ground, in the absence of the article being possible in each of the
two cases. The sense of the passage is therefore not at once to be
determined by a comparison with 2 Tim. i. 9, 10, and Rom. xvi. 25,
where xpovoi aiuvtoi occurs, but solely from the context. We have
in the passage a double antithesis composed of tTr^yy^'Aaro and
tfaivepbxje, and of %povuv atwiuv and Kaipolg Idioig. Now while the
last expression does not necessitate our supposing as its opposite thnt
which has preceded all time, the first expression is decidedly against
its interpretation ; for K-nayy&teaQcu can by no means be used to de-
note a promise of eternal life made before all time, and recourse
must then be had to the grammatically incorrect rendering : pro-
mittere decrevit (Heydenreich.) It may be so explained in 2 Tim.
i. 9 (comp. the exposition), but, while dodelaav in that passage may
correspond to this act before all time, trrayytAAeafla* does not ; and
so with the analogous passages, Eph. iii. 9, the mystery which was
hid in God, ano rtiv aluvuv } Rom. xvi. 25, the mystery which was
kept secret, xpovoig aiwiois, 1 Cor. ii. 7 ; Col. i. 26 ; Eph. i. 4, hath
chosen us in him, Trpo /ca-a/SoA?^ /coa/zov. All these passages, as they
agree with 2 Tim. i. 9, so they as directly contradict the sentiment
that the o>/) aluvtog was before all time the subject of a Divine
promise ; for then a mystery sealed or hid in God, d-rrb r<Zv aujvwv,
would be impossible. So also De Wette. Olshausen appears to
understand the expression of the Divine decree, as he refers to Eph.
iii. 11 ; 2 Tim. i. 9 ; De Wette, on the contrary, refers justly to
Luke i. 70 ; Rom. i. 2. 'Air' atwvof in the former of these passages
has substantially the same sense as the clause here. It corresponds
to the aim of the passage, which represents that which is now re-
TITUS I. 3. 561
vealed as a thing long before promised, to refer it with Grotius to
the earliest promises of salvation, which is here denoted by ^r\
aluviog. The whole by- clause, however, has undoubtedly for its
object to bring into view the greatness and importance of that which
is now made manifest, inasmuch as it forms the essential subject
matter of the apostle's preaching, and must form also, as the hope
of eternal life, the fundamental tone of mind in the Christian,
ii. 13.
Ver. 3. Hath manifested. The strict antithesis to this is the
expression hid, in Col. i. 26, etc., which again is perceptible in every
other modification of this antithesis, comp. Rom. xvi. 25, 26 ; 2 Tim.
i. 9, 10. Thus in our passage the term promised marks the rela-
tively hid, and the fulfilment of the promise is the manifestation, as
the full revelation of the thing promised. That (f>avepovv in the same
connexion as here is an expression familiar to the apostle, is shewn by
the passages above cited. Kaipolg idiots Kaipog properly " measure"
consequently not synonymous with the preceding xpovog, but denoting
the right point of time ; Kaipoi, the seasonable times, comp. Meyer
on Acts i. 7. 'Idioig, with retrospective reference to the subject,
namely, God, denoting the times appointed by him, Acts i. 7 ; 1
Tim. vi. 15. The word is here used in its original signification,
from which its other meanings, " fit, adapted to," are derived. On
the sense of the whole expression, comp. Gal. iv. 4. Tbv hoyov avrov
here takes the place of the preceding ?jv. It will be seen at once
why the apostle changes the object, or rather its designation : eter-
nal life is still in its manifestation future, and is revealed only as
A6yo$\ From this it follows that the eternal life is to be understood
as specifically included in the word, Rom. vi. 23 ; comp. Winer's
Gr., 63, 1, I. 1, p. 501. It is therefore incorrect to understand
the expression rbv koyov avrov as standing in opposition to WT? alu-
viog. But this word, it is added, is revealed h K^pvyfian, by which
is to be understood the apostolical annunciation quite generally, in
the form of an annunciation of salvation ; so Kijpvy^a, 2 Tim. iv.
17 ; 1 Cor. i. 21. Which is committed to me, the apostle adds this
to express that that eternal life long since promised, and now mani-
fested, is the subject-matter of his preaching. On the construction
of KmorevOrjv, comp. Gal. ii. 7 ; 1 Cor. ix. 17. Winer's Gr., 39, 1,
p. 232. According to the commandment of God, etc., in like man-
ner, Rom. xvi. 26 ; 2 Cor. viii. 8 ; 1 Cor. vii. 6, 25. The more com-
mon expression in this connexion, namely, according to the will of
God, is found also in the Pastoral Epistles, 2 Tim. i. 1. To God,
the appellation our Saviour is added. The same designation of
God is found in Luke i. 47, and Jude 25, and frequently in the
Septuagint, as the translation of the Hebrew :, rwo and the like,
Ps. xxiv. 5 ; Is. xii. 2, xlv. 15, 21 ; then also in Sir. Ii. 1, comp.
