The Pulpit Commentary — Titus — Section 4

a.lao Buther. It often mean■ irimply "to only in 2 Oor. xiii. 10 (see also Rom. xi. Bilenoe" (see Stephan, • Th-ur.'), and i■ 22). That they may be sound (see oh. ii. 2). applied to wind inetrumente. Overthrow The faithful pastor must use severity when (ua..-pttoutr,); ae 2 Tim. ii. 18, whioh shows it is neooesary to the spiritual health of the Uae kind of overthrow here meant., that viz. of flook, just e.s •the skilful surgeon uses the Uae faith of whole familiee, well expressed in knife to save the patient's life. Uae A. V. by "subvert." The phrase, ol,c/,is Ver. 14.-Who for that, A..V.; tum at.11ay ...,,..,.pfr,.,,, of the literal overLhrow of houses, for tum, A.V. 1ewiah fables (see 1 Tim . oooun in Pla.t.o (AH..rd). For filthy luore'a i. 4; iv. 7; 2 Tim. iv. 4, where the Jewish Bake; contrary to the apostolic precept to origin of the fables is implied, though not bi■hops and deaoons (1 Tim. iii. 3, 8, and so distinctly stated as here). Command- above, ver. 7). Polybius bas a striking ment■ of men ( lv-ro;l.a,s lr.116prl,-rr,,w); so in Col. passage on the aluxpo,c•p8,la of tue Cretane, ii 22 the apostle speaks of the precepts quoted by Bishop Ellicott(' Hist.,'-vi. 146. 3). "t.ouch not," "taste not" (originating with Ver. 12.-.A prophet for B1>6ft a pr<Yphet, the Judaizing tee.ohers), e.s ..-lr. ,,,.,.&;1.,_.,..,.,. ,cal A.V.; OrBtam fur the Cre.tia,.._ A.V.;-itlh 6,Sa,r,ce&Juas -ri»v lr.v6prl,,row (see following glu.ttons for ,lou, belliu, A. V. A prophet of note). Turning away from ( boa-..-p•4>0µ/11,.,•); their owu; viz. Epimenides, a native either of see 2 Tim. i. 15, note. Pba,stlll! or of Cnossus in Crete, the original Ver. 15.-To for unt.o, A.V. (twioe); author of this line, which is also quoted by nothing iB for is nothing, A. V.; both for even, Callimachus. Epimenidee is here called a A. V.; their conscience for conscience, A. V.; prophet., not simply as a poet., but from his are for ia, A.V. To the pure, etc. This pecnlie.r character as priest, bard, and seer; allusion shows clearly that the "command- celled by Plat.o B•ios fl.vf,p, and coupled by ments of men," here condemned, are of the Cicero with Bacis the Bmotian prophet, and same kind e.s those referred to in the above- the eibyl (Biahop Ellicott); described by quoted passage in the Coloasians. We learn other ancient writers ae a prophet (Alford); also from Rom. xiv. ; 1 Cor. viii. ; and else- "everything we heur of him is of a priestly where, what were the kind of questions or religions nature " (' Diet. of Gr. and which agitated the Judaizing Christians. Rom. Biogr. and Mytl.10I.'). Cretans are But St. Paul in a few wise words shows the always liars, etc. So truly was this their utter worthlessness of suoh oon troversies. cbare.cterietic, that 1Cf1TITi(E1v was W!ed t.o " To the pure all things are pure." "There denote" telling lies,._.. to lie like a Cretan" is nothing from without a man.," said our (Plutarch, etc.). From their general bad Lord, "that entering into him can defile cha.meter arose the line, KpijTEs, Ka,nr&8o,co,, him" (Mark vii. 15); "Neither if we eat IU>u,c,s, rpla ,ca,nra ,c&,c,,,--ra; and Livy, Poly- are we the better, neither if we eat not biue, and Plutarch alike !,ear witness to are we the worse" (1 Cor. viii. 8); "The their covetousneBB and dishonesty: Tu kingdom of God is not mee.t and drink, Kf111-ruw otli, ~,,c,iwu6.,.,,v; "When was there but righteolll!ness, and peace, and joy in ever an upright Cretan?" asks Leonides in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. xiv. 17). But an •Epigram' (Farrnr, 'SL Paul,' vol. ii. p. unto those that are defiled by what comes 534). Evil beasts. 0-fipwv is " a wild beast;" from within them, and have no faith applied t.o men e.s a krm of reproach (l Cor. (Rom. xiv. 23), nothing is pure. Their n. 32), it implies brutality, stupidity, un- mind and conscience, being defilo<l, defile ree.so11ableness, and., with the epithet ,c,i,cd., everything they do. The words ,c,i6ap&v mischief, like the French m.echanle bete. The and µ,alvu, are the proper words for cere- •Epigram' above quoted cells them ;1.,i,u..-al monial "cleanness" and "defilement" re- ,c,.J a.Juq,Bopo,, " pirates 11.nd wreckers." Idle spectively. gluttons; literally, id/,e l,eUiu. The substan- Ver. 16.-By their for in, A.V. They pro- tive denotes tlieir gluttony and sensuality fess that they know God ( comp. Rom. ii. 17 (comp. Rom. xvi. u,;.; Phil. iii 19, where 71 -20). The arrogant claim to be God's ,co,A."1 is equivale11t to '"J'tUf-r-fip 1), and the people and t.o superior holiness, while all adjective their sloth (an«!, i.e. lunal); in old the while they were denying God by their Greek it is usually of the commnn gender. evil deeds, and bringing dishonour upon Ver. 13.-Tutimony for vntness, A.V. ;for his Name among the Gentiles, was a marked t.11hkh cawie for wherefore, A.V.; repr~ for feature of the Jews in St. Paul's time (comp. rebuk,,,, A.V. Sharply (lr.1ro..-ol'i.iis); elsewhere 2 Tim. iii. 5). Abomille.ble (,86,;1.u,crol); object, or cause, of di,gu,t; only here in on Etruscan ve.sea are usnally re~eseuted the New Testament, but found in the LXX. 11,11 in effect 1.I1uzzled by the bridle, and have But ,86,;1.vyl'a and ,86.;1.60-a-ol'a• are not un- their mouths shut ; so tLe.t the two senses of common. Reprobate (a30,c1µ01); as 2 Tim. iii. the word would really be only one. 8 (where see note). Thi,; picture of the 1 In tbe New Testament, '"J'<W'rflp is applied circumcision is indeed sad (comp. 1 Theas. exclusively to I.he womb. ii. 15, 16; Acts uvili. 25-28). fJB. L 1-18.) THE EPISTLE TO TITUB. 6