wasted instruction must be given. God's on useless theological questions. A grace, he says, has appeared in the few personal requests are added work of redemption, bringing sal- (chap. iii. 1-15).

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO

(1)

TITUS.

CHAPTER I.-) Paul, | A.D. 65. Jesus Christ," according to

(1) Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ. The titles here assumed by St. Paul in his introductory greeting are in some respects slightly different to any of his usual designations. In the other two so-called Pastoral Epistles addressed to Timothy, St. Paul simply styles himself" an Apostle of Jesus Christ." Possibly, the longer and more formal title is here adopted because his relations were hardly ever of so intimate a character with Titus as with Timothy; the latter would seem to have held the position of St. Paul's adopted son. (See Note below on verse 4, "To Titus.") According to the faith of God's elect.-The English version here entirely fails to give the meaning of the Greek preposition. The rendering should be, "for (the furtherance of) the faith," or, in other words, "the object of my (Paul's) apostleship was, that through my instrumentality the chosen of God should believe." The whole question respecting these "elect," or "chosen of God," is surrounded with deep mystery; three or four guiding thoughts may,

the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godli

however, be safely laid down. (1) In the visible world such an apparently arbitrary election to special privileges, fortune, happiness, utterly irrespective, in the first instance, of individual merit, does exist. This is clear to all of us. (2) In grace we are distinctly told repeatedly that a similar election exists, and our own observation certainly coincides here with revelation. (3) Such election in no case seemingly affects our position here as free agents; surrounded with the most precious privileges, gifted with much knowledge, it is possible, as we, alas, too often see, deliberately to refuse the good and to choose the evil. (4) All such allusions to the "elect" as, for in stance, the one here before us, are intended, not as a stumbling-block for the believer, but as a comfort for the faithful, struggling man of God, for it tells him how the Eternal" before the ages" had chosen him to be His servant.

And the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. More accurately rendered, and the full knowledge of the truth which is designed for godliness, or,

The Apostle's

ness;

(2) in 1 hope of eternal 1 Or, for. in due times manifested

his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the

the preaching. Paul does not shrink from calling his preaching the vehicle in which the Word or the Gospel of God was to be publicly manifested, because he was conscious that he was divinely instructed in the secrets of the eternal counsels.

Which is committed unto

(2) In hope of eternal life.me.-Literally, with which I was Better translated, resting on the entrusted. hope of eternal life. The connection of the preceding clauses with these words has been well summed up: "The Apostle's calling had for its object the faith of the elect and the knowledge of the truth; and the basis on which all this rested was the hope of eternal life." Which God, that cannot lie. Possibly this singular and strong expression was chosen with reference to the peculiar vice of the Cretans, over whose Church Titus was then presiding. (See verse 12: "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars.")

Promised before the world began. - More accurately rendered, from eternal ages. (See 2 Tim. i. 9.) The promise of eternal life was the result of a divine purpose fixed from eternity.

(3) But hath in due times.Or better, but hath in His own seasons —that is, in the fitting seasons, those fixed by Him for the manifestation.

Manifested his word.-That is, His gospel. (See Rom. xvi. 25.) Through preaching.-Or, in

According to the commandment of God our Saviour.-The commandment came to St. Paul direct from God. We have several intimations of this. Amongst others, on the Damascus road, when the Lord appeared to him; in the Temple at Jerusalem; in the ship, during the memorable voyage which ended with shipwreck; in the visions mentioned in 2 Cor. xii. 1-9. St. Paul dwells with emphasis on the thought that he was entrusted with the preaching of the gospel according to the commandment of God. The work was not undertaken by him from any will or wish of his own. "God our Saviour" in this place, as in 1 Tim. i. 1, must be understood as "God the Father." The First Person of the blessed Trinity fitly possesses the title of "our Saviour,' because through the death of His dear Son He redeemed us from death and made us heirs of eternal life. The Second Person of the Trinity is likewise a possessor of the title, because He shed His blood as the price of our redemption. The epithet of "Saviour"

the title just given to the Father, in the very next verse ascribed to the "Son"-is one of the many indications we possess of St. Paul's belief that the Son was equal to the Father as touching His Godhead.

(4) To Titus.-We know comparatively little of Titus' early career. In the Acts he, singularly enough, is never mentioned; for what knowledge of him we possess we are entirely dependent upon a few casual allusions to him in the Epistles. This presbyter in charge of the Cretan Church was a Greek, the son of Gentile parents, and uncircumcised. It has been suggested, but upon very slight grounds, that his family was resident at Antioch in Syria. He owed his conversion to Christianity to St. Paul, with whom ever after he seems to have been connected by ties of intimate friendship, though he was by no means the Apostle's constant companion, as was Timothy, or Silas, or Luke. He was with St. Paul and Barnabas when they went up together to Jerusalem to plead for Gentile liberty; but in no other of the journeys of St. Paul is he directly mentioned as one of the companions of the Apostle. Only during the Apostle's long residence at Ephesus (nearly three years) Titus appears to have been, for at least part of the time, closely associated with St. Paul, and his confidant in his complicated relations with foreign churches. It is clear that during this long Ephesian residence he was drawn into close and intimate friendship with St. Paul,

to Titus.

own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and

who then had opportunity of becoming acquainted with Titus' varied powers and evident skill in administration and in dealing with men and women.

From the several casual notices in the second Corinthian Epistle, we gather considerable insight into the character and powers of the Gentile convert. The Church of Corinth was perhaps the largest and most wealthy of all the churches founded by St. Paul. It was soon, however, rent asunder by party divisions, and was ever distracted and disturbed by moral disorders among its members. Yet, in spite of this, the great Greek congregation of believers was full of life and zeal and earnestness, ready evidently to make the greatest sacrifices for its Master's cause. Delegated apparently by St. Paul to restore order and to introduce a severer discipline in this great and turbulent Christian centre - the example for good or for evil to so many smaller and less important churches-Titus seems to have fulfilled with rare tact, and with admirable prudence and wisdom, his difficult mission. Amongst other works, he apparently completed the collection St. Paul had set on foot in the various Gentile churches for the poor Jewish Christians at Jerusalem. His services, assisting materially to bring this famous work of charity to a successful issue, seem not to have been the least among his titles to St. Paul's friendship and high esteem. The great importance and difficult nature of this collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem are little

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