VOL. V 36
562 TITUS I. 4.
Wahl ; in the Pastoral Epistles, 1 Tim. 1, ii. 3, iv. 10 ; Tit. ii. 10,
iii. 4 ; in like manner it is often used of Christ, Tit. i. 4, ii. 13, iii.
6 ; 2 Tim. i. 10 ; as also elsewhere in the epistles of the apostle,
Eph. v. 23 ; Phil. iii. 20 ; and likewise in John iv. 42 ; Acts v. 31 ;
2 Pet. i. 1, etc. The Pastoral Epistles then contain the ordinary
use of the word in common with the other epistles of Paul, the
more extraordinary use as applied to God, at least in common with
the New Testament writings, and the usage of the Old Testament.
The idea itself, expressed by the word, is altogether Pauline ; comp.
2 Cor. v. 19 : God ivas in Christ reconciling the world unto himself,
etc. How then should the expression itself, or the frequent use of
it in the Pastoral Epistles (it occurs in all six times) prove anything
against their genuineness ? Is it an evidence of the spuriousness of
the Epistle to the Philippians, that the term ovvaBteu occurs only
there, and occurs there several times ? Comp., besides, the General
Introduction.*
Ver. 4. The person is here designated to whom the epistle is
addressed : to Titus, mine own son, etc. It is therefore arbitrary
to suppose the epistle written at the same time for the church.
The benediction at the close by no means requires this supposition,
comp. infra. The contents of the epistle, too, as we shall sec, accord
only with the view of its having been addressed to Titus, i. 12, seq.
Son, comp. 1 Cor. iv. 17 ; Philem. 10, points to the conversion of
Titus, through the apostle. TVTJOIO^, genuine, comp. Phil. iv. 3 ; on
the whole expression see 1 Tim. i. 2. According to the common
faith, belongs not to TEKVOV alone, but to the expression as a whole.
He is a genuine son in virtue of the common faith. Chrysostom's
remark is substantially correct, TW Kara rijv manv elTrelv rr/v ddeXfio-
rrjra qvifrro, but corresponding less closely to the idea of the apostle,
inasmuch as the Kara serves more exactly to determine the pre-
ceding expression. De Wette's opinion, however, that Kara r. IT.
is inappropriate as corresponding rather to <MeA0o, is without
foundation. The earthly father might designate his child by
JV^OLOV TEKVOV Kara KOLVOV alpa, with as much propriety as a brother
designates his brother by yvTJmov ddeXtybv Kara KOLVOV al/ia. Upon
ihis follows the usual apostolical salutation. "EAeoc, which we find
in 1 Tim. i. 2 ; 2 Tim. i. 2, is spurious in this passage, according to
C.D.E.F.G., etc., comp. Tischendorf. The clause our Saviour,
* De "Wette considers what is said in this inscription, vers. 2 find 3, by way of con-
firming the apostle's official authority, to be unsuitable, on the supposition of its having
been intended for Timothy. But according to the interpretation given above, vers. 2 and
3 are not intended to confirm, but rather to characterize the apostolic office in a manner
corresponding to the contents of the epistle. That the writer designates himself as an
apostle, cannot appear unsuitable in an epistle, which as an official communication is,
from beginning to end, an expression of apostolic authority.
TITUS I. 5. 563
added to Jesus Christ, is peculiar to this passage, for in 1 Tim. i. 2,
2 Tim. i. 2, the common expression our Lord is used. On xdpig, etc.,
comp. Olshausen at Horn. i. 7.
2. INSTRUCTIONS IN KEGAED TO THE APPOINTMENT OF
PEESBYTEES.
(i. 5-16.)
The apostle begins by reminding Titus of the commission given
him to ordain presbyters, ver. 5 ; he then in vers. 6-8 specifies the
qualifications of a presbyter in a moral point of view, then with
respect to doctrine, ver. 9, and confirms the necessity of these quali-
fications, vers. 10-16, by a reference to the circumstances of the
Cretan Christians, which demand on the part of the presbyter, a de-
cided adherence to the true and sound doctrine, and an energetic
application of it.
