and trembling : they had shown regret ifiX theii previous conduct, indignation against the otfender, enthusiasm for St. Paul : Paul's boast had been justified : Titus had been overjoyed : St. I'aul was comforted (2" 7""'').— (c) On the receipt of this news Paul wrote 2 Cor. and requested 'Titus, who gladly accepted the request, to go, accompanied by two other brethren, on a fresh visit to Corinth and to complete the collection for the saints. Titus was to represent the apostle ; the two brethren represented Churches, probably those of Macedonia (S'-'^).
The next reference to Titus is in the letter to him. Tliis implies that St. Paul, after the release from his first Koman imprisonment, had travelled with Titus in the East, that they had landed at Crete and had evangelized several to\ms (kot4 TriSXiK, 1°), hut that St. Paul had been unable to remain longer, and had therefore left Titus behind to appoint presbyters and to complete the organiza- tion of the Church. Titus found consiilerable ojiposition, especially from the Jews (1'"), and much tendency to insubordination, and possibly had written to St. Paul to report this and to ask for his advice(so Zahn, Einleitunt/, i p. 430). Whether this were so or not, St. Paul wrote a short letter pressing him to complete the organization, to ordain presbyters, to teach sound doctrine and avoid empty disputations, and to exercise his authority firmly. The letter was probably sent by Zenas and Apollos (3"), and 'Titus was re- quested to be ready to leave Crete and join St. Paul at Nicopolis as soon as he should receive a further message through Artemas or Tychicua (3'-). Probably it was thence that St. Paul de- spatched him on a mission to Dalmatia (2 Ti 4'°).
A comparison of 1 Ti 3'- with Tit 2'° perhaps suggests that Titus was older than Timothy, and the relations of the two with the difficulties at Corinth imply that he was the stronger man (cf. 1 Co 16'"* with 2 Co 7'°). He volunteers readily for a delicate task (2 Co 8"), is full of atl'ection and enthusiasm for the Corinthians {ib. 7'°) ; he is ellective, free from all sordid motives, sharing St. Paul's spirit, walking in his steps (12'*), his genuine son (Tit 1^), his brother (2 Co 2"), hii partner and fellow-helper (8^).
The omission of his name in the Acts is scarcely remarkable wlien the references in the Epistles are considered : if the incident of Gal 2 is to be identi- fied with that of Ac 15, he is alluded to, without name, in ni/as iWovs ^S ayrux (v.-) : the incidents of 1 and 2 Cor. are wholly omitted in the Acts : and those of the Epistle to Titus and of 2 Tim. fall without its scope.
It is interesting to note that Titus, the Gentile, is chiefly employed in missions to the mainly Gentile Church of Corinth : that his principal work there was organizing the collection lor the saints, carrying out the injunction to 'remember the poor,' laid upon St. Paul in his presence at Jeru- salem (Gal 2'") ; and that at Crete he finds his chief opponents among those of the circumcision, (Tit 1'").
Subsequent Church historians treated Titus as bishop of Crete and living a celibate life to an old age in the island (Eusebius, HE lll. iv. 6; Cun.st. Apost. vii. 46 ; pseudo-Ign. ad Philnd. c. 3 ; and for fuller details, Lipsius, Die Apokri/ph. Apostel- gesckichte, ii. 2, pj). 401-406). An interesting panegyric on him is found in the works of Andrew of Crete (Migne, Patr. Gr. vol. 97). His name is given still to churches in Crete : it was appealed to as a battle-cry in the struggles of the Cretans with the Venetians ; his body was said to have been retained at Gortyna for many centuries ; the head was carried away by the Venetians, and is still preserved at St. Mark's. His death is com-
TITUS, EPISTLE TO
TITUS, EPISTLE TO
782
memorated on Jan. 4 in the Latin Church, on Aug. 25 in the Greek, Syriac, and Maronite Churches {Acta Sancturum, i. pp. 163, 164; Isilles, A'a/«n- darium Manuale). W. LOCK.
TITOS, EPISTLE TO.—
i. Historical Situation of the Letter.
ii. Analysis.
UL Literary Dependence.
It. Situation at Crete : (a) faUe teaching ; (6) organUation.
T. Authorship, vi. Iiiteirrity. vii. Value.
Literature.
i. Historical Situation.— Paul and Titus had been tOKetlier in Crete. It is probable that they found tlie island already evangelized before their arrival (cf. Ac 2"); for by the time this letter is written whole families (!'• "), and people of all cla&ses and ages (2'"'°), consisting botli of Jews and Gentiles (1'"), belong to the Church. But the communities were unorganized, and there were false teachers. St. Paul himself began to com- plete the organization ; probably meeting with opposition from thefal.se teachers (3'°- ")> and calling out hearty affection from others (o'*- '°). But for some reason he could not stay to finish his work, and left Titus with definite instructions to com- plete it (1"). Time elap.sed after he left, but ap- parently only a short time, before this letter was written. St. Paul was moving about with some of his disciples (3'°), — perhaps in Macedonia (if we may argue from the likeness to 1 Tim.), — intend- ing to winter at Nicopolis. Possibly he received some communication from Titus, reporting progress at Crete (so Zahn, Einl. i. p. 430 ; but uncon- vincingly). More likely, he took the opportunity of the fact that Zenas and AnoUos were starting on a journey which would take them past Crete to send a letter to Titus in order to prepare him to join him in Nicopolia, and to strengthen him to enforce a high moral standard in Crete, in spite of the dangerous tendencies of the false teachers.