Titus 1

      7-9. For a bishop. An elder and bishop were then different names for the same office. See notes on parallel passage in/Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=&chapter=000#_" Must be. Unless he has these traits he must not be appointed. Blameless. No charge against him. Compare 1 Timothy 3:2 1 Timothy 3:3 . See notes /Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=&chapter=000#_" 8. A lover of hospitality. See note on /Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=&chapter=000#_" 9. Holding fast the faithful word. Sound in the gospel doctrine, and able to teach it to others, as well as to refute opposers.

      10-13. There are many unruly and vain talkers. The last sentence suggests to Paul to speak of the Cretan errorists. The allusions to the false teachers show that the Epistle belongs to the closing years of the apostle's life. Of the circumcision. Jews, perhaps Judaizing Christians who had so troubled the Gentile churches. See the Galatian letter. 11. Whose mouths must be stopped. Muzzled. The way to stop them is for the churches to refuse to hear them. All false teachers, or bad men, should now be stopped from preaching in the same way. Subvert whole houses. Subvert their faith. For filthy lucre's sake. For base gain. 12. One of themselves. Of the Cretans. A prophet. A Cretan sage, seer and teacher, Epimenides by name, who lived about 500 B. C. The Cretans are always liars. The hard testimony of his countrymen is quoted from a poem, now lost. 13. This witness is true. Paul's observations confirmed it. So do many ancient writers. Cretize (Cretanize) became a slang phrase for lying. Wherefore. Their bad conduct must be sharply rebuked until the gospel so transforms them that they will become sound in the faith.

      14-16. Jewish fables. See note on /Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=&chapter=000#_" Commandments of men. Commandments which are only the traditions of men, additions to God's ordinances. See Mk 7:4 Mk 7:8 . 15. Unto the pure all things are pure. In the "Jewish fables" just referred to were rigid regulations concerning foods and purifications. Hence Paul adds, "It is not food that makes one impure. To the pure all things are pure. When one is unbelieving and defiled, no food can make him pure." See notes on Rom. 14:14 and /Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=&chapter=000#_" 16. They profess that they know God. These teachers of Jewish fables and carnal ordinances profess to know and serve God, yet their immoral lives are a denial of him.