Ver. 5. The apostle enters forthwith in medias res, as at Gal. i.
6. For this cause have I left thee in Crete, that thou mightest set
in order what is yet wanting, and appoint elders in every city (from
city to city) as I had instructed thee. De Wette thinks that the
words seem to imply, that Paul now for the first time makes Titus
aware of his object in leaving him in Crete. Erroneously, even as
shewn by the words, as I had instructed thee ; but also apart from
this. For when the apostle sets himself to give Titus further direc-
tions as to the execution of the commission which he had received,
what more natural than that he should state in the outset the com-
mission itself, as the theme, so to speak, of what follows ? The
assertion is therefore well founded, which critics have urged strongly
for a negative purpose, namely, that the epistle was written soon
after the apostle's departure from Crete ; since it is presupposed
that Titus had not yet fulfilled the commission given to him. But
the difficulties which are built on this fact, have their ground prop-
erly not in the fact itself, that the epistle was written shortly after
the apostle's departure, but in the false premises that Christianity
was first planted and propagated in Crete by the apostle ; while its
contents compel us to suppose that Christianity had already existed
in Crete for some length of time. Need we then maintain that,
because this epistle presents unmistakeable traces of an earlier ex-
istence of Christianity in Crete, it is therefore not genuine ? Is it
inconceivable that, as in so many other places (Acts viii. 4, seq., ix.
31, seq., xi. 19, seq.), in Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch, so also in
Crete, the gospel was first announced, not by an apostle, but by
some other instrumentality, which was followed up by apostolical
564 TITUS I. 5.
agency, purifying, confirming, uniting, and setting in order the ele-
ments already existing ? It is certain that the number of Jews
in Crete was very large, as may be seen from i. 10 compared with
Acts xi. 19. Acts ii. 11 shews that Cretans were present at the
Pentecostal miracle. Might not the seed of Christianity have been
transplanted to Crete at that time, while, by the subsequent inter-
course of the Jews of that island with Jerusalem, and its proximity
to Greece, it might have been further spread ? How far these hy-
potheses may be true is to us a mutter of indifference ; so much at
least is shewn, that the traces of Christianity's having existed in
Crete for some length of time, furnish no decisive evidence against
the genuineness of this epistle. In what way, however, the special
objections which critics have brought forward, are removed by this
the true view of the case which the epistle itself presents to us, has
been already shewn in the Introduction, and will be further con-
firmed in the exposition of particular passages.
We suppose, then, that the apostle, on his arrival at Crete, found
Christianity already planted and propagated there. But beside the
truth, and connected with it, he found also many corruptions spring-
ing chiefly from Jewish- Christians ; much idle talking, foolish dis-
putation on subjects having nothing in common with the morally
renewing and quickening power of the truth ; much that was niurally
lax and altogether immoral in conduct. The faith was there, but
there was a want of soundness in the faith. In like manner, in con-
sequence of the absence of apostolical guidance hitherto, there was
a want of all church order and government. The apostle, during
his short stay, set himself to remedy these defects, and to advance
the Christianity of Crete both in respect of its external form and
internal nature. His work, however, was not fully accomplished
when he had to leave the island. He, therefore, left Titus behind,
not as bishop or as archbishop, but, if we may use an expression
belonging to a later period, as apostolical delegate, that he might
set in order what was still wanting, and in particular ordain presby-
ters from city to city. For we may well suppose, that it was not
the outward organization of a church which the apostle had seen to
be above all wanting in Crete, but that he had sought chiefly to
improve the Christianity itself which he found there, so that the
former was for the most part what he had left over to Titus. For
the most part for that this did not exhaust his commission, is evi-
dent from i. 13, chap. ii. and iii. The apostle wrote this epistle in
order to give him instructions as to the manner in which he should
fulfil his commission. It has indeed been thought strange that the
apostle should have written such an epistle to Titus so soon after
having left Crete, and that he did not say to Titus by word of mouth
what he fuund necessary, before his departure. We may confidently
TITUS I. 5. 565
leave this objection to itself, if only the contents of the epistle itself
are found to be appropriate, and to correspond to the state of things
that existed.
