1—3. UoivXos, Paul) A title suitable to the character of Paul, and to the office of Titus. — Kara, according to) Comp. xara, ver. 4, 9 ; 2 Tim. i. 1, note. It is the duty of an apostle to propa gate the faith, Rom. i. 5. — wfanv, faith) faith — hope are the sum of Christianity ; and these things Titus ought to regard in all his teaching, and avoid everything else ; comp. 1 Tim. i. 5, iii. 15, 16, iv. 1, 3, 10. — JxXexrwv ©goD, the elect of God) for whose sake we ought to do and endure all things, 2 Tim. ii. 10. The elect were from among Jews and Gentiles ; and their faith was common, ver. 4 ; 2 Pet. i. 1 : of the former was Paul ; of the latter, Titus.
2. 'EXcr/3/ £w5j$ a/Wou, in the hope of eternal life) ch. iii. 7. Hope has reference to the promise. — rjf, which) life. — a-^wdrtg, who cannot lie) The foundation of our confidence. — ^6 %p6vuv aluviuv, before eternal ages, before the world began) The pro mise of eternal life is already contained in the appellation, the God of Abraham, etc. [Luke xx. 37]. There is here implied an explicit promise to men. See Gen. iii., etc. The %p6vot a/Wo/ followed the creation and the fall.
3. KaipoTg) xpovoi were longer than these.
4. Koivfo, common) Otherwise Titus, who was born of Gentile parents, would fall short of i*
5. TOUT-OU xapiv, for this cause) The divisions of the epistle are four.
I. THE INSCRIPTION, i. 1, 2.
II. THE INSTRUCTIONS given to Titus, to this effect : 1 ) Ordain good presbyters, 5, 6.
2) Such are needful among the wicked Cretans, 10, 11.
3) Rebuke them sharply and admonish them, 13, 14.
4) Teach old men and women, and young men, showing
thyself an example of good works, ch. ii. 1,2 ; and also teach servants, ver. 9, 10 ; where an excellent motive from the very marrow of the Gospel is intro duced, 11-14, 15.
5) Admonish them to obey magistrates, and to show
gentleness to all men ; wherein the same motive is repeated, iii. 1-7.
6) Good works should be performed, foolish questions
avoided ; one that is a heretic should without hesi tation be left to himself, 8—11.
III. AN INVITATION to Titus to come to Nicopolis ; and an
admonition to attend to some necessary directions, 12, 13.