For this cause I left thee, etc. : thus the apostle begins. Instead
of aariXi-nov, the reading dm^L-nov is confirmed by preponderating
authorities. The words, for this cause, point emphatically to the
following sentence which states the object for which Titus was left
behind. This is denoted by the words, that thou mightest set in
order. Here also the reading wavers between emdiopOuay as middle,
and tTndiopOuayc, which is supported by A.D.*E., etc. Lachmann
has decided for the latter, and Tischendorf, in his latest edition, for
the former. On grammatical grounds, the active is certainly to be
preferred, comp. Winer's Gr., 38, 6, p. 230. Nothing in reply to
the question, what did the apostle himself accomplish, can be ob-
tained from the expression rd Xeirrovra in itself. It only says : Titus
is to bring completely into order what it was not possible for the
apostle to set in order. The following nai brings into prominence
one deficiency, and which Titus was to remedy, namely, a church
government. To introduce such a church order, after the pattern
of other Christian churches (1 Tim. iv. 14), is the first and the chief
part of his commission. From city to city (nara TTO^IV, Acts xv. 21,
etc.), where Christians are to be found (/car' innXrioiav, Acts xiv. 23),
is he to appoint presbyters, as the apostle on leaving Crete, had in-
structed him (6iardaaofj,at found elsewhere in 1 Cor. vii. 17, ix. 31).
De Wette observes quite correctly in regard to the we, that it refers
not merely to the that, but also to the how, which latter is further
laid down in the statement of the qualifications of those who are to
be chosen. Kadiarrj^i, properly to " set down," = " to appoint."
So, frequently, Luke xii. 14 ; Acts vii. 10, etc. Compare, chiefly,
Acts vi. 3, where the same expression is used of the deacons who
are to be appointed. The expression throws no light on the question
whether this appointment of presbyters was to be with or without
the co-operation of the church. In the passage last adduced, icadia-
rdvai expresses an act common to the apostle and the church. In
Acts xiv. 23 we read ^eiporov/jaavTsg avrol^ npeaflvrspovg, which, com-
pared with 2 Cor. viii. 16, represents the idea of a co-operation on
the part of the church as the more probable, although it does
not necessitate such a supposition, comp. Acts x. 41. Baur has
sought to make out that the expression nard TTO/UV 7Tpea[3vTKpov$
is favourable to his view, inasmuch as every church, here every
TTO/UC, had but one president or t-TrtV/coTroc, not several, while he
says that we are not warranted in understanding the plural (pres-
byters), otherwise than of the collective idea which lies in the
Kara ir6A.iv. But the apostle would have expressed himself very
inaccurately if the sense of the words were, that only one elder
566 TITUS I. 5.
was to be appointed in every city. The very expression Kara
in every single city obliges us to apply the plural (presbyters)
to the individual city, as also Matthies has admitted, who refers
justly to Acts xv. 21. That the expression npeofivTepoi, designates
the same office as t-rriaiconoi (coinp. ver. 7), is acknowledged by
all who can acknowledge it. Compare the General Introduction,
and Matthies' dissertation on the subject, p. 78, seq. With re-
gard to the difference between the two terms, we fully agree with
Baur, that eniononos designates the representative of the office
in his relation to the church, as indeed the expression itself inti-
mates (and we learn with certainty from passages such as Acts xx.
17, compared with ver. 28 : 1 Pet. v. 1, 2), and, referring to 1
Pet. v. 1, and 1 Tim. v. 19, that npeofivrepos was used for the col-
legial relation of the presbyters. But for what reason was npeaQv-
Ttpof used in this case ? Clearly, as may be seen from the expression
itself, which indicates the ground upon which persons were to be
chosen to this office, because irpeaftvre^ designates the office with
respect to the honour which it implies, whilst tmonoTro? points rather
to its duties, as consisting in the oversight of the flock entrusted to
the bearer of the office. The reason, then, why TrpeoflvTepovg is em-
ployed in this passage is, that it treats quite generally of the setting
up of this office, of the appointment of persons who are to take this
place of pre-eminence as elders, while afterwards, at ver. 7, ZmoKOTrog
is used as marking the qualities requisite in a presbyter with refer-
ence to the church over which he is placed, for the right perform-
ance of the duties of his office. With reference to the whole passage,
the words of Chrysostom may properly find a place here : " thou
seest here a soul free from all envy, everywhere seeking the welfare
of the disciples, and not concerned whether it be accomplished by
himself or by another." This passage, as indeed the whole epistle,
clearly proves the importance of the outward government of the
church. The condition of the Christians in Crete, as described in
this epistle, clearly evinces the danger that springs from the absence
of an external form of church life. In place of the certain word that
has been objectively given (the faithful word according to the teach-
ing), the subjective element comes into prominence in the unruly
and vain talkers; and the spiritually healing, morally cleansing,
and sanctifying power of the gospel, is enfeebled wherever the office
of Christian discipline is not exercised. Or, again, do not vers. 9
and 10 shew plainly, that the apostle, in the appointment of pres-
byters, aimed at putting a salutary check to the spread of idle spec-
* Comp. Neander, a a. Q., p. 252 ; npeafivrepot, the appellation borrowed from Juda-
ism, of those who are appointed to preside over churches, and more especially designat-
ing the honour of the office ; InianoKot, the Greek name, more especially designating its
duties.
TITUS I. 6-8. 567
ulation, and of that moral unsoundness which ever goes along with
it ? But we learn as clearly also from the present passage, that the
external organization of the church pre-supposes a certain measure
of Christian knowledge and feeling in the church. It was not the
apostle's first object when he came to Crete, although he doubtless
found Christians there already, at once to form them into churches
and to give them elders. This work was left to Titus. As litile,
however, did he wait until all the evils which affected the Christian-
ity of the Cretans were removed ; but after the commencement of a
right Christian feeling and life had been made in the several places,
he caused presbyters to be appointed, in order that through the
power of the office, what was still unsound might be carried forward
to perfect soundness of the faith.
Vers. 6-8. The apostle now mentions the qualifications of a
presbyter, primarily, in a moral point of view. Ver. 6 contains the
chief qualifications, and these, in fact, as the particular details of
the general direction already given to Titus ; for the words, el nt,;
etc., can be understood only in their connexion with what imme-
diately precedes ; comp. Matthies. Ver. 7 is then a confirmatory
explanation of ver. 6. Qualifications with respect to the presbyter's
own person, and with respect to those belonging to him, are specified
in ver. 6. In the former respect it is required that he be blameless,
and the husband of one wife. 'Avey/c/tT/rof, one against whom no
charge can be brought ; so 1 Cor. i. 8 ; Col. i. 22 ; 1 Tim. iii. 10.
The word again occurs in ver. 7, where it is confirmed by the expres-
sion as the steward of God, while in vers. 7 and 8 its import is ex-
plained. Now this first word shews what in the apostle's estimate
was mainly to be looked to. It is the moral estimation in which
the person to be selected was held, the reputation which he had
amongst men, on which above all he lays stress. For an efficient
discharge of the duties of the office can be conceived of only on the
supposition of a good reputation. De Wette expresses his astonish-
ment that Titus should be enjoined to have respect first of all to
outward unblameableness, and then to other moral qualities, in part
equally external ; he thinks that Titus ought before all to have
preferred such as had approved themselves to him or to the apostle,
to be especially zealous, devotedly believing, warm and animated in
their attachment to the gospel. What is here said is, according to
De Wette, so very self-evident, that it could be of very little assist-
ance to Titus. But are not those which De Wette thinks would
have been suitable qualifications, equally self-evident, and even
more so ? It appears to me that here also the reasoning sots out
from false premises, assuming that Christianity was first settled in
Crete by the apostle, while according to the admissions of the critics
themselves the epistle teaches the contrary, and again overlooking
568 TITUS I. 6-8.
the special necessities of the Christians in Crete, and the consequent
requisites of a presbyter. Moreover, considered in itself, there ap-
pears to me to be great wisdom in the apostle's requiring, that in
the selection of a man for the office of presbyter, particular regard
should be had to the moral estimation in which he is held in the
sphere over which he is to preside ; and while Titus would most
naturally look out for such as had shewn themselves to be faithful
and zealous adherents of the gospel, the apostle's injunction reminds
him to have respect also to the moral reputation in which the persons
to be chosen are held, by the churches which are to be formed. Let
us consider further, however, the state of things in Crete. The
Christian life there was unsound in the twofold respect of morality,
and of doctrine. What then was more necessary than that those
whose vocation it was to counteract these evils, should in the first
place be themselves morally pure and blameless, so as to be able to
rebuke others (i. 13). and then firm adherents of the sure doctrine,
and free from the infection of that idle speculation and disputation
which so much prevailed ? The apostle, however, requires both,
vers. 5-9. Add to all, finally, this that Christianity had already
existed in Crete for some time, so that an opinion might, and indeed
must already have been formed, respecting the Christian disposition
and conduct of individuals and the objection of the critics disap-
pears of itself, for even De Wette admits, that on the supposition
of Christianity's having been of some time's standing in Crete, the
qualifications here specified would be most suitable to an ecclesias-
tical office. Chrysostom has already well expressed the sense of the
apostolical injunctions thus : " he desires that the person who rules
may give no handle to those over whom he is to rule ; wherefore he
says, if any one be blameless," etc. It is in like manner only from